Jul 10 Podcast #956: Marantz 2020 Lineup
We have a full show today with a quick followup to last week’s Eufy camera review that includes the Pan and Tilt version. We discuss our question of the day: Would you pay $280 for a High fidelity power cable for your AV system? We take a brief look at Home Theater Review’s discussion of the NAD T778 and we run through the new receivers just announced by Marantz.
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Today's Show:
News:
- Disney Plus Mobile Downloads Spike 72% Amid ‘Hamilton’ Premiere
- Amazon finally rolls out Prime Video user profiles in the U.S. and other countries
- Next-Gen Video Format Boasts 4K, 8K Quality at Half the File Size
Other:
Update to Eufy Camera Review
Ara bought and tested the Pan and Tilt version of the camera. It has all the same features as the stationary model but allows for moving the camera around via a touch pad. It costs $10 more and is like a tiny R2D2. This is the perfect camera for those situations where you want a larger field of view. Object tracking works will and is kind of creepy. Also, the camera has gone offline twice requiring a rest.
Question of the day.
Would you pay $280 for a High fidelity power cable for your AV system? Why or why not? Followup Question. What is the most you would pay for such a cable?
Bright Side Home Theater Podcast - 25 years ago yes. I absolutely would and did because I didn’t know any better. You’re system is only as good as it’s weakest link and I’ve since learned I’d need a system worth over 1mil to even approach seeing a difference in a $280 power cord.
J.P. Lyman - How much is the rest of the system? For myself my hearing is not what it once was - so I doubt that I would hear that much of a difference.
Russel H - I paid $100 for a cable about 10yrs ago. I was kicking myself because I probably could have gotten the same results with a $20 cable.
Joakim Lind - If it would make a noticeable difference then yes. But I doubt it would.
Jon Zbrzeski - No, because the cable from my house to the electric tower isn’t hi-fi.
NAD T 778 AV Receiver Reviewed
Full Review - HomeTheaterReview.com
We don’t typically review really high end gear on the show but we thought it might be nice to learn about such a receiver. The NAD T 778 goes for $3000. More than many of our listeners will pay for their entire setup ($1500 for a TV, $750 for a soundbar and another $100 for a set top box). We know there are many who will pay more than the $3000 for their system but very few will spend that much on the receiver alone.
So what does this receiver have?
- 9 channels of NAD’s latest Hybrid Digital Amplifier Technology
- New touch screen and improved ergonomics for user-friendly operation
- 4K UHD video pass-through
- HDMI CEC/eARC 5 HDMI in and 2 HDMI out
- High-Res BluOS enabled Network Streaming
- Dirac Live Room Correction
- Apple AirPlay 2
- MDC (Modular Design Construction) offers ability to upgrade to future digital formats as they become available. Two MDC slots provided.
- CI friendly- RS232 Serial Control Port. Trigger In/Out.
- IR In with learning function
Home Theater Review Product Rating for NAD T 778 AV Receiver
Performance 5 Stars
Value 4.5 Stars
Overall 5 Stars
So let’s put this in Perspective
HomeTheater Review also rated the Marantz 6014. It's a 9.2 receiver going for $1500. It's ratings were all five stars. There are others that are considered audiophile for less that are in the 4 to 4.5 star rating as well.
What does that mean? You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get high quality audio. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. On the other hand. You can’t simply spend $200 - $500 on a receiver and think it's high quality. With few exceptions, getting into the area of high quality receivers start around $1,000.
Speaking of high quality receivers...
Marantz introduced their new lineup for 2020.
- SR5015 ($1,099) (September 15)
- SR6015 ($1,599) (September 15)
- SR7015 ($2,299) (July 15)
- SR8015 ($3,199) (August 15)
Highlights from the press release:
- 8K Ready
- Extensively tuned by world-renowned acousticians at state-of-the-art facilities, producing Marantz's unique audiophile-quality sound
- Feature high-current discrete power amplifiers on all channels to deliver Marantz's signature power output. Leveraging the company's proprietary Hyper Dynamic Amplification Module (HDAM) circuitry, the AVRs provide optimal fidelity and maximum dynamic range of high-resolution files for stellar sound quality.
- The flagship SR8015 supports DTS:X Pro, which will allow users to enjoy up to 13 channels of DTS:X decoding with speaker configurations such as 7.2.6 or 9.2.4. Listeners can also enjoy the latest in IMAX Enhanced films in 7.2.6 or 9.2.4 speaker configurations thanks to newly adopted 13.2 channel processing capabilities with external amplification. The DTS:X Pro feature will be delivered via firmware update later this year.
- "Pre-Amplifier" mode on the SR6015, SR7015 and SR8015 models. Pre-Amplifier mode provides a clear signal path and more tolerance in clipping levels by disconnecting internal amplifiers when the receiver is used as an AV processor and all speakers are powered by external amplifiers.
- The Marantz SR-Series can also upscale existing HD and 4K content to 8K3 so more people can experience the power of 8K resolution. They also continue to support eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel), which allows lossless and object-based audio transmission like DTS:X and Dolby Atmos from TV apps or connected devices using a single HDMI cable.
- Supports all your favourite voice assistants: simply use your voice to control your preferred voice assistant like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple Siri.
- HEOS Built-in, Roon Tested & Hi-Res Support
- Audyssey Room Calibration
- Advanced Custom Installation Support
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