New Marantz vs Old Denon (1 Viewer)

[BartlettMike]

I am looking to upgrade from a Denon 3802 to the Marantz 5006. Reasons for upgrading are HDMI switching / upconversion, Airplay, networking, etc. I also have an investment in SACD / DVDA music disks, so I need the analog 5.1 inputs (Marantz has 7.1). No Denon in this price range has the required analog inputs. FYI, I have 5 Klipsch speakers and an MKS sub. System is used primarily for TV / movies, but I do listen to music quite a bit. DVD player is Oppo 9xx (don't recall specific model #). I read somewhere that the best Denon units for music have an '8' in the second digit, which obviously the 3802 does. Will I notice a sound difference in this new Marantz vs the 10 year-old Denon? I can't see a reason to look at the 6006, but please let me know if I should. Are there others I should consider?

 

[gene c]

You don't need the analog inputs with an OPPO 93 or 95. It will send DVD-A/SACD to a receiver that accepts those formats via hdmi which the 5006 will (and many if not all newer receivers will). The OPPO 95 however does have an up-graded analog section so using the analog 5.1's is usually the preffered with the 83se and 95. (I'm nosey . Let me know what model you have, O.K.?) Audysey room correction, which would be available through hdmi, might be more beneficial than the analog section of the OPPO 83se/95. A newer receiver would be more convenient to use but I find Denon and Marantz a little harder to setup and operate than Pioneer, Onkyo and H/K. But you may not have as much trouble with them as I do. I really like the sound of Marantz receivers (I have a 7002) but the main reason for any improvement in sound quality for you would be a the Audyssey room correction as well as more accurate calibration and bass management, just because it's newer . Denon also makes great performing receivers (they are both owned by the same holding company) and I'm sure any model, at any price, would sound just fine. The 4311 and 4811 might be in a different league than the 3311 and lower models but the cost is also much, much higher. But there's nothing wrong with vintage gear. I still have a Harman Kardon 7200 which sounds great without all the new stuff. Good is good, dosen't matter when it was made. Study the features between the 6006 and 5006 to see if the 6006 has anything you just can't live without. If not, then get the 5006. Download both manuals for a more specific comparison of each model

 

[siyan]

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[BartlettMike]

I'm almost certain that my Oppo is a 980 model. I have a 60" Sony rear projection set, and there was a lot of discussion back then that the 981 would cause macro-blocking problems on DLP (or similar technology) displays. I cannot upgrade the dvd player at this time. However, in looking again at the Oppo support page, it's possible that the multi-channel audio (SACD and DVDA) are delivered over HDMI. I can't tell for sure, but I will investigate further. I used a Marantz 1060 for years before moving to the Denon 3802 and surround sound. Always liked the Marantz sound. Denon is quite close. I'm sure the new Marantz units have great sound as well. I have no problems with the setup of Denon units. I'm assuming the Marantz will be about the same. The new Denon units you mention are in another price category, which I can't do. As for the 5006 vs 6006, the biggest differences I see are dual video out (which I would never use), multi-channel line out for external amps (my room isn't large enough to need this), and HD radio (which I would use, but not for the price difference). If I've missed anything else, please let me know. If SACD and DVDA are delivered from the Oppo via HDMI, this obviously gives me more options. Since the 3802 does not have HDMI, I have never been able to test this functionality. Thanks for your help. I will download the Marantz and Oppo manuals and do more research.

 

[gene c]

SACD/DVD-A through the hdmi is usually the best way to go and the 980 will transfer both formats via hdmi and new Marantz receivers will accept them. The 980 is a very good player. I think it's much like the BDP-83 without BluRay playback. Having the receiver handle the bass management is generally the best way to go. Purist like the idea of an all analog path from the players DACs to the speakers but conversion to digital for processing allows for taking advantage of all the things new receivers have to offer.

 

[BartlettMike]

The need for the analog in for surround audio is what pushed me to Marantz. No Denon in my price range has that feature. Since this is no longer a requirement, I have more options. In a quick look at the Denon line, the 2312CI looks pretty good, and is in the same price range as the Marantz 5006. The Denon also has HD radio, a nice-to-have but not a necessity. I know nothing about what state of the art is for decoders. What do you think of the audio and video decoders on the Denon 2312CI and the Marantz 5006? Does one have any advantage over the other? The only other feature the Denon has which I like is a front-panel HDMI connection. I'm really OK with either.

 

[gene c]

It looks like the differences between Denon and Marantz are disappearing with each new model year. My guess is that avr's near the same price points will have the same processors. The difference in performance would be minimal between the two. Look at the features, price, etc. when deciding. Other receivers to consider are the Pioneer Elite vsx-32/33 or the similar Pioneer 1120 and the new 1121 or vsx-52/53, the Harman Kardon 2600/3600 and Onkyo 709/809. I just don't know much about Yamaha anymore. Those that have them are generally very happy with them though. I would put them in the same ballpark as Pioneer. Not as strong as H/K or the value of Onkyo but a real good all-around receiver. In full disclosure, I currently have a Marantz 7002, H/K 7200, Integra 8.9 and Pioneer Elite vsx-94. Pulling my hair out (and losing money each day ) trying to decide which two to keep. Anyway, Pioneer will have more features, H/K a better amp section, Onkyo over-all best bang-for-the-buck. Marantz/Denon maybe the best combination of them all. Just wish they were more user-friendly. As for sound quality, while I still think there is a very, very small difference in receivers you would be happy with any of them. With all the room eq's and tweaking you can do these days you can make almost anything sound great. All my own opinion, of course.

 

[JohnRice]

Regarding SACD, pretty much any current receiver will accept input through hdmi, but you have to set the Oppo to output in LPCM format, not the native DSD. Some people claim this degrades the sound. The last series of Marantz receivers to accept DSD was the XXX4 (aka, 5004, 6004). You can still get those models as refurbs for incredible prices. There are also plenty of 5005s left brand new for under $500 shipped. Both onecall.com and accessories4less.com have them. To be honest, I don't see any improvement in the 5006 for the more than $300 extra you would pay. I would grab a 5005 while they are available. BTW, you mention Airplay. Are you saying the new Marantz receivers have that feature? Even if they did, the savings on the 5005 is more than 3x the price of an AppleTV , which will give you a lot more than just Airplay.

 

[JohnRice]

BTW, I have made no secret of how impressed I am with the Marantz 5004 and 5005. I have bought one of each the last couple months. I found them quite easy to set up, at least as easy as any current surround receiver, which aren't that easy to set up in general. I think they are great looking, not to mention great sounding. They don't have heat problems, like Onkyo, they are reasonably sized and they have features I value such as pre-outs and a dc switch. They lack features I don't value, like network connections. The 5006 and 6006 actually seem like a bit of a step back in these areas. BTW, I don't use things like Audyssey. When I have tried those features, I have been extremely unhappy with the results and shut off all adjustments. I calibrate stuff myself. Maybe I've just set up enough systems that I prefer that.

 

[BartlettMike]

Thanks for your comments about the Marantz 5004 and 5005. I currently do not have any gear which supports networking, except my DirecTV DVR. Therefore, networking is something I look forward to having. This rules out the older Marantz units. As for AirPlay, I'm not sure I would use it much, so it's not a must-have. My family does have an iPod touch and an iPad2, so it may be played with a little. As for actual use, who knows? it's not a show-stopper if the new AVR does not support it. The Oppo 980 I have will indeed allow me to play SACD and DVDA over the hdmi connection, so I do not need the 5.1 analog inputs. This had driven my choice to the Marantz AVR units rather than Denon. I am currently leaning toward the Denon 2312CI. The feature difference between it and the 2112 is minimal, but the 2312 does have a front-panel hdmi port, which could be of value in the future. (The Marantz 6006 has this, but it's too expensive at this time.) Since I know that Denon and Klipsch sound great together, I have no problem with another Denon. The Denon 2312 has a few more features than the Marantz 5006, and is in the same price range. I would love to listen to both, but as of yet no place has both new units. I will audition both before deciding. Thanks for the comments. I will continue to monitor comments about these and other AVRs. I'm particularly interested in comments by owners of either of these units. If there are deficiencies in either of these, please let me know.

 

[JohnRice]

My point regarding networking and the older units is that "Networking" is a very general term. It just says the receiver connects to ethernet, not what it does with it, which is typically rather limited on receivers. A point I was making was that you can get an AppleTV for under $100, which is paid several for times over with the current savings on the SR5005, plus the networking on the AppleTV is wireless and it does a lot more than the networking on the SR5006. Finally, it integrates in several nice ways with the iPad and iPod Touch.