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Marantz AV7705 Home Theater Processor Review

Jayjustgames

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I was in the same boat. My av7702 mkii has started having some issues. I was willing to shell out the extra for the avm 70, but it's extremely hard to find and I need something asap. Given the fire at akm, the av7706 was hard to find also, but in stock at a few of vendors while most said it could be weeks or even months before it was back in stock. I considered going the denon route, but read a lot of reviews of comparing them and the totl marantz avrs to the av7705 and 7706 and from all accounts, the av preamp always seem to come out on top, and that's even including the vaulted x8500 denon. Plus sometimes we can get too obsessed with measurements that seem to be inaudible.

So I pulled the trigger on the av7706 from musicdirect. The feature set, balanced outs and being more future proof than the 7705 put it over the top for me. I'm running an atmos 5.2.4 setup and in the process of expanding my setup to 7.2.4. It will be here Friday, so I will post my findings after getting up and running.
What are your thoughts of the Marantz 7706??? I'm in the market to upgrade from my onkyo rz 830. Denon 3700h, Marantz 7706 and maybe emotiva xmc 2. Already have amps.
 

peng

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Brad1138

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Right now I have a separate preamp for 2 channel listening. I also have a separate DAC and Phono Pre. I am considering using the 7705 (with room correction) for everything and doing without the separate preamp. Is there any point in using the separate DAC, just to have it go through the Marantz's ADC/DAC?
 

Matthew J Poes

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Right now I have a separate preamp for 2 channel listening. I also have a separate DAC and Phono Pre. I am considering using the 7705 (with room correction) for everything and doing without the separate preamp. Is there any point in using the separate DAC, just to have it go through the Marantz's ADC/DAC?
No. The preamp has an analog pass through but you may not find any meaningful improvement in sound doing that. Don’t run an external Dac through the preamp such that it goes through the AD converter. That would be a waste of time.
 

jhaider

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Right now I have a separate preamp for 2 channel listening. I also have a separate DAC and Phono Pre. I am considering using the 7705 (with room correction) for everything and doing without the separate preamp. Is there any point in using the separate DAC, just to have it go through the Marantz's ADC/DAC?

I've never understood the whole "home theater passthrough for 2-channel" thing. It relies on a lot of obsolete and ill-founded assumptions, and should really be discouraged generally.
 

Brad1138

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I've never understood the whole "home theater passthrough for 2-channel" thing. It relies on a lot of obsolete and ill-founded assumptions, and should really be discouraged generally.

My preamp doesn't have HT pass-through. I just switch the RCAs back and forth. The main amp and main speakers are the only components common between both systems.

My 2 channel preamp (and DAC & phono pre) is higher quality than the Marantz.
 

jhaider

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My 2 channel preamp (and DAC & phono pre) is higher quality than the Marantz.

See "obsolete and ill-founded assumptions," above.

In fact, unless the 2-channel equipment employs a competitive room correction system, in fact it is likely of audibly much inferior quality to the Marantz with Audyssey correction properly set up in the app (limited bandwidth, "midrange compensation" or whatever they call that notch turned off). That holds true regardless of brand or cost.

The only separate component that may be audibly relevant is phono preamp. Obviously, that can be plugged into the AVP as well.
 

oupee

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See "obsolete and ill-founded assumptions," above.

In fact, unless the 2-channel equipment employs a competitive room correction system, in fact it is likely of audibly much inferior quality to the Marantz with Audyssey correction properly set up in the app (limited bandwidth, "midrange compensation" or whatever they call that notch turned off). That holds true regardless of brand or cost.

The only separate component that may be audibly relevant is phono preamp. Obviously, that can be plugged into the AVP as well.
In theory it sounds good, but in practice it is the other way around. Who has a quality stereo has an acoustically modified room and then all the dsp, dirac, audyssey .... just to anger and throwing money
 
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jhaider

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Who has a quality stereo has a decorated room and then all the dsp, dirac, audyssey .... just to anger and throwing money

Someone who hates smooth and hi-fidelity bass?
 

Sal1950

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Right now I have a separate preamp for 2 channel listening. I also have a separate DAC and Phono Pre. I am considering using the 7705 (with room correction) for everything and doing without the separate preamp. Is there any point in using the separate DAC, just to have it go through the Marantz's ADC/DAC?
Matt and Jay have given you some very solid answers here.
I have used separate systems for 2ch and HT for years leaning on the old "it will sound better" myths but time and listening started to wipe out the myths. Last big listening test was a few years back where I compared my computer files into my Marantz 7703 and my Adcom amps against the same files into my Emotiva DC-1 DAC and same Adcom amp driving the same speakers.
Just had to change the interconnect into the Adcom L & R amp. With Audyssey and subwoofers disabled, and matched levels, I really couldn't hear any difference to speak of when listening closely for SQ details. But then if I enabled Audyssey with Bass EQ and the rest, the sound now trounced what I got it without.
The Emo DAC now remains in the system only for headphone listening, it has a ass-kicking headphone amp in it. ;)
 

Pdxwayne

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Right now I have a separate preamp for 2 channel listening. I also have a separate DAC and Phono Pre. I am considering using the 7705 (with room correction) for everything and doing without the separate preamp. Is there any point in using the separate DAC, just to have it go through the Marantz's ADC/DAC?
I have Marantz AV8801. No, at least in my case, there is no point using a separate DAC going through Marantz.

I tried that and I did not like the sound. I prefer going from Gustard x16 direct to amp. My speakers currently run full range, but lack the deep bass. Thus, for deep bass, I do DAC -> minidsp hd -> subs. I used REW to match the subs to speakers and using minidsp to do crossover and adjust down the bass peaks.

I prefer listening to stereo this way vs using my Marantz.
 

Brad1138

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See "obsolete and ill-founded assumptions," above.

In fact, unless the 2-channel equipment employs a competitive room correction system, in fact it is likely of audibly much inferior quality to the Marantz with Audyssey correction properly set up in the app (limited bandwidth, "midrange compensation" or whatever they call that notch turned off). That holds true regardless of brand or cost.

The only separate component that may be audibly relevant is phono preamp. Obviously, that can be plugged into the AVP as well.

I am not going to get into the "all equipment basically sounds the same" debate.

I do understand the room correction may make a bigger difference (in some or even most ways) than the separate preamp/DAC does.

If I do go the HT prepro route, I am going to also look at an Anthem AVM 60 or 70 for its better room correction and possibly better sound in general.

FWIW, my room does have decent acoustic treatment and bass traps.
 

Brad1138

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I have Marantz AV8801. No, at least in my case, there is no point using a separate DAC going through Marantz.

I tried that and I did not like the sound. I prefer going from Gustard x16 direct to amp. My speakers currently run full range, but lack the deep bass. Thus, for deep bass, I do DAC -> minidsp hd -> subs. I used REW to match the subs to speakers and using minidsp to do crossover and adjust down the bass peaks.

I prefer listening to stereo this way vs using my Marantz.

When you used your Marantz, did you utilize room correction?
 

Pdxwayne

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When you used your Marantz, did you utilize room correction?
I tried both pure direct and room correction. DAC to analog in of my Marantz is kind of disappointing. HDMI in from Apple TV for movie actually decent.
 

peng

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My preamp doesn't have HT pass-through. I just switch the RCAs back and forth. The main amp and main speakers are the only components common between both systems.

My 2 channel preamp (and DAC & phono pre) is higher quality than the Marantz.

I have compared using external DACs with the Marantz AV8801 via the analog input instead of my preamp so that I can use Audyssey, overall I prefer it this way then using the preamp but there is a lot of work. Also, I only prefer the overall effect if I use JRiver/PC so that I can apply JRiver's PEQ, guided by REW graphs.
 

rccarguy

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My preamp doesn't have HT pass-through. I just switch the RCAs back and forth. The main amp and main speakers are the only components common between both systems.

My 2 channel preamp (and DAC & phono pre) is higher quality than the Marantz.

Ignore the people saying a avr wth room correction will sound better than a analogue stereo that is basically a switch and pre amp.

My stereo analogue pre amp outclasses the AV pre by a mile, it simply sounds better, wider and higher soundstage
 

Sal1950

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My stereo analogue pre amp outclasses the AV pre by a mile, it simply sounds better, wider and higher soundstage
Un hun, sure it does
 

Sal1950

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Yes it does. Tag McLaren dac20 + audiolab 8000q
Which AVR do you have?
Have you set up level matched bias controled DBT for them.
What were the resulting stat's on the listening test??
 
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Pdxwayne

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Which AVR do you have?
Have you set up level matched bias controled DBT for them.
What were the resulting stat's on the listening test??
You forgot about hearing tests.

Is one's hearing good enough to hear those minor differences between AVR vs direct DAC to amp?

For example, can one at least successfully pass the 0.5db sound pressure difference test using their stereo setup?

I tried and can at least pass 0.5db using my setup. See https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...my-gustard-x16-measurements.20679/post-690212

My annoyed wife stopped me from performing 0.2db tests.... : P

I do wonder about the hearing capabilities of many who claim that no differences could be heard between using AVR vs using a great DAC direct to amp.

I am curious. Would you please share your hearing test results? Thanks!
 
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