Good video, Gene, thanks. I have the X8500, powering 13 Klipsch RP speakers, with 2 SVS subs. I have had this setup for about a year now and absolutely love it. I prefer 4k discs for my theater to get the best Atmos sound and reliable picture, but have been using a lower end 4k player. Although it sounded awesome, I underestimated the difference a better quality 4k Player can have, as I recently upgraded mine. With the new player, the "object" based sounds from Atmos movies are much more pronounced and coming from everywhere, whereas before they were obviously coming from a speaker's location. Granted, 13 speakers is a lot of locations, but I was amazed and shocked at difference. Video quality is better as well. Bottom line, now even more in love with the Denon! Thanks
You just saved my a lot of money and a very long wait for the Amps that are not available at the moment. Very grateful for honest unbiased expert information not very common here. I see a lot of people are selling but do ir very discreetly. Thank you very much!!
I love this guys channel! when he said under $4000 to $5000 for a pre/pro your not getting a real XLR true balanced connection that was HUGE for me on my latest upgrade selection.
Thank you Gene. You provide the best reviews of products on RUclips. I like that you not only go over all features and specs but you measure and compare and provide your experience per your opinions. I have a Arcam AVR 850 when working has been a nice AVR however the key point is when it works. It has been on repair benches for all kinds of issues mostly destructive heat ruining components. Fortunatly 4 of the five repairs have been covered under warranty. When the unit comes back it goes up for sale. And I was considering a new AVR and this review most likely is helping me make a new buying choice. I will be going with SR8015.
Gene - As always a great review with all the pro's and con's of each receiver. I bought the Denon AVR-X8500h a year ago before the Marantz SR-8015 was introduced and your video confirmed my original decision was a good one. I did pair my Denon with a 5 channel (200W/channel) Monolith amp for the fronts, center and surrounds and the married sound is amazing both for home theater and 2 channel listening. Keep up the excellent work!
I was able to experience great units from the past such as the Denon 5800 and Marantz pre and pro's. After over 20 years my Denon 5800, 170 watts, 7 channel, went into protection mode, so I needed a replacement. Even though the Denon 7200 was out for several years, I decided to go with the Denon 6300H. It was a fine unit, however, it just did not have the power of the older units and although it was feature rich, as my room is large and 12 ft ceilings, it just was not the same on so many levels. I then ordered the Marantz 8012 and was initially very pleased with it. However, I noticed that when utilizing the AVR to it's higher levels, it just seemed to get distorted and muddy. I know now, that Gene provided them with similar input and that those issues have been completely resolved with the new release of the 8015, and I was experiencing clipping. After the audition, I returned it and ordered the Denon 8500H. What a difference! No headroom issues at all and it is so quiet, clean, dynamic and yes musical. I have had it for over 2 years and have always been 100% impressed with every aspect. Yes, It like others, throws off a lot of heat, the AC Infinity T8 was performing well to keep that in check. I was concerned with longevity for that reason, and decided to upgrade to a separate amp at least running my front 3 channels. That lead me to 5, 7 and 8 channel amplifiers and the benefits they could add, from a cost perspective. I started to only look for 7 and 8 channel amplifiers. It came down to the Monolith 7 channel, Anthem MCA 525, plus a 225 or 325, and the Starke Sound A8-350, 8 channel unit. At the time Anthem, had no stock of the MCA 525, and the 325 was hard to find, the Monolith 7 channel was back-ordered and Starke Sound had just started their direct sales and the A8-350 was on a great sale. I ordered that unit and I have never looked back since. I am truly impressed with it's performance and the further dynamic difference that it made, not just at higher volume levels, but at all levels, especially in the front 3 channels. The added bonus of having that same amp running the bottom layer also made a difference, more than I expected. The load is off the Denon, and that gives me peace of mind. You simply can not go wrong with either the Marantz 8015, or Denon 8500. In most situations, they have all the features and the necessary power to satisfy. The only thing that I would prefer to have is the dual preset functions that the new Marantz 8015 enjoys. Kudos as well to Starke Sound. Take a look at the A8-350 which is a fully balanced amplifier.
Ordered the 8015 in early December at my local hi-fi shop. Still waiting for it to arrive. I already have a 2 channels Emotiva and he can wait to be hooked up with the Marantz... I have chosen the 8015 because I had that amplifier, and that way the possibility of having 13 channels of amplification with the main 2 on high power. My final decision was made after your excellent review of the 8015 and it’s measured performance that you noticed under the preamp mode that I intends to use on music listening. All the best for the New Years from ❄️ Montreal!
I purchased the 8500xha model set it up as a 9.2.4 speaker configuration. Calibrated it with audessy, yup you won't be disappointed whatsoever just like Gene said!!
I had a Yamaha 3060 but it burned out. So I upgraded to the Marantz 8015 and at first the Yamaha seemed louder with more punch. After tweaking the Marantz I started hearing sounds I never heard before. Like I said the Yamaha was more in your face but the Marantz was better at well everything. Most the sound before from the Yamaha was from mainly the front LCR but the Marantz was sound everywhere the separating was perfect. I heard notes I had never heard before. I did have to turn the bass up more though as expected. To let you know I'm running a 7.2.2 system, all klipsch. I do plan on running all 13 channels after we move to our new house. The only thing I don't like is (drum roll please) the port hole lol. But the reason being is I had a stroke and my eye site is not that good 😞. But really u can just open up the lower door to have more larger display. In time I'll get used to it. All in all I can say is that I've had Pioneer Elite, Onkyo, Sony and Yamaha and let me add they was all highend equipment. Nothing cheap lol. None of them come close to the Marantz 8015 😎! Also just so you know I studied these receivers for months and months and yes I also looked at Denon to. In the end I went with Marantz it had everything I has wanting. Glad I did.......
I've had the x8500h for a year now, great sounding amp, running it in 7.2.8, wanted to get A110 but it's got hdmi 2.1 issues, klipsch rp 260f, 504c, 160m, 150m, two svs sb3000, eight dali alteco c-1 heights.
@@yurykuznetsov9552 yes it is, that is my system set up, with x8500h, all 15 channels connected with speakers, but the amp will switch speakers between the different sound modes on blu ray disks.
Excellent discussion. I’ve had the Denon 8500H for 2 years. Overall, I really enjoy it but here are a few observations: 1. The 8500H does a much better job driving my Polk RTI-A9 and KEF R3 speakers than my prior Onkyo receiver. The sound is much fuller and more immersive. 2. The ability to drive 13 speakers is great but good Atmos content is still fairly limited unless you’re into super heroes. 3. Initially, it seemed that there was a discontinuity between the sub’s range of sound and the rest of the speakers. Tweaking with the cross-overs and audyssey have pretty much fixed this. However, on certain movies, it seems very apparent that there are two separate tracks, one for background music and one for dialog. This might be the movie, it might be the settings, or it might just be me. 4. On a day-to-day basis, Atmos and Auro 3D offer shades of improvement (even with 7 ceiling speakers) but the biggest bang for the buck is still 7.1 surround. 5. The integration of Spotify is excellent and is my typical way of listening to music. With Spotify, I use my cell phone as the remote coupled with fairly extensive playlists. Also, the ability to display album art on my 75 inch Sony is great. 6. This is probably audiophile heresy but with music, I find that the multi-channel stereo DSP sounds amazing and is better than other the music modes including two channel. 7. The HEOS app and the Denon app initially seemed appealing but in practice are seldom used. The Denon app is somewhat clunky and many of the options are mysteriously grayed out and unavailable. Also, HEOS and the Denon app should be integrated into a single interface. Also, from time to time, it can be very difficult to turn off HEOS on the receiver. 8. One minor annoyance is that the remote often is accidentally set to zone 2 or zone 3. Thus, in changing parameters or turning the unit off, the remote must be set to Main for proper control. 9. The 8500H gets hot. To address this, I have an Aircom fan permanently placed on top of my 8500H. The Aircom is completely silent in my rack and I think it will extend the life of my unit. 10. The upgrade path to HDMI 2.1 is still uncertain. 11. I prefer the full display on the 8500H over the port hole. 12. The 8500H does a lot of things well and delivers great value. It’s both a 15 channel AV processor with room correction and a 13 channel amplifier. It’s also a DAC, a streamer, a phono stage and a headphone amplifier. I would still highly recommend it.
X8500 owner here, came to endorse Point 9 : it really gets Hot, having an external fan is a must not an option, in it's first week (it was summer over here) the Amp shut down twice on me because of heat. Otherwise best purchase i did for my HT, this will defo last me 6+ years (2 years already)
I have the 8015 and RTiA9’s as well. Sound is awesome like you have stated. I only have a 5.1 setup with the CSiA6 and RTia1 surrounds. My sub is getting a massive upgrade next week to a PSA TV2112
@@Muskyfishn84 For some reason, audio snobs look down on Polk but the RTIA9s have great sound, great fit and finish, they’re gorgeous and they had a great price.
Hi Gene! Great video, many of us have been waiting for! So thank you for this video! Now, to take it one step further, I just sold my Denon X8500H and bought the new limited edition Denon AVR-A110 anniversary edition. This AVR is the nicest, best sounding AVR I’ve ever owned. I’d really love to hear your opinion on the AVR-A110 versus the Marantz 8015. I will say this, the A110 sounds better than the 8500H right out of the box! Can you speak to this? I’d really love to hear back from you regarding these two receivers! The Denon AVR-A110 versus the Marantz AVR-8015!
I have the Denon 8500 and it is great! Only minor shortcoming is the ability to play multi-channel via network - DLNA for example. But apart from that it can do everything and it sounds great. Using it for my 7.2.6 configuration
Hello from Mumbai (Bombay) India! I got a Denon AVC-X8500H amplifier (they dont sell the receiver option here) as an insurance-claim replacement for my AVC-A1HDA which had broken down. Denon has an excellent distributor here with full technical capability and facilities (they are very cooperative and nice people too) far better than the guys who import and sell Marantz. I would describe the sound of the 8500 as being light, airy and neutral...as compared to the A1 which has a solid and tactile quality that I miss. But I am learning to appreciate the more contemporary sonic signature of the 8500 and enjoying it!
Rather than convert SR-8015 to an all or nothing preamp (all amps turned off), it would be nice to be able to manually activate specific amps. That way you're only using the amplified channels you need, whether it's 1 or a few of them.
hi Gene i'm from India, I've got a chance to try the Denon AVC8500H and Marantz AV8805, the dealer(a friend of mine) was kind to offer me both to check it in my home and then make a purchase. The reason was i was wanting to get the 8805 since its a separate, but the dealer told me that 8500h will be a lot better than the 8805. we had difference in opinion and he just asked me to see it for myself. Just as he said i noticed a big difference between the two, i liked the denon more than marantz. *the denon make my sound stage bigger, room sounded more airy. *the denon had some serious bass corrections and seamless bass integration to my system,i hated the marantz in this aspect. I really wanted to get the marantz, but it was like black and white to me. The 8805 sounded similar to the AVR4400H(which was used in extamp only) that i was upgrading. BTW i used both system in external amplifiers. the denon was is preamp mode, and i used the unbalanced outputs from the marantz. Hope this helps someone. Thanks
Excellent video, super informative. The end where you suggested the Marantz then using your own 2 channel amp just answered a question I had. I'd love to use my Onkyo M510 with the home theater.
I’ve had the 8015 since October and love it. Upgraded from Denon 1200x and immediately heard the difference in my Klipch 5.2.2 home theatre. Appreciate all your work and providing so much information. I plan to upgrade speakers to either Martin Logan or Focal in another year.
Does 5.2.2 add enough to the experience to be worth the 2 height speakers? I'm getting ready to buy a new AVR and deciding which model....and am torn between 5.1.2 , 5.1.4 , and 7.1.2 ..... any kore rhan that is beyond my budget or probably overkill for this space... Probably will secide between 5.1.2 and 7.1.2, just trying to figure out if the height channels add enough to be worth it... probably going with the best AVR I can get for now, and use my existing 5.1 speakers for a while, so I can biy a better reciever....and then save for new speakers in a second step of upgrading...
@@isaiahfurrow7414 Yes, with the 8015 my height speakers make a huge difference. It was not as noticeable with my old denon 1200 but now it is much more immersive in my space. Scenes with rain, explosions, helicopters, planes, etc., sound like I am in the middle of the scene.
Gene -- Yes pleeease! ps. Back in November your writer Matthew Poes told us that he was evaluating the new AV7706 (and comparing it with AV7705 and AV8805). When is that review coming??
I'm replacing my Yamaha RX-A 3070 and have decided to go with the Marantz SR 8015. Then I've just discovered Yamaha New RX- A8A is on the horizon. What to go with ?
Got my 8500 for 3ooo$ New unopened. I'm loving it! Just finished my new theather room and got it wired for 9.4.4 since I had the walls opened up:) only have a total of 9 speakers atm but plan on getting 4 more asap!!! Thanks for all your advice and wisdom over the years!
@Bradley Pothoven mind if I ask where you found your 8500 new and unopened for $3k? Was it from an authorized dealer (with warranty)? The cheapest I’ve seen them is around the same price but they are certified refurbs from authorized dealers though. Thanks!
@@keithsamson280 I got mine from a certified dealer. I've spent over 10grand just in speakers from them so it was much of a thank you for your support. If you invest in local businesses they usually show thanks.
I owned the SR7015 for 2 months. Then upgraded to the SR8015. There is a very noticeable improvement in sound quality. Well worth the extra money. ⭐ With that being said the 7015 was very good. Running B & W 705s2 speakers.
@@michael0791 also would like to see the difference between the SR8015 and the SR8012. Would also like to know if the Sr8012 is going to get an 8k update?
Hello Gene, I know these are basically last gen products at this point, but what do you think about the Marantz SR8015 now that they use the Texas Instruments DAC after the AKM factory fire? Is it a substantial enough difference to change your opinion of the SR8015? Thank you
Two configuration presets wasn't mentioned, and might tip some users towards the Marantz SR8015. With the SR8015, you can have two completely different configuration presets, including two completely different runs of Audyssey. Or you could even use the two presets as a way of having two separate immersive audio rooms, ie. Preset 1 is configured to use the internal amplifiers (and you power off your external amps in Room 2, or have those amps on and have immersive audio - up to 11 channels - going in both rooms at the same time), and Preset 2 is configured with the Marantz in Pre-amp Mode so that the internal amps are shut off completely, and only Room 2 gets sound when you turn on the external amplification in Room 2. The Denon X8500H remains with a single configuration and a single run of Audyssey.
@@fancystacy I just described the two-room scenario. That's one potential usage. Luke, above, mentions a separate movie preset vs. music preset, which isn't an approach that I would personally use, but some people might. And some people literally use a different pair of Main speakers for critical 2-channel listening vs. their surround sound or immersive audio setup, so being able to EQ each of those configurations separately would be beneficial. Quite a few people have a retractable projection screen, so screen up vs. screen down is another use case. Quite a few people have two or more rows of seats, and like to sit in either the front or the back row depending on what type of content they're watching (different fields of view for, say, IMAX vs. regular TV), and they might like to target either row as the "primary" row, using the two presets. Any time you have a room where the acoustics change on a regular basis - perhaps door open vs. door closed, or drapes open vs. drapes closed - it's nice to be able to EQ separately for each scenario. I'm sure there are other examples as well, but all of the ones just listed are more useful that two door handles on one door.
I've been working on resolving this exact question lately as I get ready to rebuild my theater. I've decide on the Marantz SR8015 plus a Monolith 3x200 amp to power my front stage. Can't wait to hear how it sounds.
I’m planning on buying the Marantz because I’m told it’s warmer sounding. I am a huge Harman Kardon fan, I have an AVR80 and AVR7200, and just love to sound. But now I need the modern features of the SR8015. I’m hoping the Marantz sounds as good as my old Harman Kardons
I have the 8500, upgraded from the 6200. The improvement in sound quality, additional warmth and smoothness of strings, piano and voice coming from the speakers was striking. I use power amps on front channels, 7.2.4 set up, everything else driven direct from the Denon. Lots of large 4 ohm speakers (infinity Kappa 9.1, 8, 6 etc), it doesn’t even get warm. The phono stage presents a silky smooth sound emanating from my front speakers, Infinity IRS Betas. Much more musical than anything else I’ve used in the past.
Great video as usual Gene, was wondering if you could shed some light on the different sound signatures of these models. I've always heard Marantz has more of a musical sound and Denon is more for home theater. I have a lower model Denon but would love to upgrade to the 8015. Thanks for all you do not only on the channel but in the community 👍
Thank God we have people like Gene to help us... Balanced vs unbalanced... Who could've known that avrs/processors under $5000 have fake balanced outputs... People like me would've fallen for this trap... Thinking about not having balanced inputs/outputs really triggered my ocd... But thanks to this guy, I've made my decision now... God bless you Gene...😢
Very interesting Gene. I use a AVR 6500 H only for bi amp my fronts, and my other 7 channels are with a power amp from Emotiva, a UPA 700. They together are fantastic. I liked this video comparison.
In march 2020 both Marantz & Denon solved the HDMI issue reported from the 2020 models but unfortunately they changed the DACs, they replaced the AKM for TI (Texas Instruments) which apparently are a downgrade because they are DACs used in entry past models from other brands. Have you tested these “new versions” of the each one? Does these flagship models keep the same sound quality and raring as their predecessors?
Own the x8500 and find it to be a great unit. Just a couple of comments -Gene made a comment that the sr8015 measures as good or likely better than the x8500. To my knowledge Audioholics hasn’t measured the x8500. How is this known to be the case? Are you comparing it with other reviews, such as the x8500 review at audiosciencereview? -The X8500 can be had for $2800-$3200 if you shop with a good dealer, and or find one with an open box unit. These come with full 3 year manufacturers warranty. At that price, I think the x8500 becomes a better value -Great to see a the Marantz measure so much better than past models
I'm not ready to go Atmos yet, desecrating the ceiling for an Atmos instal is still a bit much for many of us. I think I'm not alone in just wanting a really high fidelity horizontal bed of surround channels. So I headed over to the Marantz website. The SR5015 model is 7.1 100watts per channel, EL transformer. I think it's a bit odd that to get more watts per channel (140) , you also need to get more channels and more processing, and more hdmi outputs. I personally feel that multiple hdmi outputs is kinda silly, as is the whole concept of using one receiver for multiple zones. For me I would rather have each part of my house have their own dedicated amplifier, one that is focused on only fulfilling it's task, reducing chassis congestion, and cost compromises made to include features I don't plan to use. Not to mention, obviously the more electronics that are in a box the more potential for emi is also in the box, and of course throttled performance from choked off thermal dissipation. I'm personally counting how many HDMi inputs I'm going to need, I'm topping out around 5 or 6. I can see some use cases for 3 HDMi outputs, and for my lifestyle that would be to have a TV mounted over the stove, so I can watch news during meal prep and then sit down to eat with the main theater. And also for Video capture of gaming, so that people can record or even stream their console gaming sessions. So If I really settled in with the product, I may use all 3 hdmi outputs, even simultaneously. But as a shopper I like the option of looking at the product lineup, and being able to buy a trimmed down receiver with just the feature set I plan to use, but all the fundamental channel performance of a flagship power supply. So my two use cases for multiple HDMi outputs are both to have those HMDi running the same video stream simultaneously, and one for video capture. I don't know if the hdcp 2.3 copyright protection is going to allow me to do video capture, or if trying use a special game streaming video capture device before or after the receiver is going to somehow mess up some other handshake protocol. All I'm saying is the HDMi engineers would be smart to anticipate how much of their current and future user base is going to also be wanting a seamless video capture experience of their gaming. Because these twitch streams of people watching each other play videogames is all the rage.
I think that the 4700 is really good. It's not as strong as the 8500 but I think that you will enjoy it. You can add later a TPA3255 excellent and cheap amplifier and it will be perfect.
@@ilandvash6746 - Not everybody needs the power or the extra channels the 8500 has. For many the the 4700 or 4500 is perfect. It depends on the application which you never asked.
Great video, and very informative.. If I was in the market for an av receiver, think I would still go with the marantz .. I have a 8012, and love how it sounds with my klipsch set-up . . Would have been nice to have the 2 extra channels, but ohh well. Maybe once the 8012 blows up lol . Take good care, and peace ✌️..
Great comparison, thank you. Curious how the Denon AVR-X6700H would compare to the Marantz SR8015 since both have 11 amplified channels @140 watts and the Denon is 700 dollars less. I know the Marantz has the processing for 13 but what other differences are there? Both are made in Japan which is confidence inspiring as well.
If its a toss up for you, go with the Marantz. They seem to be better build quality IMO over the Denon even though they are both owned by the same company.
Heh Gene. Love Your channel. So helpful and informative. Here’s my question. I have deep dedicated home theater and was ready to pull the trigger on the Denon 8500 to utilize the 6 available height channels. Until.............Anthem released their new line of receivers and processors. I’m dying to get your thoughts on these. Any possible reviews coming. I’ve heard the anthem room correction is superior to audessey. I will definitely be making the jump to separates in the future and feel the Anthem 1140 would be a great candidate for purchase. Any thoughts?
Stay away from the 1140. Returning mine, so many quirks and bugs. I am exchanging my Anthem for a SR8015 or the 8500. havent decided yet but leaning towards the Denon.
I'm running the 8500 with 13 speakers (Klipsch bcz they are super sensitive and don't really require excessive external amplification). Great experience so far.
I am really happy with my Marantz SR-8015 that i have now for 6 months.Still no money for speakers but who cares.One day i will have my Home cinema sound and that is all that counts for me :)
@@toniromerogm2457 In what regard why I got the Marantz or why not the Denon. I am really happy with the new features of the 8015, it's a fantastic avr. The x8500 is also a top receiver with super power. They were both around the same price in Ireland.
@@chriswiser9976 I also loved the Denon that I had, it was midrange unit so I appreciate the extra power and upgrade's of the Marantz. Had Onkyo before that and would prefer both Denon and Marantz over Onkyo.
@@chriswiser9976Hi Chris. Im just to make decision between denon x8500 and Marantz sr8015. Which one would you recommend for music listening. 90 % I use avr for just audio. Low frequency is done with sub but I would like to have crisp and clear hights frequency. Any help you may come up with? Regards Andy
Another excellent video Gene! Question, I currently have a Denon AVR-X6500H which is also made in Japan along with a set of Revel F36 towers with older Infinity IL10 bookshelf and an IL25C center. I'm looking to upgrade to Revel Performa3 F208s with the C208 center.I'll move the F36s to the surround channel. I'll also be upgrading my Infinity sub woofer to dual SVS SB3000s at some point. I am wondering if the Denon will be able to handle powering the Revels without having to get an external amplifier? It's a living room setup with room dimensions of 25x14x9. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
I recently upgraded my Infinity's to Revel F208 / C205 / M106 combo and omg I'm in love. Worth every penny. I drive LCR with monolith 3x external and the surrounds driven by Yamaha avr. You could always add the external amp later if your not happy with it, but for me the external amp has been fantastic, especially when listening to 2-channel music at very loud volumes. Those Revels are going to sound incredible for you either way!
@@michaelchenault3774 I tried a crown amp prior to the monolith and I wasn't entirely happy with the crown, so I upgraded. Very happy with the monolith for LCR.
Hi Gene, maybe if you could do the same measurements in the 8500H that you did with the 8015 we could have a fair comparison. Thanks for all your reviews, nice work!
Further, I would like to know how these flagship avrs compare to the Marantz pre/pros. The 7706 and the 8805. Or is this a more difficult comparison because we must somehow match the external amps to the internal ones of the avrs? That’s another question: which amplifiers compare well to the 8015 and 8500h amps while not breaking the budget? Options!
Hi Gene you are great 👍 that’s exactly what I wanted to know I was looking at getting an 8805 for the balanced output but if the 8015 has a very good pre-out section as you’ve just stated I’m happy to upgrade our 8012 to the 8015 because I’m running on Anthem MCA325 for the front LCR and I’ll be using all the rest of the inbuilt channels on the 8015 as I am currently using with the 8012.
Hello Gene, thank you for the detailed and insightful reviews you have posted on the Marantz SR8015. I am particularly interested in this comparison with the Denon X8500H because I own it; and find it cannot compare in sound quality with the Denon AVC-A1HDA that it replaced, when the latter broke down. The A1 had an organic SOLIDITY to the presentation which the 8500 lacks. Do you think this is because the A1 had a toroidal power transformer? Although it had only 7 channels, the unit was larger and heavier than the 8500 with its 13 channels! Which brings me to my final question: will replacing my Denon 8500 with the Marantz 8015 give me the same kind of sound quality that I enjoyed with the Denon A1 amplifier? By the way, I am running only 5 speakers plus subwoofer, with the Front L/R pair bi-amped. Music listening is done entirely in stereo, using the Pure Direct mode.
Most AVRs are 17 inches wide; presumably, to fit in a rack. Height and depth are variable. However, some of the vintage Pioneer and Sansui stereos are 19 or more inches wide.
Hi Gene, thank you for the informative video. We learn alot from them. My question is.... How do you see the AV8805? The only video I've seen is from Sparechange talking about it but haven't seen no"benchmark" videos on it. I just (upgraded?) my 8012 to the 8805 and went complete seperates. Thanks in advanced
I have to tell you John I have two of them going strong in my home and I’ve been bitten by the onkyo HDMI board issue twice. I hear the new AVRs and prepros may be having the same problems with the new 2.1 boards. i’m at my new home in North Carolina right now with all the pre-wiring done and all the speakers put in but I’m going back to my 3806 and an old Yamaha just to get stuff connected up and running even though it won’t be truly Atmos. I’m just not feeling real good about the state of the audio industry and the quality and reliability of current products. The denon.3806 is a real workhorse I just can’t believe it has lasted me this many decades given the fact that I have very rarely shut it off LOL. As I stated I have two of them! and a 2806 still going strong!
@@barbarashissias9567 I mainly listen to music in stereo, so it works for me. I power some old JBLs with my 3806 and people always ask when hearing Dreams from Fleetwood Mac if it is a special recording. Nope, sometimes solid quality over features does the trick.
The Denon-Marantz comparison chart is wrong. The Denon AVR-X8500H (HA) has 13 onboard amplified channels, PLUS the ability to process 15 channels with an external amplifier. That's likely why it weighs an extra 13.2 lbs. Was there ever an updated review comparing the Denon AVR-X8500HA revision?
I would seriously doubt the extra processing effects the weight significantly. The weight difference is from the larger power supply and 2 additional amplifier channels.
Thanks for a great channel! Is it possible to get to know if the smaller new Marantz receivers like the Sr 5015 or 6015 have the same quality pre outputs as the largest Sr8015? Best regards!
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Good video, Gene, thanks. I have the X8500, powering 13 Klipsch RP speakers, with 2 SVS subs. I have had this setup for about a year now and absolutely love it. I prefer 4k discs for my theater to get the best Atmos sound and reliable picture, but have been using a lower end 4k player. Although it sounded awesome, I underestimated the difference a better quality 4k Player can have, as I recently upgraded mine. With the new player, the "object" based sounds from Atmos movies are much more pronounced and coming from everywhere, whereas before they were obviously coming from a speaker's location. Granted, 13 speakers is a lot of locations, but I was amazed and shocked at difference. Video quality is better as well. Bottom line, now even more in love with the Denon! Thanks
You just saved my a lot of money and a very long wait for the Amps that are not available at the moment. Very grateful for honest unbiased expert information not very common here. I see a lot of people are selling but do ir very discreetly.
Thank you very much!!
I love this guys channel! when he said under $4000 to $5000 for a pre/pro your not getting a real XLR true balanced connection that was HUGE for me on my latest upgrade selection.
What did you get that has real XLR?
Thank you Gene. You provide the best reviews of products on RUclips. I like that you not only go over all features and specs but you measure and compare and provide your experience per your opinions. I have a Arcam AVR 850 when working has been a nice AVR however the key point is when it works. It has been on repair benches for all kinds of issues mostly destructive heat ruining components. Fortunatly 4 of the five repairs have been covered under warranty. When the unit comes back it goes up for sale. And I was considering a new AVR and this review most likely is helping me make a new buying choice. I will be going with SR8015.
Thank you for the comparisons, proud owner of Denon X8500H and PSBs.
Gene - As always a great review with all the pro's and con's of each receiver. I bought the Denon AVR-X8500h a year ago before the Marantz SR-8015 was introduced and your video confirmed my original decision was a good one. I did pair my Denon with a 5 channel (200W/channel) Monolith amp for the fronts, center and surrounds and the married sound is amazing both for home theater and 2 channel listening. Keep up the excellent work!
I was able to experience great units from the past such as the Denon 5800 and Marantz pre and pro's. After over 20 years my Denon 5800, 170 watts, 7 channel, went into protection mode, so I needed a replacement. Even though the Denon 7200 was out for several years, I decided to go with the Denon 6300H. It was a fine unit, however, it just did not have the power of the older units and although it was feature rich, as my room is large and 12 ft ceilings, it just was not the same on so many levels. I then ordered the Marantz 8012 and was initially very pleased with it. However, I noticed that when utilizing the AVR to it's higher levels, it just seemed to get distorted and muddy. I know now, that Gene provided them with similar input and that those issues have been completely resolved with the new release of the 8015, and I was experiencing clipping. After the audition, I returned it and ordered the Denon 8500H. What a difference! No headroom issues at all and it is so quiet, clean, dynamic and yes musical. I have had it for over 2 years and have always been 100% impressed with every aspect. Yes, It like others, throws off a lot of heat, the AC Infinity T8 was performing well to keep that in check. I was concerned with longevity for that reason, and decided to upgrade to a separate amp at least running my front 3 channels. That lead me to 5, 7 and 8 channel amplifiers and the benefits they could add, from a cost perspective. I started to only look for 7 and 8 channel amplifiers. It came down to the Monolith 7 channel, Anthem MCA 525, plus a 225 or 325, and the Starke Sound A8-350, 8 channel unit. At the time Anthem, had no stock of the MCA 525, and the 325 was hard to find, the Monolith 7 channel was back-ordered and Starke Sound had just started their direct sales and the A8-350 was on a great sale. I ordered that unit and I have never looked back since. I am truly impressed with it's performance and the further dynamic difference that it made, not just at higher volume levels, but at all levels, especially in the front 3 channels. The added bonus of having that same amp running the bottom layer also made a difference, more than I expected. The load is off the Denon, and that gives me peace of mind. You simply can not go wrong with either the Marantz 8015, or Denon 8500. In most situations, they have all the features and the necessary power to satisfy. The only thing that I would prefer to have is the dual preset functions that the new Marantz 8015 enjoys. Kudos as well to Starke Sound. Take a look at the A8-350 which is a fully balanced amplifier.
Hi I am using denon x 7200w. I got a offer 8012 at 1400 dollars should I upgrade...Will it be better than my 7200 sound wise
@@sidhuloveindia нет
Ordered the 8015 in early December at my local hi-fi shop. Still waiting for it to arrive. I already have a 2 channels Emotiva and he can wait to be hooked up with the Marantz... I have chosen the 8015 because I had that amplifier, and that way the possibility of having 13 channels of amplification with the main 2 on high power. My final decision was made after your excellent review of the 8015 and it’s measured performance that you noticed under the preamp mode that I intends to use on music listening. All the best for the New Years from ❄️ Montreal!
instaBlaster.
@@kaleljon3439 Yup 👍!
This is the video I was waiting for! Thank you Gene :)
Ordering SR 8015 next week, can not wait!
@jeff good for you man..hope you enjoy that beautiful receiver.
You will be delighted with it.
I love mine.
Hope you have many happy years with it.👍
@@marlonbrando9522 yes it's beautiful. But If you after the sound then you go for Denon.
I purchased the 8500xha model set it up as a 9.2.4 speaker configuration. Calibrated it with audessy, yup you won't be disappointed whatsoever just like Gene said!!
Love your channel Gene. I’ve learned lots tuning in to your channel. Keep up the good work.
I had a Yamaha 3060 but it burned out. So I upgraded to the Marantz 8015 and at first the Yamaha seemed louder with more punch. After tweaking the Marantz I started hearing sounds I never heard before. Like I said the Yamaha was more in your face but the Marantz was better at well everything. Most the sound before from the Yamaha was from mainly the front LCR but the Marantz was sound everywhere the separating was perfect. I heard notes I had never heard before. I did have to turn the bass up more though as expected. To let you know I'm running a 7.2.2 system, all klipsch. I do plan on running all 13 channels after we move to our new house. The only thing I don't like is (drum roll please) the port hole lol. But the reason being is I had a stroke and my eye site is not that good 😞. But really u can just open up the lower door to have more larger display. In time I'll get used to it. All in all I can say is that I've had Pioneer Elite, Onkyo, Sony and Yamaha and let me add they was all highend equipment. Nothing cheap lol. None of them come close to the Marantz 8015 😎! Also just so you know I studied these receivers for months and months and yes I also looked at Denon to. In the end I went with Marantz it had everything I has wanting. Glad I did.......
I've had the x8500h for a year now, great sounding amp, running it in 7.2.8, wanted to get A110 but it's got hdmi 2.1 issues, klipsch rp 260f, 504c, 160m, 150m, two svs sb3000, eight dali alteco c-1 heights.
Maybe 7.2.6?
7.2.8 is it possible?
@@yurykuznetsov9552 yes it is, that is my system set up, with x8500h, all 15 channels connected with speakers, but the amp will switch speakers between the different sound modes on blu ray disks.
Excellent discussion. I’ve had the Denon 8500H for 2 years. Overall, I really enjoy it but here are a few observations:
1. The 8500H does a much better job driving my Polk RTI-A9 and KEF R3 speakers than my prior Onkyo receiver. The sound is much fuller and more immersive.
2. The ability to drive 13 speakers is great but good Atmos content is still fairly limited unless you’re into super heroes.
3. Initially, it seemed that there was a discontinuity between the sub’s range of sound and the rest of the speakers. Tweaking with the cross-overs and audyssey have pretty much fixed this.
However, on certain movies, it seems very apparent that there are two separate tracks, one for background music and one for dialog. This might be the movie, it might be the settings, or it might just be me.
4. On a day-to-day basis, Atmos and Auro 3D offer shades of improvement (even with 7 ceiling speakers) but the biggest bang for the buck is still 7.1 surround.
5. The integration of Spotify is excellent and is my typical way of listening to music. With Spotify, I use my cell phone as the remote coupled with fairly extensive playlists. Also, the ability to display album art on my 75 inch Sony is great.
6. This is probably audiophile heresy but with music, I find that the multi-channel stereo DSP sounds amazing and is better than other the music modes including two channel.
7. The HEOS app and the Denon app initially seemed appealing but in practice are seldom used. The Denon app is somewhat clunky and many of the options are mysteriously grayed out and unavailable. Also, HEOS and the Denon app should be integrated into a single interface. Also, from time to time, it can be very difficult to turn off HEOS on the receiver.
8. One minor annoyance is that the remote often is accidentally set to zone 2 or zone 3. Thus, in changing parameters or turning the unit off, the remote must be set to Main for proper control.
9. The 8500H gets hot. To address this, I have an Aircom fan permanently placed on top of my 8500H. The Aircom is completely silent in my rack and I think it will extend the life of my unit.
10. The upgrade path to HDMI 2.1 is still uncertain.
11. I prefer the full display on the 8500H over the port hole.
12. The 8500H does a lot of things well and delivers great value. It’s both a 15 channel AV processor with room correction and a 13 channel amplifier. It’s also a DAC, a streamer, a phono stage and a headphone amplifier. I would still highly recommend it.
Wow, thanks for this summary. Real world feedback like yours is priceless.
X8500 owner here, came to endorse Point 9 : it really gets Hot, having an external fan is a must not an option, in it's first week (it was summer over here) the Amp shut down twice on me because of heat.
Otherwise best purchase i did for my HT, this will defo last me 6+ years (2 years already)
I have the 8015 and RTiA9’s as well. Sound is awesome like you have stated. I only have a 5.1 setup with the CSiA6 and RTia1 surrounds. My sub is getting a massive upgrade next week to a PSA TV2112
@@Muskyfishn84 For some reason, audio snobs look down on Polk but the RTIA9s have great sound, great fit and finish, they’re gorgeous and they had a great price.
Hi Gene!
Great video, many of us have been waiting for! So thank you for this video! Now, to take it one step further, I just sold my Denon X8500H and bought the new limited edition Denon AVR-A110 anniversary edition. This AVR is the nicest, best sounding AVR I’ve ever owned. I’d really love to hear your opinion on the AVR-A110 versus the Marantz 8015. I will say this, the A110 sounds better than the 8500H right out of the box! Can you speak to this? I’d really love to hear back from you regarding these two receivers! The Denon AVR-A110 versus the Marantz AVR-8015!
I have the Denon 8500 and it is great! Only minor shortcoming is the ability to play multi-channel via network - DLNA for example. But apart from that it can do everything and it sounds great. Using it for my 7.2.6 configuration
Love both these receivers.
Can’t wait to see what Marantz does with the upgrade for the 8805 processor.
We love our Marantz SR5600 & SR8500 11 yrs.old & 9 yrs.old respectively. Thanks!
Hello from Mumbai (Bombay) India! I got a Denon AVC-X8500H amplifier (they dont sell the receiver option here) as an insurance-claim replacement for my AVC-A1HDA which had broken down. Denon has an excellent distributor here with full technical capability and facilities (they are very cooperative and nice people too) far better than the guys who import and sell Marantz. I would describe the sound of the 8500 as being light, airy and neutral...as compared to the A1 which has a solid and tactile quality that I miss. But I am learning to appreciate the more contemporary sonic signature of the 8500 and enjoying it!
Gene, you are the best! Thank you very much! Have been Denon guy up and until recently, now Marantz... and love it! Both are great.
Denon X8500H here love it
Great info about the balanced VS unbalanced pre outs. Thanks for the great content.
Truly useful information. I'd love to hear you do a comparison of the Marantz to the Yamaha 3080.
Rather than convert SR-8015 to an all or nothing preamp (all amps turned off), it would be nice to be able to manually activate specific amps. That way you're only using the amplified channels you need, whether it's 1 or a few of them.
How does this video have dislikes? makes literally no sense. great video Gene! thanks!
hi Gene i'm from India, I've got a chance to try the Denon AVC8500H and Marantz AV8805, the dealer(a friend of mine) was kind to offer me both to check it in my home and then make a purchase.
The reason was i was wanting to get the 8805 since its a separate, but the dealer told me that 8500h will be a lot better than the 8805. we had difference in opinion and he just asked me to see it for myself.
Just as he said i noticed a big difference between the two, i liked the denon more than marantz.
*the denon make my sound stage bigger, room sounded more airy.
*the denon had some serious bass corrections and seamless bass integration to my system,i hated the marantz in this aspect.
I really wanted to get the marantz, but it was like black and white to me. The 8805 sounded similar to the AVR4400H(which was used in extamp only) that i was upgrading.
BTW i used both system in external amplifiers. the denon was is preamp mode, and i used the unbalanced outputs from the marantz.
Hope this helps someone. Thanks
Excellent video, super informative. The end where you suggested the Marantz then using your own 2 channel amp just answered a question I had. I'd love to use my Onkyo M510 with the home theater.
SR8015. I'm a newbie to all this. I'm running a 7.2.4 using SVS speakers and subs (3 actually). Love it so far.
13:37 Hi, Gene! Would Please revisit This recommendation- SR8015 vs Cinema 40/50. I have the hunch that SR8015 is still the best AVR.
I’ve had the 8015 since October and love it. Upgraded from Denon 1200x and immediately heard the difference in my Klipch 5.2.2 home theatre. Appreciate all your work and providing so much information. I plan to upgrade speakers to either Martin Logan or Focal in another year.
Does 5.2.2 add enough to the experience to be worth the 2 height speakers? I'm getting ready to buy a new AVR and deciding which model....and am torn between 5.1.2 , 5.1.4 , and 7.1.2 ..... any kore rhan that is beyond my budget or probably overkill for this space...
Probably will secide between 5.1.2 and 7.1.2, just trying to figure out if the height channels add enough to be worth it... probably going with the best AVR I can get for now, and use my existing 5.1 speakers for a while, so I can biy a better reciever....and then save for new speakers in a second step of upgrading...
@@isaiahfurrow7414 Yes, with the 8015 my height speakers make a huge difference. It was not as noticeable with my old denon 1200 but now it is much more immersive in my space. Scenes with rain, explosions, helicopters, planes, etc., sound like I am in the middle of the scene.
@@BlindGrilling what configuratuon are you running, 5.x.2 , 5.x.4, 7.x.2 , ?
@@isaiahfurrow7414 I have 5 mains, 2 subs and 2 front height. My surrounds are kind of high on the wall
Love your no frills reviews. Many thanks!
I'm getting the marantz due to your review... Great review! I'll be upgrading from the SR6013.
How about a video on the difference between the Marantz AV7706 and AV8805?
Gene -- Yes pleeease! ps. Back in November your writer Matthew Poes told us that he was evaluating the new AV7706 (and comparing it with AV7705 and AV8805). When is that review coming??
Marantz and Denon flag ship stuff is made in Japan,... can't go wrong IMHO.
“No wonder this circuit failed, it says made in Japan.” Doc Brown )))
Many trash is made here too. As for AV receiver I prefer Denon, it's much much better
China and TW have erased any lead in manufacturing that Japan had decades ago
@@justplainlawr Except TW and Japan still exude quality... unlike China.
I'm replacing my Yamaha RX-A 3070 and have decided to go with the Marantz SR 8015. Then I've just discovered Yamaha New RX- A8A is on the horizon. What to go with ?
Got my 8500 for 3ooo$ New unopened. I'm loving it! Just finished my new theather room and got it wired for 9.4.4 since I had the walls opened up:) only have a total of 9 speakers atm but plan on getting 4 more asap!!! Thanks for all your advice and wisdom over the years!
@Bradley Pothoven mind if I ask where you found your 8500 new and unopened for $3k? Was it from an authorized dealer (with warranty)? The cheapest I’ve seen them is around the same price but they are certified refurbs from authorized dealers though. Thanks!
@@keithsamson280 I got mine from a certified dealer. I've spent over 10grand just in speakers from them so it was much of a thank you for your support. If you invest in local businesses they usually show thanks.
@@bradley8753 at least the good dealers do lol! Shop local! Thanks for the reply!
After this please could you do a sound quality comparison/assessment between the 7015 and 8015? I'm really struggling to decide which to get. Thanks!
I owned the SR7015 for 2 months. Then upgraded to the SR8015. There is a very noticeable improvement in sound quality. Well worth the extra money. ⭐ With that being said the 7015 was very good. Running B & W 705s2 speakers.
@@michael0791 thanks for the tip! I'll be running silver 200 full av pack with 4 atmos and 2 further zones and the MA speakers can be a little hungry.
@@michael0791 also would like to see the difference between the SR8015 and the SR8012. Would also like to know if the Sr8012 is going to get an 8k update?
@@akaredcrossbow 8015 is an upgrade in the preamp section but everything else is virtually identical. The 8012 will NOT get an 8K update.
@@Audioholics Thank you.
My wife and i love our Marantz SR8500 and SR5600 2.0 & 7.1 thank you!❤🙂
Hello Gene, I know these are basically last gen products at this point, but what do you think about the Marantz SR8015 now that they use the Texas Instruments DAC after the AKM factory fire? Is it a substantial enough difference to change your opinion of the SR8015? Thank you
You helped me with my clipping issues. Love it. I couldn't figure out what the issue was.
Two configuration presets wasn't mentioned, and might tip some users towards the Marantz SR8015. With the SR8015, you can have two completely different configuration presets, including two completely different runs of Audyssey. Or you could even use the two presets as a way of having two separate immersive audio rooms, ie. Preset 1 is configured to use the internal amplifiers (and you power off your external amps in Room 2, or have those amps on and have immersive audio - up to 11 channels - going in both rooms at the same time), and Preset 2 is configured with the Marantz in Pre-amp Mode so that the internal amps are shut off completely, and only Room 2 gets sound when you turn on the external amplification in Room 2. The Denon X8500H remains with a single configuration and a single run of Audyssey.
Why would you need that two presets? It's same stupid as two door handles in one door.
One for music the other for Movies
@@fancystacy I just described the two-room scenario. That's one potential usage. Luke, above, mentions a separate movie preset vs. music preset, which isn't an approach that I would personally use, but some people might. And some people literally use a different pair of Main speakers for critical 2-channel listening vs. their surround sound or immersive audio setup, so being able to EQ each of those configurations separately would be beneficial. Quite a few people have a retractable projection screen, so screen up vs. screen down is another use case. Quite a few people have two or more rows of seats, and like to sit in either the front or the back row depending on what type of content they're watching (different fields of view for, say, IMAX vs. regular TV), and they might like to target either row as the "primary" row, using the two presets. Any time you have a room where the acoustics change on a regular basis - perhaps door open vs. door closed, or drapes open vs. drapes closed - it's nice to be able to EQ separately for each scenario.
I'm sure there are other examples as well, but all of the ones just listed are more useful that two door handles on one door.
Gene - do you recommend buying Marantz SR8015 in Jul2024 as they are on sale or should I get a cinema 30?
Excellent review. Knowledge is amazing and easy presented
Hi happy new year man I own a Denon AVR-X4500 just got it & love it
I've been working on resolving this exact question lately as I get ready to rebuild my theater. I've decide on the Marantz SR8015 plus a Monolith 3x200 amp to power my front stage. Can't wait to hear how it sounds.
The 8k HDMI upgrade for the X8500H is now available £679.00 in the UK. Way better idea buying the X8500HA which has it built in, currently at £3699.
i have denon 8500h and i loved. connected with 13 channels.
when do we see the AVM70, Gene?
Yes, review the new Anthem prepro! And receivers.
Yes please
I’m planning on buying the Marantz because I’m told it’s warmer sounding.
I am a huge Harman Kardon fan, I have an AVR80 and AVR7200, and just love to sound. But now I need the modern features of the SR8015. I’m hoping the Marantz sounds as good as my old Harman Kardons
Hi Gene, can you do another video that compares to a Yamaha equivalent? Or explain if the Yamaha stuff is the same league or not as the Denon/Marantz
+1
The Yamaha Aventage series are nice.
I have the RX3000, excellent!! but I had to upgrade to the 8500h. More clean sound especially in home theater effects.
I love yamaha but doubt they'll better how low the distortion is in the Marantz 8015. So I'm going for the Marantz to feed my Yamaha power amp.
Will you be doing a video on the AVC-A110?
I have the 8500, upgraded from the 6200. The improvement in sound quality, additional warmth and smoothness of strings, piano and voice coming from the speakers was striking. I use power amps on front channels, 7.2.4 set up, everything else driven direct from the Denon. Lots of large 4 ohm speakers (infinity Kappa 9.1, 8, 6 etc), it doesn’t even get warm. The phono stage presents a silky smooth sound emanating from my front speakers, Infinity IRS Betas. Much more musical than anything else I’ve used in the past.
What about denon x6700h ? Does it have worse pre-outs than sr8015 too?
Found an unused (box was opened by the store only) X8500 for $3200. Worth it?
Great video as usual Gene, was wondering if you could shed some light on the different sound signatures of these models. I've always heard Marantz has more of a musical sound and Denon is more for home theater. I have a lower model Denon but would love to upgrade to the 8015. Thanks for all you do not only on the channel but in the community 👍
Thank God we have people like Gene to help us... Balanced vs unbalanced... Who could've known that avrs/processors under $5000 have fake balanced outputs... People like me would've fallen for this trap... Thinking about not having balanced inputs/outputs really triggered my ocd... But thanks to this guy, I've made my decision now... God bless you Gene...😢
What did you end up getting?
Very interesting Gene. I use a AVR 6500 H only for bi amp my fronts, and my other 7 channels are with a power amp from Emotiva, a UPA 700. They together are fantastic. I liked this video comparison.
i have the sr-8015 coming in two days cant wait! its going by my bridge for separates one day.
In march 2020 both Marantz & Denon solved the HDMI issue reported from the 2020 models but unfortunately they changed the DACs, they replaced the AKM for TI (Texas Instruments) which apparently are a downgrade because they are DACs used in entry past models from other brands. Have you tested these “new versions” of the each one? Does these flagship models keep the same sound quality and raring as their predecessors?
Own the x8500 and find it to be a great unit. Just a couple of comments
-Gene made a comment that the sr8015 measures as good or likely better than the x8500. To my knowledge Audioholics hasn’t measured the x8500. How is this known to be the case? Are you comparing it with other reviews, such as the x8500 review at audiosciencereview?
-The X8500 can be had for $2800-$3200 if you shop with a good dealer, and or find one with an open box unit. These come with full 3 year manufacturers warranty. At that price, I think the x8500 becomes a better value
-Great to see a the Marantz measure so much better than past models
I'm not ready to go Atmos yet, desecrating the ceiling for an Atmos instal is still a bit much for many of us. I think I'm not alone in just wanting a really high fidelity horizontal bed of surround channels. So I headed over to the Marantz website. The SR5015 model is 7.1 100watts per channel, EL transformer. I think it's a bit odd that to get more watts per channel (140) , you also need to get more channels and more processing, and more hdmi outputs. I personally feel that multiple hdmi outputs is kinda silly, as is the whole concept of using one receiver for multiple zones. For me I would rather have each part of my house have their own dedicated amplifier, one that is focused on only fulfilling it's task, reducing chassis congestion, and cost compromises made to include features I don't plan to use. Not to mention, obviously the more electronics that are in a box the more potential for emi is also in the box, and of course throttled performance from choked off thermal dissipation.
I'm personally counting how many HDMi inputs I'm going to need, I'm topping out around 5 or 6.
I can see some use cases for 3 HDMi outputs, and for my lifestyle that would be to have a TV mounted over the stove, so I can watch news during meal prep and then sit down to eat with the main theater. And also for Video capture of gaming, so that people can record or even stream their console gaming sessions. So If I really settled in with the product, I may use all 3 hdmi outputs, even simultaneously. But as a shopper I like the option of looking at the product lineup, and being able to buy a trimmed down receiver with just the feature set I plan to use, but all the fundamental channel performance of a flagship power supply.
So my two use cases for multiple HDMi outputs are both to have those HMDi running the same video stream simultaneously, and one for video capture. I don't know if the hdcp 2.3 copyright protection is going to allow me to do video capture, or if trying use a special game streaming video capture device before or after the receiver is going to somehow mess up some other handshake protocol. All I'm saying is the HDMi engineers would be smart to anticipate how much of their current and future user base is going to also be wanting a seamless video capture experience of their gaming. Because these twitch streams of people watching each other play videogames is all the rage.
As always Gene, superlative review!
Thank you so much .. great information .. BUT would you please consider to review the new model of Denon 6700H.
Great review Gene
Any chance of a review on the Denon AVR-X4700H? I’m very curious to hear your thoughts on that AVR
I had it and it's good but cannot be compared to the 8500
@@ilandvash6746 - Oh absolutely. Unfortunately the AVR-X8500H is out of range of my budget
I think that the 4700 is really good.
It's not as strong as the 8500 but I think that you will enjoy it.
You can add later a TPA3255 excellent and cheap amplifier and it will be perfect.
@@ilandvash6746 -Thank you for the feedback 👍🏻
@@ilandvash6746 - Not everybody needs the power or the extra channels the 8500 has. For many the the 4700 or 4500 is perfect. It depends on the application which you never asked.
Great video very informative as usual 👍
good objective comparison. thank you...scott
Great video, and very informative..
If I was in the market for an av receiver, think I would still go with the marantz .. I have a 8012, and love how it sounds with my klipsch set-up . . Would have been nice to have the 2 extra channels, but ohh well. Maybe once the 8012 blows up lol . Take good care, and peace ✌️..
Great comparison, thank you.
Curious how the Denon AVR-X6700H would compare to the Marantz SR8015 since both have 11 amplified channels @140 watts and the Denon is 700 dollars less. I know the Marantz has the processing for 13 but what other differences are there? Both are made in Japan which is confidence inspiring as well.
The X6700H also has 13ch processing.
@@SergioSalvi Good point, thanks! Thats a change from the 2018 X6500H which had 11ch.
@@whaBAMdude You're welcome!
If its a toss up for you, go with the Marantz. They seem to be better build quality IMO over the Denon even though they are both owned by the same company.
Heh Gene. Love Your channel. So helpful and informative. Here’s my question. I have deep dedicated home theater and was ready to pull the trigger on the Denon 8500 to utilize the 6 available height channels. Until.............Anthem released their new line of receivers and processors. I’m dying to get your thoughts on these. Any possible reviews coming. I’ve heard the anthem room correction is superior to audessey. I will definitely be making the jump to separates in the future and feel the Anthem 1140 would be a great candidate for purchase. Any thoughts?
Stay away from the 1140. Returning mine, so many quirks and bugs. I am exchanging my Anthem for a SR8015 or the 8500. havent decided yet but leaning towards the Denon.
@@aspjake123 I thought all the bugs have been worked out. No?
Great review Gene. Big thumbs up 👍👍
One day I'll have the budget for something like these.
Do your best!
I'm running the 8500 with 13 speakers (Klipsch bcz they are super sensitive and don't really require excessive external amplification).
Great experience so far.
one reason I got my klipsch system! Love how little power I need to feed'em and sound is at least the best I've heard thus far
I think the New anthem 1140 has put the boot in on the Dennon
I’m itching to hear some reviews but none to be found
That 1140 looks really interesting. Might just be perfect for me once they implement Roon and Spotify!
@@CaptainCrunch823 its on my shortlist than is not that short
I am really happy with my Marantz SR-8015 that i have now for 6 months.Still no money for speakers but who cares.One day i will have my Home cinema sound and that is all that counts for me :)
I bought the Marantz 8015 and I still don't know if I made the right choice 🙄
I absolutely love it though.
Sound is amazing big upgrade from my Denon🤸
Hey body why?, just asking cause thinking about getting it
@@toniromerogm2457
In what regard why I got the Marantz or why not the Denon.
I am really happy with the new features of the 8015, it's a fantastic avr. The x8500 is also a top receiver with super power. They were both around the same price in Ireland.
@@chriswiser9976
I also loved the Denon that I had, it was midrange unit so I appreciate the extra power and upgrade's of the Marantz.
Had Onkyo before that and would prefer both Denon and Marantz over Onkyo.
@@chriswiser9976Hi Chris. Im just to make decision between denon x8500 and Marantz sr8015. Which one would you recommend for music listening. 90 % I use avr for just audio.
Low frequency is done with sub but I would like to have crisp and clear hights frequency. Any help you may come up with? Regards Andy
Is there a video or article to explain stereo left right subwoofer setup next to your towers?
Or... the much less new Yamaha RX-A3080 replacement or the Marantz SR-8015 vs Denon AVR-X8500H...? :)
Another excellent video Gene! Question, I currently have a Denon AVR-X6500H which is also made in Japan along with a set of Revel F36 towers with older Infinity IL10 bookshelf and an IL25C center. I'm looking to upgrade to Revel Performa3 F208s with the C208 center.I'll move the F36s to the surround channel. I'll also be upgrading my Infinity sub woofer to dual SVS SB3000s at some point. I am wondering if the Denon will be able to handle powering the Revels without having to get an external amplifier? It's a living room setup with room dimensions of 25x14x9. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
I recently upgraded my Infinity's to Revel F208 / C205 / M106 combo and omg I'm in love. Worth every penny. I drive LCR with monolith 3x external and the surrounds driven by Yamaha avr. You could always add the external amp later if your not happy with it, but for me the external amp has been fantastic, especially when listening to 2-channel music at very loud volumes. Those Revels are going to sound incredible for you either way!
@@sepulsteve Thank you for the quick reply! I’ve read great reviews on the Monolith amplifiers.
@@michaelchenault3774 I tried a crown amp prior to the monolith and I wasn't entirely happy with the crown, so I upgraded. Very happy with the monolith for LCR.
Wow, great comparison review. I have the 8015 its a great product. I won’t lie though, i preordered the Anthem 1140! Its just a sexy lookin machine.
Sexy looking is about it. Returning my 1140 for a 8500
@@aspjake123 i even traded in my 1140…. Now the proud owner of an Anthem avm 70 with an ATI amp…. Best decision i ever made!
@@aspjake123 the new Denon and Marantz models are coming out soon with option for Dirac Live… wait till they are released
Hi Gene, maybe if you could do the same measurements in the 8500H that you did with the 8015 we could have a fair comparison. Thanks for all your reviews, nice work!
Have my second Denon; thinking about the next one. The AVR-X8500H has the channels to allow a little expansion. 7.1 plus 4 height at the moment.
Great content thank you!
Love the video. Marantz.
Further, I would like to know how these flagship avrs compare to the Marantz pre/pros. The 7706 and the 8805. Or is this a more difficult comparison because we must somehow match the external amps to the internal ones of the avrs? That’s another question: which amplifiers compare well to the 8015 and 8500h amps while not breaking the budget? Options!
im going go monolith from monoprice
Good rational advice.
Hi Gene you are great 👍 that’s exactly what I wanted to know I was looking at getting an 8805 for the balanced output but if the 8015 has a very good pre-out section as you’ve just stated I’m happy to upgrade our 8012 to the 8015 because I’m running on Anthem MCA325 for the front LCR and I’ll be using all the rest of the inbuilt channels on the 8015 as I am currently using with the 8012.
Thanks Gene!
THANKS GREAT REVIEW
Hello Gene, thank you for the detailed and insightful reviews you have posted on the Marantz SR8015.
I am particularly interested in this comparison with the Denon X8500H because I own it; and find it cannot compare in sound quality with the Denon AVC-A1HDA that it replaced, when the latter broke down. The A1 had an organic SOLIDITY to the presentation which the 8500 lacks.
Do you think this is because the A1 had a toroidal power transformer? Although it had only 7 channels, the unit was larger and heavier than the 8500 with its 13 channels!
Which brings me to my final question: will replacing my Denon 8500 with the Marantz 8015 give me the same kind of sound quality that I enjoyed with the Denon A1 amplifier?
By the way, I am running only 5 speakers plus subwoofer, with the Front L/R pair bi-amped. Music listening is done entirely in stereo, using the Pure Direct mode.
Great topic man love it 🙂
Been loyal to Denon for year's but i am liking the Marantz both very nice 👍
Is it true that with the Marantz, the sound it produces are rolled off high frequencies while the Denon produces a more clear, vivid sound?
i would like to know that as well!!!
I think you misspoke at 6:35. 8012 did not have Pre amp disconnect. I think it is still clear anyways
Are most AVR's the same "size" so they can be racked?
Most AVRs are 17 inches wide; presumably, to fit in a rack. Height and depth are variable. However, some of the vintage Pioneer and Sansui stereos are 19 or more inches wide.
Denon.. tried & tested....still the best...
Hi Gene, thank you for the informative video. We learn alot from them. My question is.... How do you see the AV8805? The only video I've seen is from Sparechange talking about it but haven't seen no"benchmark" videos on it. I just (upgraded?) my 8012 to the 8805 and went complete seperates. Thanks in advanced
I have a Denon AVR-3806 still going strong.
I have to tell you John I have two of them going strong in my home and I’ve been bitten by the onkyo HDMI board issue twice. I hear the new AVRs and prepros may be having the same problems with the new 2.1 boards. i’m at my new home in North Carolina right now with all the pre-wiring done and all the speakers put in but I’m going back to my 3806 and an old Yamaha just to get stuff connected up and running even though it won’t be truly Atmos. I’m just not feeling real good about the state of the audio industry and the quality and reliability of current products. The denon.3806 is a real workhorse I just can’t believe it has lasted me this many decades given the fact that I have very rarely shut it off LOL. As I stated I have two of them! and a 2806 still going strong!
@@barbarashissias9567 I mainly listen to music in stereo, so it works for me. I power some old JBLs with my 3806 and people always ask when hearing Dreams from Fleetwood Mac if it is a special recording. Nope, sometimes solid quality over features does the trick.
The Denon-Marantz comparison chart is wrong. The Denon AVR-X8500H (HA) has 13 onboard amplified channels, PLUS the ability to process 15 channels with an external amplifier. That's likely why it weighs an extra 13.2 lbs. Was there ever an updated review comparing the Denon AVR-X8500HA revision?
I would seriously doubt the extra processing effects the weight significantly. The weight difference is from the larger power supply and 2 additional amplifier channels.
Don't forget that the denon 8500ha had different dacs that are nowhere as good as the 8500h model
Thanks for a great channel! Is it possible to get to know if the smaller new Marantz receivers like the Sr 5015 or 6015 have the same quality pre outputs as the largest Sr8015? Best regards!
нет
@gene, how do these compare to the Anthem or Arcam avrs?