Marantz STEREO 70s vs Sony STR-AZ5000ES review
The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Marantz STEREO 70s vs Sony STR-AZ5000ES 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 STEREO 70s has 2.2 versus 11.2 for Sony STR-AZ5000ES. Regarding power, then STEREO 70s has such a W/Ohm ratio - 75/8, 100/6 when STR-AZ5000ES has a power of 130/8. The THD is 0.08% for the STEREO 70s but 0.09% for the STR-AZ5000ES.
Audio features
Competitors' digital to analog converter (DAC) is identical to 192 KHz/32-bit. Both the STEREO 70s and the STR-AZ5000ES 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-AZ5000ES.
The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the STR-AZ5000ES. 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-AZ5000ES. 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-AZ5000ES can be configured using the Setup assistant.
Multichannel surround
Only the STR-AZ5000ES has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the STR-AZ5000ES.