Marantz SR-6015 Observations / Advice Needed

SonnenKinder

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Hopefully I'm posting in the right sub-forum...

I recently picked up a SR-6015 from RS to replace my aging Denon AVR-2310, long story behind this but the key driver was that a couple of weeks ago I treated myself to an LG OLED 65 C1 & the amp wouldn't process 4K - obviously the wife was well impressed when I told her we'd need to buy a new AV amp also :facepalm:

The positives of living with the new amp:
Stereo sound when listening to music is much "warmer". The sound is much more enjoyable; clear, rich, controlled with a much more pronounced but not overpowering bass. Watching films either through the Netflix app on the TV or UHD on the Sky Q box is awesome with the soundtrack rolling around the room without actually noticing which speakers are doing the work. I don't have much to compare this new amp to but in my limited experience I'd give it 9/10.

However there are a few niggles which I'd appreciate some help / advice with:

An IR remote on £1,000+ equipment is terrible, I'm getting tired of waving my arm over my head pointing the remote directly at the amp to get a response :(
QUESTION: What do you recommend to boost the IR signal from the remote to make it easier?
The porthole display is painfully small; usually this isn't too much of an issue as you can display all relevant information using the info button on the remote so the display is shown in detail on the TV. When using the Netflix app on the TV this overlay menu from the amp isn't displayed - why is this? The porthole display becomes a real pain to try & navigate to alter the sounds.
QUESTION: Is it that I'm using the Netflix app from the TV so the actual app is preventing the amp from displaying the information over Netflix? When watching either Sky Q or Netflix through the Sky Q box the overlay is present...
When watching the Netflix app the rear levels are too high; when watching Drive to Survive for example in Dolby Vision the left, right & centre channels are overpowered, I have had to reduce each rear level by -5dB to fix this but when watching a UHD film on Sky Q the levels of all channels are perfect.
QUESTION: Is this normal that different sources need different levels from what Audyssey recommend? Is this something connected to the sound now being sent from the TV over eARC rather than HDMI from the Q Box? Basically that the TV is processing the sound differently before passing this to the amp?

Finally, I have a Sonos Connect, connected to the 6015 using the Phono input but the quality of the sound is much more "muddy" when playing Spotify than when I play the same track from Spotify using the app in Sky Q - I assume that I am using the correct input for the Sonos Connect?

Any help, comments or observations are appreciated.

Connection details:
Sky Q HDMI to HDMI input 1
Sonos Connect to Phono analogue input
6015 to LG OLED using HDMI output 2 (eARC) into eARC input on the TV

Cheers,

Gareth

LG OLED 65 C1, Marantz SR-6015, Sky Q, Sonos:Connect
3 x Monitor Audio R250 (L, R, C)
4 x Q Acoustics 1010i surround rears
BK Monolith+ DF
 
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Regarding "surrounds too loud for Netflix sources":

1. Dynamic EQ boosts surround levels at lower master volume.
2. Where are you sat relative to MLP? I (for example) run my Audyssey with and MLP between me and my wife, so then I lower surround levels after. If I sat at MLP they would be a bit low, but it achieves the best overall balance in my opinion. I sit about 1-1.2m close than MLP so lower them 2dB each.
3. Total pain in the ar5e, in my opinion, many titles on Netflix do boost the surround levels too much anyway.
 
Brilliant, thanks for your reply. I'm pretty sure I've turned off Dynamic EQ for that reason, I'm a newbie to all of this really but your description of that feature rings a bell when I was scrolling through turning options off & on

The MLP is set to the middle of the sofa, with position 2 being my seat ~1m to the left & my wife, position 3, ~1m to the right. I would expect to adjust for this but not as much as I've had to

I suspect that "Drive to Survive" has boosted the levels higher than others, "6 Underground" isn't as bad. I guess it wouldnt be as much of a PITA if I could actually see the Marantz GUI when I'm watching Netflix through the app though!
 
I suspect that "Drive to Survive" has boosted the levels higher than others, "6 Underground" isn't as bad. I guess it wouldnt be as much of a PITA if I could actually see the Marantz GUI when I'm watching Netflix through the app though!

Yes, it varies between titles. I found 6 Underground fine too. If you try "Nightbooks" and they are too loud, then you're seeing the same as I did.

A lot of people, once they've finished setting everything up, then switch off VIDEO CONVERSION in settings. And turn off OSD all together, just use the phone app. That way it doesn't disturb any other people watching.

But, yes, I know it is late to say sorry. The front display is important to me, so I would never buy a Marantz, aka Buddha's belly button.
 
Hopefully I'm posting in the right sub-forum...

I recently picked up a SR-6015 from RS to replace my aging Denon AVR-2310, long story behind this but the key driver was that a couple of weeks ago I treated myself to an LG OLED 65 C1 & the amp wouldn't process 4K - obviously the wife was well impressed when I told her we'd need to buy a new AV amp also :facepalm:

The positives of living with the new amp:
Stereo sound when listening to music is much "warmer". The sound is much more enjoyable; clear, rich, controlled with a much more pronounced but not overpowering bass. Watching films either through the Netflix app on the TV or UHD on the Sky Q box is awesome with the soundtrack rolling around the room without actually noticing which speakers are doing the work. I don't have much to compare this new amp to but in my limited experience I'd give it 9/10.

However there are a few niggles which I'd appreciate some help / advice with:

An IR remote on £1,000+ equipment is terrible, I'm getting tired of waving my arm over my head pointing the remote directly at the amp to get a response :(
QUESTION: What do you recommend to boost the IR signal from the remote to make it easier?
The porthole display is painfully small; usually this isn't too much of an issue as you can display all relevant information using the info button on the remote so the display is shown in detail on the TV. When using the Netflix app on the TV this overlay menu from the amp isn't displayed - why is this? The porthole display becomes a real pain to try & navigate to alter the sounds.
QUESTION: Is it that I'm using the Netflix app from the TV so the actual app is preventing the amp from displaying the information over Netflix? When watching either Sky Q or Netflix through the Sky Q box the overlay is present...
When watching the Netflix app the rear levels are too high; when watching Drive to Survive for example in Dolby Vision the left, right & centre channels are overpowered, I have had to reduce each rear level by -5dB to fix this but when watching a UHD film on Sky Q the levels of all channels are perfect.
QUESTION: Is this normal that different sources need different levels from what Audyssey recommend? Is this something connected to the sound now being sent from the TV over eARC rather than HDMI from the Q Box? Basically that the TV is processing the sound differently before passing this to the amp?

Finally, I have a Sonos Connect, connected to the 6015 using the Phono input but the quality of the sound is much more "muddy" when playing Spotify than when I play the same track from Spotify using the app in Sky Q - I assume that I am using the correct input for the Sonos Connect?

Any help, comments or observations are appreciated.

Connection details:
Sky Q HDMI to HDMI input 1
Sonos Connect to Phono analogue input
6015 to LG OLED using HDMI output 2 (eARC) into eARC input on the TV

Cheers,

Gareth

LG OLED 65 C1, Marantz SR-6015, Sky Q, Sonos:Connect
3 x Monitor Audio R250 (L, R, C)
4 x Q Acoustics 1010i surround rears
BK Monolith+ DF
Question 1
With a TV app the input is internal to the TV. The TV is not connected to the SR6015 output so the AVR cannot overlay the picture as it is not outputting the picture.
 
Yes, it varies between titles. I found 6 Underground fine too. If you try "Nightbooks" and they are too loud, then you're seeing the same as I did.

A lot of people, once they've finished setting everything up, then switch off VIDEO CONVERSION in settings. And turn off OSD all together, just use the phone app. That way it doesn't disturb any other people watching.

But, yes, I know it is late to say sorry. The front display is important to me, so I would never buy a Marantz, aka Buddha's belly button.
SR701x and SR801x have full displays under the front flap. It's only the lower range models that have the display limitation.
 
But, yes, I know it is late to say sorry. The front display is important to me, so I would never buy a Marantz, aka Buddha's belly button.

I should have pushed for the 7015, didn't realise that there was a 2nd, bigger display hiding under the front flap. I don't think RS would let me return the 6015 & swap for the 7015 now I've opened the box & peeled off the front stickers :facepalm:
 
SR701x and SR801x have full displays under the front flap. It's only the lower range models that have the display limitation.

I know, I didn't want to rub it in 🤣

Or mention anything about a flap under the belly button!

I think the Germans call that "schadenfreude" - thanks guys :(

I'm going to give RS a call & see what, if any options I have available to me to upgrade to the 7015. I've only had this amp a week but I bought it from the store. I also got a relatively good deal as apparently their 6 year warranty only applies to Denon until I pointed out Peter Tyson included a 5 year for free & RS put it on their receipt as a price match item.
 
I think the Germans call that "schadenfreude" - thanks guys :(

I'm going to give RS a call & see what, if any options I have available to me to upgrade to the 7015. I've only had this amp a week but I bought it from the store. I also got a relatively good deal as apparently their 6 year warranty only applies to Denon until I pointed out Peter Tyson included a 5 year for free & RS put it on their receipt as a price match item.
The website mentions a 10% restocking fee for unwanted items return. If that was the case a much cheaper alternative might be an amazon FireTV 4K stick plugged into the SR6015 to give you the apps. Using that the AVR can overlay info as it would be outputting the picture.

Currently around £50 but if an amzon prime member they are usually reduced to around £30 on Prime day (actually a week or more) in July. I've picked up FireTV 4Ks then or during Black Friday in November. They should work plugged direct into a SR6015 HDMI port but if going down that route best to check further.

I've got a Denon with a large front display but still prefer to see everything on the TV rather than trying to get say the input and processing mode info which takes up 1/2 of my 65 inch TV squished down onto a tiny little 3-4 line display on the AVR.
 
I've got a Denon with a large front display but still prefer to see everything on the TV rather than trying to get say the input and processing mode info which takes up 1/2 of my 65 inch TV squished down onto a tiny little 3-4 line display.

Same here. I have the OSD menus on. But for horse racing, it's on ITV4 and our Freeview box won't pick it up, so we have to use the TV. Then, it's guess what the front display says time (I have an old Denon, nice big display, but it's broken and shows dim all the time!).
 
Good news, I called RS then repackaged the 1 week old 6015 & swapped it (without a restocking fee) for the 7015. I've dropped the old amp off & will receive the new 1 tomorrow, delivered :)

I know that the bigger, more useful display is hidden under a flap which is behind a glass door in my AV stand but I'll feel happier that I've got a bigger display even if I still cant see it in reality.

I'll have to research the FireTV 4K stick, I assume its just a USB dongle that streams directly into the amp?

I use the Netflix app on my TV as it's much higher quality than using the app on Sky Q - is this stick the same quality as using the app on the TV? I also have Prime & Apple TV, can the stick run those as well?

Edit: Oh, I found out that plugging in my Sonos:Connect to the phono input isnt a good idea, the phono input has some kind of amplifier wizardry to work with a turntable, I should be using the CD in or similar :rolleyes:
 
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...If that was the case a much cheaper alternative might be an amazon FireTV 4K stick plugged into the SR6015 to give you the apps. Using that the AVR can overlay info as it would be outputting the picture...
FireTV Stick 4K Max just ordered from Amazon, should be delivered at the same time as the new amp arrives.

£50 is well worth having the menu displayed on the TV...

Actually, thinking about it, I could have just bought that & saved myself £350 on upgrading the amp! I'll console myself in thinking that there'll be a huge difference between 6015 & 7015 :D
 
I just bought a 6015 unit and am planning the set up. I am not going to use the internal front L/R amp as I have my own external stereo amp (I will run the pre-amp out of the receiver to my external amp). However, I recall seeing somewhere that in this configuration, the receiver switches the front L/R speaker outs to Height2. This is ideal as I am running a 7.1.4 set up, and want to avoid having to buy a separate stereo amp just to drive the Height2 (via the height2 pre-amp out). Can anyone confirm that this is true—that when the front left and right pre-amp outs are connected, the receiver turns the front left/right speaker outputs into Height2 left and right speaker outputs? Thanks.
 
I just bought a 6015 unit and am planning the set up. I am not going to use the internal front L/R amp as I have my own external stereo amp (I will run the pre-amp out of the receiver to my external amp). However, I recall seeing somewhere that in this configuration, the receiver switches the front L/R speaker outs to Height2. This is ideal as I am running a 7.1.4 set up, and want to avoid having to buy a separate stereo amp just to drive the Height2 (via the height2 pre-amp out). Can anyone confirm that this is true—that when the front left and right pre-amp outs are connected, the receiver turns the front left/right speaker outputs into Height2 left and right speaker outputs? Thanks.
Welcome to the Forum.

You would connect the four Atmos speakers to the Height 1 and Height 2 binding posts, not the front left and right. This would give you 7.1.4 with the fronts being driven by your external amp. There is a very good set up wizard on the Marantz which will walk you through your set up prior to running Audyssey.
 
I just bought a 6015 unit and am planning the set up. I am not going to use the internal front L/R amp as I have my own external stereo amp (I will run the pre-amp out of the receiver to my external amp). However, I recall seeing somewhere that in this configuration, the receiver switches the front L/R speaker outs to Height2. This is ideal as I am running a 7.1.4 set up, and want to avoid having to buy a separate stereo amp just to drive the Height2 (via the height2 pre-amp out). Can anyone confirm that this is true—that when the front left and right pre-amp outs are connected, the receiver turns the front left/right speaker outputs into Height2 left and right speaker outputs? Thanks.
When processing 11 channels, you can choose whether the 2 channels with external amplification are L+R or Height2.
Probably what you are referring to? In each case you connect them to the corresponding pre-out, and you just need to change the setup in the receiver accordingly.
 

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