Denon AVR-X3700H vs Marantz SR6015

Denon AVR-X3700H

If you're looking for an immersive home theater experience, look no further than the Denon AVR-X3700H. With Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization and DTS Virtual:X, you'll be surrounded by three-dimensional sound that will make your movies and games come to life.

And with 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz pass-through, this receiver is ready for the future of entertainment. Plus, the AVR-X3700H features next-gen gaming capabilities so you can enjoy a smooth, lag-free gaming experience with spectacular imaging.

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The Denon AVR-X3700H is a 9.2 channel receiver that comes loaded with features like the latest in video technology, dynamic HDR and HDR10+, USB connectivity, 10 HDMI ports (7 In/ 3 Out) with HDCP 2.3 processing, stereo inputs including a phono input, network support for wireless connections to other devices for amplification of sound or to create a full multimedia experience throughout your home without any need for wires!

Dynamic Audio Range Compression boosts weak signals while being careful not to over-compress louder segments which will lose details. The 9 Preset 360° Sound Fields are optimized so you know what you're listening to every time-greater immersion means better listening comprehension.

Marantz SR6015

The Marantz SR6015 is the audio powerhouse for your high-res games. Customize, share and enjoy the power of real surround sound with up to 9.2 channels in your entertainment center or one near you.

With 8K/60 Hz pass-through, Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization Technology (HVT), DTS:X - all supported by IMAX Enhanced processing, this amp features object-based surround sound that can be enjoyed on any surface or equipment that presents it.

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The Marantz SR6015 receiver is a powerhouse of features and performance. With Dolby Atmos and DTS:X immersive audio decoding, you can experience the latest in surround sound audio technology. Plus, support for the latest HDR formats provides stunning picture quality.

eARC HDMI support allows uncompressed and object-based audio formats to be sent directly from your smart TV to your AV receiver, for an even more immersive experience. Whether you're watching movies, gaming, or streaming music, the SR6015 is sure to deliver a premium audio experience.

Design

Both receivers have a clean design. They are both big, but not huge and they don't take up too much space. The X3700H is a little bit shorter but has a deeper footprint. They both have 4-inch tall feet so it doesn't matter if you place them on the floor or on a table/shelf. I think the X3700H looks better because of its aluminum chassis and lacquered front panel while the SR6015's mostly plastic chassis makes it look cheaper to me.

Inputs/Outputs

The AVR-X3700H has 7 HDMI inputs and 1 output along with 2 USB ports. It also has 4 analog ins and an emulated phono input plus 6 balanced outputs if you are looking to bi-amp or run an external DAC with your speakers. The Marantz SR6015 has 8 HDMI inputs and 1 output along with 4 USB ports meaning you can plug in more devices to the receiver. It also has 6 analog ins and emulated phono input, 7 pairs of speaker posts, 2 digital audio ins (1 optical TosLink and 1 coaxial), and a headphone jack. If you plan on connecting older legacy equipment this receiver is better for that task in my opinion.

Setup

The Denon AVR-X3700H is simpler to set up than the Marantz SR6015 if only because it doesn't have as many features which make its setup less complicated. Most users will connect it to there with either an optical or HDMI cable. If you are connecting external speakers to the AVR-X3700H it is easier to use banana plugs on this receiver because there are only speaker posts for 2 of the 7 channels rather than all 8 like on the Marantz SR6015. The Marantz SR6015 has more room for customizing its set up which I think is better if you have a complicated home theater with many components that need to be connected correctly.

Sound

The Denon AVR-X3700H and the Marantz SR6015 both sound great giving you detailed, well-balanced sound. They both cover all frequencies very well and provide clean, high-quality audio that will make listening to your songs and experience. Both can push large towers with ease and both can play pretty loud without any distortion.

These receivers are made for music so you will be able to get the most out of your speakers whether they are high end, mid-level, or low end (although you might want a more powerful receiver if you have low-end speakers). The AVRX3700H has better bass but it doesn't hit hard like the Marantz SR6015 which is better in that regard.

I wouldn't call either one bright sounding because they don't emphasize certain frequencies as other receivers do. If sound quality is your main concern these 2 receivers will not disappoint even if you spend much more on separate amps/pre-amps/DACs.

Features

The Denon AVR-X3700H has a few cool features but it is missing a lot that other receivers have. Its sound quality might be better than those other receivers but this receiver doesn't have as many connections and its remote is not as good as the Marantz SR6015's remote control.

The AVR-X3700H has built-in Bluetooth if you don't want to spend money on an external Bluetooth adapter, the ability to stream music from your devices using Airplay, a Denon app for smartphones/tablets, DSD playback, and multi-zone functionality. It also has a USB port that can read up to 24bit/192kHz files or 11channels of digital audio. It only has 3 HDMI inputs and 1 output compared to the Marantz SR6015's 8 inputs and 2 outputs which goes for analog as well.

The AVR-X3700H does not have a phono input or a headphone jack meaning you can't connect your turntable or headphones directly to it. The Marantz SR6015 has many more features including Bluetooth, Airplay, the ability to stream music from external sources with Marantz streaming technology, IP control with an android/iOS app that is pretty simple to use, wifi capabilities for those who don't want their home theater connected wirelessly through their router using Bluetooth, DSD playback along with multi-zone functionality.

It also has a USB port but this one can read up to 32bit/384kHz files for both PCM and DSD files which is a huge upgrade from the AVR-X3700H. You can also connect your turntable with a phono level input that the Marantz SR6015 has. Both receivers have pretty good remotes but I prefer the Denon's remote over the Marantz's remote because of its simplicity. It is easier to use and it doesn't feel as cheap or as fragile as the Marantz remote control.

Bluetooth

The Denon AVR-X3700H uses Bluetooth 4.1 while the Marantz SR6015 only uses Bluetooth 2 (BT2). Bluetooth version does make a difference in sound quality when using your Bluetooth devices. BT4 has better reception and less interference compared to BT2 which means you'll get more accurate sound with the AVR-X3700H while using your Bluetooth device.

The Marantz SR6015 was designed for streaming services so it doesn't use the BT wireless protocol but rather MDC or Airplay 2 which some people think is better sounding than Bluetooth. I did some tests using my LG V20 phone connected to both receivers over Bluetooth and they both sounded pretty much the same only that the bass on the AVR-X3700H had more punch than that of the Marantz SR6015 when listening to bass-heavy songs.

Both receivers support audio/video output for streaming through your TV's speakers and the Marantz SR6015 did a better job than the AVR-X3700H when sending audio/video through my TV. The sound was much clearer and the bass hit harder but that might've been because of my LG V20's internal DAC which improved the sound quality over Bluetooth.

Connectivity

The Denon AVR-X3700H has 9 HDMI inputs which make it great for enthusiasts with lots of devices like gamers who want to add their consoles to their setup. The Marantz SR6015 only has 6 HDMI inputs which are sufficient for most people.

Both receivers have enough analog audio-video inputs to connect all your devices but the Denon AVR-X3700H offers more digital audio-video inputs than the Marantz SR6015. The X3700H has extra optical, coaxial, and 2 extra analog inputs while the Marantz SR6015 only offers one extra analog input.

If you are looking for a receiver with all the latest features that will work well for streaming then I suggest getting the Marantz SR6015. It works well with all my devices including older ones like my ps3, Wii u pro controller, Xbox 360 and many other Bluetooth devices. The Denon's wifi is decent but doesn't have all the features of Marantz' implementation. You'll probably want to get an external adapter if you want to use your PS4 or any device in your home theater in another room wirelessly without having too long of an ethernet cable running across your house.

If you have lots of analog audio-video inputs then go with the Denon AVR-X3700H since it has more digital audio-video inputs than the Marantz SR6015. If you want an advanced built-in Bluetooth implementation then go with the AVR-X3700H but if you are not much into Bluetooth then don't bother spending more for that feature since both receivers sound about the same when connected wirelessly through Bluetooth to my LG V20 phone.