The Marantz NR1509 vs Onkyo TX-NR797 comparison proves that these receivers have many common features.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Marantz NR1509 has 5.2 versus 9.2 for Onkyo TX-NR797. Regarding power, then NR1509 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 50/8, 60/6 when TX-NR797 has a power of 100/8, 220/6. The THD is the same and is 0.08%.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, 192 KHz/24-bit for NR1509 and AK4458 384 KHz/32-bit for the TX-NR797. Only the TX-NR797 supports Bi-amping feature. 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. The NR1509 can work with the audio stream from Deezer, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and the TX-NR797 can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, TuneIn Radio. Compared AV receivers retain the quality of 4K/60Hz signal when transmitting from a source to a TV or projector. HDMI signal transmission in standby mode is implemented in each of the devices. The TX-NR797 can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the NR1509. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.
The Marantz NR1509 has 7/1 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 7/2 HDMI connectors of the Onkyo TX-NR797. 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. These compared receivers have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. The NR1509 supports voice control via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI, and the TX-NR797 - Google Assistant. An ECO mode is only available for the NR1509. Both NR1509 and TX-NR797 can be configured using the Setup assistant.
Only the TX-NR797 has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the TX-NR797.