Marantz AV8801 Preamp/Processor Official Owner's thread - Page 3

When I was looking at DSP specs a couple of years ago, as best I could tell, Audyssey was one of the options provided by the DSP manufacturer to the receiver manufacturer. In other words, it's not an upgrade the receiver (or pre/pro) manufacturer can provide after their hardware design has been finalized. It'd be nice to be proven wrong, though.

ah yes, I stand corrected...it uses Trinnov. The Onkyo offerings where the ones with XT32.

Out of interest what is your Multi Channel XLR source? A set of custom dacs fed from a PC? I seem to remember Halcro offered this and so does the really pricey Datasat Processor:
http://www.datasatdigital.com/consumer/products/rs20i.php

Anyone else notice the 4 network ports? Interested to see how these are used and or relate to special network features on the av8801. Could it just be for IP control?

Anyhow, for me I think the price/feature point is not too bad and I will be getting one ASAP! I have been waiting for a long time to upgrade from my av8003 something that had all the features I was after. There was meant to be higher end model above the av7005 that was canned due to the GFC. To me the 7701 brings nothing much over the 7705.
Edited by judge25 - 10/15/12 at 7:59pm

At the moment none. But I do have a Playvack mps 5 and you can cascade 1 or 2 mpd5 to get 4 or 5.1 for multichannel SACD

Presumably it's identical to the 100Mbit hub included in the Denon AVR-4520ci.

+1

Look to the 4520CI Owner's manual for more info on the similar features offered on the 8801.

http://usa.denon.com/us/Product/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?CatId=avreceivers(denonna)&PId=avr4520ci(denonna)

So at this price point and feature set, what other pre/pros are the direct competitor ? Integra ?

As well as the Onkyo version of the Integra pre/pro.

Roughly equivalent pre/pros from other companies seem to cost about twice as much. (e.g. the McIntosh MX121 & Anthem AVM 50V 3D).

Have you ever heard the 5508 or the 5509? I believe the DACs and analog stage were improved over the 885/886 series prepros. I have one friend that has the 5508 and another has the 3008 (as a prepro) with both having the same speakers as I have. I was impressed with the SQ of both with music over my 886.

Bill

Integra 80.3; msrp $2,600


http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/processors/integra-dhc-80.3-pre

Integra 80.3; msrp $2,600


http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/processors/integra-dhc-80.3-pre

Oh actually may be useful in my setup but not really needed. Be interesting in this case to see how these effect standby power. As already mentioned, hopefully an upgrade to gigabit for 8801!

Edited by judge25 - 10/17/12 at 5:05pm

Even the 4520 will be some good competition for this. Specs look good for it and it can be used as a preamp...

I agree and the 4520 looks alot better than the 8801 IMO. I know beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. So no offense to those that like the looks of the latest Marantz AVRs and prepros. I saw the AV7007 at Best Buy yesterday and the plastic end caps on the front panel look kind of tacky with the metal center of the front panel. I'm assuming that the end caps are plastic as they do not match the finish of the center of the front panel. Then there is that porthole front display window.

Bill

I have the 80.3 myself and really like it. The 80.3 is the 2011 generation though and Integra will NOT produce a 2012 generation product. The 8801 will have a few things that the 80.3 does not because of that.

11.2 outs vs 9.2 outs
digital audio out for zones 2-4
hdmi out for zone 4
airplay
bluetooth built in
built-in ethernet switch

It's hardly a secret that the Marantz AV8801 is a Denon 4520 sans amps. The AV8801 is aimed towards more SQ, not more features.

So if the 8801 is a 4520 without amps why would it sound any different? What internal components (DACs, analog stage etc.) would the 8801 have to provide better SQ than the 4520? I would say the 4520 and the 8801 would have a very similar feature set. So I'm not sure what you mean inregard to the 4520 being about features and the 8801 being about SQ.

Bill

The only sound quality features I can think of would be the XLR outputs and copper chassis, both of which can only make a difference in an environment which is electrically noisy. Marantz often makes a point of mentioning their high speed current feedback amplifier circuits, but I've never seen any bench tests which show them to make an audible difference; or any difference at all, for that matter.

Of course, I'm ignoring the highly emotional placebo effect. That can make a big difference in perceived audio quality.


.

Selden,

I agree that those features would be the only differences. As you mentioned unless there is an environment which is electrically noisy there will be no SQ differences. Unless Marantz indicates that specific internal components are of a better grade I would assume both the 4520 and the 8801 will be the same internally. Many thought that Integra AVRs and prepros have better internal components than the comparable Onkyo units. But an AVS member who also happens to be an authorized Integra and Onkyo dealer said they used the same internal components. How he knew that was that he also had an authorized repair facility. Looking up various part numbers they were indentical between the 80.2 and the 5508. I believe those were the units he checked.

Bill

It'd be really nice if a reviewer would open them up and publish closeup photos of what they find so everyone can compare the two. That doesn't happen very often, though.

To be fair Onkyo/Integra are sister companies ( still separately run) with a shared design regarding sound, features and topology but with different applications, while Denon and Marantz are a more separatly run entities that just happens to be under the same umbrella, similar features? sure but different design approaches and different implantation philosophies of parts. there are many manufactures that share the same off the shelf parts but have the ability to sound different, i.e what is known as the Marantz house sound usually interpreted as full and warm! While Denon uses there own topology for what they want there components to sound like. Which is better? depends on your taste! but the same component sans the amps, no!

I'm leaning towards the 4520 due to its assignable amps (which I plan on driving the heights, widths, surround, and surround back). I have external amps for my LCR.

If there is nothing 'extra' other than the copper case and the xlr connections I dont see a major reason to wait until this comes out.

Noise is my main concern with amps on board! the extra heat as well. I want as close to having a dedicated preamp for my music as possible but we are all making compromises, The idea of using the amps on board the Denon is indeed appealing, but at this point I will only be using 2ch/5.2 and I already have an Halo A21 for mains and Anthem mca 30 for center and surrounds . In just about every case I've run balanced cables I've heard a difference in sound ( level matched with rca's of course) both sound great but the slight nudge going to balanced.

I hear ya... but going with the Marantz and wanting 11.x would require me to pick up something like 2 XPA-5s...

Which of course is an option I am entertaining but if I can put the money someplace else, why not...lets hope there is something extra that the 8801 is bringing to the table.

As best I can determine, the "warm" sound of Marantz is a myth and/or a placebo effect. (Although I'll admit that I thought I heard a very subtle effect when I replaced my Pioneer receiver by a Marantz pre/pro & amp about a decade ago.) The bench tests that I've seen show Marantz equipment to provide as flat and accurate an output as any other quality equipment. See, for example, http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/processors/processors-reviews/marantz-av7005-processor/page-5-the-marantz-av7005-ssp-on-the-bench.html and http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/receivers/receivers-reviews/marantz-av8003-and-mm8003/page-5-the-marantz-av8003-a-v-processor-and-mm8003-power-amplifier-on-the-bench.html