Marantz NR1504 vs Onkyo TX-NR777 review

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The Marantz NR1504 vs Onkyo TX-NR777 comparison proves that these receivers have many common features.

Amplifier

A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Marantz NR1504 has 5.1 versus 7.2 for Onkyo TX-NR777. Regarding power, then NR1504 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 50/8, 60/6 when TX-NR777 has a power of 110/8. The THD is the same and is 0.08%.

Audio features

Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, 192 KHz/24-bit for NR1504 and 384 KHz/32-bit for the TX-NR777. Only the TX-NR777 supports Bi-amping feature. The Marantz NR1504 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. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The NR1504 can work with the audio stream from Pandora, SiriusXM, and the TX-NR777 can receive a content from TIDAL, Pandora. HDMI signal transmission in standby mode is implemented in each of the devices. Both competitors are not able to scale the HDMI signal. Dolby Vision technology found support only on the TX-NR777.

Extensive connections

The Marantz NR1504 has 6/1 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 7/2 HDMI connectors of the Onkyo TX-NR777. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. Unfortunately, HDMI eARC is not available on monitored devices. 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 2.2. The TX-NR777 has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. A voice control is not available. An ECO mode is not present in each of the AV receivers. Both NR1504 and TX-NR777 can be configured using the Setup assistant.

Multichannel surround

Only the TX-NR777 has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the TX-NR777.