Would a newer receiver sound better?

[gnorthern]

I have a seven-year-old Marantz SR 6013, and I am ready to pay an expert to set it up. Could I get an increase in sound quality if I purchase a receiver for under $2000 and simply replace the entire receiver at the same time?

Somehow it has gone out of balance with one side speakers louder than the other side. Also, side channels are too loud with music compared to dialog. My sub has never consistently worked, which is annoying since the previous one worked flawlessly. I know I can figure out how to set it up correctly but hate doing it. I replaced my Klipsch speakers with Paradigms early last year, and it took a lot of effort to recalibrate my receiver. My wife wanted our Roku to turn both the tv and receiver, and programming it with Audyssey speaker calibration required running an HDMI cable and figuring things out.

I'm just struggling with what to do. My receiver gets about 12 hours a day of use, which means it does not have that much life left in it. I don't want to pay an installer and then pay again in a few years. But it normally sounds great, especially with my newish speakers, and I cannot imagine any improvement in sound.

Thank you for your thoughts.

P.S. If you are wondering about the specs for the receiver:

• 9-channel amplifier
• 110 watts per channel into 8 ohms (20-20,000 Hz) at 0.08% THD, with 2 channels driven
• Dolby® and DTS® surround sound decoding
  • Dolby Atmos processing for use with in-ceiling or "height" speakers for more enveloping home theater sound
  • supports 5.1.2, 5.1.4, and 7.1.2 Atmos setups with multiple placement patterns for height channels
  • DTS:X for an immersive, 3-dimensional soundstage
  • DTS Virtual:X® creates three-dimensional effects without height speakers
• IMAX Enhanced certification for improved performance with IMAX Enhanced content (via future firmware update)
• video upconversion (up to 1080p and 4K) for analog and HDMI sources
• Audyssey speaker calibration and system optimization includes:
  • MultEQ® XT32 auto setup and room calibration delivers balanced, dynamic sound with enhanced surround performance for as many as eight seating positions
  • Audyssey Dynamic Volume mode to keep listening levels steady
  • Audyssey Dynamic EQ for fuller sound at lower listening levels
  • Audyssey Low Frequency Containment reduces the amount of bass that bleeds into other rooms
  • Audyssey Sub EQ HT provides individual calibration for dual subwoofers, for even bass response throughout the room
  • Audyssey MultEQ app for further audio customization (paid app; not included)

 

[TLS Guy]

I have a seven-year-old Marantz SR 6013, and I am ready to pay an expert to set it up. Could I get an increase in sound quality if I purchase a receiver for under $2000 and simply replace the entire receiver at the same time?

Somehow it has gone out of balance with one side speakers louder than the other side. Also, side channels are too loud with music compared to dialog. My sub has never consistently worked, which is annoying since the previous one worked flawlessly. I know I can figure out how to set it up correctly but hate doing it. I replaced my Klipsch speakers with Paradigms early last year, and it took a lot of effort to recalibrate my receiver. My wife wanted our Roku to turn both the tv and receiver, and programming it with Audyssey speaker calibration required running an HDMI cable and figuring things out.

I'm just struggling with what to do. My receiver gets about 12 hours a day of use, which means it does not have that much life left in it. I don't want to pay an installer and then pay again in a few years. But it normally sounds great, especially with my newish speakers, and I cannot imagine any improvement in sound.

Thank you for your thoughts.

P.S. If you are wondering about the specs for the receiver:

• 9-channel amplifier
• 110 watts per channel into 8 ohms (20-20,000 Hz) at 0.08% THD, with 2 channels driven
• Dolby® and DTS® surround sound decoding
  • Dolby Atmos processing for use with in-ceiling or "height" speakers for more enveloping home theater sound
  • supports 5.1.2, 5.1.4, and 7.1.2 Atmos setups with multiple placement patterns for height channels
  • DTS:X for an immersive, 3-dimensional soundstage
  • DTS Virtual:X® creates three-dimensional effects without height speakers
• IMAX Enhanced certification for improved performance with IMAX Enhanced content (via future firmware update)
• video upconversion (up to 1080p and 4K) for analog and HDMI sources
• Audyssey speaker calibration and system optimization includes:
  • MultEQ® XT32 auto setup and room calibration delivers balanced, dynamic sound with enhanced surround performance for as many as eight seating positions
  • Audyssey Dynamic Volume mode to keep listening levels steady
  • Audyssey Dynamic EQ for fuller sound at lower listening levels
  • Audyssey Low Frequency Containment reduces the amount of bass that bleeds into other rooms
  • Audyssey Sub EQ HT provides individual calibration for dual subwoofers, for even bass response throughout the room
  • Audyssey MultEQ app for further audio customization (paid app; not included)

The first thing to do is redo the set up. How many channels are you actually using?

I think there is a lot of junk out there in the mid to lower price ranges. So I would see if you can find out if your receiver is OK. I have had bad experiences with what is now mid price Marantz gear in the last five years, where as the gear 14 or so years old is fine. So I have bought at the high end now, an AV 10 and things are fine. it is an excellent unit. So I would say you need to go to the Cinema 50 at least. Things are now so complicated you can't make reliable units on the cheap. It now requires significant investment if you want to avoid recurring problems.

 

[gnorthern]

It is a 7.1 setup. But the 1 is a Paradigm 15", so I am not looking for a second sub (I only need it when sitting in my chair). The two rear speakers are for when my wife and I are sitting at our table eating.

One thing I don't understand with a Cinema 50. Aren't I wasting two channels with a 9.4 set? Seems to me I should be looking for comparable 7.X setup, with the seven channels having comparable specs to the 9.4? I am never going to setup a 9-channel system.

I am thinking I do need to setup my system to see if it is working correctly. I don't want to pay somebody to set it up and find out it is faulty.