AVR for stereo

[andrew]

I'm running stereo D&D8C speakers with on-board room equalization enabled and music played via selecting the speakers as an end-point within Roon. The reason for the thread is to get advice on an AVR or AVP that would allow me to integrate the speakers into a TV / AV set-up comprising of multiple sources, e.g., Apple TV, etc. This chain would involve AV Source -> AVR -> FL/FR pre-outs -> Speakers. So, basically, all the AVR is used for is input switching, down-mixing sources to stereo, volume control and stereo pre-outs. It'd be ideal if the unit had balanced outputs to match those in the D&D8c, additional pre-outs (should we decide to add a center channel) and an ability to disable the power amps but none of this is essential. I don't understand all the video standards but would guess that we want support for at least 4k as several of our sources support this resolution (ATV, Gaming Console). Budget is less than USD1.5k with options ranging from Marantz NR1510, Denon X3700H or 3800H, or second hand Marantz units with XLR outputs. Where is the sweet spot for someone just interested in decent stereo pre-outs without all the bells and whissles of high-end AV?

P.S. We've tried optical out from the TV to stereo DAC (problematic on some FTA TV channels) and an HDMI audio extractor with digital sent to the speakers (works well but for some reason won't play nicely with Nintendo Switch). I'm kind of done with dealing with these work-around solutions and just after a standard AVR based solution that I won't have issues.

 

[Averywhite]

Hey Andrew! I found myself in a similar situation as you and ultimately decided on the Marantz Cinema 70s. I needed something that decoded various HT formats, had a decent pre-amp, and would function as a 2.1 AVR for most of its life. Two things that sealed the deal for me was the compact size AND the ability to tun off the internal amplifier in favor of a stronger pre-out voltage.

For music, I'm using a AK DAP paired with an Adcom GFA 5802 power amp. Marantz set to Pure Direct.

For shows/movies I'm using an AppleTV with the Marantz dialog enhancer set to medium. There have been no complaints about muddy or hard to hear dialog dialog from my fiance or I during movies/TV shows.

The only thing I'm a little disappointed in is that the L/R pre-out RCA jacks don't seem very robust because they're in the center- there doesn't seem to be a lot of case support and there's some flex, but time will tell. (The RCA jacks towards the bottom don't flex FYI) Hopefully I don't have any issues...

Let me know if you have any questions about it- I'll do my best to answer.