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Post by boomzilla on Jun 25, 2018 13:09:37 GMT -5
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novisnick
EmoPhile
CEO Secret Monoblock Society
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Post by novisnick on Jun 25, 2018 13:35:53 GMT -5
Im so glad they published your article without hampering your writing style. Well written and honest. I couldn’t ask for more in any review. Thanks Glenn
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Post by garbulky on Jun 25, 2018 14:18:37 GMT -5
Cognratulations. Just a note the processor is not HDMI 2.0. It is at least HDMI 2.0a or perhaps even HDMI 2.0b, a significant difference. HDMI 2.0b can do HDR 10 and Dolby Vision and is the latest format out while HDMI 2.0 can't do either of those.
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Post by davidl81 on Jun 25, 2018 14:45:06 GMT -5
Is that processor just a re-branded Marantz AV8802? The OSD and remote are definitely a D&M design.
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Post by boomzilla on Jun 25, 2018 18:16:17 GMT -5
Is that processor just a re-branded Marantz AV8802? The OSD and remote are definitely a D&M design. Hi David - That's a very good question. Since I'm not familiar with the Marantz, I couldn't say. My suspicion is that McIntosh would NOT use a competitor's rebranded component. To say for sure, one would need to compare the interior design & layout between the two. But since Sound United owns Marantz & the Harman Group owns McIntosh, I'd think that any commonalities are cosmetic only. Boom
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Post by boomzilla on Jun 25, 2018 18:17:56 GMT -5
Cognratulations. Just a note the processor is not HDMI 2.0... My source for specifications was McInthsh's website (which. obviously, is not completely up to date).
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DYohn
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Post by DYohn on Jun 25, 2018 18:55:13 GMT -5
McIntosh could certainly be using Denon/Marantz technology since they were owned by them until a few years ago when they were purchased by the Fine Sounds group.
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Post by davidl81 on Jun 25, 2018 18:55:49 GMT -5
Is that processor just a re-branded Marantz AV8802? The OSD and remote are definitely a D&M design. Hi David - That's a very good question. Since I'm not familiar with the Marantz, I couldn't say. My suspicion is that McIntosh would NOT use a competitor's rebranded component. To say for sure, one would need to compare the interior design & layout between the two. But since Sound United owns Marantz & the Harman Group owns McIntosh, I'd think that any commonalities are cosmetic only. Boom I did a little digging and found out that it is based on the AV8802a, but with a different DAC and a few other small differences.
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DYohn
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Post by DYohn on Jun 25, 2018 19:26:06 GMT -5
Is that processor just a re-branded Marantz AV8802? The OSD and remote are definitely a D&M design. Hi David - That's a very good question. Since I'm not familiar with the Marantz, I couldn't say. My suspicion is that McIntosh would NOT use a competitor's rebranded component. To say for sure, one would need to compare the interior design & layout between the two. But since Sound United owns Marantz & the Harman Group owns McIntosh, I'd think that any commonalities are cosmetic only. Boom Harmon does not own McIntosh, Fine Sounds in Milan Italy does. Indeed, Fine Sounds now is calling itself the McIntosh Group. They also own Sonus Faber, Audio Research and a couple others. Harmon Group is no more, it's now a division of Samsung. D&M Global owns Denon, Marantz, Polk, Definitive Technology, Boston Acoustics and HEOS.
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Post by boomzilla on Jun 26, 2018 3:42:00 GMT -5
hard to keep up these days...
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Post by pedrocols on Jun 26, 2018 7:47:18 GMT -5
I know.
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Post by Bonzo on Jun 26, 2018 11:29:18 GMT -5
Hi David - That's a very good question. Since I'm not familiar with the Marantz, I couldn't say. My suspicion is that McIntosh would NOT use a competitor's rebranded component. To say for sure, one would need to compare the interior design & layout between the two. But since Sound United owns Marantz & the Harman Group owns McIntosh, I'd think that any commonalities are cosmetic only. Boom I did a little digging and found out that it is based on the AV8802a, but with a different DAC and a few other small differences. Just looking at the back, while the layout is different, the actual connections are basically the same. So its basically an 8802a with $3000 more tacked on for a different look and different DACs. Much like Cambridge and the Oppo line. Interesting.
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DYohn
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Post by DYohn on Jun 26, 2018 11:42:12 GMT -5
hard to keep up these days... And D&M owned McIntosh from 2008 to 2012. Denon/Marantz technology and software is the only reason why McIntosh was able to enter the home theater market.
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Post by Loop 7 on Jun 26, 2018 11:52:40 GMT -5
And D&M owned McIntosh from 2008 to 2012. Denon/Marantz technology and software is the only reason why McIntosh was able to enter the home theater market. Any information as to why D&M shed/sold/divested McIntosh from their portfolio of companies?
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DYohn
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Post by DYohn on Jun 26, 2018 12:03:40 GMT -5
I really don't know but I assume because Fine Sounds (Sonus Faber) made them an offer they couldn't refuse. Last year a management buy-out happened at Fine when they changed their name to the McIntosh Group. Same company with the same management, but I suppose they thought that name sounded better.
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Post by Bonzo on Jun 26, 2018 13:19:33 GMT -5
I find this subject a little glass half full glass half empty depending on how you look at it. Some people might say McIntosh is "pulling a Lexicon" so to speak. Others may say that they took something great and just made it their own. Others may say they took something sub par and improved it. Others will say McIntosh has never been all it's cracked up to be and here's the proof. Others may even say they sold out to be a pop star.
I'm sort of thinking a couple other things here myself. First, many people here on the forum are quick to bash the mainstream companies like everything they make is automatically inferior to boutique brands like Emotiva. I don't believe that myself. My Denon receiver is on 13 years now and I've had not one single hickup, and my Denon Universal player sounds much better in my room than the highly rated Oppo 105. Second, everyone always seems to down play Marantz here (and never even discuss Denon), but they almost always talk about the 7703 or something lesser, very rarely the 8802a or 8805. Even Marantz themselves will tell you tell you the 8802a and 8805 quality has not trickled down yet; that its head and shoulders above the rest. Third, by all accounts, the Marantz 8802a, Anthem AVM60, and the XMC-1 ALL have very good sound quality. They vary in features and prices of course, but they are all good quality units; none should be bashed while another receives nothing but praise. Lastly, McIntosh using one of those to enable them to sell a good high end processor is a compliment to that processor if you ask me. Sure, they had a relationship there with D&M, but, does anyone really think McIntosh would risk their rock solid reputation on a whim? I don't. I think they saw the 8802a as an amazing piece of equipment (just like Sound & Vision did when they made it product of the year), put it in their own more expesive chassis, and tuned the sound to closly match their other components. Seems like a win for everyone.
Just talking out loud.....
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DYohn
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Post by DYohn on Jun 26, 2018 13:27:27 GMT -5
Bonzo, my go-to audio brand is and has been Marantz since the 1970's. They make some of the best sounding and finest operating gear on the planet. And compared to some competitors their pricing is amazingly low.
McIntosh using Marantz technology is what I call "smart business."
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Post by Bonzo on Jun 26, 2018 13:39:28 GMT -5
Bonzo, my go-to audio brand is and has been Marantz since the 1970's. They make some of the best sounding and finest operating gear on the planet. And compared to some competitors their pricing is amazingly low. McIntosh using Marantz technology is what I call "smart business." +1 I know I'm coming across to some as pro Marantz since that's what I bought last year. That's okay, I probably am. But more what I'm trying to say is that Marantz and Denons and Yamahas of the world aren't nearly as downtrodden as many people here make them out to be. But I will say this. I also feel like Emotiva and the XMC-1 had a direct hand in helping us consumers have more options. I feel like without the XMC-1, Anthem and Marantz may have not stepped up their game at lower price points like/when they did, seemingly at the same time. Makes me wonder what they have in store for competition to the RMC-1. I guess we'll see, because they have the resources.
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Post by mgbpuff on Jun 26, 2018 14:00:30 GMT -5
As companies are bought and sold who knows how they are going to change. Initial announcements are always that the tradition will be carried forward. Businessmen lie a lot. Marantz of the 50s and 60s was legendary, then Sony Superscope bought it in 1964 and it became mediocre. In 1980 Phillips bought it and it became a notable product again especially in cd transports that Phillips was instrumental in development. In 2008 what was later to become D&M took over and now Sound Fines owns both Marantz and McIntosh. McIntosh was a loner, do it differently type company. Its a good bet that McIntosh will change due to common supply chains and therefore higher profits. Bye bye McIntosh, as we knew ye. Ole Blue, you're toast. Good news for owners of the old McIntosh equipment in the resale market.
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Post by creimes on Jun 26, 2018 14:07:50 GMT -5
Bonzo, my go-to audio brand is and has been Marantz since the 1970's. They make some of the best sounding and finest operating gear on the planet. And compared to some competitors their pricing is amazingly low. McIntosh using Marantz technology is what I call "smart business." I can't say that about the AV7702 processor I owned for a bit, was the worst sounding piece of gear I have ever owned, my Sherbourn 7020C4 put it to shame, not saying as a whole for Marantz all their stuff is bad but that processor was lifelees sounding, brought me back to the days of using a low end Yamaha receiver. Just my experience of course YMMV Chad
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