Marantz NR1609 vs Yamaha RX-V485BL review

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The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Marantz NR1609 vs Yamaha RX-V485BL that are meant to satisfy the needs of cinema and music lovers.

Amplifier

A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Marantz NR1609 has 7.2 versus 5.1 for Yamaha RX-V485BL. Regarding power, then NR1609 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 50/8, 70/6 when RX-V485BL has a power of 80/6. The THD is 0.08% for the NR1609 but 0.09% for the RX-V485BL.

Audio features

Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, 192 KHz/24-bit for NR1609 and Burr-Brown 384 KHz/32-bit for the RX-V485BL. Both the NR1609 and the RX-V485BL support Bi-amping. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing.

Connectivity

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. 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. 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 NR1609 has 8/1 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 4/1 HDMI connectors of the Yamaha RX-V485BL. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the RX-V485BL. 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 NR1609 has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.

Additional features

Each of the AV receivers from our review supports 2 Multi-room zones. The NR1609 supports voice control via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI, and the RX-V485BL - Google Assistant. It is also worth noting that the ECO mode is presented in each of the receivers. Both NR1609 and RX-V485BL can be configured using the Setup assistant.

Multichannel surround

Only the NR1609 has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the NR1609.