#TOTAL AV REVIEWS CNET 1080P#
#TOTAL AV REVIEWS CNET UPDATE#

With far more Atmos and DTS:X content to make the most of its outstanding processing abilities, the AV8802A is arguably more suited to todayвЂ™s home cinema environment than ever. Play anything from stereo music to an Atmos- encoded Blu-ray thriller and it never disappoints or feels over-gunned. ItвЂ™s not quite the full-bore action-fest of some of its peers, but it is perhaps better suited to a much wider range of material. It isВ supremely neutral, with a sprightly and articulate balance. Two years of constant use hasnвЂ™t diminished that impressive sound and the Marantz still rocks. The Marantz simply delivers solid features and stunning sound at a very appealing price. Yet their asking price is heading towards вЂsmall family carвЂ™ territory, so they were unlikely to take up residence here any longer than the review period. Models from the likes of Anthem, Krell, Bryston and Datasat have all recreated a bigger, truer cinematic presence in my listening room and delivered just as much detail too. Not at its relatively affordable price, anyway. Few processors can match its ability to find detail within a soundtrack and fully unravel a complex multi channel mix. This processor ekes out whole new layers of depth and articulation over my previous Denon and backs that up with plenty of clout. You wouldnвЂ™t buy the AV8802A for its video tweaks: you buy it for its sound quality, which is sublime.

#TOTAL AV REVIEWS CNET 1080P#

It can upscale 1080p content to 4K (although my source gear and display does that, too) and is certified by the Imaging Science Foundation with a full selection of optional ISFccc video calibration controlsвЂ¦ which I have never used.

#TOTAL AV REVIEWS CNET UPDATE#

Possibly more by luck than judgment, it happily passes through HDR10 as well (and Dolby Vision high dynamic range content will be supported by a firmware update in 2018). Video- wise, this big beast supports 4K passthrough (including 50Hz/60Hz and 4:4:4 colour). Its twin antennas look the part, too, although its wired Ethernet connection has been my go-to connection. I did, however, moan at the lack of a built-in Ethernet hub at the time (as Sony had just put a hub on its flagshipВ AVR) but that has proven far less of an issue in an era of ubiquitous Wi-Fi connectivity. The AV8802A saw the end of S-video connectivity, which isnвЂ™t something anyone was going to complain about. While AudysseyвЂ™s excellent, if faux, DSX front-height processing is still doable on the AV8802A, the big draw here is genuine three-dimensional surround sound thanks to object-based audio processing. Waving a fond farewell to the outgoing Denon AVP- A1HDA, the Marantz heralded in an era of true height channels at Stevenson Ranch. Two years on and the Marantz is the heart of my home cinema system, delivering stunning AV performance on a weekly basis. Reviewing the AV8802A ended in an inevitable, bank account-sapping conclusion. ItвЂ™s still topping MarantzвЂ™s AV range, so can the venerable AV8802A still claim itвЂ™s red-carpet status as we head into 2018? WhatвЂ™s good about it? A later firmware update added DTS:X playback, and you could extend your 3D audio obsession to Auro3D if you were prepared to pay for the upgrade. TWO YEARS AGO, the вЂAвЂ™ suffix variant brought MarantzвЂ™s flagship AV8802 processor bang up-to-date, allowing full-fat 11-channel Dolby Atmos processing and 4K passthrough via HDMI with HDCP 2.2 support.

Total av reviews cnet