A quiet observation (1 Viewer)

[Barney1]

You know, it's astonishing. A friend of mine used to sell audio equipment, and he always encouraged me to buy Marantz. I have. But times have changed. The computer industry has colonized the AV industry. I don't want or need any of the gimmicky features that have been piled onto these components. When I'm told I need a software (firmware) update for my receiver, that's stupid. I'm trying to find a receiver to buy. What are my unreasonable demands? Well, one is that has to work. When I turn it on, it should work. It shouldn't work merely on Thursday when the moon is full. Two, it shouldn't crap out in three months. Nor should I have to baby it. I shouldn't have to slap it like my Grandma's TV in the 1970s, or stand with one hand on the antenna and my body twisted into electronics-friendly accommodation. The industry is putting out crap. They know it, they're OK with it, and that stinks.

 

[JohnRice]

I'm not sure what you want.

There still is equipment that doesn't run on software, but that'll basically be stereo only. Any kind of surround sound beyond Dolby Pro Logic runs on software. I have several Marantz pieces, as well as other brands and none of them has crapped out, even though several are ten to thirty years old. The Pioneer Dolby Digital receiver I bought 30 years ago still works. I just don't use it anymore because I want to move beyond DD. If I didn't want that, I could still use it. The number of components I've owned that has ever crapped out is so small, the last one I recall was a Sony laserdisc player that I bought in the late '80s. So, that's been more than 30 years. And... in my experience, when I turn stuff on, it works. Every time.

As far as firmware updates. My car has them. Every digital camera I've bought in the last 20 years has them. Pretty much everything runs on software, which means firmware updates. It doesn't mean they will suddenly stop working if you don't install them.

Hobbies like audio and video have always had tech aspects that can be tricky. That's nothing new. In fact, it's kind of part of the fun of them.

 

[John Dirk]

Welcome???

Your comments serve as an interesting perspective, one I even have some empathy for. Beyond that, however, you are ultimately presenting a complaint without a proposed solution. It's no different than saying "traffic sucks." While certainly true in most metro areas, it's a rather trite observation in 2022.

I also think you're laying it on a bit thick. I've certainly had my share of equipment failures but, for the most part, electronics and software are better than they've ever been. One might even call this a golden era for technology as better products and features have become available to more and more consumers due to economies of scale and innovation.

A receiver in particular cannot possibly run without software as, at it's core it is switching video, processing CODECS [software] and handling AD/DA conversions on the fly. If you know of a way to accomplish these tasks without software I would love to hear it. Don't get me wrong. It absolutely does suck when expensive equipment either misbehaves or fails but you can't have it both ways. In the end it's a voluntary pursuit and no one would blame you if you decided you were tired of dealing with it. There are days when I feel that way too.

Good luck, whichever way you choose to go.

 

[Barney1]

You guys are right. It's a rant. But one with honesty based on experience.

I know that every AV receiver will have features I don't want or need. I read reviews to find a consensus, but that doesn't work anymore because even people who say, "This is a great receiver" will then list all the problems they have with it, as though they had accommodated themselves to crap. What am I to make of all the negative reviews? Makes it seem like buying a product, any product, is a crap shoot. I don't have money to burn. I research. I have to. I don't enjoy the constant war of fixing products, babying products, standing on my head to get them to work only to watch them fail over and over again.

I've been a fan of Marantz for a long time. I'm looking at the NR1510 from Music Direct. I have no desire to spend $800 on a component that is just OK or that is DOA. If I had $3000 to spend, I could buy a higher-end model which probably has better build quality. I have had switching problems in my Marantz integrated amp which continued even after it was "fixed". I have read, too, about HDMI problems. That's an important part of today's receivers. HDMI. That's something Marantz should get right. I don't care about Alexis or Spotify. Get the HDMI right. What do I want from a receiver? It should work when I turn it on. It should be relatively easy to use.

My rant has also been influenced by recent experience with my Macbook Pro laptop. The computer industry is notorious for designing computers that fail. The audio jack and ports in particular wear out v. easily. Shouldn't the ports in a mobile device be more robust rather than less?