Marantz CINEMA 50 vs Sony STR-AN1000 review

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The Marantz CINEMA 50 vs Sony STR-AN1000 comparison proves that these receivers have many common features.

Amplifier

A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Marantz CINEMA 50 has 9.4 versus 7.2 for Sony STR-AN1000. Regarding power, then CINEMA 50 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 110/8, 150/6 when STR-AN1000 has a power of 165/6. The THD is 0.08% for the CINEMA 50 but 0.09% for the STR-AN1000.

Audio features

Competitors' digital to analog converter (DAC) is identical to 192 KHz/32-bit. Both the CINEMA 50 and the STR-AN1000 support Bi-amping. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing. 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. Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, Napster, SoundCloud, Amazon Music, Amazon Music HD, MOOD:Mix - all of these streaming services have found application in each of the models.

Video features

Compared AV receivers retain the quality of 4K/120Hz signal when transmitting from a source to a TV or projector. 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.

Extensive connections

The Marantz CINEMA 50 has 6/3 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 6/2 HDMI connectors of the Sony STR-AN1000. 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. The CINEMA 50 has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.

Additional features

The CINEMA 50 supports 2 Multi-room zones, versus 3 for the STR-AN1000. Supported voice control technologies are identical - Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI. It is also worth noting that the ECO mode is presented in each of the receivers. Both CINEMA 50 and STR-AN1000 can be configured using the Setup assistant.

Multichannel surround

Both devices have support for Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format. The surround sound technology DTS:X is supported by devices under review.