Sony STR-ZA810ES vs Marantz NR1510 review

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The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Sony STR-ZA810ES vs Marantz NR1510 that are meant to satisfy the needs of cinema and music lovers.

Amplifier

A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Sony STR-ZA810ES has 7.2 versus 5.2 for Marantz NR1510. Regarding power, then STR-ZA810ES has such a W/Ohm ratio - 100/8 when NR1510 has a power of 50/8, 60/6. The THD is 0.09% for the STR-ZA810ES but 0.08% for the NR1510.

Audio features

Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, 384 KHz/32-bit for STR-ZA810ES and 192 KHz/32-bit for the NR1510. Only the STR-ZA810ES 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 Sony STR-ZA810ES has support for AirPlay, and its competitor in our comparison - AirPlay, AirPlay 2. Spotify can be used on each receiver.

Video features

Both AV receivers support HDR10 technology (High dynamic range). 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 STR-ZA810ES can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the NR1510. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.

Extensive connections

The Sony STR-ZA810ES has 6/2 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 8/1 HDMI connectors of the Marantz NR1510. 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. The STR-ZA810ES supports the protection of digital content of the standard HDCP 2.2, versus HDCP 2.3 in the NR1510. The NR1510 has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. The STR-ZA810ES supports voice control via Google Assistant, and the NR1510 - Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI. An ECO mode is only available for the NR1510. Both STR-ZA810ES and NR1510 can be configured using the Setup assistant.

Multichannel surround

Only the STR-ZA810ES has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the STR-ZA810ES.