Yamaha RX-A3050 or Marantz SR7010?

[Benedict_Arnold]

Still looking, still trying to decide. Decision not imminent as I'm on the rock'n'roll again thanks to the state of the price of oil.

So. When I do get back into work, do I go for the Yamaha RX-A3050 or the Marantz SR7010? Both are Atmos, HDCP 2.2, 4K passthrough, etc. etc. and any minor differences in the number of watts per channel really doesn't bother me, as my media room is only 19 ft x 14.5 ft. The price difference is small as well, so that's not an issue.

But, I have six speakers in the ceiling (four of which I intend to use and the other two being there because the builders put them in and I can't be ahem'd to take them out and fix the resulting holes in the plasterboard ceiling), and I plan on having six, possibly eight (FR, FL, Cen, RS, LS, RR, LR and possibly two more sides) speakers around the walls plus two "proper stereo" speakers as well. So let's say I have four speakers in the ceiling plus seven around the walls and possibly two more, IF I use the "proper stereo" speakers for "front wides" or fronts with the in-wall fronts as "front highs", OR I add two more sides to give me four side speakers. So, 7.2.4 is the minimum, as 9.2.4 would be great. I expect Atmos will rise to the fore, but then I'm the guy who bought Betamax, and HD-DVD, and Sony Minisdisc, and got the three-legged donkey in last year's Grand National sweepstake....

Now, first of all, is anything more than 11 speakers overkill? Probably. SO what. It's what I want.

Secondly, the Yamaha decodes up to 11 channels and has power amp outputs up to 9 channels plus 2 extras with an external power amp or amps, the Marantz can run up to 13 channels (I am told) with two extra power amps, but only decodes 11 and switches speakers on and off (or re-routes the signals) as the source dictates. How this works I'm not sure.

So which one do I go for?

 

[bigboss]

My understanding is that even Marantz SR7010 allows only 11 channels processing, not 13. It will be very complicated to set up 13 channels (additional fronts), unless you decide to amplify the extra 2 channels independent of the 7.1.4 setup.

 

[Benedict_Arnold]

My understanding is that even Marantz SR7010 allows only 11 channels processing, not 13. It will be very complicated to set up 13 channels (additional fronts), unless you decide to amplify the extra 2 channels independent of the 7.1.4 setup.

Yeah, that was my original understanding too. Kind of "choose 11 from 13", not really 13.
I think I was getting a bit of " bovine fertiliser" from the salesman.
Maybe by the time I get a job, 13 channels, 15, 17 or 19 even, with in-floor speakers to boot (pardon the pun), will be the norm.