Anthem MRX 740 vs Marantz Cinema 50?

[Stereoguy]

Hi: Trying to decide between the following choices..... Marantz Cinema 50 or Anthem 740 4K(ver)....speakers are as follows..Paradigm Premier 800F's & Center is 600C,surrounds are Axiom QS8's,Atmos speaker. Polk OWN3's, Sub is a older paradigm DSP 3100. room is approx. 2400 cubic feet. Usage is 55 HT to 45 Music....thinking the Anthem is the best choice...but reading it seems to be a bit more "buggy". Thanks for helping me decide sorry if has been asked before.

 

[lovinthehd]

Why just those two? What is your own reasoning? I'd look at Denon first myself.

 

[Cos]

Agree with Lovinthehd, look at more options. As an Anthem AVM70 owner, I am happy with my purchase, though not 100% perfect most of the bugs have been worked out.

 

[Mike_G]

I am also interested in getting some feedback. I currently have a Denon X1700 which has been great. But I am considering investing in a little higher end model. I have been looking at the Anthem line, Arcam and a few others. Any input and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[lovinthehd]

@Mike_G don't discount the high end Denons...A110 if you want to go crazy or the upcoming A1H. Or maybe something like a X4700 and do some external amps if needed. Or maybe a thread less specifically titled than this one.

 

[Mike_G]

@Mike_G don't discount the high end Denons...A110 if you want to go crazy or the upcoming A1H. Or maybe something like a X4700 and do some external amps if needed. Or maybe a thread less specifically titled than this one.

Thank you. I am looking more towards a stand alone AVR. For no more than a 7.1.2 setup. Unfortunately, I have a limited budget to work with( something around $3,000 or less).

 

[lovinthehd]

Thank you. I am looking more towards a stand alone AVR. For no more than a 7.1.2 setup. Unfortunately, I have a limited budget to work with( something around $3,000 or less).

The 4700 or 6700 are nice avrs....

 

[Mike_G]

The 4700 or 6700 are nice avrs....

Thanks for the input and recommendations

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Thank you. I am looking more towards a stand alone AVR. For no more than a 7.1.2 setup. Unfortunately, I have a limited budget to work with( something around $3,000 or less).

For most of us, regardless of budget, it’s usually one of the big three DMY - Denon, Marantz, Yamaha - when it comes to AVR/AVP. The main reason is because they are big companies who have been making AVRs longer than most companies. This usually means better support and compatibility, less bugs and overall more bang (power output, features) for your buck.

Of course, we all own different brands and have our own personal favorites.

 

[PENG]

Thank you. I am looking more towards a stand alone AVR. For no more than a 7.1.2 setup. Unfortunately, I have a limited budget to work with( something around $3,000 or less).

I agree with HD, there are excellent deals on the X4700H now. If you must have the newest models then the X4800H, about the same price as the Cinema 50, is a much better value. The Denon, being a first cousin of the Cinema 40, has better specs, including a larger power supply than the Cinema 50.
$1,499 from Denon:
AVR-X4700H 9.2 Ch. 8K AV Receiver with HEOS® | Denon™

 

[Mike_G]

I agree with HD, there are excellent deals on the X4700H now. If you must have the newest models then the X4800H, about the same price as the Cinema 50, is a much better value. The Denon, being a first cousin of the Cinema 40, has better specs, including a larger power supply than the Cinema 50.
$1,499 from Denon:
AVR-X4700H 9.2 Ch. 8K AV Receiver with HEOS® | Denon™

Thanks for the input. After reviewing most of the receivers, I think I am going to purchase the Cinema 50.

 

[kmidst]

Haha, ironically these are the exact two AVR's I just dealt with.
Started with the Anthem MRX 740. It's pros were audio quality, build quality, looks, web-interface, Arc room correction was good. The cons made me trade it in - buggy until updated the FW, initial internet connection difficult, cheap feeling remote, even after FW update there was buggy behavior with X-box and PS5 video signals, and it's overpriced with less channels of amplification.
I switched to the Marantz Cinema 50 and still have it and am happy with it. Pros are that audio quality is just as good as the Anthem, good build quality and looks as well, it has on-screen interface which looks very nice, less expensive and MORE channels of amplification than the Anthem, nicer remote, easy internet connection, no video signal bugs. Not really a con, but right now it just has Audyssey room correction and then later on Dirac will be offered for a price (kinda high price IMO). I used Audyssey with it and it seemed to work well enough, although I don't have the app yet so I couldn't see my room curves.

Overall, Marantz over Anthem.

 

[PENG]

Haha, ironically these are the exact two AVR's I just dealt with.
Started with the Anthem MRX 740. It's pros were audio quality, build quality, looks, web-interface, Arc room correction was good. The cons made me trade it in - buggy until updated the FW, initial internet connection difficult, cheap feeling remote, even after FW update there was buggy behavior with X-box and PS5 video signals, and it's overpriced with less channels of amplification.
I switched to the Marantz Cinema 50 and still have it and am happy with it. Pros are that audio quality is just as good as the Anthem, good build quality and looks as well, it has on-screen interface which looks very nice, less expensive and MORE channels of amplification than the Anthem, nicer remote, easy internet connection, no video signal bugs. Not really a con, but right now it just has Audyssey room correction and then later on Dirac will be offered for a price (kinda high price IMO). I used Audyssey with it and it seemed to work well enough, although I don't have the app yet so I couldn't see my room curves.

Overall, Marantz over Anthem.

Congrats!

In my opinion, the MRX's ARCG is better compared to the Cinema 50"s Audyssey only if we compared "tweaked ARCG with the PC based app vs Audyssey without tweaking it with the $20 app. If one spends enough time to tweak with the Apps, then I would put Audyssey ahead of ARCG. Ommv, especially for those who don't check with REW and just trust the marketing info and the manufacturer's so call before and after graphs.

I like the Cinema 50 and 40's look a lot, but for me I would still go with Denon that cost much less and potentially do better on the test bench based on track records, though I think they will most likely be more similar than difference this time around.

 

[kmidst]

For some supplemental information, here is the Marantz Cinema 50 compared to three recent 9-channel Denons: https://www.crutchfield.com/g_10420/Home-Theater-Receivers.html?tp=179&fa=1#&nvpair=FFBrand|Denon&nvpair=FFBrand|Marantz

Edit: it didn't link the comparison, oops. Well just check compare for Cinema 50, X4700H. X4800H, and X3800H.

 

[Mike_G]

Haha, ironically these are the exact two AVR's I just dealt with.
Started with the Anthem MRX 740. It's pros were audio quality, build quality, looks, web-interface, Arc room correction was good. The cons made me trade it in - buggy until updated the FW, initial internet connection difficult, cheap feeling remote, even after FW update there was buggy behavior with X-box and PS5 video signals, and it's overpriced with less channels of amplification.
I switched to the Marantz Cinema 50 and still have it and am happy with it. Pros are that audio quality is just as good as the Anthem, good build quality and looks as well, it has on-screen interface which looks very nice, less expensive and MORE channels of amplification than the Anthem, nicer remote, easy internet connection, no video signal bugs. Not really a con, but right now it just has Audyssey room correction and then later on Dirac will be offered for a price (kinda high price IMO). I used Audyssey with it and it seemed to work well enough, although I don't have the app yet so I couldn't see my room curves.

Overall, Marantz over Anthem.

I really appreciate your information. I always prefer to hear the units in person, but there are no stores that carry Anthem near me. Therefore, I rely on the reviews such as yours. Thanks again

 

[Mike_G]

Congrats!

In my opinion, the MRX's ARCG is better compared to the Cinema 50"s Audyssey only if we compared "tweaked ARCG with the PC based app vs Audyssey without tweaking it with the $20 app. If one spends enough time to tweak with the Apps, then I would put Audyssey ahead of ARCG. Ommv, especially for those who don't check with REW and just trust the marketing info and the manufacturer's so call before and after graphs.

I like the Cinema 50 and 40's look a lot, but for me I would still go with Denon that cost much less and potentially do better on the test bench based on track records, though I think they will most likely be more similar than difference this time around.

Which Denon model would you compare?

 

[ban25]

Which Denon model would you compare?

X3800H is the direct comparison. They're basically equivalent in every way. You don't really get significant differences until you get into the top of the line (Marantz AV10/AMP10 vs Denon A1H) and even then it's a question of whether you want separates or an all-in-one AVR. To me the Marantz styling is a lot more visually appealing, so I would lean that way.

 

[PENG]

Which Denon model would you compare?

Cinema 40 to the avr-x4800h is a fair comparison based on specs and features.

Subjective reviews comparing them are not useful hecause anyone can say anything without supporting evidence. It means much more to compare specs and measurements, but there are no measurements available yet.

If you compare their predecessors, the avr-x4700h measured much better than the SR7015.

Regarding the MRX740 vs Denon and Marantz, you can compare the measurements of the avr-x3800h. On measurement results, the MRX will win for sure, but the MRX may not sound audibly better, and those who prefer one to the other in terms of sound quality are again, just expressing their own subjective opinions. The Marantz and Denon models are much more feature rich based on objective data. So some people will like the Marantz or Denon better but many will prefer the Anthem models.

The good thing is, those who take the time to weigh the pros and cons and understand what the differences mean can then choose wisely.

 

[Mike_G]

Cinema 40 to the avr-x4800h is a fair comparison based on specs and features.

Subjective reviews comparing them are not useful hecause anyone can say anything without supporting evidence. It means much more to compare specs and measurements, but there are no measurements available yet.

If you compare their predecessors, the avr-x4700h measured much better than the SR7015.

Regarding the MRX740 vs Denon and Marantz, you can compare the measurements of the avr-x3800h. On measurement results, the MRX will win for sure, but the MRX may not sound audibly better, and those who prefer one to the other in terms of sound quality are again, just expressing their own subjective opinions. The Marantz and Denon models are much more feature rich based on objective data. So some people will like the Marantz or Denon better but many will prefer the Anthem models.

The good thing is, those who take the time to weigh the pros and cons and understand what the differences mean can then choose wisely.

Thank you for your advice. Ultimately I just want to purchase a quality AVR that sounds great for movies and music. I agree that it really comes down to personal taste as most receivers sound good.

 

[Timforhifi]

Definitely is personal preference, I just had the opportunity to try a denon 3800 and 4800. They sounded no different than denon 4700. I compared them to different avrs I use in my home including a arcam avr21, arcam avr10 and a denon 4700. Hdmi switching are all similar, on screen display is better on denon. Big for me is how they sound, and the arcam sounds better with zero eq than the denon 3800, 4800 or 4700. After dirac on the arcams, they get even better. Hopefully the dirac upgrade on these denon and marantz will help and I’m hopeful. I still think the denons are nice products, but I’d probably look at the following.

Onkyo rz50
Integra drx 5.4
Pioneer elite 505
Arcam avr11

I’d definitely would like to try the Marantz Cinema line but they sell so fast. My local guy is having a tough time keeping in stock, but my guess is it’s very similar to denon.

Last anthem I had was avm60 around 6 years ago maybe and it was a nice product. Definitely would like to try newer line in the future, but it’ll have a tough time replacing my arcam. I’m always open to an upgrade though.