The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A2080 vs Marantz CINEMA 70s that are meant to satisfy the needs of cinema and music lovers.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A2080 has 9.2 versus 7.2 for Marantz CINEMA 70s. Regarding power, then AVENTAGE RX-A2080 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 140/8, 220/4 when CINEMA 70s has a power of 50/8, 70/6. The THD is 0.06% for the AVENTAGE RX-A2080 but 0.08% for the CINEMA 70s.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, ESS SABRE ( ES9007S) 384 KHz/32-bit for AVENTAGE RX-A2080 and 192 KHz/32-bit for the CINEMA 70s. Both the AVENTAGE RX-A2080 and the CINEMA 70s support Bi-amping. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing.
WI-FI modules have the same characteristics: 2.4/5GHz. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. The Apple Music service is implemented on considered devices: AirPlay, AirPlay 2. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The AVENTAGE RX-A2080 can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Sirius XM, Napster, Qobuz, and the CINEMA 70s can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, Napster, SoundCloud, Amazon Music, Amazon Music HD, MOOD:Mix.
HDMI signal transmission in standby mode is implemented in each of the devices. Both rivals can scale the resolution of the incoming HDMI signal. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.
The Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A2080 has 7/3 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 6/1 HDMI connectors of the Marantz CINEMA 70s. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. HDMI eARC is available in each model. The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) feature is present in most modern AV receivers and the models in our comparison are no exception. Both models support the standard HDCP 2.3. These compared receivers have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.
The AVENTAGE RX-A2080 supports 3 Multi-room zones, versus 2 for the CINEMA 70s. The AVENTAGE RX-A2080 supports voice control via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and the CINEMA 70s - Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI. It is also worth noting that the ECO mode is presented in each of the receivers. Both AVENTAGE RX-A2080 and CINEMA 70s can be configured using the Setup assistant.
Both devices have support for Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format. The surround sound technology DTS:X is supported by devices under review.