Review and Measurements of Marantz AV8805 AV Processor

[LTig]

Is it possible to infer from the data in this review how good the amplification part is?

There is no power amplification in this AV preamplifier.

 

[jj_coffee]

Another very informative review by Amir!

A question about results of the tests run in high bandwidth and how it reveals problems in the ultrasonic range. This seems to be a reoccurring theme in a lot of gear recently reviewed. How does this translate to audibility in real situations? For example, would this DAC perform with less noise if running in 44.1kHz as opposed to something higher? Just trying to wrap my head around the concept here. And apologies in advance as it feels like a question that I should know the answer to...

 

[flyingplatypus]

I have a couple years older denon that I use for hometheater to my main speakers. Given the performance of this flagship product, I can only assume my denon is of even lower performance. In this case, would in be beneficial to run two channel audio from either an external dac or my oppo 203? Given that the Audessey software on an analog signal probably goes analog > digital > analog would the benefit of a better source signal outweigh the extra analog to digital conversion?

 

[ryanmh1]

I agree it's all about the feature set. I have a similar integrated unit from Denon which includes the ability to watch movies, control almost everything imaginable, stream internet radio or streaming services or stream via Bluetooth, decode my SACDs, listen to the radio, and clean up the whole sonic picture with Audyssey XT32 and bass EQ for two subwoofers. That XT32 and bass EQ is a huge benefit for a setup in a public area where room treatment is out of the question. Plus it has multiple channels of amplification which I can use as spares to run some of the surround channels (I used dedicated amps for the main 5 channels). And all that for $1500 list (and a lot less for the "old" Denon model which is almost identical). And all basically plug and play in one box. The reality in actual use is that with the XT32 enabled, the system is far better than it is with it off. Thus, the fairly inexpensive receiver trounces thousands of dollars of equipment in the same room, despite having a THD+N figure 10x higher.

The filter implementation was a little disappointing though. It would be interesting to see if all the extra dough really gets you more audio performance over the integrated 4x00 series. Probably not.

EDIT: This is probably a good spot for this as any. There are some nice measurements of an older Onkyo here: https://archimago.blogspot.com/2013/10/measurements-onkyo-tx-nr1009-as-hdmi.html which show similar performance. Very good noise performance, with somewhat higher THD over the best. This Denon is even better, and I have a time believing that anything that was measured on either of these devices would be audible. That's not to say there may no be things that are audible, just that these tests did not reveal them, and they don't really suggest that audible problems are terribly likely.

 

[amirm]

A question about results of the tests run in high bandwidth and how it reveals problems in the ultrasonic range. This seems to be a reoccurring theme in a lot of gear recently reviewed. How does this translate to audibility in real situations? For example, would this DAC perform with less noise if running in 44.1kHz as opposed to something higher?

To be clear, the test was at 44.1 kHz. One imagines nothing is there above 22.05 kHz but there is of course plenty in the measurements.

Hard to explain what is going on audibly. I think in vast majority of cases there is nothing there or else a lot of people would be complaining.

 

[Shakes]

I have a couple years older denon that I use for hometheater to my main speakers. Given the performance of this flagship product, I can only assume my denon is of even lower performance. In this case, would in be beneficial to run two channel audio from either an external dac or my oppo 203? Given that the Audessey software on an analog signal probably goes analog > digital > analog would the benefit of a better source signal outweigh the extra analog to digital conversion?

I would use the analog outputs of your 203 for 2-ch audio unless you need to use room correction. Even with a processor like this I still used the analog outs on my original 203, and even more so with my 205, for music playback. HDMI was only used for when I required Atmos playback

 

[Ron Texas]

It has so many connections that just looking at the back makes me dizzy.

 

[flyingplatypus]

I would use the analog outputs of your 203 for 2-ch audio unless you need to use room correction. Even with a processor like this I still used the analog outs on my original 203, and even more so with my 205, for music playback. HDMI was only used for when I required Atmos playback

My space definitely needs room correction, which is why i'm wondering if using an external DAC would be beneficial in any way.

 

[amirm]

inconsistent results of Audissey: each time I ran Audissey it seems to come to different results, and it was necessary to listen and decide whether I like it or not. Since I was not able to save the current settings for later retrieval it was hard to decide to do another repetition because the new result might be worse than the previous.

That is my problem with Audyssey as well.

 

[LTig]

I have a couple years older denon that I use for hometheater to my main speakers. Given the performance of this flagship product, I can only assume my denon is of even lower performance. In this case, would in be beneficial to run two channel audio from either an external dac or my oppo 203? Given that the Audessey software on an analog signal probably goes analog > digital > analog would the benefit of a better source signal outweigh the extra analog to digital conversion?

No, since the last DAC used is the one in the Denon. Any previous DA-AD conversion can only make the sound worse, not better.

If you can disable the digital processing at all (in the Marantz this would be something like pure audio) with the consequences of no Audissey and no tone control, then a better external DAC can improve the sound - if the performance of the analog stages in the Denon is better than its internal DAC.

 

[RayDunzl]

It has so many connections that just looking at the back makes me dizzy.

Oh.

I guess you never dealt with one of these. Each wire pair = one (analog at this point) landline telephone (one "channel" on the machine).

The channels of the switch are cabled (hidden) to those blocks. Channel 1 through how ever many thousands, in chunks of 10,000 for large offices - last four digits of a phone number 0000-9999).

Another set of similar blocks are connected to the copper that goes outside and down the road to the houses and businesses. They look a little different, usually vertically oriented, and have lightning arrestors on each pair. Here, they used red and white jumoers.

The jumper wires above connect a specific channel on the machine to a specific pair on the outside. There is no rhyme or reason to the pattern, for a new subscriber, an unused channel is jumpered to the cable pair that goes to his phone, and remains until a fault, or the subscriber stops paying the bill, and someone else is assigned that now vacant machine channel.

It's all unshielded, but is twisted, to avoid (most) instances of crosstalk.

I didn't mind doing small offices - a couple of thousand lines - places like Iola Wisconsin, and Show Low Arizona. Fortunately my exposure to the big ones was much more limited - Cincinnatti Bell had five big ones, I visited to help out for a week. Remember watching the Berlin Wall come down at the motel.

Accomodations in Iola:

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.511...30.944382&pitch=0&thumbfov=100!7i13312!8i6656

 

[LTig]

To be clear, the test was at 44.1 kHz. One imagines nothing is there above 22.05 kHz but there is of course plenty in the measurements.

Hard to explain what is going on audibly. I think in vast majority of cases there is nothing there or else a lot of people would be complaining.

Maybe you should test other samplerates as well to check if they also suffer from bad filter settings.

 

[LTig]

My space definitely needs room correction, which is why i'm wondering if using an external DAC would be beneficial in any way.

Probably not. You have to find out for yourself which compromise is better for your ears. Or use room correction with movies only.

 

[304290]

Well at least it's measurements are not nearly as bad as the tdai-3400 which also cost 2000.00 more.

 

[amirm]

Well at least it's measurements are not nearly as bad as the tdai-3400 which also cost 2000.00 more.

The room equalization in TDAI-3400 is better though.

 

[flyingplatypus]

The room equalization in TDAI-3400 is better though.

Without going into technical details, could you rank the popular room correction systems?

 

[amirm]

Without going into technical details, could you rank the popular room correction systems?

You are getting me in trouble.

I categorize them in these buckets:

1. Company created methods like Sony and Yamaha schemes in their AVRs.

2. Audyssey and Anthem ARC

3. Lyngdorf and Dirac

4. Trinnov, Harman/JBL Synthesis ARCOS

Some of the advanced schemes available in best systems for example is equalization of multiple subs, multiple subs+multiple speakers, etc. Trinnov also has cool features like moving apparent position of speakers, etc.

 

[Krunok]

You are getting me in trouble.

I categorize them in these buckets:

1. Company created methods like Sony and Yamaha schemes in their AVRs.

2. Audyssey and Anthem ARC

3. Lyngdorf and Dirac

4. Trinnov, Harman/JBL Synthesis ARCOS

Some of the advanced schemes available in best systems for example is equalization of multiple subs, multiple subs+multiple speakers, etc. Trinnov also has cool features like moving apparent position of speakers, etc.

Do numbers reflect the rank?

Btw, how comes Audiolense is not mentioned?

 

[xxie]

Thank you, Amir, for continuous shedding of light on the hi-fi backstage.

What a shame for Marantz! I always thought that Yamaha receivers/processors has better sound quality. Hope someday we'll find out if I was right.

I always get bit sketchy feeling about Marantz after I read a bit about their brand ambassador Ken Ishiwata, seems like this company allow a marketing guy screw up the engineering design by pop some magical capacitors here and there, called job well done and sign his name on those KI product line.

 

[amirm]

Do numbers reflect the rank?

Btw, how comes Audiolense is not mentioned?

Yes, that is the ranking. I have not used Audiolense.