Marantz AV-7701 - Page 3

Does anyone else find the "porthole" design to be anything more than "look at me!"?

I mean seriously, is a 1 1/2 by 5 inch small, rectangular, screen (that you can turn OFF anyway) really that aesthetically offensive to people?

I love being able to glance at it and discern 90% of what I need to know without hitting a GUI or walking up to the unit. Sorry, I just the think the porthole is goofy and really pushes questionable form way too far past function on the priority scale.

my 2/100ths of a dollar.


James

+/- 3,000 ???

I suspect he meant "approximately 3000 Euros"

It's reported to be $3200 in the USA for the 8801.

Then I would think the 4520 would be the much better buy at $2500 if one doesn't mind using an AVR as a prepro. I know it doesn't bother me in the least .

Bill

If: MSRP=

4520: 2,699 euro
AV7701: 1,999 euro / 1,799 USD
AV8801: 3,299 euro (unconfirmed)

> +/- 3,000 is no bad bet IMO, in EU or USD...

If you have no problem spending $600 more for the 8801 thats cool . But what are you getting in the AV8801 that will make it sound any better than the 4520?

Bill

If you get an 8801, you are not getting it (only) because of the sound quality. There are many other reasons for getting separates. Some are logical -- like the reliability that one should get as a result of higher quality construction and the reduction of internal heat due to elimination of heat sources and obstructions to air flow. Others are emotional. After all, since we are considering entertainment systems, buying what makes you happy is a serious consideration.

As I said earlier if that is what one want then thats cool with me . But I can't see a prepro being anymore reliable than an AVR. I had a Onkyo 805 as well as the 885 and I noticed no difference in build quality. The build quality of the 8801 might be better than the 4520 but how would that equate to better SQ?

Bill

Hotter electronics doesn't last as long as electronics which runs cooler. If a larger box contains fewer electrical devices, it'll tend to run cooler. I.e. if the boxes are the same size, elimination of the amps should help reliability,

So far as SQ is involved, note that the 4520 has only unbalanced preamp outputs. If your audio system is in an electrically noisy environment and you're using external amps, balanced connections will provide noise cancellation which unbalanced connections cannot. Of course, most home entertainment systems are not used in environments which are electrically noisy.

visited local Marantz dealer today...

According to him, 8801 will be introduced formally at CES in January and available retail March. Price around $3500

Bill, I hope dedicated separates (rather than running a 4520 in preamp mode) make better SQ possible. I am confident some good soul will try both (with the same amp, preferably one with both RCA and XLR, say the Emo XPR-5) and report honoustly about the sonic differences. We don't know enough right now to claim the 8801 will indeed be sonically superior. But it better be, or else the 600 euro difference is indeed a fraude, as you seem to assume with your posting. You might be right, or not. I do not aspect a world of difference as the law of diminishing returns applies.



Almost double the price of the 7701? Seems steep if you take the euro prices into account.


BTW, the AV8801 is now down to number two of my list since Emotiva anounced that the RMC-1 will be more than 7.2, probably 9.3. The RMC-1 is the pre-pro in the same line as the new XPR amps. It is made with the XMC-1 as a starting point, but with extra processing power to expand the TacT Room Correction. Price $2,500 - 3,000. I was hoping for 11 main channels but TacT is probably limited to 12 channels including subs. Wait and see.

I can tell you on the AV7005, I did dtry box XLR and RCA connections when I had my Marantz amp and found no difference. I listened to both connection types for hours with multipel types of music. I then moved to my current NAD M25 amp but it only takes RCA.

I have no first hand experience with Emotiva produts but by all accounts their other pre-amps left much to be desired in terms of quality and reliability. Might be prudent to wait a few weeks after initial release to get real world feedback from users.

And lastly, I was born in Waterloo and lived there for 7 years before we moved to the US. Small world

An improvement in sound quality is not a valid reason for choosing one expensive piece of home entertainment electronics over another.

If you can hear a sonic difference between the AV8801, AV7005 or any other quality solid state preamp, processor or receiver, it is because of differences in their playback settings -- whether volume level, tonal adjustment or the use of a more or less sophisticated room equalization package.

Otherwise, one or another of the units you're comparing is defective.

The distortions introduced by quality solid state home entertainment electronics are well below the level of audibility. Unfortunately, the test equipment needed to verify this in detail is usually more expensive than most people can afford, so we're often stuck with the bench tests of equipment published by professional reviewers, and trusting that the unit they tested is typical.

I have read a number of people on AVS say that when they replaced a Denon piece with a Marantz they noticed a positive difference sonically. Assume that is true, would a sonically inferior Denon with XT32 sound better than a sonically superior Marantz with XT?

Or just take out the Denon and Marantz brands and the debatable argument that the marantz is sonically superior to Denon. Lets say its something like a top of the line $7000 processor with just XT versus say a low end piece but with with XT32...

Does XT32 make up that much for sonic inferiority such that the $1200 XT32 piece sounds better than the $7000 XT piece in terms of bringing a soundtrack alive?

Also post the question in the Denon 4311CI thread as there are a number of guys that have upgraded from the AV7005 (XT) or 4310 (XT) to the 4311CI (XT32) with a noticeable improvement in audio fidelity.

Will do as I'm in the market for a new pre/pro or receiver acting as a pre/pro. I've owned Denon in the past, currently looking to replace an older Integra DHC 9.9 with blown hdmi ports. Never owned a marantz but in my younger days always wanted one...

Erwin,

I'm definitely making an uneducated assumption that the 4520 (used as prepro) will sound the same as the 8801. I could be totally wrong in my assumption but the differences between equal Denon and Marantz offerings seems to be open for much debate. I would bet the farm that the Denon 3313, Marantz SR7007 and AV7701 will sound identical when used as prepros with the same amp. Again this an uneducated assumption but one I would think is correct.

Bill

Mark,

I went from an Onkyo 886 (9.9 clone) with XT to a Denon 4311 (as a prepro) with XT32. I can found a nice improvement in SQ with XT32 over XT. Specifically the way my sub is EQ'd and how much better my surrounds blend with my main speakers. If you can find the 4311 still available it would be my choice over the SR7007 or AV7701.

Bill

It's just the UMC-1 that has issues, thankfully. All I ever bought worked perfect and keeps doing so.

Waterloo? Every Belgian school kid climbed those molehill steps ofcourse. You bet it's a small world. World would be better if we all kept that in mind more often. What's up with the Chinese against Japan now huh? Those poor stupid bastards, a product of their brainwashing government. Let's enjoy audio while we can... while Japanese devices are still built in China...
Edited by erwinfrombelgium - 9/19/12 at 3:41pm

I think after all this the only thing certain without a doubt is that XT32 is superior to XT. So it's a real bummer an expensive device as the AV7701 isn't getting XT32.

If you look at what XT/XT32 does and doesn't do one should wonder:
a/ is better room correction possible?
b/ shouldn't we make better rooms to start with?
As a technical nitwit, I'd still bet something superior (or alternative) to XT32 is possible. And I am a firm believer in making the room itself better. Meeting a pro acoustician this Friday, to see what he can do for our multipurpose HT build. His fee will be about 3% of the equipment cost, so that's a no brainer to me.

This discussion about X32, or whatever it is, LOL is the very reason I only upgrade every 4-5 years. By the time my processor gets that old, anything new I get will have alot of new features . New to ME ! And that's what counts !! Can't afford to give my stuff away everytime a new codec or latest and greatest version of Audyssey is introduced. That's probably one of the reasons I like Marantz gear so much.

I went from an almost ancient Integra RDC-7.1 to my AV7701 which is probably why I'm perfectly happy with it.

Network Reset

When having network connection issues, first try resetting the router and unplugging the 7701 for a few minutes. If still no joy, then try doing a "Network Reset" ... similar to a Microprocessor reset except press/hold the [Pure Direct] and [UP arrow] buttons under the front panel flap instead while powering the unit ON. This procedure will reset the network card as well as perform a microprocessor update in the process so ensure to SAVE the config. dat file to a PC using the Web Control function (pp. 95-96) so your original settings can be more easily restored (to include the Audyssey settings).

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1334369/the-official-denon-avr-xx12-model-owners-thread/0_100#user_E10

Hey Guys, Im wondering if any of you have had sync issues with projectors. Ive installed an AV7701 and going out HDMI to a JVC 4810 projector. It wont send a picture on 4K or 1080P........ONLY 1080p/24f and 720p. It cast a pink screen with major interference on any other setting. Both JVC and Marantz tech support are blaming it on each other. The JVC shows a 1080p signal from all the other sources(blu ray, cable). Any ideas?

Thanks

It works OK for my HDMI TV; what modes are reported by the display according to the Marantz? (Its in the General -> Info menu), Unfortunately your JVC projector wont accept a 4K HDMI signal, JVC's marketing is misleading. Unless you have some sort of native 1080P60 source there is little advantage to using 1080P/60 anyway since the JVC probably has better image processing than your Source or the AV7701.

Being unable to view a high resolution signal usually means that the frequency of the signal is too high for some of the intermediate equipment or cabling. In other words, you should try reducing the bitrate to see if that helps. If reducing the bitrate fixes your problem, you probably need to run a higher quality (NOT more expensive) "high speed" cable to your projector. HDMI extender electronics are also available which can help with long cable runs.

If you haven't already done so, turn off "deep color" in the player and intermediate electronics. That feature increases the number of bits per color channel, thus increasing the bitrate. No consumer source material has more than 8 bits per color channel, so the additional bits don't do anything useful.

If that doesn't provide enough of a reduction in the bitrate, you can try setting the output of your player to a fixed 1080i or 720p.

Im using Key Digital 4K Iguana series HDMI cable. 20 footer to be exact. I cant even get a standard 1080p signal to come out of it without the distorted picture, only a 1080p/24f or 720p and lower. I am now painfully aware that the JVC wont accept a 4K signal. i have a time Warner cable box that the max it produces is 1080i, so having the Marantz convert to 1080p and having the JVC on eshift(4K) was the plan. i also dont think i can change the bitrate on theTime Warner box. I can send a blu ray thru the Marantz with no conversion and not have any problem. Im going to change out the HDMI anyway just to make sure its not the cable. Im still open to more suggestions. Thanks

Since the output of the TW cable box is at most 1080i or 720p, that's a low enough bitrate that a cable that is certified "standard speed" is OK. Standard speed cabling is not adequate for 1080p, which has twice the bitrate. Iguana cables are supposed to be rated high speed, but they may be having a problem if it's a long cable run (more than 25 ft).

Unfortunately, many cable box HDMI circuits are incompatible with the HDMI repeater circuits which are used in receivers and pre/pros like the AV-7701. This often results in unreliable video and audio unless the cable box's HDMI output is connected directly to the TV for video and only its audio output is connected to the receiver or pre/pro. (Changes in resolution when switching among channels cause the most glitches.) Some boxes work OK through a repeater and some don't, and some working satellite boxes have been known to stop working after a firmware update.

Don't forget that modern digital TVs always have to scale the video signal if it doesn't exactly match its actual display resolution. Most TVs contain good enough scalers that scaling the video externally usually isn't necessary. This is especially true for the 4K resolution TVs if you can afford one. Most are still about $25K, though, so they're rather expensive.
Edited by Selden Ball - 1/27/13 at 1:00pm