What do you think of the 1 kHz overtones in Amirs and my measurements? They surely do not look like typical harmonic distortion. And disappears when disconnecting the laptop from mains.The 60Hz and harmonics are also present in the measurements of the analog inputs.
every single time I see a new receiver review, I expect it to be atrocious and I'm never wrong about that.
not sure what's the point, they never improve.
I agree. I use an NR1608 too, in our HT system, as what I call an "HDMI preamp". The video inputs go directly into the TV, and the TV feeds the Marantz via HDMI ARC. The Marantz outputs analog audio to an ATI stereo amp (which I use because I have it), which powers JBL L/R speakers, and an SVS SB1000PRO sub. It's not a big room, about 2500 cu-ft, and most of what we watch are drama shows and movies, and 75-80db average at the listening seats is about as loud as it gets. I tested the NR1608 amp channels, and audibly there's no difference I could discern from the ATI amp channels. I knew when I bought the Marantz I would probably be raising an eyebrow at measurements if I saw them, but sometimes an SINAD of 77db works good enough. Video sound is generally a realism train wreck anyway, and the most important audio attribute to us is speech intelligibility.Going to make a somewhat lukewarm defence of the 1510. I haven't actually used it, but I have the very similar 1608 from a few years ago. Not sure if the 1608 measures as badly (it uses a slightly beefier amplifier section and I believe a different DAC, so it could be different).
I wouldn't recommend building a high-end music system around these receivers. However, if you're looking for a receiver to use in a general purpose system, or a system that's primarily for movies and gaming, they're awesome. You get tonnes of HDMI inputs, really excellent video upscaling and lots of options, built-in room correction - the works - for under $1,000. In a situation where a bit of high-end roll-off and a moderate amount of distortion aren't going to trouble you (like movies and games), it's a really solid option.
It is a shame, though, that the unit performs this badly since we've seen many cheaper options put up much better numbers and it seems like mostly laziness on the part of Marantz engineers. It's also a shame that the preamp outputs on these units are so shoddy - I ended up upgrading my 1608 to a Denon 3700h because I was switching to using a separate power amplifier and the preouts on the 1608 just would not output a respectable signal level. The 15/16/17xx series, based on their size and feature set, would make for a really fantastic preamp if they just had decent DAC performance and could output at a reasonable level from their preouts.
I think people who are saying this unit is "garbage" and a "waste of money" are kind of missing the point, and not paying attention to the typical use scenario for a receiver like this. Yes the DAC and amplifier are disappointing and should be better, but people who are buying these are generally not buying them for a high-end music system. They're buying them to plug three game systems, a bluray player, and a streaming box into it and run an inexpensive 5.1 system for movies, games, and occasional music listening. For that use case, these small Marantz units are absolutely fine.
Marantz has been contracting with China for manufacturing since at least 2005, and that has continued since acquisition by Sound United in 2017. Quality products can be made in China, but as ASR members have noted before the issue with Chinese products is consistency, and that consistency issue seems reflected in Spkrdctr's comment above. The lingering question is whether this tested Marantz unit was designed to perform poorly, or is this particular unit a victim of inconsistent Chinese manufacturing practices?Hmmm it seemed to me that what Amir explained is the the ECO circuit is broken? I think when he turned it on it cut the power by 70 to 80%? If that is true then the ECO circuit is broken, or they have a product defect that is getting out the door in massive quantities.
Grounding issues through the USB?What do you think of the 1 kHz overtones in Amirs and my measurements? They surely do not look like typical harmonic distortion. And disappears when disconnecting the laptop from mains.
Marantz has been contracting with China for manufacturing since at least 2005, and that has continued since acquisition by Sound United in 2017. Quality products can be made in China, but as ASR members have noted before the issue with Chinese products is consistency, and that consistency issue seems reflected in Spkrdctr's comment above. The lingering question is whether this tested Marantz unit was designed to perform poorly, or is this particular unit a victim of inconsistent Chinese manufacturing practices?
Denon is also made in China or Vietnam by the same company and their products consistently outclass all other 'name brand' hi-fi and home theatre products. The difference is in the design, not in the execution.Marantz has been contracting with China for manufacturing since at least 2005, and that has continued since acquisition by Sound United in 2017. Quality products can be made in China, but as ASR members have noted before the issue with Chinese products is consistency, and that consistency issue seems reflected in Spkrdctr's comment above. The lingering question is whether this tested Marantz unit was designed to perform poorly, or is this particular unit a victim of inconsistent Chinese manufacturing practices?
Hmmm lets see: https://www.stereophile.com/content/marantz-model-40n-integrated-amplifier-measurementsI'd like to see some of their new stereo integrated amps reviewed. AVR stuff seems to always measure horribly unless you spend an ungawdful amount of money to get your surround fix without sonic penalties. And since I am not an V guy in AV it's wasted on me. I have never owned Marantz but always thought of them as a competent brand, so this is a bit worrisome, but hey and again - it's AV...
Perhaps. So while SNR is 110 dB we don’t know what the real THD is yet.Grounding issues through the USB?