[mike7877]

Marantz AV8805A Review (AV Processor)

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Marantz AV8805A Audio/Video Processor (no amplifier). It is on kind loan from a member to see how the switch to ESS DAC has impacted the performance of this processor. AV8805A costs US $4999. I previously tested the AV8805 version. Even...

www.audiosciencereview.com

edit: read the thread now (wow, didn't realise how old it is - this subforum isn't very active!)

Not sure if you could use the Denon for the core channels and the Marantz for the extras that the Denon doesn't support - the THD+n of the Denon is ~7dB better.

If not, -92dB is not a bad measurement at all.
But for music listening, might be worthwhile bi-(or tri) amping to those speakers (if they support it). Using the Denon for the midrange and tweeters and the Marantz for the woofers would give the best (and loudest obviously) music listening experience IMO

 

[mike7877]

Nice find on the Polk SDA SRS!! How much were they?

 

[JustinThyme]

I haven't read all the posts in detail in this thread, but as the owner of the 3700x, I have to chime in.

If you've got good to great speakers, it's the best receiver out there. Its DAC is clean and so are its power amps. And powerful - it won't distort unless your room is absolutely massive (like 20x20 feet) and your speakers are stupidly inefficient. Only reason to go for a higher model would be if you want channel upconversion from 5.1 to 5.1.4 or 5.1 to 7.1.2 (using your heights when the signal is not Dolby Atmos). Most other brand receivers don't do either (the 3700x doesn't suck in this regard, it's just not enabled with the feature). Denon's first model that does is the next one up - the Denon 4700. It costs a good $500 more, so you have to ask yourself if it's worth that much to you. It does do a good job.
Having listened to both 5.1 and 5.1.4 content, I'll say my opinion is it's not worth $500.

Oh, also to add. If you have a 7.1 system and you want a slightly improved and maybe louder music listening experience, you can can bi-amp your front speakers with this receiver.

I’m not going to point out anything but the fact that every AVR on the market these days are weak in terms of power. X3700H is 105 WPC 2 channels driven. Not of much use when running 1000W speakers or anything over 100W for that matter. I’m disappointed with the direction they all have gone. Even the flagship models are 150WPC 2 channels driven. The only way you are going to get plenty of clean power on tap is to go separates with a Pre/Pro and amplifiers. I have a Denon X3700H and I didn’t care for even using the RCA pre outs into an amp so it’s in the master bedroom running the small system up there. In my cave I have a Marantz AV8805A that has no output amps as it’s a pre/pro going to 4 separate power amps with a 9.2.4 configuration. The first time I went to turn up them at Denon on my Polk L800s and it started clipping I hit yanked the plug as fast as I could because clipping is what will destroy speakers. AVRs are fine if you are running smaller speakers but when you kick it up to speakers like this at 1000w they aren’t going to cut it or even come close

 

[mike7877]

I’m not going to point out anything but the fact that every AVR on the market these days are weak in terms of power. X3700H is 105 WPC 2 channels driven. Not of much use when running 1000W speakers or anything over 100W for that matter. I’m disappointed with the direction they all have gone. Even the flagship models are 150WPC 2 channels driven. The only way you are going to get plenty of clean power on tap is to go separates with a Pre/Pro and amplifiers. I have a Denon X3700H and I didn’t care for even using the RCA pre outs into an amp so it’s in the master bedroom running the small system up there. In my cave I have a Marantz AV8805A that has no output amps as it’s a pre/pro going to 4 separate power amps with a 9.2.4 configuration. The first time I went to turn up them at Denon on my Polk L800s and it started clipping I hit yanked the plug as fast as I could because clipping is what will destroy speakers. AVRs are fine if you are running smaller speakers but when you kick it up to speakers like this at 1000w they aren’t going to cut it or even come close

Personally if going 9.2.4 I'd have gone with Denon's flagship or the model below it - they both support 13 channels. I'd have bought a single three channel or two dual channels and bridged one for the center (if the amp was good enough). If you're really into 5 channel music recordings, maybe a single three channel plus a two channel. The quality of the preamp+amps in the Denons is second to none, and better than most separates, especially high powered separates.

Going from 150W RMS to 1000W RMS is only 7dB. The secondary channels barely get any signal compared to the fronts, and if they do it's maybe during an explosion or a jet coming in. If you rolled off for the frequencies the smaller speakers can handle, the times they'd require more than 150W when the fronts have 1000 would be next to never.

Since you're so worried about clipping - the way that clipping blows speakers is through overheating. A horribly clipped signal for a second or two won't wreck anything. Tweeters with capacitors in their crossovers won't overheat quickly either (capacitors filter all of the DC in a clipped signal). A signal that's clipped by ~3dB usually sounds just as loud and is barely distorted. If the 150WRMS/300W peak was clipped 3dB, that's 600W of sound. Since it's an explosion anyway...

Looks like you bought what you did, so this isn't advice. Just what I would've done.

edit: actually, if I bought speakers as large, they'd be 94db/W, not 87 - a 150W amp would be the equivalent of 1000, so I wouldn't have to buy any extra amps after my $4-6k receiver. I'm frugal lol (my sig has 9600K - yes, it's almost time to upgrade, but my point is it's not a 9700K/9900K)