Surround Processor Recommendation for Genelec! Yamaha Vs Denon Vs Canton Smart Connect.

[Sprint]

Hello all,

Wish you a happy new year!

I just sold my Yamaha RX-V775 last week along with passive floor standers Yamaha NS-777 for a decent price. The set up was 7 years old. Now I am looking for a processor to connect to my active speakers of 3 LCR Genelec 8340 and 2 surround 8330 for both movies and mch music. I do not have ceiling speakers and so no Atmos. I plan to have ceiling speakers only after a year or two. My set up looks like this. I would prefer to have the processor hidden in the low board but that's not an important criteria.

My source is only Apple TV for both mch music and movies. Occasionally for good movies, I do blu ray via PS4. Output is 65 inch LED 4K TV KD-65XF9005 and Full HD projector. I also have a 2 ch full digital streaming set up with Raspberry PI and Topping D10s feeding AES into LR Genelec.

The Denon's have measured very well in ASR and 3700 is the most recommended AVR. On the other hand Yamaha fans love the way higher end Aventage series like 3080, A8A, CX-A5200 sounds.

The main testing criteria for pre-processors has been to check for clipping and lower SINAD if they are connected to heavy demanding amps. Is this also true in my case as I will be connecting to Genelec and not any multi channel amplifiers?

Fundamental Question:
Ignoring the measurements of Denon, what is the factor that makes Yamaha sounds better than Denon/Marantz or Anthem for some users. Is it the combo of Room correction/DSP/ Surround AI of Yamaha that gives more details? I plan to switch off the EQ and not use YPAO, as correction is done via the GLM for Genelecs. I use miniDSP DDRC24 to correct my 2 SVS 12 inch subs. So I will be driving more or less in Straight mode with EQ off in the processor.


I am thinking of one of the two options:
Cheap:
Canton Smart Connect 5.1 for around 650 euros (link). Save money and go for all digital surround set up in few years with Genelec 2*7360 subs and 9301 bass management. Path will be Apple 4K TV -> HD Fury -> Black Magic HDMI to SDI convertor -> AJA SDI AES embedder or Black Magic SDI AES -> Genelec 9301 -> 8340/8330/subs. At the moment I have only analog subs from SVS. Digital volume control via Apple 4K TV remote.

Cons with the full digital set up: No up mixer or surround AI or virtualiser with digital set up. I am not sure if I need up mixer or virtualised instead of original format.

Expensive - budget 2500 Euros:
Balanced output XLR
Yamaha CX-A5200
Anthem AV60
IOTAVX AVX17
Marantz 7705
Unbalanced output RCA
Marantz 5015 or 6015
Denon 3700
Yamaha 880 or 1080
Multi channel HDMI extractor like this
Panasonic UB824

I can extend my budget if it is state of the art processor to max of 4000 Euros. Unfortunately monolith HTP-1 is not available in EU. Moreover I can achieve a digital path by least expensive combo of HD Fury with Black magic for less than 1000 Euros. Therefore spending more than 2500 euros seems to be not justifiable.

So in conclusion, I am leaning towards either Canton or CX-A5200 due to the following reasons.

• CX-A5200 costs around 2500 Euros and measured well with Audioholics but not tested in ASR yet. When I go full digital, sell it in EBAY with a expected loss of 50%.
• Anthem AV60 and Marantz 7705 did not measure well here but are cheaper than 5200.
• IOTAVX 17 (link) seems to also ok but costs around 1900 euros and do not know the longevity of this product. Seems to be the version of Tonewinner or Emotive BASX. There is an ASR member who uses the older model and is happy.
• 3700 and 6015 with amps shut down are the cheaper options. Both the units are out of stock and some internet users preferred Yamaha 5200 or other Yamaha AVRs to Denon 3700.
• Yamaha 880 or 1080 does not have the option to shut down amps. I am not sure if the amps are shut down automatically if no cables are connected in the amp section.
• Multi channel HDMI extractor not tested.
• Panasonic UB900 blu ray player was tested here and is recommended. I could ditch Apple 4KTV but I cannot add apps in 824. Moreover no digital volume control. Unfortunately apart from OPPO (discontinued), there is no Blu Ray player with HDMI input ( to connect Apple TV) and with 5.1 channel RCA output.

Question for experts here:

• Is my above considerations reasonable?
• What would you recommend from the above factors?
• Canton is not tested in ASR but has good reviews from many German websites. Looking at the measurements provided from Canton, will this be sufficient for my Genelec set up i.e 1V rms/600 OHM nominal and 3,4V rms maximum with SNR of 101 DB. On the down side, Canton does not offer Dolby Vision. Work around is to use Netflix, Disney in Sony TV and route Audio via ARC to Canton. Also posted are Yamaha measurements.
• Should I go with Canton and save money for digital all output?

Canton measurements

Yamaha CX-A5200 Measurements

Looking forward to your opinion and recommendation!

 

[Sprint]

A Short update on 14th Jan:
I was already looking at all digital 5.2 solution that is closer to option 1 via a device like Vanity Pro. I asked Genelec and after seeing my room in this link, they proposed me to go for a Processor with balanced output that can do atleast 5.2.4 Atmos and have asked me to consider installing Genelec 4 * 8320 for a 3D sound in my room. It seems going all digital for 5.1 has lesser value than doing Atmos. They have insisted for balanced out.

I am leaning towards Yamaha CX-A5200 or Marantz 6015 (As per this Video 1 and Video 2, Gene says pre-out in 8015 is even better than balanced out of 7705/7706). I love the sound of Yamaha for its dynamics in movies and have never heard Marantz in detail.

 

[greenpsycho]

Dang, I'm following this thread cause it's so intriguing to see a genelec home theater. I also love the idea of the genelec Sam handling room correction, leaving the avr to just do decoding and pre out.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you need balanced at all costs, right? But the marantz has an amp but no balanced outs, so that's a no go, right?

Quick question, do the speakers have to be plugged into ethernet the entire time? Or just for the calibration process and then you can unplug them?

 

[tifune]

I can't see any reason balanced is an absolute requirement. I do agree it's recommended, but pretty down on the list of priorities. Also, as to subjective claims of "xyz sounds better", I would just ignore them outright unless they're experienced integrators speaking to specific features (Dirac vs ARC vs Audyssey, for example).

I'm not sure if you're saying this room is actually your room, or just a very close example, but personally I'd add matching front heights and get any receiver that does Auro. If your subs are capable and integrated well, the front heights can be pretty small to keep cost low. 8320 or even 8310, but definitely stick within that line. Of your list, I believe Auro's only the Yamaha 5200 but I'm not certain. Minimum, for Denon that's 4700, marantz 7015 and Aventage series A6A (I think).

If Auro doesn't interest you much, then the 3700 is where I'd put my $ otherwise the 4700. Since you're using GLM, I'd vote just go with what's been independently proven to have clean 5.1.4 pre-outs (older 3700, newer probably fine as well). I have no idea the point of the Vanity for $1600.

 

[greenpsycho]

Wait... why wouldn't balanced be top of the list? Remember, he isn't sending digital or signal along speaker wire (higher volts, can run longer distances). He's running low voltage pre-out over long distances (LCR, surrounds, possibly heights) thru wall cavities, possibly near and across electric lines. Do you REALLY want to do that with rca cables? Even shielded ones? Its going to cost an arm and a leg anyways compared to even the most basic balanced.

You can do single ended to balanced, but...its not like REALLY balanced, right? And from what i've seen, they all kinda suck, right?

ROLLS Promatch Review (XLR RCA Converter)

This is a review and technical measurements of the ROLLS Promatch two-way XLR to/from RCA converter with gain control. It is on kind loan from a member and costs US $56 to $69 from sellers on Amazon. The box is descriptive enough: The positions you see on the controls is what I had to set...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[greenpsycho]

Also, it doesn't seem like the vanity pro does decoding (ie dolby, dts, etc etc), which is what your receiver/avr will do and what you will need to watch movies. The vanity seems guided more toward multichannel audio pcm stuff, but not encoded streams (and I don't believe any/many devices will do decoding into PCM digital streams because its against copyright protection stuff)

 

[radix]

Just to cover all the bases, you could use an RME-8 DS or similar to convert singled-ended analog output from the AVR into balanced AES to feed to the speakers. You would then only need 1 cable per pair of speakers as they have AES pass-through. Though perhaps you don't need that for near-by front speakers, where interference might be limited? Anyway, the RME-8 DS, for example, has 1/4" TRS inputs, and there are cheap RCA plugs for those that do the normal pin 3 to ground which should be just fine. There's other multichannel A/D converters that might be less expensive and have all the channels you need.

Your path would then be Apple 4K TV - (HDMI) -> AVR - (RCA) -> 8-channel ADC - (AES) -> Genelec.

Another thing to remember is that with active speakers, I'm not sure how well comparisons of AVR sound transfer over, as you are not going to hear the AVR amps, only their processing.

An AVR might give you more decoding options for your particular speaker arrangement than straight from the Apple TV?

If you are planning on using GLM, then the AVR's room correction is not necessary. But, it might be convenient if you want multiple profiles and switch between them with one remote.

 

[Sprint]

Dang, I'm following this thread cause it's so intriguing to see a genelec home theater. I also love the idea of the genelec Sam handling room correction, leaving the avr to just do decoding and pre out.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you need balanced at all costs, right? But the marantz has an amp but no balanced outs, so that's a no go, right?

Quick question, do the speakers have to be plugged into ethernet the entire time? Or just for the calibration process and then you can unplug them?

Thanks and Great to know you like the Genelecs! GLM is absolutely great and so easy to use.

Until now I have been using pre-outs from my old Yamaha AVR RX-V775 which I had to sell with my old passives. I now need a preamp. I have already done my cabling to the rears and it uses a DMX AES/EBU XLR cable. I can send either Analog or digital signals. Currently just at the end, I use an adapter like this https://www.thomann.de/intl/pro_snake_15230_05_audio_adaptercable.htm to connect them to pre-outs of my AVR.

I do not plug the rears to the ethernet the entire time and I remove them after calibration. However the front LR are continuously connected to the GLM adapter because for 2ch streaming I use digital inputs from Raspberry PI -> Topping D10s -> AES/SPIDF cable to Genelecs and Toslink to miniDSP DDRC24 Dirac for subwoofer correction. This helps me to use the GLM remote for volume control along with my IPAD.

The above preamp hunt is only for movies.

 

[Sprint]

I can't see any reason balanced is an absolute requirement. I do agree it's recommended, but pretty down on the list of priorities. Also, as to subjective claims of "xyz sounds better", I would just ignore them outright unless they're experienced integrators speaking to specific features (Dirac vs ARC vs Audyssey, for example).

I'm not sure if you're saying this room is actually your room, or just a very close example, but personally I'd add matching front heights and get any receiver that does Auro. If your subs are capable and integrated well, the front heights can be pretty small to keep cost low. 8320 or even 8310, but definitely stick within that line. Of your list, I believe Auro's only the Yamaha 5200 but I'm not certain. Minimum, for Denon that's 4700, marantz 7015 and Aventage series A6A (I think).

If Auro doesn't interest you much, then the 3700 is where I'd put my $ otherwise the 4700. Since you're using GLM, I'd vote just go with what's been independently proven to have clean 5.1.4 pre-outs (older 3700, newer probably fine as well). I have no idea the point of the Vanity for $1600.

Thanks! Instead of Denon, I was favouring Marantz 6015 (but it has no Auto 3D). 4700 and 3700 is completely out of stock and I have no receivers now as I had to sell my old AVR unexpectedly leaving me to buy something in a short time.

Genelec is proposing to really go for balanced output. I have been discussing with them and here is the response! The AVR/preamp in discussion was Canton Smart Connect 5.1, Yamaha CX-A5200 with balanced output, Denon 3700 & Marantz 6015 + 7706

With respect to one sounds better than another, I am confused too. But you can look at the internet where one group prefers one for the other due to the way it sounds. Yamaha for movies and Marantz for music etc. Yamaha is soft and Marantz is a bit harsh. Probably they are referring to the DSP, virtualised and other up mixers...do not know. Here is a you tube video

. Or look at this https://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/yamaha-cx-a5200-vs-marantz-av7705-comparision.113076/

VanityPro seems to be not an option as it has no decoder. I can at the max make DD/DTS/DTS True HD/DD+ 5.1 make work. But no ATMOS.

One question: looking at my room, are 3 Genelecs 8320 for two front height channels and one voice of god speakers is enough for Auto 3D. The reason being I did no do any cabling for any ceiling speakers. So it will be a nightmare to make cut in ceiling or another option is to use a false ceiling to hide cables.

Thanks again !

Further response from Genelec

 

[Sprint]

Also, it doesn't seem like the vanity pro does decoding (ie dolby, dts, etc etc), which is what your receiver/avr will do and what you will need to watch movies. The vanity seems guided more toward multichannel audio pcm stuff, but not encoded streams (and I don't believe any/many devices will do decoding into PCM digital streams because its against copyright protection stuff)

That seems to be the case. I went through the manual and you are correct - they do not have any decoders. At the max I can do LPCM from Apple 4KTV for DD, DTS, DTS True HD, DD Master Audio, DD+ for a 5.1 channel and pass through the AES. Need to check with them if they have other ideas to get ATMOS decoder at least with some AES channels as output. But as you said this may be difficult due to copyright protection.

 

[Sprint]

Just to cover all the bases, you could use an RME-8 DS or similar to convert singled-ended analog output from the AVR into balanced AES to feed to the speakers. You would then only need 1 cable per pair of speakers as they have AES pass-through. Though perhaps you don't need that for near-by front speakers, where interference might be limited? Anyway, the RME-8 DS, for example, has 1/4" TRS inputs, and there are cheap RCA plugs for those that do the normal pin 3 to ground which should be just fine. There's other multichannel A/D converters that might be less expensive and have all the channels you need.

Your path would then be Apple 4K TV - (HDMI) -> AVR - (RCA) -> 8-channel ADC - (AES) -> Genelec.

Thanks a lot! I wanted to do full digital mainly because to avoid a two time DA conversion. AVR does one DA (Apple TV -> Preout RCA) and Genelec does ADA (XLR->DSP->drivers). Now by introducing RME-8 DS this would lead to one more AD but then Genelec AD part of ADA should be equally good like RME as I guess that both are very good companies. So what would be the advantage of RME-8 AD conversion?

Another thing to remember is that with active speakers, I'm not sure how well comparisons of AVR sound transfer over, as you are not going to hear the AVR amps, only their processing.

An AVR might give you more decoding options for your particular speaker arrangement than straight from the Apple TV?

If you are planning on using GLM, then the AVR's room correction is not necessary. But, it might be convenient if you want multiple profiles and switch between them with one remote.

True and fully agree. Since I did not want their room correction, I just wanted the AVR's decoding as Apple TV does send uncompressed LPCM 5.1 or 7.1 but ATMOS is only in Dolby MAT 2.0. I would need an AVR to decode Dolby MAT 2.0. Therefore I was thinking for a simple preamp like Canton Smart Connect 5.1 which does all the decoding and has a 2Vrms max output via its pre out. I then do not need an expensive AVR or processor like 5200 unless the virtualised like Surround AI has additional benefits. Canton will give a straight source without adding any additional EQ or effects unlike AVRs. but then Canton has only unbalanced. See my above post on discussion with Genelec reps who propose balanced.

 

[radix]

Thanks a lot! I wanted to do full digital mainly because to avoid a two time DA conversion. AVR does one DA (Apple TV -> Preout RCA) and Genelec does ADA (XLR->DSP->drivers). Now by introducing RME-8 DS this would lead to one more AD but then Genelec AD part of ADA should be equally good like RME as I guess that both are very good companies. So what would be the advantage of RME-8 AD conversion?

True and fully agree. Since I did not want their room correction, I just wanted the AVR's decoding as Apple TV does send uncompressed LPCM 5.1 or 7.1 but ATMOS is only in Dolby MAT 2.0. I would need an AVR to decode Dolby MAT 2.0. Therefore I was thinking for a simple preamp like Canton Smart Connect 5.1 which does all the decoding and has a 2Vrms max output via its pre out. I then do not need an expensive AVR or processor like 5200 unless the virtualised like Surround AI has additional benefits. Canton will give a straight source without adding any additional EQ or effects unlike AVRs. but then Canton has only unbalanced. See my above post on discussion with Genelec reps who propose balanced.

If you buy an AVR that has balanced out, this is all irrelevant, as you'd just use that to all your speakers. If you have unbalanced out, then you need either a balun (transformer or active) or an AD to AES. Personally, I'd probably go with the AD to AES rather than a transformer or active balun.

Maybe you could do SE line-level RCA and be ok with a good RG6, then a cheap rca-xlr adapter at the speakers? it would depend on your noise levels or if there's any ground loops.

With decent equipment, I don't think there is much, if any, of a penalty doing DA-AD-DA-AD multiple steps. There's been some other posts on the forum about multiply re-coded audio. I used to be in the same camp, wanting to minimize the AD/DA steps, but I've slowly grown out of that.

I do not have specific experience with the RME-8 DS, apart from knowing RME is a solid company that makes quality products. I'm sure there's others.

Your original path was:

Apple 4K TV -> HD Fury -> Black Magic HDMI to SDI convertor -> AJA SDI AES embedder or Black Magic SDI AES -> Genelec

That seems like a lot of conversion steps. I tended towards fewer steps, even though its DA-AD-DA. Do I have measurements that this is better? No.

Anyway, I mostly wanted to add in the possibility of doing ADC for the speaker link so its on the map.

 

[jhaider]

Fundamental Question:
Ignoring the measurements of Denon, what is the factor that makes Yamaha sounds better than Denon/Marantz or Anthem for some users.

Delusion. I had a Yamaha 5100 as my first immersive AVP. I bought it because it was the only immersive unit that kept Dolby Pro Logic II, which is still IMO a much better upmixer for 2-channel than Dolby Surround. It was fine, if sometimes a pain to use. YPAO was useless.

The Marantz 7703 that replaced it sounded much better, but that was due entirely to the then new Audyssey iOS app.

But if you’re not using room correction and you like the interface, Yamaha will work as well as anything. Just keep in mind how gigantic they are. The 5100 was well over 20” deep with cabling.

 

[Tangband]

Hello all,

Wish you a happy new year!

I just sold my Yamaha RX-V775 last week along with passive floor standers Yamaha NS-777 for a decent price. The set up was 7 years old. Now I am looking for a processor to connect to my active speakers of 3 LCR Genelec 8340 and 2 surround 8330 for both movies and mch music. I do not have ceiling speakers and so no Atmos. I plan to have ceiling speakers only after a year or two. My set up looks like this. I would prefer to have the processor hidden in the low board but that's not an important criteria.

My source is only Apple TV for both mch music and movies. Occasionally for good movies, I do blu ray via PS4. Output is 65 inch LED 4K TV KD-65XF9005 and Full HD projector. I also have a 2 ch full digital streaming set up with Raspberry PI and Topping D10s feeding AES into LR Genelec.

The Denon's have measured very well in ASR and 3700 is the most recommended AVR. On the other hand Yamaha fans love the way higher end Aventage series like 3080, A8A, CX-A5200 sounds.

The main testing criteria for pre-processors has been to check for clipping and lower SINAD if they are connected to heavy demanding amps. Is this also true in my case as I will be connecting to Genelec and not any multi channel amplifiers?

Fundamental Question:
Ignoring the measurements of Denon, what is the factor that makes Yamaha sounds better than Denon/Marantz or Anthem for some users. Is it the combo of Room correction/DSP/ Surround AI of Yamaha that gives more details? I plan to switch off the EQ and not use YPAO, as correction is done via the GLM for Genelecs. I use miniDSP DDRC24 to correct my 2 SVS 12 inch subs. So I will be driving more or less in Straight mode with EQ off in the processor.


I am thinking of one of the two options:
Cheap:
Canton Smart Connect 5.1 for around 650 euros (link). Save money and go for all digital surround set up in few years with Genelec 2*7360 subs and 9301 bass management. Path will be Apple 4K TV -> HD Fury -> Black Magic HDMI to SDI convertor -> AJA SDI AES embedder or Black Magic SDI AES -> Genelec 9301 -> 8340/8330/subs. At the moment I have only analog subs from SVS. Digital volume control via Apple 4K TV remote.

Cons with the full digital set up: No up mixer or surround AI or virtualiser with digital set up. I am not sure if I need up mixer or virtualised instead of original format.

Expensive - budget 2500 Euros:
Balanced output XLR
Yamaha CX-A5200
Anthem AV60
IOTAVX AVX17
Marantz 7705
Unbalanced output RCA
Marantz 5015 or 6015
Denon 3700
Yamaha 880 or 1080
Multi channel HDMI extractor like this
Panasonic UB824

I can extend my budget if it is state of the art processor to max of 4000 Euros. Unfortunately monolith HTP-1 is not available in EU. Moreover I can achieve a digital path by least expensive combo of HD Fury with Black magic for less than 1000 Euros. Therefore spending more than 2500 euros seems to be not justifiable.

So in conclusion, I am leaning towards either Canton or CX-A5200 due to the following reasons.

• CX-A5200 costs around 2500 Euros and measured well with Audioholics but not tested in ASR yet. When I go full digital, sell it in EBAY with a expected loss of 50%.
• Anthem AV60 and Marantz 7705 did not measure well here but are cheaper than 5200.
• IOTAVX 17 (link) seems to also ok but costs around 1900 euros and do not know the longevity of this product. Seems to be the version of Tonewinner or Emotive BASX. There is an ASR member who uses the older model and is happy.
• 3700 and 6015 with amps shut down are the cheaper options. Both the units are out of stock and some internet users preferred Yamaha 5200 or other Yamaha AVRs to Denon 3700.
• Yamaha 880 or 1080 does not have the option to shut down amps. I am not sure if the amps are shut down automatically if no cables are connected in the amp section.
• Multi channel HDMI extractor not tested.
• Panasonic UB900 blu ray player was tested here and is recommended. I could ditch Apple 4KTV but I cannot add apps in 824. Moreover no digital volume control. Unfortunately apart from OPPO (discontinued), there is no Blu Ray player with HDMI input ( to connect Apple TV) and with 5.1 channel RCA output.

Question for experts here:

• Is my above considerations reasonable?
• What would you recommend from the above factors?
• Canton is not tested in ASR but has good reviews from many German websites. Looking at the measurements provided from Canton, will this be sufficient for my Genelec set up i.e 1V rms/600 OHM nominal and 3,4V rms maximum with SNR of 101 DB. On the down side, Canton does not offer Dolby Vision. Work around is to use Netflix, Disney in Sony TV and route Audio via ARC to Canton. Also posted are Yamaha measurements.
• Should I go with Canton and save money for digital all output?

Canton measurements
View attachment 178605


View attachment 178606


Yamaha CX-A5200 Measurements
View attachment 178608

Looking forward to your opinion and recommendation!

I would check an alternative where you go fully digital, because the sound gets better .
Apple TV can send airplay to a Mac computer and there should be programs you can download that can fix 5.1 digitaly from AirPlay. You then need a USB c to AES or spdif converter from the Mac , doing Daisy chaining to the Genelecs digital inputs.
Volume regulation is done by Apple TV .

 

[Trell]

Quick question, do the speakers have to be plugged into ethernet the entire time? Or just for the calibration process and then you can unplug them?

You can disconnect the GLM Kit after setup, unless you don’t have another way to control volume level.

 

[Tangband]

I would check an alternative where you go fully digital, because the sound gets better .
Apple TV can send airplay to a Mac computer and there should be programs you can download that can fix 5.1 digitaly from AirPlay. You then need a USB c to AES or spdif converter from the Mac , doing Daisy chaining to the Genelecs digital inputs.
Volume regulation is done by Apple TV .

Edit : VLC can do this .
Another thing : Using AirPlay for the 5.1 cinema sound from Apple TV , you can put the Apple TV device on top of the projector and use a very short hdmi connector .

 

[polmuaddib]

I would stay away from unbalanced at all cost. That is a prioriy IMO, because if you develop a ground loop in your system, it is very hard to remove it. And those can be hard and expensive to solve. Good, quality transformers are expensive.
As for the sound, they will all sound the same.
Yamaha does not measure better then Denon and Marantz. In fact, CX-A5200 has worse distortion on XLR fronts then RCA fronts. Not that it is audible! Also, Yamaha room correction is questionable. I don't know why they praise Yamaha at Audioholics....

I think that most realistic option are Marantz AVPs. You get Audyssey which is good value room correction with Editor app.

If you find AV7705 it will be the cheapest, but you don't have HDMI 2.1 and you will have maximum 11 channels not counting subs. They measure worse then Denon, but at 2V output it is not that bad, certainly not audible and because they output balanced XLR output (I know it is not true balanced, but who cares) they might sound cleaner (no hum, ground loops) in real world use.
The only thing you should consider is the sensitivity of Genelecs. Is 2V enough to play them loud.

AV 7706 is the same as 7705 but for HDMI 2.1 if that is something you will need in near future.

The best future proof option for some time might be MArantz AV8805A. It will have HDMI 2.1, 13 channels and better SINAD at 4v. But it costs a lot more.

I looked up RME ADI-8 DS which seems like a good idea, but it is expensive and more complicated solution with less channels IMO.

 

[Tangband]

I would stay away from unbalanced at all cost. That is a prioriy IMO, because if you develop a ground loop in your system, it is very hard to remove it. And those can be hard and expensive to solve. Good, quality transformers are expensive.
As for the sound, they will all sound the same.
Yamaha does not measure better then Denon and Marantz. In fact, CX-A5200 has worse distortion on XLR fronts then RCA fronts. Not that it is audible! Also, Yamaha room correction is questionable. I don't know why they praise Yamaha at Audioholics....

I think that most realistic option are Marantz AVPs. You get Audyssey which is good value room correction with Editor app.

If you find AV7705 it will be the cheapest, but you don't have HDMI 2.1 and you will have maximum 11 channels not counting subs. They measure worse then Denon, but at 2V output it is not that bad, certainly not audible and because they output balanced XLR output (I know it is not true balanced, but who cares) they might sound cleaner (no hum, ground loops) in real world use.
The only thing you should consider is the sensitivity of Genelecs. Is 2V enough to play them loud.

AV 7706 is the same as 7705 but for HDMI 2.1 if that is something you will need in near future.

The best future proof option for some time might be MArantz AV8805A. It will have HDMI 2.1, 13 channels and better SINAD at 4v. But it costs a lot more.

I looked up RME ADI-8 DS which seems like a good idea, but it is expensive and more complicated solution with less channels IMO.

Going analog with balanced signal, a maximum of 1 V from preamp is enough to play really loud with my 8340. You dont need 2 V. But its sub-optimal soundwise to not use the digital input in 8340 and 8330. With analog inputs the sound will ofcourse be very good, but with digital input it will be outstanding.

Im not sure if the latest movie formats is available via airplay, maybe just ordinary 5.1?

 

[polmuaddib]

If 1V is enough for Genelecs, then great.

Would you really be able to tell the difference between analog XLR input and digital input? I know digital input is theoretically better (because of internal ADC) and probably measure better, but is it really audible?
I have no experience in digital signals for surround sound but I know that devices that decode surround sound formats like Dolby Atmos, DTS-X, Auro... and send digital signals to corresponding speakers are rare and expensive.

I think that regular AVPs are the easiest and most realistic option.
They also offer upgrade for channel count. You can have 5.1 now and easily upgrade to 7.2 or 9.2 or 7.2.4 or even 9.2.4, whatever...

 

[Trell]

If 1V is enough for Genelecs, then great.

Would you really be able to tell the difference between analog XLR input and digital input? I know digital input is theoretically better (because of internal ADC) and probably measure better, but is it really audible?
I have no experience in digital signals for surround sound but I know that devices that decode surround sound formats like Dolby Atmos, DTS-X, Auro... and send digital signals to corresponding speakers are rare and expensive.

I think that regular AVPs are the easiest and most realistic option.
They also offer upgrade for channel count. You can have 5.1 now and easily upgrade to 7.2 or 9.2 or 7.2.4 or even 9.2.4, whatever...

Needed voltage for analog input depends on your listening distance and desired SPL. You might want more than 1 V RMS or perhaps even less.

Max sensitivity for a Genelec monitor gives 100 dB SPL at -6 dBu at 1 meter distance, so with 1 V which is approx 2.2 dBu, you'll get approx 108 dB for a capable enough monitor. If you sit further away you'll have to reduced volume at same voltage, so it must be increased to get desired SPL at listening position.

A handy calculator: http://www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-db-volt.htm

Have a look at post #2564 by a Genelec employee for an example calculation using first gen 8351A.

https://community.genelec.com/en/forum/-/message_boards/view_message/906997#/