Marantz Surround Sound vs Denon Surround sound
When looking to kit out your surround sound system, you could notice two particular brand names popping up particularly often as you shop: Marantz and Denon. Both companies produce a wide range of audio equipment that can be assembled to form an effective surround sound system.
Whether you want to engage in gaming, watching films or TV or even just listening to music, the right surround sound setup can help you to hear every little detail in crisp clarity – from the gentle rustling of foliage as you play Call of Duty to explosions in the background of an exhilarating action movie.
As many audiophiles will tell you, Marantz and Denon are two of the most reliable purveyors of surround sound systems for the home. Furthermore, these two brands are now owned by the same company, making it even easier for their kit to be seamlessly integrated into existing audio setups.
Which receiver is better: Denon or Marantz?
Your surround sound system’s audiovisual receiver – otherwise dubbed an AV receiver, AVR or simply receiver – is its central hub to which the rest of your entertainment equipment will be connected. Your choice of receiver will also affect the quality of the sound you hear.
As a general rule, a Marantz receiver would be better if you intend to primarily blast music through your surround sound speakers, as Marantz is more accurate and articulate in its sound. Meanwhile, Denon’s warmer and brighter sound lends itself well to home theatre use.
You should also keep in mind what speakers you already have. For example, if those speakers are already warm, a Marantz receiver would be better for them, as a Denon one could muffle the sound. In contrast, flatter speakers go well with Denon’s brighter receivers.
How the histories of Marantz and Denon are intertwined
The Japanese company of Denon was founded in 1910 and, over the ensuing decades, merged with various other companies – leading Denon’s product offering to broaden significantly. Today, the brand’s main product categories include speakers, amplifiers and home theatre equipment.
Though Marantz is today headquartered in the Japanese prefecture of Kanagawa, the company was established in Kew Gardens, New York by Saul Marantz in 1953. This American musician was eager to make equipment that would reproduce music how it was always intended to be heard.
In 2002, Denon and Marantz merged to form D&M Holdings Inc., which was later renamed D+M Group and, in 2017, acquired by Sound United LLC. As a result, many Denon and Marantz audio products now have certain technologies in common, such as the wireless multi-room audio platform HEOS (Home Entertainment Operating System).
Does Marantz sound better than Denon?
Given the respective histories of Marantz and Denon, it is perhaps unsurprising that the former’s gear is best suited to music connoisseurs, while Denon kit comes into its own as part of a home theatre setup. Generally, the Marantz sound has the edge over Denon’s in delivering:
- Light and non-aggressive sound effects
- Smooth equalisation
- Present but not overpowering bass
- Present but not muddy mids
- Present but not overly loud mids
- Excellent all-round sound quality
All the same, it’s worth pointing out that these audio differences are often only discernible at higher price ranges. Denon kit and Marantz gear from the same price bracket will usually remain comparable in sound quality, especially as they can be fine-tuned to sound similar.
How Denon and Marantz hardware differs in design
When you want to utterly immerse yourself in the music, you probably don’t want the electronic equipment producing it to look too conspicuous. All the same, though, an overly sleek and streamlined design can be at the expense of functionality – as typified by many models of receiver.
Many Marantz receivers are built with a little dial at the front for controlling the volume. In this instance, you will need to open a flap-down screen on the receiver to see a lot of other crucial information, such as the sound system’s actual volume and which speakers are in use.
Denon receivers show this kind of information too, but normally all on a display screen right at the front of the unit. As a result, you may prefer a Denon receiver if you want to see all of this information at once, even if you would potentially have to settle for a boxier design as a result.
What surround sound should I use for my home cinema?
Often, for a lounge or media room, a surround sound 5.1 system – known as this due to its arrangement of five speakers and a bass subwoofer – will more than suffice. However, as a home cinema is likely to be a larger space, you should consider a 7.1 surround sound system for it instead.
This is so-called as, while it has much in common with a 5.1 system, it includes a further two speakers placed behind the audience. The front-centre speakers can then be used for dialogue and the back and side speakers for ambient side effects, making for a stunningly immersive atmosphere.
As for surround sound encoding, the two object-based audio formats supported by most receivers are Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. As DTS:X can more easily accommodate a higher number of speakers in a larger range of positions, you could find it the better choice for your home cinema.
How we can help you to build a surround sound system
It bears emphasis that what brand you should source your surround sound equipment from will depend on how you intend to use it. This is why, if you want to have a surround sound system installed in your London home, you must book a free consultation so that we can discern your needs.
Another important factor will be where you want all of the gear to be fitted. Hence, after we have held the consultation with you, the next step would be for you to book a free home visit, where we will turn up at your property to assess the space you have set aside for the surround sound system.
Along the way, we can help you to select all of the right pieces for this system, from the speakers to the receiver – culminating in our team installing a home surround sound system that just works. Feel free to phone us on 0203 865 6433 to learn more.