Marantz SR7008 or Pioneer SC-LX76/SC-LX77

naturelover

New member
Jul 31, 2010
6
0
0
Visit site
Hi

I have been ruminating about replacing my old receiver, the Yamaha RX-V650 which is connected in 7.1 to Quad Lite (old model) fronts, centre and sub with Morel soundspot rears. My room size is 17' x 13' and it is a living room.

I do want to have a 7.1 set-up plus a speaker B option. Twin HDMI outs are important.

I have been trawling the net for the past few weeks and have narrowed it down to the Marantz 7008 and the Pioneer SC-LX76 or 77. The Yamaha RX-A1020 would also have been on the list but for its large size. It's just too deep for my AV rack. The Pioneers just about make it! The Marantz is ideal.

The Marantz weighs in at 13.6 Kg while the Pioneers are 17.7 Kg each. Does that say anything?

This selection is only from feature lists, reviews and various forum discussions (not my postings) as I have no chance of any demo where I live. Is anybody using any of these? Has anyone demoed the Marantz and either of the Pioneers side by side?

Will these receivers be overkill in my smallish room in which case, what would be suitable?

Is the SC-LX77 much of an improvement over the LX76?

Will my present speakers be suitable for any of these receivers? Which one will be best?

All these are priced similarly here in India, around £1,000 give or take a 100.

The Audyssey XT32 with subEQ in the Marantz is possibly a major feature. I would like to know, apart from the subEQ, how does the XT32 compare with the Pioneer MCACC?

I am also intrigued by the Audyssey DSX. Is it very effective? It does need additional speakers. Is anyone using it in a 9.1/9.2 configuration? The DSX is supposed to benefit small rooms as per the Audyssey website, http://www.audyssey.com/blog/practical-guide-audyssey-dsx (Scroll down to the comments section).

The Pioneer has class D amplification which should run much cooler than other receivers. Has anyone actually seen that?

I do not plan to change my speakers for another two years or so after which I might be shifting house where I will have a dedicated room. This change of residence is still quite undecided.

If I do need to change the speakers now, they will need to be small. I have looked into this rather superficially and have liked the B&W MT50 and the Q Acoustics 7000i. This is, again only from the net. Haven't found any reviews or discussions on the new Quad Lite system. I really like my present sub!

In a more ideal setting, I would have liked to consider the likes of Dali Zensor 1, PSB Imagine Mini or MA BX2 setups. That is the consideration in retaining the present setup until a possible shift of residence.

Would love to have suggestions and opinions.
 

emperor's new clothes

Well-known member
May 28, 2013
35
2
18,545
Visit site
Hi,

Lots to cover, but hope will get the ball rolling from the experts out there. I auditioned last year's models 7007 & LX56 and preffered the Marantz - previous AV a pioneer so was surprised. The Marantz weighs 13.5kgs vs 20 for my Pioneer, but has superior sonics in my setup. The 7008 should be better still and the improved Audyssey a bonus. I initially set mine up manually before resorting to Audyssey and there was a significant improvement so highly recommended (MACC on my elderly Pioneer had shortcomings. SQ on these amps is hard to define with so many variable parameters, but I enjoy stereo from various sources and am very impressed with dialogue from the centre in 5.1 mode - clear and articulate despite the current batch of mumbling actors! Good luck choosing - I'm sure both are excellent.
 

Paddyfin

New member
Oct 6, 2013
6
0
0
Visit site
I too brought the 7007, :cheers:

In the past ive had pioneer amps, the marantz replaced my onkyo which ran so hot that you could fry eggs on it

Before I replaced my amp I had brought a pioneer blu ray player ( the 54 I think ), I had major problems with it so it went back to Sevenoaks Southampton, it was replaced with the marantz blu ray player only to find the onkyo amp running so hot was also a problem, so I tested the amps and came away with the 7007, I've never regretted that decision.

:rockout: the marantz is very musical and is great with movies ( I guess I just trusted my own ears as opposed to a WHF review)
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts