Marantz STEREO 70s vs Sony STR-AZ3000ES review

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An affordable AV receiver is always a good option to consider, so Marantz STEREO 70s vs Sony STR-AZ3000ES comparison definitely makes sense.

Amplifier

A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Marantz STEREO 70s has 2.2 versus 9.2 for Sony STR-AZ3000ES. Regarding power, then STEREO 70s has such a W/Ohm ratio - 75/8, 100/6 when STR-AZ3000ES has a power of 120/8. The THD is 0.08% for the STEREO 70s but 0.09% for the STR-AZ3000ES.

Audio features

Competitors' digital to analog converter (DAC) is identical to 192 KHz/32-bit. Both the STEREO 70s and the STR-AZ3000ES support Bi-amping. 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 Apple Music service is implemented on considered devices: AirPlay, AirPlay 2. Spotify can be used on each receiver. Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, Napster, SoundCloud, Amazon Music, Amazon Music HD, MOOD:Mix - all of these streaming services have found application in each of the models.

Video features

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.

Extensive connections

The Marantz STEREO 70s has 6/3 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 6/2 HDMI connectors of the Sony STR-AZ3000ES. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the STR-AZ3000ES. 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 STEREO 70s has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.

Additional features

The STEREO 70s supports 1 Multi-room zones, versus 3 for the STR-AZ3000ES. Supported voice control technologies are identical - Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI. It is also worth noting that the ECO mode is presented in each of the receivers. Both STEREO 70s and STR-AZ3000ES can be configured using the Setup assistant.

Multichannel surround

Only the STR-AZ3000ES has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the STR-AZ3000ES.