Denon AVR-X6700H vs Marantz SR8015

Peter Howard
  Mar 29, 2024 6:45 AM

It's no surprise that many people are looking for the best Denon AVR-X6700H vs Marantz SR8015 comparison. You can find countless reviews online, but this thorough report covers all relevant aspects in detail to provide readers with helpful information on their choice of which receiver will work well for them personally and professionally!

The Denon AVR-X6700H vs Marantz SR8015 are both high-end receivers that cost around the same price. Which is better? That depends on your needs, but in this article, we will explore some of their similarities and differences to help you make a decision.

Overviews

Denon AVR-X6700H

The Denon AVR-X6700H provides unbelievably immersive surround sound and advanced video processing for your home theater system. With 13.2 channels of processing power, you can create a custom speaker configuration to meet your unique entertainment needs.

The 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz pass-through allows you to enjoy the latest video technologies with stunning clarity and detail. And the next-gen gaming capabilities provide a smooth, lag-free gaming experience with spectacular imaging and reduced lag and frame tearing.

The Denon AVR-X6700H is your solution for incredible home theater. With Dynamic HDR and HDR10+, you'll get the most advanced video technology available, along with amazing clarity, contrast, and color. Plus, quick media switching eliminates video delay, so you can enjoy your movies and shows without any hassle.

And with 11 HDMI ports (8 in/3 out) and HDCP 2.3 processing, this receiver is perfect for connecting all of your devices. Finally, extend the reach of your music throughout your home with built-in Wi-Fi, Airplay 2, or Bluetooth. Whether you're watching a movie or listening to music, the Denon AVR-X6700H provides an incredible experience.

Marantz SR8015

The Marantz SR8015 is a versatile 11.2-channel AV receiver that offers uncompromising power and flexibility with flagship features including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Auro 3D Height Virtual Effect, and cutting-edge audio decoding to bring us closer than ever to being totally lost in the audio of a film or music recording.

 

Wireless music streaming functions, as well as MusicCast, allow you to access your favorite codecs from multiple sources on various devices with 8K HD video upscaling for stunning detail that looks better now than it will tomorrow. With HDMI 4 In/1 Out, Component Video upconversion Prosumer HiFi Preamp Section with Spread Spectrum Clarity Enhancement Plus (SSC+) Tuning.

Compare Products

1
  • MT Score

    MT Score is a ranking system developed by Mytheater.orgMT Score has no relationship or impact from any manufacturers or sales agent websites. Learn more

    9.7
  • Brand
    Denon
2
  • MT Score

    MT Score is a ranking system developed by Mytheater.orgMT Score has no relationship or impact from any manufacturers or sales agent websites. Learn more

    9.7
  • Brand
    Marantz

Last update on 2024-03-29 / Affiliate links / Images, Product Titles, and Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API

Comparision

Design

The Denon AVR-X6700H has a classy design. I like the white finish when attached to the TV black bezel. The Marantz SR8015 on the other hand is styled in brushed aluminum facing upward, not to mention it's got more ports.

UI

Both receivers are easy to navigate and use, but somehow I find the home screen of the Marantz easier to use (probably because there are fewer things on it). Playing movies or music goes fine, but sometimes when switching sources I get an error message saying "no source". Not sure if this happens with Denon also.

The only annoying thing about both is that they don't remember my settings for each input - so when I switch input with the remote, it always needs to be configured again.

Sound Quality

Comparison of the sound quality alone. The Marantz is a step up from Denon AVR-X6700H. The speed of switching between speakers has been improved on SR8015 and the sound differences are less obvious. In some cases, even with Dolby Atmos-enabled, TRINOMA sounded more prominent on the SR8015 while playing Ready Player One through one main speaker or Atmos+one satellite speaker setup. It makes sense since Marantz uses a lower-rated capacitor in comparison to Denon's AVR-X6700H which gave a better bass response for my configuration but also resulted in a longer delay when switching from channels or going into theatre mode.

3D Mode

The Denon AVR-X6700H takes longer to switch into a 3D mode which resulted in the Marantz taking over when TRIMONA was playing on my main speaker. This was not due to any lag or delay with the Marantz since it just took over when switching back to normal TV viewing after watching a movie in 3D. Also, there is absolutely no difference between the 3D quality of both receivers (for movies). Take note that individual preferences may play a part here, I'm only talking about the time delay and sound quality.

DLNA Media Streaming

The Denon AVR-X6700H has the ability to play high bitrate files which are not available on Marantz SR8015. Also, Marantz can't playback FLAC files via our network while Denon can easily do that. On the other hand, it seems that I have improved DLNA streaming quality when using Windows 10's built-in media player but this could be purely subjective since I was never able to playback anything more than 96kbps with Daroon Receiver (Denon X7200WA).

HDMI Ports

Both receivers have all slots filled up and are equally useless without an HDMI switcher or at least an HDMI splitter.

Network Capabilities

Both receivers can be connected to the network for DHCP or directly if you want to keep the IP address to a fixed value. I personally prefer DHCP over manual since it makes things easier when configuring port forwarding on my router. The connection ranges are good enough that both devices will perform just fine even through multiple walls and doors (Denon AVR-X6700H's extended range might take over at some point though). Denon has the upper hand here since it can connect to DLNA servers out of the box but Marantz is catching up with its own addon which integrates this function within its menu structure without any need of third parties such as Plex or Servioo.

HDMI Sound Return Channel (ARC)

Both receivers support the standard ARC which is great for connecting your TV to it via HDMI (for displaying tv channels without an additional soundbar).

  • Marantz SR8015 has a bonus feature in form of auto-switching which switches to an HDMI source connected to one of the two ARC ports automatically when you turn on your TV. This is something I will never use but I'm mentioning it here since it's not supported by Denon AVR-X6700H.
  • Denon AVR-X6700H supports Main Zone Sync where you can configure all zones connected to the receiver to play in sync. Marantz does this with its own connection configuration menu and doesn't require you to get into the receiver's menu structure every time.

Dynamic Range Control (DRC)

  • Denon AVR-X6700H has a better implementation for this feature while Marantz SR8015 makes it accessible via their IE browser plug-in or Android/iOS apps only.
  • Marantz SR8015 also allows users to choose from various options such as Standard, Movie, or Advanced whereas Denon offers just one with Movie being the default option. The sound quality when using Advanced is significantly worse than other modes so stick to normal settings if you want a better listening experience instead of some extreme level compression which chops off important low frequencies and sounds like garbage when playing movies in Dolby Atmos mode.

Inputs and Outputs

Both receivers have balanced XLR outputs for the main zone plus a few additional zones. Marantz's SR8015 is capable of controlling up to 9 additional zones while Denon can do that with 11 devices in total. In my case, I'm just using Zone 2 which is connected directly to an old set of Infinity speakers but they also require an IEC power cable for operation so keep that in mind when planning your setup.

In terms of inputs/outputs, both have a ton of them available at most used connection standards such as HDMI, optical or coaxial SPDIF, analog stereo, and even 7.1 pre-out connections for external amplifiers if required. I personally don't use any of those since I'm using a discrete 5.1 setup and the only input/output I really need is HDMI for my UHD blu ray player and virtual Dolby Atmos speaker outputs (my ceiling speakers require the additional amp to work).

Power

  • Marantz SR8015 uses more power than Denon AVR-X6700H with its main zone running at about 200 Watts while the second one, Zone 2 runs at 100Watts which is still plenty unless you plan on powering some massive speakers in there.
  • Denon AVR-X6700H offers variable loudness control so you can turn down or increase your listening level independently from program material or even just manually without affecting anything else. Denon AVR-X6700H has a 230Watt power supply while Marantz SR8015 has a bigger 260Watt one.

Setup

Setting these receivers up is easier than it looks and anyone with some level of experience in setting them up won't have any issues getting through the initial setup screens. Both offer an intuitive setup process that can be completed within minutes and doesn't require more than basic knowledge of how to use the remote control.

  • Marantz SR8015 uses their unique "Setup Assistant" where you can get familiar with all features offered by this receiver before getting into the actual setup process while Denon AVR-X6700H offers a more conventional "Initial Setup Menu" where you get to connect speakers, source devices, or even configure networking if required. Both offer auto-setup functionality but it's not recommended to use them since the sound quality will be compromised significantly.
  • Denon AVR-X6700H allows you to select different listening modes depending on what you're watching (Movie, Music, etc) while Marantz SR8015 requires manual selection of appropriate listening mode every time you wish to change it.

Remote Control

Both receivers use so-called "three-button" remote control which is becoming more and more common with other manufacturers starting to abandon four/five-button remotes altogether for this simpler solution. This is one thing that I really like about both these receivers since they are easy to get used to and operate without having to memorize too many buttons. They have a dedicated "Mute" button which is something I personally love since it can be easily accessed by my thumb while holding the remote control.

Both come with a dedicated "Setup" button on the remote control for easier access when doing the initial setup with either one of these receivers so no complaints here as this is just how they work overall.

Other Features

I'm not going to list all features that both receivers have as those are already listed in online spec sheets but you also get built-in wi-fi, Bluetooth connectivity, Airplay integration, multi-zone functionality and more depending on your specific needs.

Something worth mentioning here:

  • Denon AVR-X6700H has a more visually appealing "On Screen Display" menu system while Marantz SR8015 uses a simplistic text-based one which I personally prefer since there's no need to pour over a bunch of visuals in order to adjust different settings.
  • Denon AVR-X6700H can be controlled using your phone or tablet via their free "Denon Remote App" available on the iOS and Android platforms while Marantz SR8015 can be controlled using either Denon's own proprietary app or any third-party ones such as Roon, UPnP, etc. Both apps offer similar functionality and allow you to control the receiver from anywhere in your house where you have internet connectivity so it really just depends on what kind of experience you're looking for.

 

Conclusion

Both of these receivers are excellent in their own right and it really comes down to your personal preference between an in-depth, detailed sound or a smooth, laid-back one.

Marantz SR8015 offers more conventional functionality with the dedicated "Initial Setup Menu", and two-zone functionality while Denon AVR-X6700H allows you to select different listening modes depending on what you're watching (Movie, Music, etc) and has a significantly better-looking overall user interface.

If we were to go purely by specs then Denon AVR-X6700H seems like a clear winner here but I personally prefer Marantz SR8015's for overall simplicity and ease of use which is why it's getting my vote for the better receiver.

I hope this comparison was helpful and you can now figure out which one of these two receivers is better for your needs.