Denon 1909 or Marantz 5003

[audiolover]

Ok, So I am returning the HK254 due to multiple issues. I have narrowed down my replacement choices to these 2 receivers. Which would you choose? Running 5.1. Components are 32" 1080p display, Panny BD60 Blu ray, Jamo speakers.

 

[audiolover]

Nobody has compared these 2 receivers? My listening will be split 50/50 between Blu ray movies and music listening.

 

[markw]

We're not professionals, ya know.

While some of us might own one or the other, but finding someone who actually went through the trouble to own both to make a real comparison is slight.

They are both good receivers and your speakers/room will be more of the determi ng factor on how they sound than the receivers themselves.

I suggest you go through the features list of each one and go for the one that has the features you need. If they both match, go for price.

 

[audiolover]

Thanks. What about a comparison in general between Marantz and Denon? Is it general consensus that Marantz is a little more musical? One feature I notice the Denon has over the Marantz is the Audyssey Dynamic Volume. To any Denon owners, does this feature really work as advertised?

 

[audiolover]

Also, are you able to view the OSD via HDMI from both of these units? I read somewhere that you can't on the 5003 but not sure about this.

 

[bigred7078]

although we have different equipment and different setups i will provide my input...


I currently own a Marantz SR6003. Before this i owned a Yamaha RX-V3900 and Denon 2809ci.

In my comparisons i found the Marantz offered better performance than the Denon, and about similar quality to the Yamaha.

I found the denon 2809 lacked in its liveliness. Its was just so blah. But it sure was feature packed for the price point i got it at ($745). Now i know its a different model from what your looking at but remember its also higher up on the chain. Realize though, i do not dislike the denon by any means, i think its a fantastic unit.

The Marantz is also a different model than you are looking at, but the 6003 and 5003 actually don't differ much at all. The 6003 as a little bigger power supply, a usb input, dual HDMI outputs, a cleaner front panel with the metal door, and a GUI (but it does not overlay..meaning it exits out of the current screen to show the menu). I found it had overall a much better sound quality. My music actually had character and did not leave a bitter taste in my mouth like the Denon did. The Marantz is warm and intimate which is fantastic for its price class. It also has pre-outs if you ever decide to add an amp to give your speakers that extra oomph.

The downfall to the Marantz are the fact that it does not have the ability to set individual crossovers. There is only one global crossover point for all speakers. But this is not THAT big of a deal. I run my mains and center at large anyway. And leave the crossover for the rears. It also lacks the ability to apply audyssey to bistreamed DTS-MA and DDTrueHD signals. I found this to not be a big deal as i use a PS3 anyway and will not be bitstreaming the signals from it. So as long as you have a unit that will internally decode the new codecs, audyssey will still be applied. But also rememeber not everyone likes what audyssey does anyway so some people may never use it to begin with.

So take all this for what it is...my opinion. YMMV on anything you try, i just found that for the price the Marantz gave me all that i was looking for to satisfy my audio appetite Good luck with your choice.

 

[audiolover]

Thanks bigred for bringing me back to my senses. I have owned a Marantz unit before and remember how musical it was. I was curious about the Denon feature set but sound is more important to me. I have since purchased a refurb 4003 from accessories4less $349 shipped which is scheduled to arrive today. I went for the 4003 to save a few $. My BDP decodes the lossless formats internally so I don't really need the receiver to do it. Will I have buyers remorse with this unit? I realize it doesn't have Auddusey(sp) but I don't really care about that. Are there significant internal differences between the 4003 & 5003? Hopefully it will still have that "sigature" Marantz sound. In other words, will they sound a lot different? That $349 is just a heck of a deal.

 

[bigred7078]

The 4003 is a little different i believe, but everyone that i have heard that purchased one just loved it. At the price its hard to regret it lol.

 

[audiolover]

Yeah I have been thinking about not even opening it and returning it and buying the 5003($539.99 refurb on same site) but I don't think I will. I could end up missing out on a great unit so I will go ahead and connect it and try it out. If I'm not satisfied I guess there's always fleabay, audiogon, etc.

 

[valy]

Hi!
Thanks for your review!So Marantz 6003 better than Denon 2809,but what do you mean by "Marantz about similar quality to the Yamaha"?Which one sounds better?

 

[Lordoftherings]

Hi!
Thanks for your review!So Marantz 6003 better than Denon 2809,but what do you mean by "Marantz about similar quality to the Yamaha"?Which one sounds better?

Are you into good sound quality? Get the SR6003 then (And good looks too).

Are you into features? Get the AVR-2809ci then (Audyssey MultEQ XT).

Are you into DSPs? Get the Yamaha RX-V1800 or the RX-V1900 then (YPAO).

Are you into a good solid receiver? Get the Onkyo TX-SR806 then (THX Ultra2 Plus).

As for the OP, I will get the Marantz SR5003 over the Denon AVR-1909.
A much better receiver in my opinion.

LOTR

 

[PENG]

Thanks. What about a comparison in general between Marantz and Denon? Is it general consensus that Marantz is a little more musical? One feature I notice the Denon has over the Marantz is the Audyssey Dynamic Volume. To any Denon owners, does this feature really work as advertised?

I say that is a myth. It was most likely true years ago when Marantz and HK might have sounded more musical due to their beefier P/S and amps resulting in a so called "warmer", hence musical sound. Technology and the advantages of mass production have since more or less level the playing field. It is no longer that costly or difficult to mass produced receivers that can push 100 WPC into 4 to 8 ohm loads with inaudible distortion over the audible 20 to 20,000 hz frequency spectrum.

That being said, I would say the higher end models within a product line will still give people the feeling of more musical than their lower end models, but to say a Marantz 6003 is more musical than say a Yamaha RX-V1900 would be a myth, that is not supported by science or properly conducted comparison listening tests.

IMHO the myth about that warm, fat, musical sound thing still lives on mostly due to hearsays, not demonstrated facts.

 

[Lordoftherings]

Speakers dictate the Sound.

Your speakers have much more to do with Sound Quality you hear in your own room than any other component in your system.

LOTR

 

[bigred7078]

Hi!
Thanks for your review!So Marantz 6003 better than Denon 2809,but what do you mean by "Marantz about similar quality to the Yamaha"?Which one sounds better?

I personally believe the 6003 is better than the 2809...The Denon was just an overeall flat sounding receiver to me.


I thought the Marantz was pretty much on par with the Yamaha 3900. I'd actually give the edge to the Yamaha though. But my point was you can get just as much performance from the Marantz as you can from the yamaha for a lesser price. The yamaha is friggen feature packed but costs ALOT more.

 

[Lordoftherings]

This is very true indeed.

I personally believe the 6003 is better than the 2809...The Denon was just an overeall flat sounding receiver to me.


I thought the Marantz was pretty much on par with the Yamaha 3900. I'd actually give the edge to the Yamaha though. But my point was you can get just as much performance from the Marantz as you can from the yamaha for a lesser price. The yamaha is friggen feature packed but costs ALOT more.

+1 * I absolutely agree at 100% pure affirmity with this above quote.

Bob