JBL MA7100HP AV Receiver Review

[andrewskaterrr]

I'm not convinced the "IMAX Enhanced" feature is something desirable. AFAICT, all it does it mess with your crossover setting. Otherwise, it's identical to just getting the DTS mastering of the soundtrack. Is there something I'm missing? If my AVR had that feature, I'd turn it off with the information I have now.

I wanted to mention this but I figured he knew and/or would get backlash. To my knowledge that is correct, and why I don't care about IMAX Enhanced anymore especially since no one uses it. Disney+ is now using IMAX Enhanced but it's not REAL IMAXE, so it doesn't matter either. You want crossovers in a small room as bass waves are longer than the room, unlike a theater where they could use this feature.

 

[Narnian]

I just got a JBL MA9100HP to try for 60 days and so far the setup was very easy. The sound is very good in stereo with my Revel speakers and SVS sub. Roon works fine. Sound stage is very good and clarity is excellent. Very early in the testing and all jazz so far. Definitely better musically than my Denon X3800H to my ears.

Will do the calibrations later before I test movies and surround as that seems to be the major issue in most reviews.

UPDATE: Will post any follow-ups over here so as not to split threads and go off topic. I apologize for not thinking.

JBL goes Dirac Live ready and Class-D

--> Click me

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[pogo]

Definitely better musically than my Denon X3800H to my ears.

That is also an unfair comparison.

 

[Tonycv51]

I have a dying Marantz NR1604 I need to replace and am very limited on height of the AVR. I really like the Marantz sound for music, but the review of the Cinema 70 on here is not great so wondered what the music was like on this, or even the 9100 as both will fit height wise, whereas Cinema 60/50 (or Denon equivalents) wont fit. Note having pre-outs is not a requirement for me. Speakers are old but very wife friendly mordaunt short alumni 8 as fronts and rears, alumni 5 as center, with a q acoustics wall mounted sub behind the TV.

Edit to add music is usually listened to using all speakers on pro logic / neo or multi channel stereo, or 5.1 for Blu-ray audio / multi channel files

 

[kyuu]

I have a dying Marantz NR1604 I need to replace and am very limited on height of the AVR. I really like the Marantz sound for music, but the review of the Cinema 70 on here is not great so wondered what the music was like on this, or even the 9100 as both will fit height wise, whereas Cinema 60/50 (or Denon equivalents) wont fit. Note having pre-outs is not a requirement for me. Speakers are old but very wife friendly mordaunt short alumni 8 as fronts and rears, alumni 5 as center, with a q acoustics wall mounted sub behind the TV.

Edit to add music is usually listened to using all speakers on pro logic / neo or multi channel stereo, or 5.1 for Blu-ray audio / multi channel files

Well you didn't ask a question, but I'm liking my MA7100HP just fine. I would have no reservations recommending it.

 

[Tonycv51]

Hi thanks for reply and good to hear you like the 7100. My question was about music playback, and ideally any views vs the marantz "warm" sound which I like

 

[kyuu]

Hi thanks for reply and good to hear you like the 7100. My question was about music playback, and ideally any views vs the marantz "warm" sound which I like

Well in my view amps, good ones anyway, don't have a sound. They just replay what they're fed as transparently as possible. These JBL AVRs have a bit of a high noise floor, but the only manifestation of that I've noticed is a soft hiss that's only audible on my 90dB sensitivity speakers when I press my ear against the tweeter. Otherwise, they have plenty of power and sound like any competent amp should.

 

[Tonycv51]

Hi I bought the 9100 in the end for a 5.1.4 setup. Trying a few things out I wonder if others can help me :-

- 2nd HDMI output carries no audio signal UNLESS I set the HDMI audio out to TV which then changes both HDMI i.e. sound via ARC on TV in main room and nothing out of the AVR. Doubt there's a way round this without a firmware change, but seems odd to me
- I then tried zone 2 line outs to the 2nd room, but am getting nothing, so assume zone 2 line out only works for non HDMI inputs, but there is zero mention of the zone 2 pre out in the manual...

 

[kyuu]

2nd HDMI output carries no audio signal UNLESS I set the HDMI audio out to TV which then changes both HDMI i.e. sound via ARC on TV in main room and nothing out of the AVR. Doubt there's a way round this without a firmware change, but seems odd to me

I'm not really understanding what you're saying here. You have two outputs connected to the AVR? Two different TVs or what? ARC is used to pass sound from what's connected to the output (usually your TV) to the AVR.

- I then tried zone 2 line outs to the 2nd room, but am getting nothing, so assume zone 2 line out only works for non HDMI inputs, but there is zero mention of the zone 2 pre out in the manual...

It's definitely mentioned in the manual:

It says it provides a stereo downmix of whatever the source is, though it doesn't clarify if that applies to digital inputs like HDMI. I haven't used that functionality at all myself.

 

[Tonycv51]

I'm not really understanding what you're saying here. You have two outputs connected to the AVR? Two different TVs or what? ARC is used to pass sound from what's connected to the output (usually your TV) to the AVR.

It's definitely mentioned in the manual:

View attachment 482723

It says it provides a stereo downmix of whatever the source is, though it doesn't clarify if that applies to digital inputs like HDMI. I haven't used that functionality at all myself.

I could be wrong but I assumed that the "party" functionality is referring to the speaker assign zone 2 output option (mine are all used for a 5.1.4) and not the line out zone 2 I was trying to use to a wall mounted soundbar in another room. Will have a play to see if I can get it to work that way

To clarify on the first point yes was trying to play output to 2 TV's. So have a CCWGTV as input, with picture on main lounge TV where the MA9100 is, plus to another TV in the kitchen. Picture displays on both, audio via the MA9100 in the lounge, but no sound on the 2nd TV (unless i set audio to output to TV which works but means switches off audio from the AVR to the main TV. I tried both PCM and bitstream audio settings on the 2nd TV but got no sound, so I don't think the 2nd HDMI out carries and audio normally, so about as much use a chocolate teapot as the saying goes

 

[kyuu]

I could be wrong but I assumed that is referring to the speaker zone 2 output option (mine are all used for a 5.1.4) and not the line out zone 2 I was trying to use

The part I posted is definitely referring to the line out. The part that refers to reassigning a pair of amps is here:

This is from page 24 of the manual linked here: https://www.jbl.com/on/demandware.s.../pdfs/MA7100HPMA9100HPOwnersManualENWEBv2.pdf

The part for the Zone 2 line out is on page 25.

 

[Tonycv51]

Thanks so much - user error from me ! Had to enable party on line out, then I can switch it on in the main menu.

However there appears to be a sync issue that's not fixed by the lip sync settings. It's maybe bearable and is better than nothing versus the 2nd HDMI output, but the line out is marginally quicker than the AVR sound I think, so adding lip sync delay on the HDMI input just makes that worse.

I was hoping to be able to have Atmos music via eg tidal in the main room, and line out to the kitchen to a Dali soundbar, but the sync issue may prevent that

EDIT seems to vary depending on what I'm playing. Currently playing an atmos playlist on tidal and the 2 rooms are perfectly sync'd

 

[kyuu]

Thanks so much - user error from me ! Had to enable party on line out, then I can switch it on in the main menu.

However there appears to be a sync issue that's not fixed by the lip sync settings. It's maybe bearable and is better than nothing versus the 2nd HDMI output, but the line out is marginally quicker than the AVR sound I think, so adding lip sync delay on the HDMI input just makes that worse.

I was hoping to be able to have Atmos music via eg tidal in the main room, and line out to the kitchen to a Dali soundbar, but the sync issue may prevent that

That makes sense, actually: the line out would be bypassing any processing. If you're just listening to a stereo source, have you tried adjusting the mode to potentially bypass or minimize the processing delay on the sound coming from the AVR?

Would probably try "Native", or if you have a subwoofer that you want the crossover to still apply try "Stereo 2.1".

When you say you want to do this to listen to Tidal, I assume that means you are using Tidal Connect directly to the AVR?

 

[Tonycv51]

Also just tried a blu ray audio DTS 5.1 in the lounge and stereo in the kitchen via zone 2 and is perfectly sync'd so very happy as previously have had to sacrifice 5.1 for multi room audio. I may be resurrecting my old rocket fish transmitter from before Airplay/ Chromecast groups to have it in a 3rd room !

 

[Tonycv51]

That makes sense, actually: the line out would be bypassing any processing. If you're just listening to a stereo source, have you tried adjusting the mode to potentially bypass or minimize the processing delay on the sound coming from the AVR?

View attachment 482730

Would probably try "Native", or if you have a subwoofer that you want the crossover to still apply try "Stereo 2.1".

When you say you want to do this to listen to Tidal, I assume that means you are using Tidal Connect directly to the AVR?

Yes tidal input via HDMI from CCwGTV. Specifically wanted Atmos / 5.1 in main room and stereo in 2nd , so the options would spoil that, however seems to work well via Blu-ray, tidal may be a bit more variable but was out of sync on a stereo playlist, and is in sync for an atmos one...

Enjoying the MA9100, would have liked a Marantz cinema 50 or even 40 to replace the old slimline Marantz, but neither fit in my furniture by a long way, and my worries about missing the Marantz sound were unwarranted

 

[kyuu]

Yes tidal input via HDMI from CCwGTV. Specifically wanted Atmos / 5.1 in main room and stereo in 2nd , so the options would spoil that, however seems to work well via Blu-ray, tidal may be a bit more variable but was out of sync on a stereo playlist, and is in sync for an atmos one...

Never heard of a "CCwGTV" before, but from what I gather it's some sort of streaming box/stick? If you want Atmos/5.1 Tidal then yeah you'd need an external box, as annoyingly Tidal Connect directly to the AVR doesn't support multichannel. This limitation with network streaming seems to be a common issue with AVRs, despite their explicit purpose being for playing back multichannel content.

 

[Tonycv51]

Never heard of a "CCwGTV" before, but from what I gather it's some sort of streaming box/stick? If you want Atmos/5.1 Tidal then yeah you'd need an external box, as annoyingly Tidal Connect directly to the AVR doesn't support multichannel. This limitation with network streaming seems to be a common issue with AVRs, despite their explicit purpose being for playing back multichannel content.

Sorry CCwGTV short for Chromecast with Google TV. I'd like to be able to compare Atmos music via apple music Vs tidal but struggling as theres no apple music app on the CCwGTV (there is Apple TV, and the Tidal app is a little flaky) and don't seem to be able to reliably stream Atmos from the apps on my Samsung TV to the AVR which is a few years old but does have Apple Music

 

[Tonycv51]

Agree re Tidal connect - would be great if it supported Atmos. On tidal the AVR and/or Android phone / tablet can get confused between the AVR's dual presence as both a native Chromecast device and a Tidal Connect device, and seems to affect any groups that are setup which can include the AVR in either guise...

Have been using bubble upnp to cast tidal which mitigates the issue to some extent Vs native Tidal app