Marantz NR1508 vs Onkyo TX-SR353 review

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The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Marantz NR1508 vs Onkyo TX-SR353 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 NR1508 has 5.2 versus 5.1 for Onkyo TX-SR353. Regarding power, then NR1508 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 50/8 when TX-SR353 has a power of 140/6. The THD is the same and is 0.08%.

Audio features

Competitors' digital to analog converter (DAC) is identical to 192 KHz/24-bit. None of the models support Bi-amping. The Marantz NR1508 can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. Only the NR1508 supports Spotify.

Video features

Only the Marantz NR1508 has support for High dynamic range (HDR). HDMI signal transmission in standby mode is implemented in each of the devices. Both competitors are not able to scale the HDMI signal. Dolby Vision technology found support only on the NR1508.

Extensive connections

The Marantz NR1508 has 6/1 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 4/1 HDMI connectors of the Onkyo TX-SR353. Only the TX-SR353 supports HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC). Unfortunately, HDMI eARC is not available on monitored devices. 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. Receivers do not have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. An ECO mode is only available for the NR1508. The setup assistant will help you configure Marantz NR1508.

Multichannel surround

None of the rivals equipped with Dolby Atmos multichannel audio decoder. The receivers do not support the surround sound technology DTS:X.