Marantz Cinema 50 + JBL Studio 600 speakers - A good combination?

[apoorvasheth]

Hello All,

I am planning for Marantz Cinema 50. How reliable are its internal parts considering this expensive amp comes with just 1 year warranty in India? I live in a city where climate is Hot & warm air flows by during Summer.

I’ve heard Marantz undergo a very strict quality checks such that it doesn’t go faulty for years to come. It’s success ratio is 95%.

Also does it overheat under normal fan speed with no air conditioner in the living room?

Or shall I consider purchasing an Amp Cooler such as one from AC Infiniti?

https://amzn.in/d/076mlC3X

I have JBL 630 Bookshelf for Front Left & Right, JBL 625C for Center channel & JBL 660P Sub. Do you feel Marantz Cinema 50 will be a good choice or Denon AVC-X3800H - 9.4 Channel 8K AV Receiver?

The seating distance between my TV & Sofa is of 11 to 12 feet.

And I am planning to buy a ProfiGold brand 8K HDMI Cable for eArc to receive best quality audio from my Sony A80L over an HDMI connection to the amp. And a speaker cable for surround speakers. Kindly refer to the attached pictures to know more details about this Audio & HDMI cable.

For surrounds, I am considering Emotiva Airmotiv XA2 Height / Surround / Ceiling / Reflective Speakers (Pair) - https://emotiva.com/products/airmotiv-xa2-pair-height-surround-ceiling-speaker

…and for Front Heights - Emotiva Airmotiv A1 - Atmos Height Speaker to feel the Atmos effects though an audio dealer told me that to feel the complete Atmos effects, I need 9 to 11 speakers all over the room.

How good is SVS brand when it comes to Surrounds & Atmos vs Emotiva Speakers?

Regards,
Mr. Apoorva Sheth

 

[PENG]

Hello All,

I am planning for Marantz Cinema 50. How reliable are its internal parts considering this expensive amp comes with just 1 year warranty in India? I live in a city where climate is Hot & warm air flows by during Summer.

I’ve heard Marantz undergo a very strict quality checks such that it doesn’t go faulty for years to come. It’s success ratio is 95%.

Also does it overheat under normal fan speed with no air conditioner in the living room?

Or shall I consider purchasing an Amp Cooler such as one from AC Infiniti?

https://amzn.in/d/076mlC3X

It is not necessary to spend more than $30 on a "cooler", if you feel that you need one unless you have specific reasons.

An example of a cheaper one, but a little louder:
Amazon.com: AC Infinity MULTIFAN S3-P, Quiet 120mm AC-Powered Fan with Speed Control, UL-Certified for Receiver DVR Playstation Xbox Component Cooling : Industrial & Scientific

Cheap, and ultra quiet:

Amazon.com: Noctua NF-S12B redux-700, Ultra Quiet Silent Fan, 3-Pin, 700 RPM (120mm, Grey) : Electronics

The one I have been using:

Amazon.com: Noctua NF-S12A ULN, Ultra Quiet Silent Fan, 3-Pin (120mm, Brown) : Electronics

I have JBL 630 Bookshelf for Front Left & Right, JBL 625C for Center channel & JBL 660P Sub. Do you feel Marantz Cinema 50 will be a good choice or Denon AVC-X3800H - 9.4 Channel 8K AV Receiver?

The seating distance between my TV & Sofa is of 11 to 12 feet.

It all depends how loud you listen to, for example, if you listen to levels at less than half of that in a movie cinema, those AVRs could do the job, louder than that, I would suggest you purchase a 3 channel external power amp rated 200 W 8 Ohms, 300 W 4 Ohms, you don't need external power amp to power the surround and height channels unless those speaker are as far away as the LCR that are 11 to 12 feet, and have low sensitivity as well.

Those JBL speakers are not easy to drive, but then they are rated for 150 W maximum, so even if you need 1,000W amp there is no point getting anything rated more than the 200/300 8/4 ohms that I am suggesting.

About the Cinema 50 versus AVR-X3800H, my usual response to this frequenty asked question (I know you didn't ask but I'd answer it regardless just in case) is:
- If you can get the Marantz for the same or just slightly higher price then go for it, assuming you also like it's look better.
- If in your area, you have pay a lot more for Marantz, and you don't mind the look of the Denon, then don't waste money, just get the much cheaper Denon, the often talked about better Marantz sound are just forum talks/hearsay, no one has ever done proper blind comparison listening tests on them, and they did, they would not be able to tell the differences, let alone sounding better.

For surrounds, I am considering Emotiva Airmotiv XA2 Height / Surround / Ceiling / Reflective Speakers (Pair) - https://emotiva.com/products/airmotiv-xa2-pair-height-surround-ceiling-speaker

https://emotiva.com/products/airmotiv-xa2-pair-height-surround-ceiling-speaker

I would suggest you use the AVR's amps to drive them and see what happens, unless you listen loud and the distances are also as far as 12 ft, 6 ft would likely be fine.

How good is SVS brand when it comes to Surrounds & Atmos vs Emotiva Speakers?

Hard to say, based on available reviews with measurements, I trust SVS speakers, you could do a search for measurement results of those Emotiva speakers on Audioholics.com and Audioscienereview.com.[/QUOTE]

 

[apoorvasheth]

I am quite confused between Marantz Cinema 50/60 & Denon AVC-X3800H - 9.4 Channel 8K AV Receiver or AVR-X2800H 7.2 Ch. 150W 8K AV Receiver.

Budget is always thing for everyone so if I save some money by making the wise & right choice, I can utilize the same in buying a pair of extra speakers.

Marantz Cinema looks so good compared to Denon X3800H & X2800H - same as my present Yamaha RX-V685 so unable to make any choice but not as good as the Arcams.

Don't know why Marantz is so pricey when its own competing product (since both are from Sound United) Denon X3800H & X2800H offer excellent sound quality & features as I've heard of.

I have a taste for both Music & Movies. But, I want sound to be sweetest & not sharp at all like Klipsch or create fatigue after listening from 30mins to an hour.

I want to feel detailed sound clarity for all Hindi movies & songs right from the 60s to present.

I want to feel the fear within in a horror movie & involved in an action scene.

I was also thinking that I shall move these pair of JBL 630 Bookshelf to surround & buy a premium for the fronts while the Front Heights will be Emotiva.

Very confused now.

The Front heights will be far away from my listening position, about 12 feet distance.

Aren't Emotiva's Airmotiv XA2 Height / Surround / Ceiling / Reflective Speakers (Pair) be loud enough for the Atmos sound effects to reach my ears?

 

[lovinthehd]

I am quite confused between Marantz Cinema 50/60 & Denon AVC-X3800H - 9.4 Channel 8K AV Receiver or AVR-X2800H 7.2 Ch. 150W 8K AV Receiver.

Budget is always thing for everyone so if I save some money by making the wise & right choice, I can utilize the same in buying a pair of extra speakers.

Marantz Cinema looks so good compared to Denon X3800H & X2800H - same as my present Yamaha RX-V685 so unable to make any choice but not as good as the Arcams.

Don't know why Marantz is so pricey when its own competing product (since both are from Sound United) Denon X3800H & X2800H offer excellent sound quality & features as I've heard of.

I have a taste for both Music & Movies. But, I want sound to be sweetest & not sharp at all like Klipsch or create fatigue after listening from 30mins to an hour.

I want to feel detailed sound clarity for all Hindi movies & songs right from the 60s to present.

I want to feel the fear within in a horror movie & involved in an action scene.

I was also thinking that I shall move these pair of JBL 630 Bookshelf to surround & buy a premium for the fronts while the Front Heights will be Emotiva.

Very confused now.

The Front heights will be far away from my listening position, about 12 feet distance.

Aren't Emotiva's Airmotiv XA2 Height / Surround / Ceiling / Reflective Speakers (Pair) be loud enough for the Atmos sound effects to reach my ears?

This is a good site to compare feature set differences among avrs zkelectronics.com

The particular avr won't dictate how you feel about things, but higher sensitivity speakers might and spending less on a Denon than the very similar Marantz could be a good start, too.

 

[PENG]

Don't know why Marantz is so pricey when its own competing product (since both are from Sound United) Denon X3800H & X2800H offer excellent sound quality & features as I've heard of.

Two main reasons:

1) Marantz has to recoup the cost of the extra buffer stage they call "HDAMs", that are basically there to give their followers a reason to believe in them having a "signature" sound. That is a forum/hearsay myth over the years, there is no logic in believing their claims if one simply view the audio block diagram (people posted many times, I did too) and do a bottleneck analysis mentally, it's all science based opinion that me and I believe any competent EE will adopt. Also have to recoup the cost of using gold plated RCA connectors, larger case and the more artistic design, and the higher per unit cost due to the much smaller sales volume (economy of scale).

2) Their marketing somehow might have figured out that people in the USA and Canada are more easily led to believe Marantz has their warm/musical signature sound, and people in Asia and Europe might be more technically oriented and inclined to filter out some of those hypes.

2) above seems to be the main reason for the Marantz over Denon premiums to be much less significant, say comparing the Cinema 50 to AVR-X3800H, the price premium was more like between 0 (Singapore, at least at one point, and Euro 250 in Europe such as France whereas in the US in would be more like $700-$800, or $1,000-$1,100 in Canada

I have a taste for both Music & Movies. But, I want sound to be sweetest & not sharp at all like Klipsch or create fatigue after listening from 30mins to an hour.
I want to feel detailed sound clarity for all Hindi movies & songs right from the 60s to present.
I want to feel the fear within in a horror movie & involved in an action scene.

Such characteristics are mainly of speakers, not mid range AVRs that are typically transparent enough to not giving you the fatigue you might experienced with entry level devices especially if used beyond their rated outputs.

As long as your AVR is operating well below it's rated output, you will be fine.

Very confused now.

About what?

The Front heights will be far away from my listening position, about 12 feet distance. Aren't Emotiva's Airmotiv XA2 Height / Surround / Ceiling / Reflective Speakers (Pair) be loud enough for the Atmos sound effects to reach my ears?

Again, it is important to understand that "loud enough" or not depends on:

a) Your "taste" as you mentioned, you have your own taste, in terms of how loud you typically listen to when watching movies and listening to music.
b) The specifications of your speakers, for the Airmotiv XA2, the specs are:

From Emotiva website:

• Efficiency: 86 dB (2.83V/1m).
• Power handling: 80W continuous / 150W peak
• Recommended amplifier power: 40W or more
• Nominal impedance: 4-ohms, safe with amplifiers rated for 8-ohm loads

Note that Emotiva calls it "efficiency", that is not the right term, it should be "sensitivity".
Manufacturers rarely provide the "efficiency spec" as that spec is not typically useful for the consumers.
Based on the specs, those speakers may or may not be loud enough for you but in this case it is largely dependent on your "taste", that is, how loud do you listen to, if you want it to be as loud as what you would hear in movie cinema then the answer is no, if you are okay with say half as loud, then I would say likely "yes". More power than the AVR can offer will not help, but better/larger speakers will...

I thought we posted an online calculator for you to find out your need based on the above factors:

Peak SPL Calculator (hometheaterengineering.com)
Crown Audio - Professional Power Amplifiers | English

 

[apoorvasheth]

Can someone kindly guide me on this?

For Marantz Cinema 50, do I also need to change my main socket from present 5 Amps to 15 Amps?

If yes then, what about my Surge protector? Can I still plug it into the 15 Amps socket & continue to plug in TV, JBL 660P & Marantz Cinema 50 into the surge protector?

Won’t a 15 Amps power wall socket blow off my Sony OLED or JBL 660P Sub b’coz 15 Amps ideally is being used for Geyser, Fridge or Microwave.

My audio dealer in our yesterday’s conversation suggested me to use 15 Amps wall socket b’coz this Marantz Cinema 50 has high current to power the speakers.

What is 5 Amps & 15 Amps & when are they to be considered except for the only thing I am aware about them is that 5 Amps socket is used for TV, Mobile charging, etc… whereas 15 Amps is used for heavy appliances such as Geyser, Fridge, etc… & it’s ideally been recommended not to use simple mobile charging or other small equipments in such heavy sockets otherwise it will damage the device that’s being charged, is this true?

A local service center for Yamaha Audio also suggested me to use HDMI connector protector like this… so as to avoid HDMI Current leakage.

Portable HDMI Surge Protector ESD Surge Protection - Pixelpitch

Novalink NLV-HP01 BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS This is an ultra low capacitance electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device series of products. Single-wire ESD protection device that provides 0.5 picofarads (pF) capacitance and low clamping voltage. FEATURES This is an ultra low capacitance...

pixelpitch.in

I now also feel that maybe I should move JBL 630 to rear (Surround) & buy new Emotiva Airmotiv B2+ - Bookshelf Speakers for the fronts.

Which between JBL & Emotiva do you all feel is the best for Fronts Left + Right in terms of sweet sounding detailed crystal clear sound quality when I listen to all the songs whether Hindi or English & experience best sound quality? And for background effects while watching an Action or Horror movie scenes?

And if I love the sound of Emotiva after listening to it on a 2-channel stereo for couple of hours then, I’ll buy this for the Front Heights - Emotiva Airmotiv XA2 - Height/Surround/Ceiling/Reflective Speakers - Pair


Regards,
Apoorva.

 

[apoorvasheth]

Two main reasons:

1) Marantz has to recoup the cost of the extra buffer stage they call "HDAMs", that are basically there to give their followers a reason to believe in them having a "signature" sound. That is a forum/hearsay myth over the years, there is no logic in believing their claims if one simply view the audio block diagram (people posted many times, I did too) and do a bottleneck analysis mentally, it's all science based opinion that me and I believe any competent EE will adopt. Also have to recoup the cost of using gold plated RCA connectors, larger case and the more artistic design, and the higher per unit cost due to the much smaller sales volume (economy of scale).

2) Their marketing somehow might have figured out that people in the USA and Canada are more easily led to believe Marantz has their warm/musical signature sound, and people in Asia and Europe might be more technically oriented and inclined to filter out some of those hypes.

2) above seems to be the main reason for the Marantz over Denon premiums to be much less significant, say comparing the Cinema 50 to AVR-X3800H, the price premium was more like between 0 (Singapore, at least at one point, and Euro 250 in Europe such as France whereas in the US in would be more like $700-$800, or $1,000-$1,100 in Canada



Such characteristics are mainly of speakers, not mid range AVRs that are typically transparent enough to not giving you the fatigue you might experienced with entry level devices especially if used beyond their rated outputs.

As long as your AVR is operating well below it's rated output, you will be fine.

About what?

Again, it is important to understand that "loud enough" or not depends on:

a) Your "taste" as you mentioned, you have your own taste, in terms of how loud you typically listen to when watching movies and listening to music.
b) The specifications of your speakers, for the Airmotiv XA2, the specs are:

From Emotiva website:

• Efficiency: 86 dB (2.83V/1m).
• Power handling: 80W continuous / 150W peak
• Recommended amplifier power: 40W or more
• Nominal impedance: 4-ohms, safe with amplifiers rated for 8-ohm loads

Note that Emotiva calls it "efficiency", that is not the right term, it should be "sensitivity".
Manufacturers rarely provide the "efficiency spec" as that spec is not typically useful for the consumers.
Based on the specs, those speakers may or may not be loud enough for you but in this case it is largely dependent on your "taste", that is, how loud do you listen to, if you want it to be as loud as what you would hear in movie cinema then the answer is no, if you are okay with say half as loud, then I would say likely "yes". More power than the AVR can offer will not help, but better/larger speakers will...

I thought we posted an online calculator for you to find out your need based on the above factors:

Peak SPL Calculator (hometheaterengineering.com)
Crown Audio - Professional Power Amplifiers | English

Hello, thank you for your detailed response. Those calculators are much difficult to understand for people like me who are less technically sound.

It seems from your response from spending on Marantz Cinema 50 will be a “total waste of money” b’coz either the HDAMs or Gold connectors will be of no use for me. It’s not going to do any good in enhancing the sound quality but, just a marketing trick by its manufacturer to fetch more profits, am I right on this?

I love listening both to loud & low but smooth sound especially at night after 1.00am when the entire world is asleep & zero traffic noise, no birds noise.

Ideally the absolute right time to feel crisp & clear detailed sound quality is after 1.00am..it’s a real pleasure to listen & experience those minute of detailed sound quality in a complete silence environment.

In a Multiplex/Theatres/Movie Hall, the sound is extreme loud as they have either 16 or 24 Studio speakers of either JBL or Pulse surrounding its audience so half of it is good enough to go at home.

So, coming back to selection of an AVR, there is absolutely zero difference between Marantz Cinema 50 & Denon AVR-X3700H 9.2 channel 8K AV receiver so I should make a wise choice by buying Denon X-3700H & the money that is saved, I shall consider buying a 2nd Sub maybe of SVS or 2 additional speakers.

Regards,
Apoorva.

 

[PENG]

Hello, thank you for your detailed response. Those calculators are much difficult to understand for people like me who are less technically sound.

It seems from your response from spending on Marantz Cinema 50 will be a “total waste of money” b’coz either the HDAMs or Gold connectors will be of no use for me. It’s not going to do any good in enhancing the sound quality but, just a marketing trick by its manufacturer to fetch more profits, am I right on this?

I love listening both to loud & low but smooth sound especially at night after 1.00am when the entire world is asleep & zero traffic noise, no birds noise.

Ideally the absolute right time to feel crisp & clear detailed sound quality is after 1.00am..it’s a real pleasure to listen & experience those minute of detailed sound quality in a complete silence environment.

In a Multiplex/Theatres/Movie Hall, the sound is extreme loud as they have either 16 or 24 Studio speakers of either JBL or Pulse surrounding its audience so half of it is good enough to go at home.

So, coming back to selection of an AVR, there is absolutely zero difference between Marantz Cinema 50 & Denon AVR-X3700H 9.2 channel 8K AV receiver so I should make a wise choice by buying Denon X-3700H & the money that is saved, I shall consider buying a 2nd Sub maybe of SVS or 2 additional speakers.

Regards,
Apoorva.

Yes, that's about my points the way you summarized it. I missed one thing though, forgot to mention that Marantz's warranty is 5 years, Denon's 3 years.

So, to be clear, my recommendation is that if the price difference isn't much in your country/area, say less than $200, and you do prefer the look of the C50, go for it. Otherwise go with Denon and save the money. I have nothing against Marantz, just feel that people got the misconception that it will "sound better", when there is no evidence to support those claims, on all else being equal basis.

 

[apoorvasheth]

Yes, that's about my points the way you summarized it. I missed one thing though, forgot to mention that Marantz's warranty is 5 years, Denon's 3 years.

So, to be clear, my recommendation is that if the price difference isn't much in your country/area, say less than $200, and you do prefer the look of the C50, go for it. Otherwise go with Denon and save the money. I have nothing against Marantz, just feel that people got the misconception that it will "sound better", when there is no evidence to support those claims, on all else being equal basis.

Thank you for your response. Warranty for both Denon & Marantz is 1 year in India & that’s mainly my worrying factor. Paying a huge amount & getting just 1 year of warranty is a big risk. 5 years is safe. That’s why I haven’t placed an order yet with my audio dealer.

 

[lovinthehd]

Thank you for your response. Warranty for both Denon & Marantz is 1 year in India & that’s mainly my worrying factor. Paying a huge amount & getting just 1 year of warranty is a big risk. 5 years is safe. That’s why I haven’t placed an order yet with my audio dealer.

Warranty will vary country to country that I've seen....in some countries the vendor is responsible to an extent. That said, if it's going to fail, it'll likely fail earlier than later....

 

[apoorvasheth]

Hello All,

Its being said the while Denon is best for Movies, Marantz is best for Music.

I am planning between Marantz Cinema 50, Cinema 60 or Denon x2800H or x3800H.

I am going to watch all Hindi movies right from 60's till now (on all major OTT platforms) & watch all Hindi songs from 60's till now.

I will also watch lots of English Movies as well (on the internal Bravia Core App that has come pre-installed on the SONY A80L OLED).

So, I want to ensure that the Audio/Video receiver I pick-up, it should offer me the best of these via my JBL 630 Bookshelves & 625c Center Channel.

If I select Marantz Cinema 60, what am I missing out from 50 & vice versa? Same for Denon x2800H & 3800H as well.

What is Jitter reduction not found in Cinema 60?

Also, while Cinema 50 supports 9.2ch compared to Cinema 60 that supports 7.2ch, I don't think I need Cinema 50 unless my room size is very big to accommodate all the speakers as sound will travel so quickly within a blink of an eye such that, I won't be able to even sense the experience & difference when sound travels between all the speakers in my living room. Again, 9.2 speakers in a living room will not create an experience but just boom boom sound, ideally for which it isn't been setup to feel the Dolby Atmos complete effect.

My present setup is going to be 5.1.2 - (Front Left + Right + Center + Surround Left + Right + 1 Sub + Front Left + Right Heights).

The surrounds & Front Heights will be Emotiva Airmotiv XA2 which I am going to buy.

Also I noticed that Marantz Cinema 60 doesn't support IMAX Enhanced but my question here is that since I am not going to play any IMAX recorded content from an external device such as Blu-ray player instead, IMAX Enhanced will be processed by SONY A80L onboard chip when I play a movie via Bravia Core App, does absence of this major feature from Cinema 60 actually matter?

As far as I know, IMAX Enhanced is purely a video technology with no audio quality involved in it but having mentioned this, IMAX Enhanced has partnered with DTSX to provide sound technology via the eArc to speakers via Amps that support it, am I right on this?

I have watched few IMAX Enhanced movies via SONY Bravia Core App on SONY A80L OLED but trust me, the picture looks so DULL, LIFELESS & BORING as compared to Vivid mode (which is the only mode I watch content on this SONY TV) & again those 2 black bars which otherwise I had came to know of that when I switch from Vivid to IMAX Enhanced picture mode, both black bars will disappear when I watch movies recorded in IMAX Enhanced but to my shock, nothing of that sort happen.

I am still confused. I just want to ensure I don't end up picking wrong Audio/Video receiver as this is just a one-time expensive purchase.


Regards,
Apoorva.

 

[lovinthehd]

I'd compare feature sets at zkelectronics.com for the Marantz and Denon avrs and simply go with the one that has the feature set you want at the best price you can find. The whole Marantz is somehow better than Denon is somewhat urban myth, somewhat marketing. Seriously doubt you could tell them apart in a proper comparison. I'd probably lean towards the 3800 myself.

 

[apoorvasheth]

I'd compare feature sets at zkelectronics.com for the Marantz and Denon avrs and simply go with the one that has the feature set you want at the best price you can find. The whole Marantz is somehow better than Denon is somewhat urban myth, somewhat marketing. Seriously doubt you could tell them apart in a proper comparison. I'd probably lean towards the 3800 myself.

Thank you for your response but if Denon is best considered for Movies then what about Music Songs. That excellent music quality I can receive from Marantz amp only, isn’t it?

Why you would lean towards x3800H is what I am more interested to know?

Regards,
Apoorva.

 

[PENG]

Hello All,

Its being said the while Denon is best for Movies, Marantz is best for Music.

I am planning between Marantz Cinema 50, Cinema 60 or Denon x2800H or x3800H.

I am going to watch all Hindi movies right from 60's till now (on all major OTT platforms) & watch all Hindi songs from 60's till now.

I will also watch lots of English Movies as well (on the internal Bravia Core App that has come pre-installed on the SONY A80L OLED).

So, I want to ensure that the Audio/Video receiver I pick-up, it should offer me the best of these via my JBL 630 Bookshelves & 625c Center Channel.

If I select Marantz Cinema 60, what am I missing out from 50 & vice versa? Same for Denon x2800H & 3800H as well.

What is Jitter reduction not found in Cinema 60?

Also, while Cinema 50 supports 9.2ch compared to Cinema 60 that supports 7.2ch, I don't think I need Cinema 50 unless my room size is very big to accommodate all the speakers as sound will travel so quickly within a blink of an eye such that, I won't be able to even sense the experience & difference when sound travels between all the speakers in my living room. Again, 9.2 speakers in a living room will not create an experience but just boom boom sound, ideally for which it isn't been setup to feel the Dolby Atmos complete effect.

My present setup is going to be 5.1.2 - (Front Left + Right + Center + Surround Left + Right + 1 Sub + Front Left + Right Heights).

The surrounds & Front Heights will be Emotiva Airmotiv XA2 which I am going to buy.

Also I noticed that Marantz Cinema 60 doesn't support IMAX Enhanced but my question here is that since I am not going to play any IMAX recorded content from an external device such as Blu-ray player instead, IMAX Enhanced will be processed by SONY A80L onboard chip when I play a movie via Bravia Core App, does absence of this major feature from Cinema 60 actually matter?

As far as I know, IMAX Enhanced is purely a video technology with no audio quality involved in it but having mentioned this, IMAX Enhanced has partnered with DTSX to provide sound technology via the eArc to speakers via Amps that support it, am I right on this?

I have watched few IMAX Enhanced movies via SONY Bravia Core App on SONY A80L OLED but trust me, the picture looks so DULL, LIFELESS & BORING as compared to Vivid mode (which is the only mode I watch content on this SONY TV) & again those 2 black bars which otherwise I had came to know of that when I switch from Vivid to IMAX Enhanced picture mode, both black bars will disappear when I watch movies recorded in IMAX Enhanced but to my shock, nothing of that sort happen.

I am still confused. I just want to ensure I don't end up picking wrong Audio/Video receiver as this is just a one-time expensive purchase.


Regards,
Apoorva.

Masimo/Denon/Marantz naturally wants to sell both brands and maximize their profits, so they had to get creative in giving people reasons. The facts are all demonstrated/supported by specifications and measurements that actually show there should be no difference between the two that could support the claims by their marketing information. Note: I had been a practicing EE all my life, trained to go with facts and figures, and have viewed many technical info, mostly from service manuals, so I have seen no evidence the likes of the C50 (largely based on their predecessors) would "sound" different than the Denon equivalents. If possible, you might order both and do your own in home listening comparison and then decide, just make sure you buy from places that offers a return window.

People read those marketing information, e.g. HDAMs, dac reconstruction filters, gold plated connectors versus just tinned ones etc., and their minds trick them (also natural) so they heard what they were told to hear.

I have owned both brands multiple times, and I am absolutely certain the better for movie vs music one way or another are 99.9% false, in many cases, probably just hearsay, BS etc..!!!

The X3800H is simply a better value, but that's for North America customers, in Europe and some areas in the far East the price difference between it and the Cinema 50 is not much, at one time it was going for 1 cent less than the Cinema50, practically the same. So in South Asia, the price difference between D and M may be different too, if the difference is not great, then personally I would grab the C50 because I prefer it's look, otherwise, say if it costs even just $200 more, I would take the Denon for sure.

 

[lovinthehd]

Thank you for your response but if Denon is best considered for Movies then what about Music Songs. That excellent music quality I can receive from Marantz amp only, isn’t it?

Why you would lean towards x3800H is what I am more interested to know?

Regards,
Apoorva.

I don't consider Denon best for movies, Marantz for music, that's just not true IMO, more internet myth and marketing. I have three Denon avrs myself (3808, 4520, 4700) they all are very nice (as well as an Onkyo and a Sony). I have two channel separates that I've had since my vinyl days, and don't consider any of the avrs at a disadvantage sound quality wise, but the avrs handle a far wider range of content for me (multich, digital, etc). Back in the day I had a Marantz 2270 and it was okay, but had issues with some bleeding of fm reception into other inputs (and replaced it with separates).

I don't have one of the Denon Xx800 series, but would like to play with the four independent sub aspect as well as perhaps using Dirac. If I found the equivalent feature set in a Marantz for the same price I'd consider it, but generally Marantz is several hundred dollars more for the same feature set. I didn't care for the porthole front panel display in the previous Marantz avrs, they did improve on that with the Cinema series but that's mostly about a useable front panel (instead of gui on a tv).

Good luck on your choice....

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Thank you for your response but if Denon is best considered for Movies then what about Music Songs. That excellent music quality I can receive from Marantz amp only, isn’t it?

Why you would lean towards x3800H is what I am more interested to know?

Regards,
Apoorva.

But who says this denon/marantz movies/music thing? Just random people on the internet! I own AVR’s from all the mainstream manufacturers and I’ve never considered any of them tailored for one or the other, this talk is really just hype. D and M receivers are basically the same under the hood, and in practice you’d never know which was which. This is just an exercise in mental gymnastics and over analyzing. My main AVR is a Marantz, but I also loved the Onkyo it replaced. I do have a Yamaha pro amp for my mains, but any differences that it may have added could easily be immeasurable.
In short, once you run audyssey, and set them up for your room, you’ll never know what you’d be missing. Which is a long way around to say, you’d miss nothing. Either way.

 

[apoorvasheth]

Hello all, thank you for your replies!

But in that way, there is no need for me to upgrade my existing Yamaha RX-V685 amplifier to either Marantz or Denon, isn’t it? B’coz I bought it in September 2018 & my audio dealer suggested that there is an immense difference in the way sound will be output when Denon or Marantz will be used b’coz they are the best in A/V receivers segment.

The way it will programmed & direct sound from the speakers will be altogether different. Yamaha isn’t great when it comes to driving speakers at its best.

Presently, the situation is such that when I play a movie via Sony Bravia Core app, there is an absolute zero feeling of special sound effects. It’s just a big loud sound it creates. But no proper Atmos (though there are no heights speakers), Surrounds or crisp & very detailed minute sound quality to be experienced.

It’s an extremely dull feeling even after buying these new pair of JBL 630 Bookshelves & JBL 625C. Thankfully the JBL 660P Sub is doing its low frequency bass output job very well as I feel the sweet boom boom from it else, rest all is lifeless.

Same applies for my SONY A80L OLED. While the picture quality looks very fine on Vivid mode but then that’s it. The so called IMAX Enhanced is “A Total Non-sense” b’coz I’ve seen multiple movies in Bravia Core app collection which shows IMAX Enhanced on its main screen but when the movie is played & picture quality is changed to IMAX Enhanced, the screen becomes so dull & lifeless & colour less as compared to Vivid mode. And the worse part, those black bars doesn’t disappear.



Regards,
Apoorva.

 

[lovinthehd]

Your Yamaha avr could well be just fine, particularly for just a 3.1 setup, compared to the newer avrs. Most of your sound quality will be from your speakers and how you have set them up in your room. Am somewhat familiar with the JBLs, I have a set of the studio 5 series (590s, 580s and 530s....530s are rear surrounds....I have the 520C center but changed it out for a larger Infinity 263 center but still use the 520 in another system. I wouldn't listen to your audio dealer much, sounds like he's somewhat full of crap.

Vivid mode is something I turn off, its just too inaccurate. It's for catching an eye. Maybe some eq will give some zing to your speakers if accuracy isn't a particular goal.

 

[apoorvasheth]

Hello All,

I am still confused with one more thing.

I changed the socket switch from 5 Amps to 16 Amps of Legrand brand but the electrical wire connected to it is 1.5MM however, the one recommended to me is 2.5MM or to the best 4MM for best audio quality.

Also one more reason told to me was that since Marantz Cinema 50 or 60 will pass high current when played at higher volume so, chances are that 1.5MM thickness electrical wire might get burned.

So kindly suggest me what to do as it is very difficult for me to pass either 2.5MM or 4MM electric wire from inside the wall all the way from the ELCB board switch.

Also what is Apple TV 2022 black box & is it worth the purchase when all of the apps in it is already available in my SONY A80L OLED TV? I’ve heard that it has very smooth performance.


Regards,
Apoorva.

 

[lovinthehd]

The 1.5 mm wire roughly equates to our 16AWG. How long a speaker cable run is it? This chart is in AWG but gives you something to go by, and is from this excellent site on the subject of speaker cables generally. http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm#wiretable so likely what you have is just fine.

nm I misread. You're talking more about a power cord (which doesn't have audio qualities)....and what's in your wall. You have 1.5 mm in your wall? Your wall sockets have an amp setting switch you can change? Still, a 3.5mm cord (about 12AWG) would be more than sufficient for the avrs being considered.