Marantz NR1609 vs Onkyo TX-SR353 review

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The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Marantz NR1609 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 NR1609 has 7.2 versus 5.1 for Onkyo TX-SR353. Regarding power, then NR1609 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 50/8, 70/6 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. Only the NR1609 supports Bi-amping feature. The Marantz NR1609 can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. Only the NR1609 supports Spotify.

Video features

Only the Marantz NR1609 has support for High dynamic range (HDR). HDMI signal transmission in standby mode is implemented in each of the devices. The NR1609 can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the TX-SR353. Dolby Vision technology found support only on the NR1609.

Extensive connections

The Marantz NR1609 has 8/1 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 4/1 HDMI connectors of the Onkyo TX-SR353. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. 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. The NR1609 has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. An ECO mode is only available for the NR1609. The setup assistant will help you configure Marantz NR1609.

Multichannel surround

Only the NR1609 has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the NR1609.