Marantz AV 10 15.4CH AV Processor Bench Test Results!

[PENG]

No doubt about it - the DACs in the AV10 are very good. However I have a Eversolo DMP-A6 and have found I like the DAC in it and like feeding XLR (but can also feed HDMI) into the AV10. Moreover, I have a DP59L turntable that I use MC cartridges on and use a Puffin phono preamp to send either SPDIF to the AV10 directly or are experimenting with routing it through the DMP-A6 or D70 Pro Sabre DAC. Do I need to do all of this? Of course not. But its fun. Thanks for the help!

Understood, I have done silly things too just for fun. In many cases, aside from having fun, people (I did...) could hear things too, not real, but real to them, and heard it because they had reasons to.

 

[dlaloum]

No doubt about it - the DACs in the AV10 are very good. However I have a Eversolo DMP-A6 and have found I like the DAC in it and like feeding XLR (but can also feed HDMI) into the AV10. Moreover, I have a DP59L turntable that I use MC cartridges on and use a Puffin phono preamp to send either SPDIF to the AV10 directly or are experimenting with routing it through the DMP-A6 or D70 Pro Sabre DAC. Do I need to do all of this? Of course not. But its fun. Thanks for the help!

Keeping in mind that the biggest impact on the sound is the Room, followed by the speakers - the biggest improvement the AVR/AVP brings to the system is the DSP processing (Audyssey/Dirac) and not the DAC.

You can run in pure analogue bypass mode - but then there is no RoomEQ.

If you enable ANY of the DSP functions, your analogue signal will be passed through the onboard ADC, processed, and then output via the onboard DAC...

This makes an external DAC of relatively dubious benefit.

Also we have heard a lot about the DAC quality - but for those feeding analogue into the beast, it is just as relevant to ask, what is the ADC quality?! (and how does one adjust input levels to optimise digitisation quality?)

 

[multisport4me]

Keeping in mind that the biggest impact on the sound is the Room, followed by the speakers - the biggest improvement the AVR/AVP brings to the system is the DSP processing (Audyssey/Dirac) and not the DAC.

You can run in pure analogue bypass mode - but then there is no RoomEQ.

If you enable ANY of the DSP functions, your analogue signal will be passed through the onboard ADC, processed, and then output via the onboard DAC...

This makes an external DAC of relatively dubious benefit.

Also we have heard a lot about the DAC quality - but for those feeding analogue into the beast, it is just as relevant to ask, what is the ADC quality?! (and how does one adjust input levels to optimise digitisation quality?)

Yup. Got it. I'm still having fun playing around with it and yes, I know that if/when I do any processing with upmixers or room correction, the ADC is employed and signal downrez's to 48khz, etc. FWIW - it still sounds great. This thing is just a super clean AV processor no matter what I feed it.

 

[Paul McNeil]

Those objective measurements, Gene, of the AV10 are very impressive and much appreciated. I have a Marantz 8802A, which does (still) sound very good, AND 4 subwoofers. What I haven't heard yet in a review of the AV10, either subjectively or objectively, is whether the AV10's ability to control 4 subwoofers is game changer, for those of us with four? It's big bucks for the upgrade, after all!

 

[multisport4me]

Those objective measurements, Gene, are of the AV10 are very impressive and much appreciated. I have a Marantz 8802A, which does (still) sound very good, AND 4 subwoofers. What I haven't heard yet in a review of the AV10, either subjectively or objectively, is whether the AV10's ability to control 4 subwoofers is game changer, for those of us with four? It's big bucks for the upgrade, after all!

I have four subs and its a game changer to me. DBLC will make it even more of a game changer.

 

[Paul McNeil]

I have four subs and its a game changer to me. DBLC will make it even more of a game changer.

Thanks for the reply multisport4me. I am encouraged to spend (but have to ask the wife first!). What were you using prior to the AV10? Have you measured the difference in room response with REW? Do you engage the 'directional bass' feature?

 

[multisport4me]

Thanks for the reply multisport4me. I am encouraged to spend (but have to ask the wife first!). What were you using prior to the AV10? Have you measured the difference in room response with REW? Do you engage the 'directional bass' feature?

HTP-1, 8805A, 8805, 8802A,various Denons, etc. etc. The AV10 is the best AVP I've owned yet. Hands down.

Regarding directional bass - I tried it. It's kinda neat but not that useful to me personally as I mostly listen to music in my room vs. watching movies. I did watch Maverick though with directional enabled and there were some cool and detectable shifts of bass from front to back with certain fly-by scenes. The bass management in this thing has some very powerful and unique features that matter more to me than directional bass (as I believe Gene has covered in one of his videos).

As far as REW, I admit to being lazy enough to have not bother as I am hoping for an earlier than promised release on DLBC. Not to mention the fact that I like RC to get me in ballpark but invariably dial in what my ears like no matter what RC I use. But I will do some REW measurements at some point - if for no other reason that to compare Audyssey to Dirac w DLBC - in my room and setup.

 

[Paul McNeil]

HTP-1, 8805A, 8805, 8802A,various Denons, etc. etc. The AV10 is the best AVP I've owned yet. Hands down.

Regarding directional bass - I tried it. It's kinda neat but not that useful to me personally as I mostly listen to music in my room vs. watching movies. I did watch Maverick though with directional enabled and there were some cool and detectable shifts of bass from front to back with certain fly-by scenes. The bass management in this thing has some very powerful and unique features that matter more to me than directional bass (as I believe Gene has covered in one of his videos).

As far as REW, I admit to being lazy enough to have not bother as I am hoping for an earlier than promised release on DLBC. Not to mention the fact that I like RC to get me in ballpark but invariably dial in what my ears like no matter what RC I use. But I will do some REW measurements at some point - if for no other reason that to compare Audyssey to Dirac w DLBC - in my room and setup.

Well, you've got experience.

I didn't think that 'directional bass' was possible (so say the Dolby experts, 80 htz crossover), though I believe I have heard it in movie theaters (for example the latest Mission Impossible).

Gene did not cover in room responses measured objectively, for management of 4 subwoofers, as far as I can tell, or subjectively. But based on what you are saying, the AV10 makes a significant improvement.

I am a devotee of REW, when it comes to evaluating in room bass response. I'm waiting for some evaluation of the AV10 in this regard.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

As far as REW, I admit to being lazy enough to have not bother as I am hoping for an earlier than promised release on DLBC. Not to mention the fact that I like RC to get me in ballpark but invariably dial in what my ears like no matter what RC I use. But I will do some REW measurements at some point - if for no other reason that to compare Audyssey to Dirac w DLBC - in my room and setup.

It only took about 10 years for me to finally break down and buy the UMIK-1 and did my own REW measurements. Then after doing a few measurements, the UMIK-1 went back into its box and is now just sitting in the closet, probably forever.

At least I can say that I have been there/done it.

 

[Paul McNeil]

It only took about 10 years for me to finally break down and buy the UMIK-1 and did my own REW measurements. Then after doing a few measurements, the UMIK-1 went back into its box and is now just sitting in the closet, probably forever.

At least I can say that I have been there/done it.

To each his own!

 

[multisport4me]

To each his own!

I think it was more of a post empathizing with me and nothing against you or those that use REW religiously. I can understand the desire to empirically measure and dial things in - its in my nature too. But as a musician - like most musicians do - I tend to trust my ears at times more than measurements. So to make the right side of my brain get along with the left side, I just tend to settle in with major component changes by ear before pulling out the mics for RC and REW. And in the end, my ears win with any final tweaks post-cal, despite what the measurements tell me.

 

[dlaloum]

I have four subs and its a game changer to me. DBLC will make it even more of a game changer.

If you opt for DLBC, do you need to sacrifice "directional bass"?

Thinking about the way that DL-ART works, I would assume that ART with "directional bass " would work, but not so sure about DLBC.

 

[Paul McNeil]

So, no in room measurements of the Marantz AV10 4 subwoofer implementation, or, as Gene has emphasized, implementation of front and left speaker bass into the LFE channel? After all, the in room results are what really matters. The AV10 implementation in room of 4 subwoofers seems to be great subjectively, based on one correspondent here, but still that testimony may not be enough to justify spending $7000, if one is upgrading from an 8802A, which does two, and not perfectly.

 

[multisport4me]

So, no in room measurements of the Marantz AV10 4 subwoofer implementation, or, as Gene has emphasized, implementation of front and left speaker bass into the LFE channel? After all, the in room results are what really matters. The AV10 implementation in room of 4 subwoofers seems to be great subjectively, based on one correspondent here, but still that testimony may not be enough to justify spending $7000, if one is upgrading from an 8802A, which does two, and not perfectly.

Wouldn't your room be the most important? Can you return it if you don't like it? Marantz gives you 60 days to try it and even pays return shipping.

 

[everettT]

So, no in room measurements of the Marantz AV10 4 subwoofer implementation, or, as Gene has emphasized, implementation of front and left speaker bass into the LFE channel? After all, the in room results are what really matters. The AV10 implementation in room of 4 subwoofers seems to be great subjectively, based on one correspondent here, but still that testimony may not be enough to justify spending $7000, if one is upgrading from an 8802A, which does two, and not perfectly.

How does one go about this when every room is different and the characteristics of everyone's subwoofer and mains aren't the same?

 

[Paul McNeil]

How does one go about this when every room is different and the characteristics of everyone's subwoofer and mains aren't the same?

Simple, you report how it has worked in your room as all reviewers do. Does Dirac work, does Audyssey? This can be subjective or objective (such as REW measurements). Both are helpful, but there are neither for the 4 subwoofer implementation.

 

[Paul McNeil]

These corrections are MEANT for IN ROOM CORRECTION.

 

[Paul McNeil]

I'm just about finished with this site, thanks!

 

[multisport4me]

I'm just about finished with this site, thanks!

Huh?

 

[Paul McNeil]

Huh?

If you don't get it, that meaningful reviews of components (maybe power amplifiers excepted and CABLES, haha), must be in room, especially if software implemented, I'm finished.