Upgrade help please, Marantz experts esp.! [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

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gman086
10-08-2007, 11:21 PM
My receiver (Yamaha RX-V 995), DVD player (Toshiba SD-4700) and Cd changer (Yamaha CDC-715) all gave out over the past month. The Toshiba was a disappointment only lasting 5 years with limited playing time. The reciever performed admirably over 7 years and the cd player - astonishing for over 15 years and still sounded great (with the help of z-cable live interconnects).

SO... I need help picking out new components! I'm running Mission 751 front and center speakers (I like percussion so they fit my taste well) and their bipolar? rear surrounds with a Velodyne VA 1215XII sub. Works pretty darn good for both audio and home theater applications. My problem is I don't have much depth for component install (maybe 16.5" max to allow for connects) so I'm pretty limited. Right now I'm leaning towards Marantz, maybe the SR 8001 on clearance (the 8002 is out now and I don't need the 1.3 version of HDMI)? Will it sound good for audio? I have just purchased a used Marantz DV-7001 DVD player as I wanted to have excellent audio and video quality. Is that a good choice? Also can I just hook up an HDMI cable and play both DVD's AND CD's without using optical or coaxial cable (with the 8001 which has HDMI inputs)? In other words, I would like to JUST use an HDMI connection from my dvd player to the receiver and one from the cable box to receiver and one from receiver to my HDTV (only has ONE HDMI input) and that's all! Would that also allow me to listen to audio CD's at the best quality? I plan to use Monster's M1000 HDMI cables (really made a huge difference versus their 400 series when I compared them for video quality on my TV).

Sorry for the lengthy question! And thank you very much for any help you can give.

g

musicman1999
10-09-2007, 03:21 AM
The only thing that might be an issue is which component has the better DAC will determine if you get the best cd playback on not using the digital connection.Also you may consider a better quality cable than Monster.Also you may need an analog connection to get SACD playback.

bill

gman086
10-09-2007, 07:46 AM
The only thing that might be an issue is which component has the better DAC will determine if you get the best cd playback on not using the digital connection.Also you may consider a better quality cable than Monster.Also you may need an analog connection to get SACD playback.

bill

Thanks Bill.

I don't have any SACD's so not worried about that. What is a better cable than Monster without going higher in price? Just to clarify, I have one 4 ft run of their newest M1000 (not the Ultra 1000) audiophile quality HDMI v 1.3 capable. It is their best cable and I found them for $150 thru an authorized dealer. Video quality is amazing but don't have a receiver with HDMI capability... yet. And DAC, that is digital to audio converter? With the HDMI there is no conversion tho is there? I'm still unclear as to how that works compared with, say, optical cables. The Marantz DV7001 does have a seperate audio high end DAC (same as their flagship 9600) for output thru the analog out jacks and I could use my Z-Cable Live interconnects for that and just compare huh?

Thanks again,

G

musicman1999
10-09-2007, 11:15 AM
A DAC is a digital to analog converter and all audio signals that you hear from your system must pass through one,either in the player or the reciever.If the player has the better DAC then use the analog connection(2 rca cables), if the reciever has the better DAC use digital connection(coax or HDMI).So with the analog connection player does the conversion, digital connection reciever does.In your case it could go either way as the components would be similar,best to try both ways and let your ears decide.
As for Monster you can do much better for less.Do a search hear on the site, there are many threads on this subject.Good reading.Also check out the web for places to get cables like bluejeancables.com.

bill

gman086
10-09-2007, 12:24 PM
A DAC is a digital to analog converter and all audio signals that you hear from your system must pass through one,either in the player or the reciever.If the player has the better DAC then use the analog connection(2 rca cables), if the reciever has the better DAC use digital connection(coax or HDMI).So with the analog connection player does the conversion, digital connection reciever does.In your case it could go either way as the components would be similar,best to try both ways and let your ears decide.
As for Monster you can do much better for less.Do a search hear on the site, there are many threads on this subject.Good reading.Also check out the web for places to get cables like bluejeancables.com.

bill

Thanks again Bill! I'll compare them and post my results but that won't be for a while until I can get an HDMI compatible receiver at a decent price.

As for cable, I would never use Monster for audio but as I understand it, they helped develop the HDMI and would guess they'd be right up there for that format (with their M series anyway)? I would put my Z-cable Live analog interconnects up against any audio cables including the ones in your sig. (I've tried those too). The company was sold and they're now known as Clarity Cable, check them out sometime; they have a money back guarantee if you don't think they're better than your current cables so you can try at no risk. So I'm set there. But if you have info on HDMI quality I'm all ears (bad pun!).

Best,

G

musicman1999
10-09-2007, 01:36 PM
To be honest, after much comparison i have found that in my system component video works better than HDMI.

bill

gman086
10-09-2007, 02:16 PM
To be honest, after much comparison i have found that in my system component video works better than HDMI.

bill

That's what the guy at the Marantz dealer said too! Anyone else have any input (sheesh, another bad pun!)? If that's the case then maybe I should just get the Yamaha receiver fixed and use component video w/ coaxial for dvd's and the two Zcable analogs for cd audio? Would sure save me some bucks! All these different interconnections are WAY too confusing these dayz!

musicman1999
10-09-2007, 04:05 PM
I think that you would find that both Marantz units would be large upgrades over your present gear, no matter how you connect them.

bill

gman086
10-09-2007, 04:36 PM
I think that you would find that both Marantz units would be large upgrades over your present gear, no matter how you connect them.

bill

Thanks Bill, I think I'm going to go for the Marantz receiver too. Do you think it will be an okay match for my Missions? They're the 750 series (751's to be exact) and not the lesser 770 series found in dept stores. I hear listeners discuss "matching" for receivers sound quality to the type of speakers used. The Missions are really fast and tight so I'm a little concerned they'll sound too "industrial" with the Marantz since they aren't known to be "warm" sounding receivers. The Yamaha did work well with them and I really don't want to change speakers because I can't afford audiophile quality speakers (my friends laugh at me because they have Dynaudio, Magnaplaners, KEFs etc., etc.).

Thanks again,

G

musicman1999
10-09-2007, 05:15 PM
The only Marantz reciever that i owned did have a warm sound.They are known for it.


bill

pixelthis
10-11-2007, 01:31 AM
That's what the guy at the Marantz dealer said too! Anyone else have any input (sheesh, another bad pun!)? If that's the case then maybe I should just get the Yamaha receiver fixed and use component video w/ coaxial for dvd's and the two Zcable analogs for cd audio? Would sure save me some bucks! All these different interconnections are WAY too confusing these dayz!


You had a Toshiba that lasted five years? I never could get any Toshiba product to last more than a few years.
As for componet, I have exelent componet video switching on my receiver and don't use it,
I have found that hdmi is much better, especially with color purity.
Whe you use componet, your signal goes digital to analog>analog to digital.
With HDMI its just digital to digital.
I would get the Yamaha fixed, yamaha has some great amps (I HAD AN RXV-750 I beleive)
Unless it doesnt have proII, which is worth getting a new receiver for, makes prologic stuff sound like a DVd (kinda)
And let the monitor do the "switching duties"
And SACD can be transmitted over some hdmi cables, depends on the player:1: