Denon x4800h vs marantz cinema 40

[CapMan]

Very big difference. I love the Marantz depth. The Denon felt bright and lacked fullness compared to the Marantz. There was a noticeable yet smaller difference between the Cinema 40 and 60. The 60 was still warmer than the Denon but less punch than the 40.

I call b£&)it

 

[CapMan]

I've myself lugged around my personal speakers for auditioning and all AVRs sound very different from each other. but some people who can't hear differences assume/argue that others also can't hear differences.

Your perceive things differently , but that’s a mental process not an Aural one

Unless you know both AVRs were level matched and configured identically you can’t be sure .

 

[tjcinnamon]

Hello,

Long time reader, first time post. Yesterday I listened to the Marantz Cinema 40, and 60 vs Denon x4800. Wow I could not believe the difference. The Marantz had so much more warmth and punch to the lower end. I was planning to buy the Denon to save some money, thinking they would be nearly same. So glad I had the chance to experience each of these models. Ok, so here is where I did this. Best Buy Magnolia. Say what you will but this is the only place I'm aware of to easily do this. The store located in Gilbert, AZ (metro Phx) had quite the selection of speakers to also flip between. Kef R3 meta AND the Reference 1. Kef r11, and the most surprising performance to me for the money, the KEF Q950. Also tried the B&W 804 D4, 702 s3, 703 s3 among many others. The difference between the Marantz and Denon was nearly as apparent as the difference between a B&W and KEF speaker. Very big difference. I love the Marantz depth. The Denon felt bright and lacked fullness compared to the Marantz. There was a noticeable yet smaller difference between the Cinema 40 and 60. The 60 was still warmer than the Denon but less punch than the 40. Also went to an independent dealer to listen to Revel F226 and F228. My favorite speaker by far is the F228. I just wish I liked the F226 as much because I would prefer the smaller Revel size. But the fullness of sound is too apparent for me to ignore so I'm hoping to pull the trigger on the F228's.

I noticed it too. I chalked it up to level matching or the Amp Size. It was the same pair of speakers at a magnolia and it was pretty close to ABX’d

Level matching was impossible because it always reset itself but I was able to get someone to help do it blind.

Given the level matching challenges, it’s hard to know. But I did experience what you experienced but I’m uncertain as to why

 

[sask15]

I went from the 4800 to the Cinema 40 and also like the sound better. It isn’t scientific though so might just be what I want to hear. I do like the style of the Marantz better as well.

 

[Palmspar]

The c40 looks better and has a slightly better amp design.
Happy with the C40 but i never listen to the 4800.
And the price diference was not big anymore in my country.

 

[pras1011]

So is there any sound difference in a 4800 vs a cinema 40?

 

[voodooless]

So is there any sound difference in a 4800 vs a cinema 40?

It's unlikely, especially now that Marantz has chosen the default DAC filters to be somewhat proper. Just pick the one that you can pay and you think looks best

 

[pras1011]

The marantz looks the best but that porthole is annoying small.

I am thinking of selling my cinema 50 for a 4800 for the extra power as I have large floors tanners and I don't want an extra box using a external power amp. Worth it?

 

[peng]

So is there any sound difference in a 4800 vs a cinema 40?

No if you don't get influence by preconceived ideas from marketing info and hearsay and don't have super sensitive ears. Yes they may sound different if do have such highly sensitive/discerning ears and use digital inputs when listening to contents with sampling rate below 48 kHz, such as CDs, no HD streaming, mp3 etc., based on ASR measurements and the slow roll off filters. The more standard filter choice, same as the one used in Denon models, is only available in the Cinema 30 and the AV10.

 

[pras1011]

Then what would be the next step up from my Cinema 50?

 

[peng]

Then what would be the next step up from my Cinema 50?

Do you need more juice than the Cinema 50 can offer? If you do, and assuming the unit has the features you need, then the next step up would be to use external amp(s). So it depends on your actual need.

Some basic information:

How Much Amplifier Power Do I Need? | Crown Audio - Professional Power Amplifiers | English

www.crownaudio.com

Calculators you can use if you don't know how to do it manually:

Crown Audio - Professional Power Amplifiers | English (US)

www.crownaudio.com

Amplifier Output Calculator

Calculate an Audio Amplifier's output voltage and output current

benchmarkmedia.com

 

[pras1011]

I would like to have only one box and I have 5 large floorstanders and the extra power would be great. I have been looking at the onkyo rz70, x6800h and marantz cinema 30.

 

[peng]

I would like to have only one box and I have 5 large floorstanders and the extra power would be great. I have been looking at the onkyo rz70, x6800h and marantz cinema 30.

Can't give you any credible suggestions without knowing your specific requirements for your use case. There are just too many variables to consider as you can see in the online calculators I linked. For example, if you need 100 W when sitting 2 meters from your speaker, then if you sit from 4 meters, your need would become 400 W. Same for speaker sensitivity, large floor standers with sensitivity of say, 92 dB/2.83V/m will be much easier to drive than those with sensitivity in the mid 80's such as 86 dB/2.83V/m. Then there is question of their impedance and phase angle characteristics.

So, while it is highly possible that any of the AVRs you are looking at could be powerful enough for your use case, it is not possible to know for sure, with the information given, that you will be using 5 large floorstanders.