Marantz AV7005 - Page 44

I tried everything for more than an hour and now am officially frustrated! The HK was a lot easier and logical to setup.

Let me lay it out. I have used 4 of the 5 HDMI inputs at the back. (Popcorn, DVD player, Satellite, Apple TV) The fifth input (VCR) is kept vacant and I have used my analog VCR with its composite AV inputs in the VCR slot.

I now have one more cable box with only composite outputs. I have three options to connect the video (yellow cable). I connected it to the BD slot (easy to access) and the audio cables to the corresponding analog audio inputs.

Now I choose Aux1 as the Input source and assign the BD in the Video to this. HDMI/Digital/Comp are kept as none. The Input mode is Analog. The video comes up fine on going to Aux1. But no sound. I tried using TV also, again picture shows up but no sound. When in TV, I cannot choose Analog (?) says so in the manual too.

My VCR is working fine on the analog inputs as long as an HDMI cable is not connected to the VCR input in HDMI. Once an HDMI cable is connected it is impossible to get the analog audio going with another video source.

My Popcorn has both HDMI and analog inputs into the receiver and works properly when Analog is chosen (for those files which do not have a digital output).

Help!

ppr

I have been reading and enjoying the comments posted in this forum, as indicated I am a new guy here. I was about to purchase the Denon 4311ci, however after reading report after report of both audio and video issues I have decided against the Denon.

I am now in the process of pricing the Marantz, if any of you can recommend an authorized dealer with good pricing I would greatly appreciate you sending me a PM.

Thank you again for your time and the informative comments in the forum.

i used the AVscience store at the top left of the page. They are a marantz authorized dealer , great service , fast shipping , and hooked me up when i purchased my av8003 model.

definetely recommend them!!

I also bought the 9.8 after Kal's review...Kal, just give us a thumbs up, some sort of a sign.

@ppr... i'm thinking about it... we will figure it out eventually...

@ppr... when you say you connect your cables to the "bd in", are you connecting both the video and the audio cables to the "bd in" jacks?

if so, that won't work... "video assign" is only assigning the video input from the "bd in", not the "audio input" as well...

you would have to plug the audio input into the "aux1" port for it to work if assigning the bd video to aux1...

Thanks Chris

Does that mean that Aux 1 is the only extra input available? Beyond the 5 HDMI inputs, I mean. Aux 1 also has a video input (HDMI and Composite) but it is in the front of the unit. That is unsightly for a permanent connection.

That means this Marantz can actually connect only 6 devices at a time. That is awfully less for a "flagship" receiver. I am already at the limit of my connections. What happens when I want to connect my camcorder and my Wii? Do I have to end up using a AV switcher?

I mean, most of the receivers in the pre HDMI days would allow about 15 - 20 different devices to be connected. Now when we have a huge number of devices, they seem to have brought down the number allowed!

ppr

Small issue. Built a HTPC running XBMC and using the HDMI out on the HTPC. If I attach the HTPC directly to the TV via HDMI, all is fine, but if I attach to the AV-7005 I get no video via HDMI. When I power on the HTPC I see the HTPC posting but when it loads XBMC I get a blank screen and I can't even get the OSD menu. On a side note attached to a Denon 4310 all is fine. I have read and checked all the configs with no success. The HTPC is set to HDMi 1080p....Any ideas?

Thanks

first off, did it work?

secondly, this isn't a "flagship" product. it's very nice, and i'm very pleased with it, but a flagship, it's not. it's built to a price point, and for that price point, appears to be a "very good" product.

third, i think that "15-20 different devices" is a bit of an exaggeration. i've owned several avrs/pre-pros, including two flagships, and none of them would switch video for that many devices.

there are 10 inputs available (counting the sirius/xm one)... 7 of them can have video assigned to them... for most users, this is likely to be enough... if for you, it's not, then probably a different product might be a better choice, although it's going to be a tough ask...

something to keep in mind that may seem like semantics, but it's not.... the pre-pro (and all others) consider the "audio input" to be the "inputs"... not the "video ports"... the "hdmi/component video ports" (even though they are conveniently named) are "free agents"... they can be assigned to any available audio input that can have video assigned to it...

well, that's a drag...

ime, almost all hdmi/hdcp issues when there is a htpc in the mix are the "fault" of the htpc... i know that's not much help...

check to make sure you have current drivers, etc. also check in the htpc threads with people who have the same video card as you, they may have some input...

I have been spending an interesting afternoon comparing different deliveries for 2CH CD playback, from my Oppo 83SE as the source. Firstly trying HDMI Vs Analogue into the CD 'in' on the AV7005, both in Pure Direct mode and easily prefered the Analogue. The next thing I tried (due to there being a big difference with my old Onkyo) was to compare the CD 'in' to the FL/FR of the multi-channel 'in' now I do not think the difference is anything like as big as with the Onkyo but I do prefer the multi-channel input over the CD 'in'. Has anyone else tried this comparison?

Have you tried the HTPC in any other format, 720p, 480p ? let the processor in the 7005 do the upscaling ? Just to eliminate some potentials that ccotnj laid out...

^^^

good catch warp. good idea...

htpc's are a pita...

I agree, I used to have the original xbox modded with xbmc with component out, and it did a great job for almost 10 years, but they all finally gave up the farm... now with 1080p movies so abundant, I decided to build one of those over the top servers with almost unlimited storage 42TB's and I stream with popcornhours C200 on both my setups.... they were flaky when I first got them, but the new firmware is all pretty solid and sends out 1080p with HDAudio very very well.... I'm very happy I went this route...

I watched for many years the building of HTPCs, and I still can't believe how fussy they can be, just far too much hardware coming out all the time and it seems they almost abandon the drivers to move on to the latest and greatest....

Thanks Chris

This post of yours cleared up my problems. I am now using the audio input of CD and assigning a video to it of BD. The BD is also on an HDMI input which works through the BD source. I kept thinking that the CD source did not have a video along with it, when in fact you could assign it any video input. Just perfect. Actually I think all the audio inputs can have video assigned. Only the TV source actually does not have any audio or video sockets and you can only assign video to it. Don't know why.

BTW the "semantics" were what solved my problem! Thanks for making it clear. I was focusing on the video sourses when I should have been focusing on the audio sources.

I know the Aux1 audio would have worked but I did not want any wires in the front permanently.

About my other comments.
Marantz seem to claim it is a flagship. not me.

You were right again about the number of inputs on older receivers. My HK AVR8500 was a THX Ultra flagship receiver and it has 10 inputs. It seems a lot more because it has 8 composite video and 8 S-Video inputs and 4 Component Video inputs. But 10 of these are over lapping. You can actually connect 10 devices only. Thanks for clearing that up.

I also don't like the DynEq switch being on. It seems to tame the soundtracks a bit. Is this something like Dolby NR used to be on Tapes?

Thanks again

ppr

^^^

cool! glad you are on the right track... lol about being confused about how many inputs there were on the older units... i feel the same way, there were so many jacks on them, they just looked like they would handle dozens of input devices...

yup, the cd/cdr inputs can be associated with a composite video input... so that would give a total of 9 video inputs, 2 of which are composite only... edit: make that 3 composite only, the sirius input can also be associated as well, just tried it...

yup, you gotta think about it exactly the way as you would with an old integrated amp... the audio is the input... the video is a bonus... when video switching avr's first came out, they video inputs weren't assignable (they were hard tied to an audio input), so this confusion never came about... we have a lot more flexibility now with the ability to assign ports, but with that flexibility comes a bit of complexity...

as to why the "tv" one is different... dunno on why they don't have jacks directly associated with it... you can assign a digital audio input to it in the "input assign" setup menu...

edit: i don't like dynamic eq either... nor dynamic volume...

oh my... server farm...

yup. it appears to me (as an outsider), that the software cannot keep up with the hardware... the constant chase for the last mip for the one game that can use it forces focus away from the "core user"...

Interesting. The whole point of using HDMI, though, is to take advantage of DSP in the pre/pro without extra A/D and D/A conversions. So, what you should be comparing is 2CH analog out from the Oppo (using Pure Direct mode on the Marantz) and the HDMI out on the Oppo with Audyssey engaged on the Marantz.


What would explain this difference?

Matty

because the multi channel input is supposed to be a straight path signal wise, whereas the cd input could have to go through digital signal processing.

Does anyone know why there would be a difference between using the multi-ch in and a 2CH audio in? Would using the CD-in on the AV7005 prompt an A->D->A conversion that wouldn't be there with the multi-CH in? I would think if no DSP mode is selected the AV7005 would leave the signal alone either way.

Alpha10 - I have the same setup. I will give that comparison a try. I have a few questions though...

On your AV7005, what input did you assign to use the Multi-CH in?

Did you use the 2CH Analog out on your 83SE?

Did you use Pure-direct as the audio mode when connected to the CD analog in on your AV7005?

Did you have Audyssey enabled when using HDMI?

hmm, I had a strange issue last night while playing the rental version of "Clash of the Titans" on Bluray through my ps3. Not sure if it is only associated with the rental version or not but when I started the movie I lost my front left speaker and it would crackle. I had to turn off the receiver and turn it back on to fix it self. Even when I changed sources it would still do it. It would only happen when I started the movie from the beginning when DTS-MA sound track was first initiated. If I paused the movie, turned the receiver off then on again it was fine. Very Very strange...

I did a skim reading, but probably missed it.

Can I have both Dynamic EQ, Dynamic Vol, AND PLIIx on at the same time? The reason I ask is that my (now dead) Denon 3808 could do it but my Pioneer 1120 cannot (its version of DEQ and DVol at least). I can only choose the EQ and Vol OR the PLIIx...but not both.

Bummer, as my wife loved the DEQ, etc.

Also, can it get firmware updates over the ethernet port?

I am 99% sure you can adjust the Dynamic EQ, Dynamic Vol and PLIIX as independent functions (in any combination on or off you would like). The ethernet port does firmware upgrades. I received one when I first bout the unit a couple of weeks back.

Thanks very much for the work around...worked great-I really appreciate it.

Also, thanks to ccotenj for the PM letting me know about the response in this thread.

Ron

Funny you should mention that. Last week same movie from NetFlix. I kept getting these intermittent drops in the audio and video. Thought it was a scratch or something but the disk looked clean and played fine on my other system.

Can the AV7005 pass the audio to my HDMI enabled TV without having to turn on my amps? Many times, I want to watch CNN or Weather Channel and don't want to power on my amps, but this pre-pro won't pass the audio to my TV via HDMI is there any solution to this or do I need to pass analog L/R to my TV?

I've now had the Marantz AV7005 for 2 weeks now and it replaced the Proceed AVP2. I'm still using Proceed HPA & BPA amps, and in 2-channel direct or multi-channel surround, the AVP2 was/is superior for a unit that is 8 years old. That said, the AV7005 is no slouch and quite clean, and I can live with it. The user interface is somewhat clunky and not straight forward as I would have liked or in comparison to some high-end processors.

When you say it is superior in multichannel surround , do you mean in multichannel analog input mode or you mean even with Digital input like DTS etc Proceed is better sounding than Marantz?

I'm referring to the latter with digital input. Generally, statements as such are subjective and hard to quantify; however, I can say with certainty that the Proceed AVP2 sounds better in both 2-channel (including Pure Direct mode) and multi-channel surround with a digital input. Note this is for music that has been recorded in 2-channel stereo and for musical DVDs like The Eagles "HFO" or Roy Orbison's "Black & White Nights" and "Concert for George". For whatever reason in comparison, the Marantz AV7005 sounds as if the audio spectrum is truncated and lacks detail. I have ordered XLR cables in the correct length and have been manually adjusting the crossover, but to no avail.

The Proceed AVP2 was purchased for over $5,000 in 2002 and at that time it sounded better with a digital input than a Mark Levinson No. 383 Integrated Amp with ML CD transport. Owning Proceed and ML gear you had to deal with it being buggy and sending it back to the factory a few times around until it all got straightened out, which was a pain, but when it worked, it was/is some of the best sounding gear at any price. The added plus was that it sounds great and is made in the USA. The big negative is that it breaks more often than quality Japanese audio gear.

As said before, Marantz has done a fantastic job for $1500 and I can't complain as it is quite good. I'm no longer in the mood to spend tens of thousands on audio gear and realize there are sacrifices. My biggest complaint is the convoluted user interface. I can deal with it, but family members and others who simply wish to listen to music find it difficult to operate in comparison.

Are you saying you can see the picutre but don't get sound? Is input correct?

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When the AV7005 is in standby, the HDMI switching can provide a pass-through of one HDMI input. This allows one HDMI source, such as a cable or satellite receiver, to deliver both audio and video to the TV without turning the AV7005 on. Which input is passed through is determined by the Standby Source setting. The options are Last and HDMI1 through HDMI6, with Last using the last input source used by the AV7005. Standby Source can only be used of HDMI Control is set to On.