Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Starting to oggle new gear

The Marantz has much finer resolution (0.1 ft) for distance and also Audyssey XT32 with individual dual sub support and ability to tweak the curves. You can also turn off correction for the mains. I think it supports a newer HDMI standard too. I like the internal layout much better and I expect with HDAM and current feedback, the Marantz would give better imaging and soundstage than the Onk.

Refurbished sucks a bit but you have 90 days.

Not sure this will matter much. The difference of 12 inches and the speed of sound...


I've heard the Onkyo version is also generally quite good but i have none right now and have yet to EQ my room (like with REW) so at the present time i can say ignorance is bliss. Hence, does the room correction matter?
Something i want to tinker with but, not necessarily looking for as a must have feature.


Interesting but as a pro audio friend once said, unless you have an EQ system with hundreds of small individual correction sliders, tweaking a short curve with wide frequency ranges isn't very accurate.
I haven't yet looked at the user manuals to see what the Onk has/does vs. the Marantz. I'm on the fence as to whether i'll buy this new AVR soon to get these deals before stock disappears, otherwise i'm waiting another year.


As mentioned earlier, i don't think the new HDMI will have much to do with our situation. No expectation of going to 8k tv anytime soon given the still limited situation with 4k alone.
We aren't gaming on this system and even if we did, unless we had visual jitter issues (and we don't on our upstairs tv with a Nintendo Switch), then...it's moot.
What else does the next gen HDMI provide that we will use?
Nothing that i've read about but that fact that it has 'future' proofed this element does tug at my conscience.


I won't guess as to sound quality since the AVRs all have features to tweak things like soundstage. My present Onk has a feature that i have used and it does widen the centre channel soundstage quite impressively.
I plan on replacing our VP150 with a VP180 though so...


This is probably the biggest thing that holds me back. I just read a thread in AVS on a guy who bought this exact refurb unit and also from Crutchfield and was reporting some issues. He should have returned it.
A good price on it for sure and again i like its looks better but i have to ask myself if that extra $100 is worth anything.

Ive had Marantz. Sent it packing and bought Anthem. Best investment in audio after converting to Axiom LFR's

You don't know what you may be missing with room correction until you try it. Audyssey XT32 helped me big time. v2 got cleaned up real good. v4 is much better than v2 without EQ but it still benefits. Judging by how the actives sound in my living room relative to all other v4, they likely won't need any EQ in my main room. I know Onk's EQ has improved over the years but users report it is not up to XT32 standards.

Oh i'm interested in trying it but i don't expect it to solve every inch of non linearity. They've gotten better over the years and now take into account multiple seating locations rather than just one which is smart so having any room EQ will be interesting to tinker with.
However i still need a means to measure the results. Can't run REW if i don't have a laptop or a microphone. Other options or opinions on this are welcome.

I just use my ears to guide me. That's quite unusual for me because I am very data-driven. I have found that Audyssey XT32 works better for me if I calibrate very close to my ears. I only use three measurements: MLP, 6" to the left and 6" to the right. Belive it or not, this also sounds better for all my other seating positions around the room.

I would likely use both. First, hear the before and after difference, maybe decide if i like one over the other, and then check the measurements to see what was done so i don't pre-bias my preference based on measurements.

I've always found our bass during big scenes to be a bit anemic so it's possible i might like the sound of a bump in the lower end (not so linear). I could do this now of course, but if i turned the EP350 gain up too much it would start some port chuff, reduced with some batting way back but has still been a long time coming for a replacement. It's why i'm eyeballing an EP500 instead, or possibly two.
One thing rolls into another.
If we get a newer, larger, flatter tv, then it will get wall mounted. As such, i'll have space under the tv to put a rack for gear (which is presently in shelves to the left of the tv/speakers) which will also give me a counter to put the new centre speaker.
Then i'll have more space to the left of the tv/speakers to put a second sub as the gear will have been moved to under the tv area.

Is it mid-bass you lack or sub-bass? Both of mine improved significantly with v4 sealed. The boost switch really helps with mids by boosting 55 to 85Hz by 6dB. The active LFRs are BEASTS when it comes to bass. Better than subs for music.

It is bass at the lower end. Music sounds great with the M60s alone, direct signal.
If i were to play some organ music then certainly i would know i don't have the low bass notes and would have to switch to DPL II or something to have the subwoofer kick in.
It is more in movies where there's big explosions and there isn't an appropriate corresponding low end rumble of equivalent or expected magnitude.
The sub doesn't pressurize the room enough again short of turning up the gain and chancing port chuff noises. It's been awhile since i played around with the gain so i might try that first again.

Remind me again how big that room is in Winterpeg.