Marantz SR8015 vs Yamaha RX-V485BL review

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The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Marantz SR8015 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 SR8015 has 11.2 versus 5.1 for Yamaha RX-V485BL. Regarding power, then SR8015 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 140/8, 175/6 when RX-V485BL has a power of 80/6. The THD is 0.05% for the SR8015 but 0.09% for the RX-V485BL. Both the SR8015 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.

Video features

Both AV receivers support HDR10 technology (High dynamic range). 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 SR8015 has 8/3 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 4/1 HDMI connectors of the Yamaha RX-V485BL. 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. The SR8015 supports the protection of digital content of the standard HDCP 2.3, versus HDCP 2.2 in the RX-V485BL. The SR8015 has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.

Additional features

The SR8015 supports 3 Multi-room zones, versus 2 for the RX-V485BL. The SR8015 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 SR8015 and RX-V485BL can be configured using the Setup assistant.

Multichannel surround

Only the SR8015 has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the SR8015.