Marantz SR7011 or Yamaha rx-a2070 was comparison off?

[20Glove]

Went to local home theater store. Listened to Martin Logan motion 60xt, motion 30 center, motion 35 rears.

We set up Marantz SR7011 and Yamaha RX-A2070. We did blind test with associate switching receivers and going through same scenes. Did this for an hour. We also listened to stereo music rock and opera and a musical.

My question is we picked the Marantz 12 out of 14 times and in the ones that were just a no competition was 4 out of 4. One scene from greatest showman the actor that played Tom Thumb sounded like he was behind the speaker singing to a flat song on the Yamaha. The one time out of two we picked Yamaha on were when he switched 60xt to ESL electromotion but still were extra close. Only one time on 60xt we picked Yamaha.

Continued question... the Marantz was set up in pure direct and Yamaha on straight direct... the Marantz sounded musical and center stood out in movies with great separation. The Yamaha was close musically but movies the separation was technical but the center was blah and lifeless and boxy.

The universal player I believe was the Sony 1000. Was that a good comparison? I mean straight direct vs pure direct? Why was the Marantz so good and Yamaha so blah?? From the reviews it should be at least close but also from the reviews Yamaha should have slight edge was something set up wrong do you think?

Plus if there was something set up wrong... would the 2070 be worth more than $300 more and even up to 3070 is it with more than $700 more vs Marantz 7011?

 

[KEW]

Like you, I would expect them to be essentially the same.
Things that could be different are the crossover point (if a sub was ever setup and not disabled), and the phase distance settings for the speakers are retained on Marantz (not sure about Yamaha).
Next time, do a reset on both to ensure nothing is different! As complex as AVR's are, there are too many places for some gremlin from a previous setting to get in the works!

 

[20Glove]

KEW tanks! Never thought of that.

 

[PENG]

I agree it has to be something wrong in the set up, such as the settings. I have plotted comparison graphs between my AVRs, amps and preamps, they look practically identical. At the level of the 2070 and 7011, in a blind test the result should have been roughly 7/14, +/- 1 or 2 at the most.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Definitely should not sound that different if everything were set the same, including actual volume levels (SPL meter can confirm, may even use a SPL meter phone app).

Pure Direct and Straight modes should Bypass all EQ and DSP. But it will not match the actual volume levels between 2 components, whether the 2 components are 2 AVRs or AVR vs Separates (Pre-Pro, Preamps, Integrated Amp).

 

[snakeeyes]

If you plan to buy from that store, maybe take the one you prefer home and return it if it doesn’t work out. If you look at the 2070 basically as a price difference, the 2060 you can probably still find on sale online like I did in October. Main difference between 2070 and 2060 is the 64bit vs 32bit and an extra year of Yamaha software updates. Good luck!

 

[Andrein]

If you plan to use avr as pre amp in future then 1070 would be a better choise especially if you dont dse subs in stereo mode which probably not a good idea anyway. Slightly less power but same 64bit chip as 2070 and 300$ less than 2070.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I highly recommend buying the Denon X3300 or X3400 on sale for around $599 brand new and using as a Pre-pro.

Yesterday I compared my Denon X3100 vs Denon AVP-A1HDCI as pre-pros (using same ATI amps and RBH speakers), and I really couldn’t tell much of a difference.

 

[lovinthehd]

If you plan to use avr as pre amp in future then 1070 would be a better choise especially if you dont dse subs in stereo mode which probably not a good idea anyway. Slightly less power but same 64bit chip as 2070 and 300$ less than 2070.

Why would using subs not be a good idea in stereo mode?

 

[Andrein]

Why would using subs not be a good idea in stereo mode?

My understanding, correct me if i am wrong, is that multiple subs are used to get the lows reproduced properly without much distortion at desired level, to make low freqs to be evenly spread across your room, reducing sub localization issue and increazing spl. I guess you get all of these only if both subs carry the same signal at a given time.

 

[lovinthehd]

My understanding, correct me if i am wrong, is that multiple subs are used to get the lows reproduced properly without much distortion at desired level, to make low freqs to be evenly spread across your room, reducing sub localization issue and increazing spl. I guess you get all of these only if both subs carry the same signal at a given time.

Are you confusing using stereo mode with stereo subs? Neither unit being discussed is capable of stereo subs (that's not what .2 refers to), the .1 signal is mono as are the sub pre-outs even if there are two of them (altho some ".2" avrs can separately handle level/delay for two subs). Benefits of multiple subs are increased spl, lower distortion, headroom, reducing room modes and localization, tho....

 

[Andrein]

M

Are you confusing using stereo mode with stereo subs? Neither unit being discussed is capable of stereo subs (that's not what .2 refers to), the .1 signal is mono as are the sub pre-outs even if there are two of them (altho some ".2" avrs can separately handle level/delay for two subs). Benefits of multiple subs are increased spl, lower distortion, headroom, reducing room modes and localization, tho....

From the specs of 2070 i thought it gives you .2

 

[lovinthehd]

M


From the specs of 2070 i thought it gives you .2

It has two sub pre-outs. From looking thru the manual it seems to have ability to set phase, level and delay for each sub. This is not stereo, tho.

 

[Andrein]

It has two sub pre-outs. From looking thru the manual it seems to have ability to set phase, level and delay for each sub. This is not stereo, tho.

Thank you. Good to know.

 

[20Glove]

Brought 7011 listened then 3070 and that is what I have now. 7011 in my room with my set up sounded 8.5/10... great warm sound, pushed center so actors were there right there in front of you... a couple of feet away... felt like you were at a Michael Bay film and right in the action. Music was good... sounded like band was on a flat stage and I was 6 rows back everything flowed to the middle. I heard all instruments and again all in the middle.

The a3070 on the other hand has different sound... movies were crisp... if something was stage left it was outside left speaker... watching sneaky Pete and something rolled from center stage to to stage left and it sounded as if the item was rolling off screen on the ground in front of me. Very technical and handed sound off seamlessly from center to front speaker. Watching movie was like being on the sound stage and I was the one directing or holding boom mic like action and dialogue were happening live in front of me with no headphones on... so quiet scenes were just that, outdoor scenes ere just that... speaking through ambient noise... so center was not in your face like 7011 but more distant and real life like. Music totally different... it was like I was at a real live show with vocals and drum kit centered guitar off to left or right and bass to the other end of the stage... separation was unbelievable. Very very technical.

 

[20Glove]

Both have there own sound. Both types of sound have there benefits. Watching the Dolby Atmos clip for Everest...

7011... felt like you were in the middle of the storm live with all the choas. Ice sounded like pelts of hail falling on a roof or tarp... felt like I was there just inside that chaotic storm. Could hear the the storm around the voices (dialogue clear but frantically quiet but loud, if that makes sense) meshed action with dialogue in a chaotic way.

A3070... felt like I was also in storm, but a more controlled concise and technical storm. Never felt the chaos rather felt like it was hovering over me or in front of me. Ice sounded like sleet or glass hitting glass. This on the other hand I could hear dialogue crisply and clear like I could hear the voices around the storm, not in your face loud but you could make out ever detail with clarity more than those voices being chaotic in a storm. Every sound was clear but not chaotic, but more controlled.

 

[20Glove]

So called up my local HiFi store, not magnolia bc they didn’t have 7011 or 3070. They told me to audition both. Here’s my issue now... both are amazing in there own sound. + and - of each. Best part is... I was going to get the 7011 as I had it one day bc it was $900 out the door with tax... open box older model. The 3070 was $800 more out the door.. I did not see $800 difference in my opinion. So I can get a a3060 for $100more than the now sold Marantz or I could get refurbished Marantz for about $50 more. Is 3060 and 3070 going to give me basically the same sound or is it going to be drastically different due to the DAC’s es9026 pro on 3070 and es9018 on 3060? Or is it going to be close?

If it was up to you guys 3060 or 7011 for same price? Or is the 3070 worth $700-$800 more??

 

[20Glove]

Thank you for all the replies btw.

 

[PENG]

Thank you for all the replies btw.

Congrats, now you have two different kind of sound in your house, actually 3 including the Onkyo right?. If you buy a Denon, then you can have 4 different one. Very interesting, but you hear what you hear so enjoy them all.

 

[snakeeyes]

I would vote 3060 over 3070 and I really came close to buying a 3060 over the 2060 in October but I am also going to be adding an amp and pay that cost so I can go 5.1.4 so that is what held me back. (Just the cost difference). You have multiple excellent choices here. All will be good I’m sure. Good luck!