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Marantz AV7705 Review (AV Processor)

sarumbear

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Hot take but I actually appreciate legacy connections wherever I can find them.
Curious, what source(s) do you use that only has composite video output?
 

sam_adams

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Hot take but I actually appreciate legacy connections wherever I can find them.

Besides that, this company is dumb. Like what are they even doing anymore with thwir products? Failint virtually every spec has to be on purpose at this point.

Aside from the I/O Amir doesnt care for (something other audio companies should look to AVRs for), this is just an epic fail.

They are simply relying on the brand recognition of the average consumer. You have to remember that most of us here are technically oriented at a level that most consumers aren't. They only have price and brand name to use as a measure of worth.
 

Ralf Stocker

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Has there ever been an AV processor that was good? No! If I put a ton of electronics in a big tin bin, no hi-fi can come out.
 

sarumbear

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Has there ever been an AV processor that was good? No! If I put a ton of electronics in a big tin bin, no hi-fi can come out.
Will you call Denon AVR-X8500H bad and not Hi-Fi? If yes what is your definition of Hi-Fi? Or for that matter how many 2-ch amplifier/DAC combos you know that matches these specs?
 

Blumlein 88

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Has there ever been an AV processor that was good? No! If I put a ton of electronics in a big tin bin, no hi-fi can come out.
I used to think that. But that isn't it. Pro gear can have much higher density and channels than AVR and the best of it is very good measurement-wise. So it could be possible to make an AVR that has great numbers, and my guess is other than bothering to make it a goal the cost vs what they have would be somewhere from minimally higher to perhaps not at all higher.

Take Marantz's insistence on the HDAM. It isn't particularly great, they make it with quite a few discrete transistor circuits. My guess is they could make an all IC version 20 db better in every metric and far cheaper. Why don't they do it? I don't know.
 

Jbrunwa

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I used to think that. But that isn't it. Pro gear can have much higher density and channels than AVR and the best of it is very good measurement-wise. So it could be possible to make an AVR that has great numbers, and my guess is other than bothering to make it a goal the cost vs what they have would be somewhere from minimally higher to perhaps not at all higher.

Take Marantz's insistence on the HDAM. It isn't particularly great, they make it with quite a few discrete transistor circuits. My guess is they could make an all IC version 20 db better in every metric and far cheaper. Why don't they do it? I don't know.
I wonder if it is a hold over from when solid state amps tried to replicate that “tube amplifier sound”?
 

peng

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I used to think that. But that isn't it. Pro gear can have much higher density and channels than AVR and the best of it is very good measurement-wise. So it could be possible to make an AVR that has great numbers, and my guess is other than bothering to make it a goal the cost vs what they have would be somewhere from minimally higher to perhaps not at all higher.

Take Marantz's insistence on the HDAM. It isn't particularly great, they make it with quite a few discrete transistor circuits. My guess is they could make an all IC version 20 db better in every metric and far cheaper. Why don't they do it? I don't know.

I don't know either, but if I were to guess I would say that if they use such a good IC version then their marketing team cannot use the "discrete....." as an extra selling point. The sad part is, the average consumer don't see the schematics. If they do they will see that the "discrete" HDAM modules are in between non discrete ICs anyway, so logically even if the discrete HDAM is better in every way it wouldn't matter because it can only be as good as the weakest part in the signal path. On the other hand, the HDAM, being an extra buffer, will add distortions and noise for sure, it is only how much, or little distortions and noise it adds that we are not sure.:D
 

Koeitje

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I used to think that. But that isn't it. Pro gear can have much higher density and channels than AVR and the best of it is very good measurement-wise. So it could be possible to make an AVR that has great numbers, and my guess is other than bothering to make it a goal the cost vs what they have would be somewhere from minimally higher to perhaps not at all higher.

Take Marantz's insistence on the HDAM. It isn't particularly great, they make it with quite a few discrete transistor circuits. My guess is they could make an all IC version 20 db better in every metric and far cheaper. Why don't they do it? I don't know.
Because HDAM marketing brings in more money than just having a good product. There is zero incentive for these companies to produces high fidelity products because there is no competition. All the licensing for HDMI, Dolby, DTS etc. makes entry to the AVR market very hard. Apart from that the software is also not something that can be developed by a small team.
 

sarumbear

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There is zero incentive for these companies to produces high fidelity products because there is no competition.

Why do you say that there is no competition? @amirm has so far measured AVRs from dozen brands belonging to seven parent companies. Does it look to you a non competitive market?

In my view the reason is lack of knowledge of the buyers. This is why ASR is important. If you are rational you will learn to rely on data and re-condition your ears.
 
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Herbert

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That's so adorable. I appreciate your courage in running this website! Good news indeed that the results are similar.

Is there any data on the variation in performance of audio equipment, as far as variation between individual units? I mean, we could test 20 SMSL DACS and look for differences. How do manufacturers test individual units? It can't be the same story between SMSL, Schitt, Denon, and Naim, can it? And what about speakers?
They only test samples, if any. When I started as a Video Editor, Betacam SP Decks, the pro offspring of Betamax, were extremely expensive. Reason: Every Machine had to be measured and aligned individually.
 

Koeitje

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Why do you say that there is no competition? @amirm has so far measured AVRs from dozen brands belonging to seven parent companies. Does it look to you a non competitive market?

In my view the reason is lack of knowledge of the buyers. This is why ASR is important. If you are rational you will learn to rely on data and re-condition your ears.
7 brands is nothing, just compare it to the market for amplifiers, speakers and dacs. There are literally 100 times more competitors for those. Anyone can develop any of these in their own shed, but the barrier for entry for surround receivers is huge. The fact that there is only one brand from China that is officially licensed tells the entire story.
 

sarumbear

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7 brands is nothing, just compare it to the market for amplifiers, speakers and dacs. There are literally 100 times more competitors for those. Anyone can develop any of these in their own shed, but the barrier for entry for surround receivers is huge. The fact that there is only one brand from China that is officially licensed tells the entire story.
First, I said more than a dozen brands tested here, not seven, nor what is available in the market. Do please read before you disagree. Finally, are you really saying that there are 700 Hi-Fi brands on the market competing with each other?
 

ah-ra

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Great re-review... I would really be interested to see, how the Marantz 2ch amps like e.g. the PM800X, PM600X measure as those also use these hdma-modules...
 

Thomas_A

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It has been mentioned before - the Marantz slimline AV recievers do not have HDAM. However they also lack the jitter-reduction curcuit unfortunately.
 

m8o

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No wonder these were available for something like $1300 on Outlaw Audio dot com even a few years ago. ... feel for me. I bought one. Saving grace I guess is my use was with Rane pro crossovers and PEQs which I know to be pretty noisy and very noisy amps, and I knew that.
 

m8o

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OK, this is embarrassing. I had reviewed this unit before! The owner said it would be 7706 and I did not pay attention to the model number as I did the review just now.

Good news is that it performs very similarly to the first sample.....
Lol, I wondered to myself when I 1st saw this "wait, didn't you test this already?"
 

tjf

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I used to think that. But that isn't it. Pro gear can have much higher density and channels than AVR and the best of it is very good measurement-wise. So it could be possible to make an AVR that has great numbers, and my guess is other than bothering to make it a goal the cost vs what they have would be somewhere from minimally higher to perhaps not at all higher.

Take Marantz's insistence on the HDAM. It isn't particularly great, they make it with quite a few discrete transistor circuits. My guess is they could make an all IC version 20 db better in every metric and far cheaper. Why don't they do it? I don't know.

HDAM history lesson:

This started back in the late 80's/early 90's with the Marantz branded versions of Philips CD players.....

The noted audio "circuit tuner" Ken Ishiwata started modifying Philips based CD players and marketing them under the Marantz brand name (which I believe Philips had acquired the Marantz brand name by the late 80's, etc., etc.)

The idea of "Discrete Gain circuits GOOD/Op Amp circuits BAD" had been marketed by Marantz (Philips) in a series of "Tweaked" CD players carrying the "SE" or "Special Edition" moniker, and some upscale models (based on the bigger Philips CD players -- CD80, etc.) carrying the "K.I. Signature" brand to denote the "HyperDynamicAmplifierModules" or "HDAMs" "improving" the sound quality of the analog buffer amp circuits for the "Hand Selected" TDA1541 16 Bit Philips ladder DACs, etc., etc....

The "SE" version of various Marantz (Philips) CD players carried on into the early 2000's -- getting the audiophile "stamp of approval" by many UK HiFi Mags and in the 90's and beyond by the U.S. mags -- Stereophile, etc....So Marantz kept this HDAM thing going by using them in their various amplifer products and so to today in their Theater AV Recievers/Processors...

Corrections to the above info welcomed by others who lived thru this Marantz/Philips stuff in the 80's and 90's....
 

peng

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Great re-review... I would really be interested to see, how the Marantz 2ch amps like e.g. the PM800X, PM600X measure as those also use these hdma-modules...

The PM800X have different versions of HDAM. Also, those HDAMs in the PM series are actually doing something as they are not just an extra unity gain buffer added behind the volume control IC right at the end of the signal path.

The newest model, the 7706 would likely be a little different here and there, but there has been no talks about it getting the HDAM version found in the SR8015. Someone should ask @Matthew J Poes about what happened to his review/measurements on the 7706. I thought at one point he said he was going to bench test it, might even have completed the job but for some reason there has been no updates on that project.
 

Dogen

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I was looking for a reason to replace my Marantz SR5007, so thanks for the re-reminder!
 
OP
amirm

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Had a private request to measure the RCA output at full 2 volts and reduced 1.4 volt. Here they are:

Marantz 7705 Measurements RCA 2 volt Toslink AV Processor.png


Marantz 7705 Measurements RCA 1 point 4 volt Toslink AV Processor.png


I have another processor to test so please don't ask me for more measurements of this one. :)
 
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