Marantz NR1403 and NR1603 Slim Line Receiver Thread - Page 5

JD, would the converter take optical audio out from the ATV and produce RCA analog for the zone 2 speakers? Not sure of this. My goal would be to utilize the powered 6th and 7th speakers of the 1602--which came today-- to take sound to a kitchen pair of speakers.

Does the 1403 ever go on sale? It looks like it's selling all over for MSRP. Thanks.

Yes.

I have the HK AVR 254, and now a 1403... The problem with the 254 and the farouja dcdi chip is that it can't be turned off. It will process HD and SD signals no matter what. I found that this negatively effected the image quality of Blu-ray and other HD sources. It also didn't do significantly better with SD signals then my TV could. You should really just let your TV handle up conversion.

So you replaced your 254 with the 1603?..how do you like it? Do you think it was a good upgrade? And does the 1603 have video processing and if so,can you turn it off?..I have my video proc. Turned off on my h/k 254 and my blurays and HD looks great,but maybe I'm just used to the pic..I do want to get the 1603 because of the size and I want audessy over h/k ez set eq..I'm just hoping I'm making the right decision!..have parasound amp powering the mains

Sorry meant 1403!

Although the 1603 has a video chip (1080p/24Hz) which can be turned off, the 1403 does not have such a chip, rather it simply passes through the video at the same resolution sent from the source.

I looked all over for some info about this but couldn't find anything... what kind of upscaler does the NR1603 have?

Here's my issue. I have an Oppo BDP83 with a 2.1 Orb Audio speaker setup (connected to a mini t-amp, no receiver). I'd like to make an upgrade to a proper receiver, and at the same time I started thinking to myself "You know I'm mostly watching DVDs and 720p streams and watching stuff that I have on my computer via USB - maybe I would be better served by an HTPC... would I even need the Oppo if I had an HTPC?" I still have a collection of Blurays that I watch, but it's maybe 10-20% of my viewing. I had my eye on a NR1403 before I started thinking this way, but now that I see the NR1603 includes upscaling I'm starting to think it's the way to go. Much as I love the Oppo, if the 1603 has a reasonably comparable upscaler to my BDP83 (VRS by Anchorbay) then building a small HTPC that could serve all of my needs would seem like the best way to go... wouldn't it? Would it be worth looking at the NR1602 (which is only $489 refurb right now... in canada). Would I lose anything going from the NR1603 to the 1602?

AFAIK, the Marantz AVRs use the same Analog Devices video chips as do the Denon AVRs, the one in the 1603 upscaling to 1080p/24 (rather than 4k like the 5007 and higher models), although whether the chip would perform any better than your TV is an unknown but unlikely to be much difference). The 1602 only does "upconversion" of analog --> HDMI at the same resolution it comes in to the 1602.

Hi Guys, I have an Onkyo TX SR600 with the Infinity Entra Point Five HTS speakers all from 2002. My Onkyo is dying and I need a new receiver. I am looking at the Marantz NR1403, Denon AVR1613 and the Yamaha V473. My budget is 400.00 and I cannot exceed that price point. I do not need airplay or any internet connectivity, just want a clean full sound that will blow me away. I am leaning towards the Marantz, but I am afraid of the 50w rating. Should I be concerned of such a low wattage. Will this be enough to power my Home Theatre system and produce enough power to give the speakers all they need. In terms of loudness, will the receiver be able to get really loud, or am I better off with a higher wattage, such as 80 watts per channel.

All I need in a receiver is this. Great sound, clear sound, Standby passthrough, 3D passthrough, no degradation of video, reliability. Thanks for the help.

Those are really tiny speakers ... the 1403 won't have any problems powering them at all.

I just picked up the 1403 very pleased so far! One thing I haven't managed to figure out yet is how to listen to the radio while watching an hdmi source. I have 2 hdmi sources only (cable box and Xbox). I'd like to be able to play the Xbox while listening to the radio, can anyone point me inn the right direction.

I have loved the switch so far. The 254 sounded fantastic and in my opinion the 1403 is even better. It also runs much quieter and is cool to the touch, the 254 could have audible fan noise at times. I would definitely recommend the upgrade, the 1603 is the same receiver with 2 extra channels, image processing, and network features. i would have bought the 1603 but I got a "too good to be true" deal on a 1403. You won't be sorry you switched.

I would definitely recommend banana plugs if you don't already have then though, the slimline's terminals are much closer together then the 254.
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You can use the "Video Source" setting (p. 70 OM), although as noted below, no HDMI source allowed, so in addition to the HDMI, you'll also need to connect a composite video cable to the AVR (as the 1403 doesn't have component video inputs). Another option would be to pass the xBox (HDMI) to the TV with xBox (optical) to the AVR.

Hi All,

I have a Marantz 1403 with ARC and this is how I pass through signals from my cable box, dvd, and AppleTV.

One challenge I'm having is figuring how to run the TV's audio through the my Marantz for watching Viera Apps(Netflix, Amazon, etc).

Does the ARC HDMI travel both ways between my TV and receiver? Or do I need to run a separate HDMI between the two?

In my Panasonic VT50's setup, I have selected Theater as the audio output and turned the TV speakers off.

Appreciate anyone's advice.

The ARC audio only travels one way ... from the TV to the AVR over the same HDMI cable that connects the AVR to the TV. If VierraLink on the TV is set to ON and the audio set to "external speakers" and the cable is plugged into the HDMI(ARC) input on the TV, then you only need to set HDMI Control on the AVR to ON as well and then should be good to go. Note however, you are likely better served connecting an optical cable from the TV to the AVR to pass the DD 5.1 from Netflix movies as the HDMI(ARC) on Pannys can only pass stereo 2.0.

Many thanks for this response. How do I switch my AVR HDMI control to on?

Interesting about the optical cable. I read that Amazon will only transmit 5.1 via HDMI...optical will be 2.0. Is this correct?

On a side note, I have a Panasonic 220 Blue-Ray player. Should I be using this player over the TV for Netflix and other similar services?

HDMI Control (p. 65 in Owner's manual).
Not familar with Amazon video streaming; however, optical will pass either bitstream DD/DTS 5.1 or PCM 2.0. If Amazon transmits video streams in PCM 5.1, then that will only pass over HDMI, however, as I noted, AFAIK, the Panny TVs will only pass the stereo PCM 2.0 over HDMI. And yes, you would be better served using the BDP for any network services as it will pass the DD/DTS 5.1 over the HDMI cable connection to the AVR.

Perfect...that worked. I thank you and more importantly, my wife thanks you!

I will have to connect an optical cable to get the full 5.1.

Thanks again.

Receiver is a huge step up for me from yamaha 765. Really like the slim design and the features-esp airplay to zone 2.

not sure if my issue is with firmware or unit itself-the remote app on my iphone sometimes will not let me access the zones feature and crashes. I try turning the unit on and off and nothing works.
The only thing that seems to correct is unplugging the unit entirely from power and then plugging back in.

I'm hoping its firmware-any ideas?

I set up my 1603 with no speakers, the audio output was to the TV speakers. This was working fine until this morning suddenly. Now, there is only video playing, but no audio in any of the sources. Please help!

Did you confirm that the HDMI Audio Out setting is still set to "TV"? Also remember that only HDMI sources will pass audio to the TV speakers. And if still no joy, try unplugging the power cord for a few minutes (ie. soft reset).

Thanks for the quick reply. The connections are Apple TV and a blu-ray player which are HDMI connected. I've tried the soft reset as well, but to no avail. How do I confirm the HDMI Audio Out setting is set to tv?

Thanks again in advance

HDMI Audio Out (p. 109 OM) ... note it defaults to "AVR" from the factory and after doing a microprocessor reset.

Hi all. I've just bought a 1603. Has anybody experienced any problems with the video dropping out every 20 minutes or so? This happens on all sources and irrespective of how they are connected (example: cable/sat via component, apple tv via hdmi). Pioneer tv that has worked perfectly with other receivers.

Sound stays on and switching to another source and then switching back seems to fix problem.

Amy advice from anyone? Thanks.

Try resetting the microprocessor (p. 154 OM).

Hello everyone, I thought I would drop in to get some info from Marantz owners. I just purchased a set of Mirage Nanostat 5.0 sepakers that I plan on either using for my office, bedroom or maybe garage. I have always had Onkyo AVR's ( still like them BTW ) but I thought I would adventure off into another brand as I have never had another. I have read the specs on the Marantz's so I understand the quality & such. What kinda confuses me it that a few members are telling me thier is no "sound" difference between the Dennon & Marantz's models... is that true?? I have been looking into the Dennon 1712 & Marantz NR1501 as I like the looks ove the NR1501 "slim" but the 1712 offers a bit more.... same price as well. Is thier a noticeable difference in sound between Dennon & Marantz is the main question i guess?? Its not that I need all the bells & whistles but then again its thier if I ever need it. Even thou the Mirage Nanostat's are not the most efficient as they are only 89 ( used to Klipsch as they are more eff.) and the Marantz offers 50w per channel thats fine with me as I know the Marantz can push tha with ease, so no questions thier.

What makes the difference is the auto EQ used .. the 1501 using a Marantz generic EQ while the 1712 uses the more advanced Audyssey MultEQ XT. Marantz AVRs now all use at least Audyssey MultEQ (1403 and 1603) with the 5007, 6007, and 7007 using the more advanced MultEQ XT (same version as is used on the 1712) and the new 8801 uses the most advanced version of Audyssey MultEQ XT32.

New NR1603 owner here.

Setting it up with a Verizon FIOS/Motorola QIP4216-2 HD-DVR, Samsung BD-E5400 blu-ray player, and Roku 2 XS as inputs, and with Paradigm Titan Monitor speakers and (for now) small Realistic speaker for the center.

I'm trying to get the HDMI pass-through to work for both the DVR and the Roku, so my wife and kids can just turn on the TV without having to turn on the AVR and select the input device etc.

How does one switch between devices in pass-through mode, or do you have to power up the NR1603 to do that? it seems like it will default to the last input selected and one would have to power up the NR1603 to switch?

New to this end of AV - far better versed in feeding audio to my Marantz 2275!

thanks
Ken
Edited by theSeaHawk - 12/25/12 at 7:08pm

You'll need to set HDMI Control (p. 109 OM) to ON and also set the Standby Source (p. 110 OM) to the source name you want to pass through with the understanding that you can only set it to one source. Note you may have to set the source to "Stereo" if it doesn't work when connected directly to the TV. If you want capability to use either one with the AVR powered to Standby, you would be better served setting the Roku up to use this feature and the connect the DVR (HDMI) to the TV with DVR(optical) to the AVR. This configuration will also ensure you have no future HDMI handshake issues as a result of a future firmware update to the Moto box which is quite common.
Edited by jdsmoothie - 12/25/12 at 7:34pm