Marantz NR1508 vs Yamaha RX-V683BL review

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It makes sense comparing Marantz NR1508 vs Yamaha RX-V683BL because they both are able to give some premium features.

Amplifier

A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Marantz NR1508 has 5.2 versus 7.2 for Yamaha RX-V683BL. Regarding power, then NR1508 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 50/8 when RX-V683BL has a power of 90/8, 150/4. The THD is 0.08% for the NR1508 but 0.06% for the RX-V683BL.

Audio features

Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, 192 KHz/24-bit for NR1508 and Burr-Brown 192 KHz/24-bit for the RX-V683BL. Only the RX-V683BL 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 Marantz NR1508 has support for AirPlay, AirPlay 2, and its competitor in our comparison - AirPlay. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The NR1508 can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, and the RX-V683BL can receive a content from Pandora, Sirius XM, Napster, JUKE, Qobuz. 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 RX-V683BL can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the NR1508. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.

Extensive connections

Each receiver has 6/1 HDMI inputs/outputs. Only the RX-V683BL supports HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC). 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. The RX-V683BL has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. It is also worth noting that the ECO mode is presented in each of the receivers. Both NR1508 and RX-V683BL can be configured using the Setup assistant.

Multichannel surround

Only the RX-V683BL has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the RX-V683BL.