Marantz Replaces AKM AK4458 DAC with Texas Instruments DAC IN SR6015, SR7015 AND SR8015

[Oski1997]

According to Marantz, "All units with the serial # ending in 70001 or higher have the TI DAC [most likely the PCM1502A DAC found in the Denon AVRs]. The only exception is the AV8805A pre-pro. That now uses a DAC made by ESS". I hope this helps new AVR customers decide if they still want to buy a Marantz AVR. Denon AVRs are also affected by this change.

 

[peng]

According to Marantz, "All units with the serial # ending in 70001 or higher have the TI DAC [most likely the PCM1502A DAC found in the Denon AVRs]. The only exception is the AV8805A pre-pro. That now uses a DAC made by ESS". I hope this helps new AVR customers decide if they still want to buy a Marantz AVR. Denon AVRs are also affected by this change.

Thank you for posting this and if it is from a reliable source then you can see that while I never meant to not believe in what you were told previous that Marantz has a new policy to not replace the AK4458 like Denon did, I was simply being skeptical about the different stories told by different people who apparently also go their responses to their enquires from D+M's customer support teams.

Just fyi a couple days ago, I emailed Marantz and requested that they forward my question to their engineering in Japan for further confirmation of which IC they are using, and I cited that their website still are advertising using the AK4458 yet their Japan website says (as linked by bigguyca originally) the SR6015 and the NR1711 as well as the SR8015 were getting it replaced. So I am hoping by confronting them with conflicting information they are still presenting on their websites that they would feel obligated enough to get us the final official answers.

 

[Vincentponcet]

According to Marantz, "All units with the serial # ending in 70001 or higher have the TI DAC [most likely the PCM1502A DAC found in the Denon AVRs]. The only exception is the AV8805A pre-pro. That now uses a DAC made by ESS". I hope this helps new AVR customers decide if they still want to buy a Marantz AVR. Denon AVRs are also affected by this change.

Downgrading without changing the model number is a scam.
I think this would be eligible to go to a class action.

 

[Oski1997]

Thank you for posting this and if it is from a reliable source then you can see that while I never meant to not believe in what you were told previous that Marantz has a new policy to not replace the AK4458 like Denon did, I was simply being skeptical about the different stories told by different people who apparently also go their responses to their enquires from D+M's customer support teams.

Just fyi a couple days ago, I emailed Marantz and requested that they forward my question to their engineering in Japan for further confirmation of which IC they are using, and I cited that their website still are advertising using the AK4458 yet their Japan website says (as linked by bigguyca originally) the SR6015 and the NR1711 as well as the SR8015 were getting it replaced. So I am hoping by confronting them with conflicting information they are still presenting on their websites that they would feel obligated enough to get us the final official answers.

No worries and yes, I received an email from Marantz stating this.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Downgrading without changing the model number is a scam.
I think this would be eligible to go to a class action.

Is it a downgrade? The use of the existing DAC doesn't get anywhere close to the potential it has. They could well substitute a 'lesser' DAC and get the same resulting performance.

 

[Oski1997]

Downgrading without changing the model number is a scam.
I think this would be eligible to go to a class action.

I agree, this is egregious.

 

[nerdoldnerdith]

Don't worry. The goldenears at Marantz tuned the new DAC to sound extra sweet, so it all evens out.

 

[peng]

Is it a downgrade? The use of the existing DAC doesn't get anywhere close to the potential it has. They could well substitute a 'lesser' DAC and get the same resulting performance.

I think you are right in terms of performance for real world use. On the bench, it will definitely get lower score based on the specs difference between the two DAC ICs. The TI chip's SINAD is low enough to become the bottleneck, relative to the volume control IC, assuming they have not replaced that one.

Regardless, it is not right that their website info used to highlight and brag about the "sound quality" of AK4458, and yet they have now replaced it without updating the product information on their North American websites.

 

[Brambo67]

According to Marantz, "All units with the serial # ending in 70001 or higher have the TI DAC [most likely the PCM1502A DAC found in the Denon AVRs]. The only exception is the AV8805A pre-pro. That now uses a DAC made by ESS". I hope this helps new AVR customers decide if they still want to buy a Marantz AVR. Denon AVRs are also affected by this change.

So I’m interested; is Amir’s latest review on the SR8015 not also a XXXX7XXXX serial number as it is tested in June? Or did I miss something? If so the TI’s are doing a good job according to the test….

 

[elberoth]

With AKM factory burned down and no chips supply, who do you want any manufacturer to continue selling producs with AKM chips onboard ?

 

[Masza]

Don't worry. The goldenears at Marantz tuned the new DAC to sound extra sweet, so it all evens out.

HDAMs will guarantee that "sweet" sound anyway so no worries.

 

[peng]

So I’m interested; is Amir’s latest review on the SR8015 not also a XXXX7XXXX serial number as it is tested in June? Or did I miss something? If so the TI’s are doing a good job according to the test….

Tested in June could mean the unit was made prior to May or even April but we don't know that for sure.

 

[Brambo67]

Tested in June could mean the unit was made prior to May or even April but we don't know that for sure.

If the back picture in this review is the machine he was testing, it is probably pre-change. I can't make a lot of it but it isn't a 7 (5th number from the end). In 'regular' promo-pics Marantz, nor Denons, uses serial numbers. This pic clearly shows one. I'm really interested in some re-tests of Marantz and Denon by Amir. This will make a lot clear(er).

 

[peng]

If the back picture in this review is the machine he was testing, it is probably pre-change. I can't make a lot of it but it isn't a 7 (5th number from the end). In 'regular' promo-pics Marantz, nor Denons, uses serial numbers. This pic clearly shows one. I'm really interested in some re-tests of Marantz and Denon by Amir. This will make a lot clear(er).

I just looked and I think you are right. Logically, if it had the PCM5102A that specified SINAD of 93, then the one Amir tested must have the AK4458 anyway because it measured >98 dB SINAD. The PCM5102A's SINAD cannot possibly reach that high even if measured just by itself.

It doesn't matter how D+M implemented it, this thing just won't look too pretty on the bench:

Even the very old D+M's PCM1791 looked a little prettier from -80 dB input and higher and a few dB better at higher level/0 dBFS.

 

[Oski1997]

For those of you who are interested, if you own a 2020 Marantz, you can now order this VS3003 adapter that will give your AVR three HDMI 2.1 ports: https://www.marantz.com/en-us/product/av-receivers/vs3003

 

[Oski1997]

NEW March 2022 marantz firmware 6240-6294-8129-1000.​

Does anyone know what this new firmware added to our AVRs?​

 

[hdkeith]

Hate to resurrect this, but for confirmation if I buy a SR8015 now I will not get the AKM DACs? Did they change anything in the AV7706? What DACs is that using?

 

[Everett T]

Hate to resurrect this, but for confirmation if I buy a SR8015 now I will not get the AKM DACs? Did they change anything in the AV7706? What DACs is that using?

I was under the impression that this was never the case for the upper tier D&M products and at this point can't imagine it would be. I know that the Denon 47xx and the 70xx were effected but not much above. Someone can correct me as I'm going off memory.

Having said that, depending on your setup it might not be relevant in an audible manor.

 

[hdkeith]

Yeah I waffle over what can I hear, but I have always been a paper specs buyer.

 

[peng]

Yeah I waffle over what can I hear, but I have always been a paper specs buyer.

According to Marantz.jp, the SR8015 is also affected:

https://www.marantz.jp/ja-jp/news/pressreleases/21001

My best guess is that since they had the same one (AK4458) as the SR7015, 6015 before, they would likely have the same one (whatever it is now, but apparently the PCM5102) as the SR7015 and SR6015. In the past, only the AV8805/8805A and the AVR-X8500H/X8500HA/A110 were equipped with the AK4490, now we know the AV8805A has the ES9010k2M.