It makes sense comparing Marantz NR1609 vs Marantz NR1509 because they both are able to give some premium features.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Marantz NR1609 has 7.2 versus 5.2 for Marantz NR1509. Regarding power, then NR1609 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 50/8, 70/6 when NR1509 has a power of 50/8, 60/6. The THD is the same and is 0.08%.
Competitors' digital to analog converter (DAC) is identical to 192 KHz/24-bit. Only the NR1609 supports Bi-amping feature. 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. Deezer, Pandora, TuneIn Radio - all of these streaming services have found application in each of the models.
These units support HDR technology. 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 NR1609 can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the NR1509. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.
The Marantz NR1609 has 8/1 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 7/1 HDMI connectors of the Marantz NR1509. 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. 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 NR1609 and NR1509 can be configured using the Setup assistant.
Only the NR1609 has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the NR1609.