At the range of 1,500 dollars, we still could find something that’s reliable and dependable as an enjoyable home entertainment device. This time, it’s Yamaha dn Marantz time to shine with their own amazing receivers, the RX A2080 and Marantz SR 6014. Let’s actually see which one of them actually has greater value.
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Yamaha RX A2080 – $1,599
The RX 2080, which is still included within AVENTAGE family, is not a new device to greet. In fact it’s one of the most successful Yamaha’s receivers that is highly praised for its audio quality and outstanding performance. But beside its advantages, this receiver actually doesn’t have something that we might call as new in the design. Just like its predecessors, A2080 carries the same image with the glossy-colored front with display functions on the right with Pure Direct button and the power button that has the circular shape on the left.
As you may know it, this is the 9.2 channels receiver, and sadly not 11.2 one that many would expect it to be. What’s sadder is also the fact that there’s no possibility of 11.2 channels support, since it doesn’t have any for it. But on the contrary, you can get yourself support for Dolby Atmost with 5.2.4 and 7.2.2 audio configuration setup, which is nice.
Yamaha is already generous with a lot of ports available, but since it’s certainly more affordable than say, it’s newer 3080, you can expect some being cut-off. Things that are important exist here, like the headphone port, a port for YPAO microphone, analog stereo input, and also a USB port for external connection.
Marantz SR6014 | Yamaha 2080 | |
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Best Offer | click here | click here |
Product Dimensions | 15.38 x 17.38 x 6.38 inches | 18.66 x 17.13 x 7.56 inches |
Shipping Weight | 33.2 pounds | 37.5 pounds |
Turning it up, you can find the terminals for 11 speakers, with 9 can be used at the same time while the others are available in need of another zone speakers function. There are also 7 HDMI inputs with the 3 being HDMI outputs added with the functionality of ARC which also presents in 3080. These HDMI ports fully support 4K resolution up to the smooth 60 fps, HDR video quality, and even better, they come with the Hybrid Log-Gamma plus the Dolby Vision support.
Power is only about 10 watts lower than 3080’s, which is sitting quietly at 140 watts per channel. It’s not that bad actually, and since it carries the pure power, the difference is very slim actually. In this lower price of notable Yamaha’s AV receivers, the users can still get the YPAO calibration system, with different functions and features that highly depend on what model you have.
The receiver is powered up with 140 watts per channel, a slight downgrade from the 3080 version, but powerful enough to support all its speakers. The users can also get the YPAO calibration, a specialized audio calibration served by Yamaha.
Features side is also amazing with the support of Airplay 2 to connect this device with various Apple devices. Wired multi-room feature is also available for you to utilize the other speakers around your house that are located within the three additional zones. It’s also an amazing device to work with for streaming since it has a very generous support for many softwares including the SPotify, Sirius XM, Tidal, Deezer, Napster, and Pandora.
Marantz SR6014 – $ 1,499
Looking at Sr6014 is like looking directly at the SR6013’s reflection on the mirror. Since both these babies use the same architecture as well as the internal software, they are actually similar. Many say that the difference is little to no existence, and they were right. It has the Marantz receivers identity that you can see right up on the circular display with the two knobs for both the volume control and input section.
Right unde the know on the left side, you can find the power button, while the IR sensor is located neatly near the right big knob. For all the other connections, they can be found hidden behind the central circular hatch, making this receiver look pretty clean, and all those buttons are dust-free as well, which is a plus.
Under these buttons, you can find neatly placed ports, including the USB for external connectivity, HDMI input, analogue stereo input, and also the composite video input. It supports various audio formats as well, ranging from the oldest Dolby Digital and DTS to the current Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
Marantz SR6014 is generally the 9 channels receiver with the power of 110 watts, a bit less powerful than RX A2080. Just like any other 9 channel receivers, it can connect to the 2 subwoofers with other audio setups not only 5.2.4 and 7.2.2, but also the 5.1. Unlike Yamaha, it also supports the 11.2 configuration with the help of an external amp.
About the connectivity, other than previously mentioned ports, you can also find the HDMI inputs, 7 of them, with additional 3 HDMI outputs. What’s interesting from this version is the HDMI ports support the HDCP 2.3 as well, resulting in a great support for an amazing resolution of 4K 60 fps, Dolby Vision compatible, BT.2020, HLG, and HDR support.
There’s also a feature called HDMI Auto Input Rename, which as you may suggest, renaming the HDMI ports automatically, releases you for the troublesome manually renaming procession which sometimes could be stressful. Another thing we should mention is the HDMI Multiple Input Assign, enabling the dual purpose of Video watching through HDMI input while listening to something from analogue or digital input. Sounds amazing at first, but we don’t see this as practical in real life. Read also: Denon AVR X4500H Vs Yamaha RX A1080.
If Yamaha uses its own calibration system, Marantz also uses its Audyssey System that offers much features and functionality. You get Audyssey MultEQ XT32 in this SR6014 that includes another useful feature, Audyssey Dynamic Volume that balances the overall audio or volume spikes during the shifts between TV programs and commercials.
It works very well for streaming. It has strong streaming capabilities to stream audio both through the NAS drive that is connected to the local network or other streaming services including Napster, Amazon Prime Music, Spotify, Tidal, Deezer, SiriusXM, and Pandora.
Marantz SR6014 Vs Yamaha 2080
Verdict
Actually, compared to the Yamaha’s A 2080 advantages over the Marantz SR6014, we found that it’s actually the contrary. Being on the bright side, Marantz SR6014 provides more channel processing, more analog pre-outs and bigger power supply and the Preamplifier section on Marantz SR6014 is able to output higher voltage which makes it a better choice when connected to an external power amplifier. SR 6014 also has the support forIMAX Enhanced, Pandora, and it even has analog multi-channel input.