The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Yamaha RX-V4A vs Marantz CINEMA 70s that are meant to satisfy the needs of cinema and music lovers.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Yamaha RX-V4A has 5.2 versus 7.2 for Marantz CINEMA 70s. Regarding power, then RX-V4A has such a W/Ohm ratio - 80/6 when CINEMA 70s has a power of 50/8, 70/6. The THD is 0.06% for the RX-V4A but 0.08% for the CINEMA 70s. Both the RX-V4A and the CINEMA 70s support Bi-amping. 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. The RX-V4A can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, Qobuz, and the CINEMA 70s can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, Napster, SoundCloud, Amazon Music, Amazon Music HD, MOOD:Mix.
Compared AV receivers retain the quality of 4K/120Hz 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.
The Yamaha RX-V4A has 4/1 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 6/1 HDMI connectors of the Marantz CINEMA 70s. 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. Both models support the standard HDCP 2.3. The CINEMA 70s has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. The RX-V4A supports voice control via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, and the CINEMA 70s - Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI. It is also worth noting that the ECO mode is presented in each of the receivers. Both RX-V4A and CINEMA 70s can be configured using the Setup assistant.
Only the CINEMA 70s has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the CINEMA 70s.