Marantz SR6015 vs Onkyo TX-NR686 review

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The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Marantz SR6015 vs Onkyo TX-NR686 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 SR6015 has 9.2 versus 7.2 for Onkyo TX-NR686. Regarding power, then SR6015 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 110/8, 150/6 when TX-NR686 has a power of 165/6. The THD is the same and is 0.08%. Both the SR6015 and the TX-NR686 support Bi-amping. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing.

Connectivity

WI-FI modules have the same characteristics: 2.4/5GHz. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. The Marantz SR6015 has support for AirPlay, AirPlay 2, and its competitor in our comparison - AirPlay. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The SR6015 can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, Napster, SoundCloud, and the TX-NR686 can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, TuneIn Radio.

Video features

Both AV receivers support HDR10 technology (High dynamic range). HDMI signal transmission in standby mode is implemented in each of the devices. The SR6015 can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the TX-NR686. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.

Extensive connections

The Marantz SR6015 has 7/3 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 7/2 HDMI connectors of the Onkyo TX-NR686. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the SR6015. The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) feature is present in most modern AV receivers and the models in our comparison are no exception. The SR6015 supports the protection of digital content of the standard HDCP 2.3, versus HDCP 2.2 in the TX-NR686. These compared receivers have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.

Additional features

Each of the AV receivers from our review supports 2 Multi-room zones. The SR6015 supports voice control via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI, and the TX-NR686 - Google Assistant. An ECO mode is only available for the SR6015. Both SR6015 and TX-NR686 can be configured using the Setup assistant.

Multichannel surround

Both devices have support for Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format. The surround sound technology DTS:X is supported by devices under review.