Marantz SR6014 movie performance

Wikedlok

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As a first time Marantz owner, SR6014, coming from lower tier Denon avr-x1500h, I can say, yes, music sounds better. I'd say deep lows and highs are very similar, but there is additional fullness, I guess in mids. However, not that pleased with movies, they sound veiled, lacking clarity and punch, as if compressed. Example, tanks roared with Denon with Marantz its much softer. Dynamic volume, cinema eq, midrange compensation, everything is off, running Flat Audyssey with front three ( Klipsch rp 600 series, sides Klipsch vs bipoles, rear and ceiling Polk) filtered to 250 Hz over app, crossover 80 for fronts, 90-110 surrounds and ceilings. LFE only, at 120,everything more or less by the book. Is this a Marantz thing or am I missing something? While it sounds a bit better with music, Denon wins at movies hands down, can't help but feel a bit dissapointed, hope I did miss something in settings.
 

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I went from a denon 2300 too a marantz 6012. Music absolutely sounded better, movies i felt was basically the same, maybe prefer the marantz slightly, but thats likely just a placebo effect.
I'd suggest there is an issue of some sort with your setup..
 
As a first time Marantz owner, SR6014, coming from lower tier Denon avr-x1500h, I can say, yes, music sounds better. I'd say deep lows and highs are very similar, but there is additional fullness, I guess in mids. However, not that pleased with movies, they sound veiled, lacking clarity and punch, as if compressed. Example, tanks roared with Denon with Marantz its much softer. Dynamic volume, cinema eq, midrange compensation, everything is off, running Flat Audyssey with front three ( Klipsch rp 600 series, sides Klipsch vs bipoles, rear and ceiling Polk) filtered to 250 Hz over app, crossover 80 for fronts, 90-110 surrounds and ceilings. LFE only, at 120,everything more or less by the book. Is this a Marantz thing or am I missing something? While it sounds a bit better with music, Denon wins at movies hands down, can't help but feel a bit dissapointed, hope I did miss something in settings.
Not sure if applicable to your SR6014 but you could check whether DRC is on
Denon/Marantz widespread issue/bug/feature - DRC applied automatically
 
Thanks for input. There should be no issues with speakers as everything is the same except I added rear surround and top rears.
 
@Wikedlok and @Dasiz
very surprising that a low end AVR that's cheap is better than a high END avr, regarded as one of the top 5 in the world ! :censored:

Maybe your speakers are not up the match ? in order to benefit from the high end avr...news speakers are in order ?
 
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@Wikedlok and @Dasiz
very surprising that a low end AVR that's cheap is better than a high END avr, regarded as one of the top 5 in the world ! Maybe your speakers are not up the match ? in order to benefit from the high end avr...news speakers are in order ?
Klipsch rp 600m and 600c maybe aren't the kings of speakers, but I wouldn't say they need replacement. And music sounds great, having issues with movies.
 
those are great speakers, so no....maybe its just the fact that you got used to BIGGER sound as opposed to nuanced sound ?
 
those are great speakers, so no....maybe its just the fact that you got used to BIGGER sound as opposed to nuanced sound ?
Could be, but hoping I will find some compression setting I missed, cause tge difference in music and movie output doesn't make sense to me.
 
can't see it being the speakers.. i have MA Mass, which i doubt are as good as your mains and have never felt the audio is any less for movies.. the actual sound should be the pretty much the same as i believe marantz and denon are tuned very similarly for movies.
what is the source for your movies? also what sound mode is engaged when watching movies?
 
can't see it being the speakers.. i have MA Mass, which i doubt are as good as your mains and have never felt the audio is any less for movies.. the actual sound should be the pretty much the same as i believe marantz and denon are tuned very similarly for movies.
what is the source for your movies? also what sound mode is engaged when watching movies?
Blu ray movies mostly, always the highest q available, they are not the issue. Sound mode: Movie, dolby surround or dts
 
Blu ray movies mostly, always the highest q available, they are not the issue. Sound mode: Movie, dolby surround or dts
Very odd, now if going from say a denon to a yamaha say, then i would expect to hear a different sound signature.. Did you have dynamic EQ turned on via the denon but not the marantz? are you listening to both models at the same volume level? is eco turned on?
what is audio like when watching non bluray movies from a different device?
 
Very odd, now if going from say a denon to a yamaha say, then i would expect to hear a different sound signature.. Did you have dynamic EQ turned on via the denon but not the marantz? are you listening to both models at the same volume level? is eco turned on?
what is audio like when watching non bluray movies from a different device?
Yes and no, i have preset quick dials to different modes, same as with Denon, eco on auto on both, but I turn it off sometimes, no difference. Istream over Nvidia shield tv 2019 and 2017 until recently, atmos is there, no issues with sources.
 
hmm, i'd suggest maybe an issue with the amp, not once have i heard of a lesser model denon sounding better than a Marantz... especially when the marantz has better room correction too.
was the audassey results the same on both amps?
 
hmm, i'd suggest maybe an issue with the amp, not once have i heard of a lesser model denon sounding better than a Marantz... especially when the marantz has better room correction too.
was the audassey results the same on both amps?
Approximately the same yes. Music in mode Music, stereo, sounds great, maybe I'll try switching to it with movies, just to see if there's any difference in sharpness
 
On Denon yes, and it was lame 🤦‍♂️, did it on Marantz also but not for critical listening so no idea how the movie sounded, music was good though
 
hmm, this is a tough one.. was the levels (Db) the same on all speakers on both Amps?
have you tried a factory reset of the AVR? that might be worth doing
 
On Denon yes, and it was lame 🤦‍♂️, did it on Marantz also but not for critical listening so no idea how the movie sounded, music was good though
When you are comparing the movie performance on both amps, you would need to have Audyssey off to do a fair comparison. It could be the Audyssey calibration that is resulting in the different sound.
 
When you are comparing the movie performance on both amps, you would need to have Audyssey off to do a fair comparison. It could be the Audyssey calibration that is resulting in the different sound.
No way Im reconnecting everything to denon again. Gonna try snooping around the settings while playing a movie and get back to you all
 
No way Im reconnecting everything to denon again. Gonna try snooping around the settings while playing a movie and get back to you all
You don't have to connect the Denon up again if you don't want to. I am just suggesting that the reason that they sound differently is because you could have been applying Audyssey differently on the Denon AVR. It is also a different version of Audyssey, Multi EQ XT vs MultEQ XT 32.

Perhaps try running Audyssey again to see if you get a better calibration, you can also use the Audyssey app to customise how Audyssey is applied.
 
What are you filtering at 250hz over the app?
 
Marantz have been demonstrated to have high frequency trailing off, they're not flat to 20khz. Denon are.
 
still curious....a low cheap denon CANNOT sound better than the high end MARANTZ that's been reviewed as one of the best amps on the market !
 
still curious....a low cheap denon CANNOT sound better than the high end MARANTZ that's been reviewed as one of the best amps on the market !

Just saying what the tests show, marantz trails off at 16khz. That includes the av amps and av pres
 

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