Marantz AV8801 & MM8077 Review

Good sound is not free, and that goes for your home theater as well. Although there are many brilliant and cheap home theater amplifiers that really proves why you should go for a home theater with separate components, it becomes something completely different when you move up to the heavyweight class.

The most obvious is more muscle and thus a more hard-hitting sound. But the biggest weakness of cheap, integrated home theater amplifiers is that they normally do not play music as well as a dedicated stereo amplifier. Home theater amplifiers have more complex circuits, with many components in the processor and amplification section, which affects the sound signal while it is still in the low level stadium and therefore very vulnerable to interference. It provides a less than optimal condition for sound quality, so it may be a good idea to divide the processor and power amplifier in two different units.

​Another clear advantage of splitting the amplifier into two parts is that it provides flexibility. Then it is easy to replace the power amplifier later on, or add more power amplifiers and bi-amping any channels you may want. And would you rather use active speakers, you are better off with just the processor.

​The AV8801 Processor

​The biggest impact on the audio signal is often done in the processor. This is where the digital signal is processed and distributed in god knows how many channels, and it is also where the video circuitry sits. A modern processor must also make estimates of the acoustics of the room using a microphone to set the speakers optimally, and it should have good video processing. My advice is therefore to not go for the cheapest processor.

​The processor has automatic room correction of type Audyssey MultEQ XT32. It is Audysseys most advanced room correction for the consumer market and compensate for the acoustics by measuring and calculating up to eight seats in the room. And with 32-bit resolution.

​Streaming

​In addition to the digital audio and video via HDMI and other cables (there's even phono input) AV8801 has a built-in DLNA networking feature. That means it can be connected to a network cable and then stream music directly from a network computer. Many music formats are supported, including Apple Lossless, FLAC, MP3 and WAV. It also features AirPlay and can play music wirelessly directly from an iPhone or iPad in lossless quality.

​Spotify is also built-in. We recommend that you download the Marantz Remote App for iOS or Android, and using a smart phone or tablet device as a remote control and search engine to find the music in Spotify's huge music library.

​The MM8077 Power Amplifier

​The effect of 7 x 150 watts into 8 ohms is specified with two channels operating simultaneously. I would have liked a measurement with all channels driven at the same time, but you can also look at the power consumption. At maximum load the amplifier draws 880 watts from the power supply, which may correspond to just under 100 watts per channel after we accounted for heat loss. That´s still more than most cheap receivers can dream of.

​Balanced Connection

​Both the processor and power amplifier can choose between unbalanced RCA and balanced XLR on all channels. We know from experience that the XLR usually sound better because it minimizes interference. This is especially true if you have long cables and is therefore useful if you have multiroom zones.

​Usability

​Hooking up a separated amplifier combination is not much more difficult than hooking up a normal home theater receiver. Just make sure to connect all the outputs of the processor to the corresponding inputs of the power amplifier, and the speaker outputs to the correct speakers.

​During testing, we used Oppo's brilliant BDP-105D blu-ray player, which is connected with a HDMI cable. The AV8801 processor handles all the signal processing, both audio and video.

​The Menu System

​Marantz has focused on a clear and simple on-screen display in list form rather than impressive graphics and other kinds of frippery. As with most surround products, there are a lot of features to familiarize with, but if you are in a hurry to get started, you'll come a long way by plugging in the measuring microphone and run the automatic calibration. When it is finished, the Audysseys sound mode is enabled by default. If you want to adjust any EQ settings you can do so in the menu system afterwards. I must admit I think the remote is a little lacking and have too few direct functions. It should be possible to turn off Audyssey with a direct button. There is a remote app for Android and Apple phones that provide better overview, but that is also a little too stripped down for my taste.

​In our room, Audyssey gives a boost in sound, even with our lavish THX speaker system from Procella. It provided a better tonal cohesion between channels.

​A Capella In Surround

​The 2L-release "Song" with Uranienborg Vocal Ensemble is an amazing sounding a capella recording on blu-ray. The soundstage is big and the sound from Uranienborg church hovers like a gas around the listener. This recording utilizes multichannel sound very well, with perfect phase. The recording calls for the whole frequency range and a phase correct channel separation.

​With the Marantz as a conductor, music sounds big, airy and encircling. The illusion works very well, when I close my eyes, I believe I'm sitting in a church. A couple of extra height speakers in the front works well as an extension of a traditional 5.1 system and provides a three dimensional feel.

​The AV8801 has full control of the phase and it makes the 15-inch Procella P15 subwoofer do its best. Because even if the subwoofer does most of the job on its own, with a built-in amp of 2 x 350 watts - a channel for each of the 15-inches! - it's important to have a clean signal to get a tight and resolved bass. The bass lines in the chorus sounds like an integral part of the whole with Marantz, instead of sounding separate from the rest.

​Movies In Surround

​Most people who buy this kind of multi-channel amplifier combination will use it primarily for movies (and video games). And in that discipline, the Marantz really excels.

​When I watch the movie I do not miss more intense dynamics in the same way as when I listen to music.

​Another Power Amplifier

​This applies until the power amplifier is replaced. I want to confirm that it is the power amplifier that is holding the combo back, and I do so by plugging in a much more potent (and expensive) amplifier.

​It is of course quite another experience. The soundstage has a greater calm, a blacker background that makes the contrasts stand out more. And it is obvious that also movies has much to gain by maximizing the sound of the power amplifier.

​I just want to bring out and emphasize the quality of the processor. AV8801 is quite exquisite and decodes audio signals in a masterly manner.

​About Streaming

​Speaking of music in stereo, streaming music will probably be a major application for the Marantz combination. The processor allows you to easily stream music from your computer network and it becomes perhaps even easier with the remote app for smart phones (iOS and Android). But the installation is pretty basic, and so is the app. That means you are not able to make playlists directly, but must load the ones you already have on your computer. The same goes with Spotify. This is something that can become annoying when you get friends to visit and want to change playlists quickly. The interface of the AV8801 can not measure up to the Sonos, Blue Sound, Simple Audio, to name just a few.

Conclusion

There is much to gain by splitting the home theater amplifier into two parts. It's far easier to upgrade, but more important is that the sound is better if you have a separate processor. The Marantz combination of the AV8801 and MM8077 gives a completely different listening experience than an integrated solution.