Marantz NR1506 Review

​When it comes to home theater equipment, especially amplifiers, it is not uncommon amongst enthusiasts to believe in the notion that bigger is somehow better. But, for some, the option of filling the living room with big bulky amplifiers or AV receivers is out of the question, either for aesthetical or practical reasons. The good news is that Marantz offers a solution to this problem with their 17.3" x 14.8" x 4.1" slimline NR1506 AV receiver, catering to customers who wants a more inconspicuous home theater installation in their living room.

​The NR1506 looks exactly like its predecessor, the NR1504, and the only way to tell them apart is the model number and some changes to the rear panel. Belonging to Marantz's slimline series and only being 4.1 inches high makes the NR1506 a perfect candidate as the main hub of a scaled down home theater. And while it may be less visually demanding compared to its full-size AV receiver siblings in the Marantz catalog, it still has a long enough list of features to appease even the more demanding home theater enthusiast.

Features and Functionality

​One of the more noticeable differences between the previous model and the NR1506 is the two rotatable antennas mounted on the back for wireless connection to bluetooth devices or a Wi-Fi setup. The 1506 also supports AirPlay for wireless communication with iDevices.

​New is also the six HDMI 2.0a ports with 4K Ultra HD compatability, capable of 60 Hz full rate content, 4:4:4 Pure Color sub-sampling and 21:9 aspect ratio pass-through. It's also HDCP 2.2 compliant, which is a requirement for 4K Ultra HD copy-protected content. Five of the HDMI inputs are placed at the back and one is conveniently placed in the front for easy access. 3D content is also covered, and the HDMI output supports ARC (Audio Return Channel) for receiving audio from an ARC compatible TV.

​The NR1506 handles streaming of wireless audio signals very well thanks to the two RF antennas, and both bluetooth and Wi-Fi worked fine without any break-up or interference during the test. If you want to you can also connect it to the internet, either wirelessly or hard-wired via the RJ-45 Ethernet LAN port, and get access to a multitude of internet radio channels, or streaming music services like Spotify Connect and Pandora, for example.

It's also DLNA 1.5 certified for compatibility with PC, Mac and NAS and allows you to stream lossy formats like MP3, AAC, WMA, AIFF, and lossless formats like WAV, FLAC 192/24, DSD (2.8 MHz) and ALAC while also supporting Gapless Playback. 

​Thanks to a well designed user interface (although a bit crude visually), and the clearly laid out controls on the front of the receiver and the remote control, it is very quick and easy to set up and use the NR1506. At first, the 'Setup Assistant' takes you through the process step-by-step, and is very helpful if you're inexperienced or not used to installing and setting up home theater systems - all you need to do is to follow the instructions, select speaker options, etc.

​To optimize the performance of the receiver, Marantz has chosen Audyssey's MultEQ calibration system and also include a measuring microphone and mic stand. It calibrates the speakers using up to six measuring positions to get the best possible result, and a step-by-step guide will provide assistance to make sure that the calibration gets done properly.

Once the calibration is done you will be asked if you want to activate 'Dynamic EQ' (features advanced DSP processing to deliver full range wide-band response, even at reduced volume levels) and 'Dynamic Volume' (features advanced psycho-acoustic processing to deliver clear dialog and wide range sound at reduced volume levels so that you can enjoy theater-level clarity at whatever listening level you choose). If you're not pleased with the results of the automatic calibration you have the option to adjust the levels to your liking, or you can skip it altogether and set it up manually using your (golden) ears or a dB level meter and a tape measure.

Sound Quality

​Listening to a wide variety of music in a wide variety of genres, the NR1506 revealed a very organic and musical sounding character with a surprising amount of power and authority at odds with its compact size. It did a good job at conveying harmonial structures, giving instruments and vocals nuance and texture. It also painted a large and spatial soundstage, both in width and depth, and it was fairly easy to pin-point the different instruments within that space.

​Moving on to multichannel audio, and we're yet again amazed by how potent this little Marantz sounds. Using two subwoofers obviously adds to the extra sense of power, but it's hard to believe that it's rated at only 50 watts per channel (20Hz~20kHz, .08%THD, 8 ohms), and it only shows its limitations when you turn up the volume to levels that will either cause hearing impairment or get you into trouble with the neighbors - probably both.

​The NR1506 was very convincing with effects-heavy movies, like 'Star Wars', 'The Lord of The Rings' and 'The Dark Knight' trilogies - so much that it was at times hard to remember to listen critically as it was so easy to get swept away by the stories that unfolded before our eyes (and ears of course). The modestly sized receiver did an equally good job with more subtle storytelling and less effects-laden movies, where it could demonstrate its ability to paint soundscapes with plenty of details and atmosphere. The overall musicality and fluidity also lended itself well to multichannel music as well, and it was hard to resist stomping our feet (or banging our heads) to the beat of the music. It is quite remarkable how much aural joy Marantz has managed to cram into such a small unit.