An affordable AV receiver is always a good option to consider, so Marantz SR7012 vs Marantz SR5011 comparison definitely makes sense.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Marantz SR7012 has 11.2 versus 7.2 for Marantz SR5011. Regarding power, then SR7012 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 125/8, 165/6 when SR5011 has a power of 100/8, 140/6. The THD is 0.05% for the SR7012 but 0.08% for the SR5011.
Competitors' digital to analog converter (DAC) is identical to 192 KHz/24-bit. Both the SR7012 and the SR5011 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 Marantz SR7012 has support for AirPlay, AirPlay 2, and its competitor in our comparison - AirPlay. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The SR7012 can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, and the SR5011 can receive a content from Pandora, SiriusXM.
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. Both rivals can scale the resolution of the incoming HDMI signal. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.
The Marantz SR7012 has 8/3 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 8/2 HDMI connectors of the Marantz SR5011. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the SR7012. 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 SR7012 has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.
The SR7012 supports 3 Multi-room zones, versus 2 for the SR5011. It is also worth noting that the ECO mode is presented in each of the receivers. Both SR7012 and SR5011 can be configured using the Setup assistant.
Both devices have support for Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format. The surround sound technology DTS:X is supported by devices under review.