Marantz SR5015 Reviews – Great Sound at a Great Price!

The Marantz SR5015 offers a lot of features in the sub $2K market. To start, it has all the things you'd expect out of an AV receiver - Bluetooth connectivity with support for wireless audio streaming, multi-zone speaker configurations including pre-outs for Zone 2 and 3, multichannel audio decoding (7 channels), HDMI switching (8 inputs/2 outputs), iPod/iPhone connectivity, internet radio, Airplay compatibility and more.

The Marantz SR5015 is THX Select2 Plus certified which means it's supposed to be capable of very high sound quality. Most importantly though, this receiver is fully compatible with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X object-based surround sound formats which are gaining momentum right now.

Given that this is a product that's squarely aimed at the high end of the market, there are some custom features too - including Cinema Pure Audio mode which was developed with Marantz's own sound designers to give you better sound quality for movie-watching.

It also comes with an AccuEQ calibration system so you can have your speakers effectively measured by the receiver and they'll all be calibrated automatically based on the data it receives.

Multipoint technology allows the pairing of up to 8 Bluetooth devices simultaneously so you don't have to constantly re-pair everything every time you want to use them. There's also support for Siri (or Google Home) if you're into smart home tech.

Design

The Marantz SR5015 is an AV receiver with excellent build quality. The front panel comes with a glossy black finish and has a clean design.

Its dimensions, allow you to place it on a shelf or on the floor. On the front, there are some buttons for controlling the power, input selection, and volume as well as a notable tray-loading CD mechanism.

On top of the device, there are balanced XLR outputs along with other professional inputs.

In terms of weight, it measures 44 lbs (20 kg) which makes it very solid and stable during playback - even at higher volumes. There is also enough room for ventilation behind the back cover that can be easily removed by hand without any additional tools required.

Aesthetic design is very important for audio components. The SR5015 offers everything one would expect from a receiver with clean lines, a glossy finish on the front, and aluminum faceplates on both sides.

Built quality is top-notch, all of the sockets are solid and feel strong enough to handle heavy-duty use without any issues. I've used this device every day at home for about 6 months by now and it's holding up perfectly fine - no visible wear marks or blemishes whatsoever even after rough handling while mounting/dismounting cables or pushing around some furniture.

The Marantz SR5015 AV Receiver has 11 total inputs (8 HDMI inputs) which are more than sufficient for most users who are getting started in home theater setups. The front face has a USB port, headphone jack, and several buttons that can be used to control power, input selection, volume, or even engage the built-in equalizer if you want to manually tune your audio setup for different types of media.

Features

The Marantz SR5015 has a very flexible and powerful feature list. One of the most important things about this device is that it comes with the AMX NetLinx integrated control system which allows you to use your smartphone or tablet device to change inputs, adjust the volume, or even engage/disengage different features such as equalizer presets, etc..

The remote for this unit offers backlit keys, making it easier to control during dark environment playback. There are dedicated keys for input selection as well as access to different media types (such as video games), allowing you to quickly switch among those sources without digging through multiple menus on screen. Most importantly, there's also an Apple Airplay button that allows you to stream music from your iPhone/iPad directly out of your receiver.

The Marantz SR5015 also comes with a remote app for iOS/Android devices which makes wireless control even better. All of the aforementioned features are very convenient and make it easy to use this receiver without any issues. Finally, there's also an available IR remote if you prefer to stick with physical buttons instead.

Sound Quality

The sound quality is excellent - I was more than impressed after listening to different types of media including movies, TV shows, and music. It has enough power on tap to fill up my living room exceptionally well while retaining crisp details during playback - especially when used along with powerful bookshelf speakers.

If you plan on using low-quality small speakers then I would recommend trying out some active units instead of buying this AV receiver. But if you want the best of the best then I would definitely recommend checking out Marantz SR5015 after looking at its features and performance.

This is a great option for people who like to enjoy their movies, TV shows, or games using surround sound - even though it doesn't have any built-in surround functionality i.e. there are not 6 sets of RCA outputs in total but only 2 pairs.

If you plan on getting separate speakers later on, either to create a 5+1 setup or 7 channels system, this device should work perfectly fine with them because it's very flexible in terms of setting up your audio layout. You can use Front/Surround/Cinema/Back Surround options to configure your audio output accordingly.

Usability & Connectivity

The device comes with a remote that has easy-to-use navigation keys - it's very useful for switching inputs or adjusting volume, but the downside is that it doesn't have any menu options. If you are using an iPhone/iPad then there's also an available app that lets you control many functions of this receiver. You can even change settings such as surround sound layout, display resolution/channel setup, etc.

This is great because some users might prefer using apps and having dedicated hardware buttons in their living room instead of dealing with software menus on the TV screen itself. The only downside in terms of usability is that downmixing isn't available - if your source uses Dolby TrueHD or DTS HD Master Audio formats then the Marantz SR5015 will just pass them through without processing them into different audio formats.

NOTE: The SR5015 doesn't support Apple Airplay 2 protocol at this point in time which means you can't stream audio directly from a newer version of iOS devices (such as iPhone 6/7/8, iPad Pro etc..) probably until the end of 2018. Otherwise, the device does come with an Ethernet port to connect it to your ISP via cable or wirelessly using an 802.11ac wireless adapter built-in.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Flexible feature set - There are many ways to control this receiver including using a smartphone app (both Android & iOS), physical remote, and dedicated buttons on the front panel itself. It's super easy to configure the device once it's plugged in, and if you have a TV that supports multiple resolutions then you can use HDMI-CEC to control both of them using one remote.
• Powerful feature set - The receiver has everything you need to create a complete 7.2 surround sound system that will cover your living room completely. There are 5 physical HDMI inputs on the back along with 1 output so there should be more than enough for most users including gamers or movie lovers who want to connect their older generation consoles such as PS3/XBOX 360 etc...
• Flexible setup options - You can use either 2 speakers (Left & Right) or all 6 (Front, Centre, Side/Surround left & right). If you're planning on using a 5+1 or 7.2 speaker configuration then you can still use 2 speakers and get digital audio data from any channel.
• Audyssey calibration - This is one of the key features that sold me because it makes tuning your room for the best possible sound output easy. You just plug in a microphone into this receiver and Audyssey takes care of everything including distance, the number of speakers and their placement, etc... This is a great feature for people who don't have experience with setting up surround sound systems properly so they get to enjoy good quality movies every time they play them!
• Good overall Sound Quality - The device has many options such as pre-outs for connecting external amps so you can buy a dedicated amplifier if you want better power delivery overall. The sound quality is good overall with clear dialogues and intense action sequences without much distortion. I was surprised that it's able to play 24-bit/192KHz audio files as well as decode DSD512 (Direct Stream Digital) format which was done via PCM conversion. This means that this receiver can deliver similar or even better sound quality than $500+ dedicated DACs!

Cons:

• Slow interface - The device has a slow interface and sometimes you need to wait for a few seconds before it responds after navigating around menus using the remote control.
• Limited UHD disc playback - You can't play 4K discs on this device if you're planning on connecting your PS4 Pro directly because the player is not compatible with the UHD disc format. There's no workaround to this problem at the moment except for using a PC or laptop as a source that can read 4K discs using a UHD drive.
• No Dolby Vision Support - The device doesn't support the latest HDR formats such as Dolby Vision or HDR10+ so you are stuck with either HDCP 2.2/1.4 standard on HDMI ports if your TV supports it. This means that you won't get 4K resolution, a wider color gamut, or the ability to play future movies in a higher dynamic range via Ultra HD Blu-ray discs...

 

The Marantz SR5015 is the perfect receiver for a home theater setup. With its ample power and features, it can handle virtually any audio or video application you can throw at it. It’s also built with high-quality components, so it will provide years of reliable service. If you’re in the market for a new receiver, we highly recommend the Marantz SR5015.