Help me decide -- Onkyo vs Marantz

[narenvaidee]

Hi,

I've narrowed down on 2 stereo receivers -- Onkyo A9030 and Marantz PM5005. I auditioned Onkyo at my friend's place and it sounds nice.

I never auditioned Marantz PM5005 because I'm not able to find a dealer that can give me an audition. I went to cressida AV zone (besant nagar) after looking at the webpage that says Marantz, Denon, CA. However, when I went there I could see a strong push towards making me go for CA than MArantz. Reason: Marantz has RELAY issues and comes often while powering ON/OFF. Can Marantz owners throw light on this? I really want to consider Marantz before moving to Onkyo.

Also, any info on Marantz NR1504 AV receiver? Will there be a significant difference between PM5005 and this NR1504 (both at 50W RMS @8ohm loads at 20-20kHz).

To summarize:
Onkyo A-9030?
Marantz PM5005?
Marantz NR1504?

Look forward to knowing your thoughts.

 

[afj]

going by reputation itself, the marantz is better than the onkyo. what speakers are you using. if you have a stereo setup rather go with the stereo than the avr marantz

 

[firearm12]

I have Marantz PM8003. I will suggest to go with Marantz for stereo audio. After pressing the on button, there is a time delay of 3 secs before amp gets ready to play. This is nornal and indeed good, during this delay the amp checks and tests itself to be ready. I dont see any RELAY issues.

 

[narenvaidee]

Thanks much! I have JBL control 1 speakers as of now. I will be considering other speaker options at a later time when my wallet permits.

On a different note, why is hifi audio so expensive over here? I can understand there will be import duties and dealer margins, but the differences are exorbitant. E.g. Onkyo a-9050 is $399 (~26k), but it's close to 40k here. Q Acoustics 2020i is 129.00 (~13k), and it's 26k. Denon PMA720AE is 179.00 (~18k) and it's 41k here!

I think only Marantz's prices are normalized? PM5005 is $499 and it's 26k here.

If this is the price one has to pay to get into audiophile grade stereo/AVR world, I'm not feeling encouraged. Anyways, who am I to complain

 

[firearm12]

Thanks much! I have JBL control 1 speakers as of now. I will be considering other speaker options at a later time when my wallet permits.

On a different note, why is hifi audio so expensive over here? I can understand there will be import duties and dealer margins, but the differences are exorbitant. E.g. Onkyo a-9050 is $399 (~26k), but it's close to 40k here. Q Acoustics 2020i is 129.00 (~13k), and it's 26k. Denon PMA720AE is 179.00 (~18k) and it's 41k here!

I think only Marantz's prices are normalized? PM5005 is $499 and it's 26k here.

If this is the price one has to pay to get into audiophile grade stereo/AVR world, I'm not feeling encouraged. Anyways, who am I to complain

PM5005 is 179 in UK (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Marantz-PM5005-Integrated-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LUKN2C2). Maybe they are giving some discounts. Indian price is 25k on hifimart, still more than whats in UK.

 

[JayaRaa]

you heard onkyo & liked it so why not go for it?

 

[narenvaidee]

you heard onkyo & liked it so why not go for it?

Because Onkyo India is a big show off and they don't have these items on stock. I have to pre-book with 50% advance, and have to wait for the next available shipment. If I miss the last shipment in Nov, the next one will be in Jan or Feb. Also, as I had mentioned, their pricing is too much. I asked for TX-8020 and they say it's not available. I ask for A-9010, they say it's not for Indian audience (we have different hearing capabilities). When I ask for TX-8030, they say they have to check if that will be available in the next shipment. So, as a customer, I cannot choose...only pick what's available and get outta there.

Btw, I already have an old Onkyo AVR that I got from eZone for a deal. Good that I didn't have to deal with Onkyo India directly.

 

[JayaRaa]

very sad to hear about your experience with onkyo india. will not do them good if they behave like this.

 

[George T]

Because Onkyo India is a big show off and they don't have these items on stock. I have to pre-book with 50% advance, and have to wait for the next available shipment. If I miss the last shipment in Nov, the next one will be in Jan or Feb. Also, as I had mentioned, their pricing is too much. I asked for TX-8020 and they say it's not available. I ask for A-9010, they say it's not for Indian audience (we have different hearing capabilities). When I ask for TX-8030, they say they have to check if that will be available in the next shipment. So, as a customer, I cannot choose...only pick what's available and get outta there.

Btw, I already have an old Onkyo AVR that I got from eZone for a deal. Good that I didn't have to deal with Onkyo India directly.

There are online and showroom dealerships in Dubai like SharafDG, Souq.uae which will ship HT equipment to India. They have good prices which even after paying 31% duty on CIF cost may still work out cheaper than buying in India. And you have a variety to choose from. I am based in Kuwait and here we have most of the ONKYO and MARANTZ models under one dealership.

 

[narenvaidee]

very sad to hear about your experience with onkyo india. will not do them good if they behave like this.

People are buying like crazy from them, it seems... because, their demo AVRs and stereo amps, marked as clearance items, sell immediately even though they're ridiculously priced. And they're not trouble-free -- usually, the CD pickup lens must be changed or the HDMI port(s) may not be working. The good thing is they mention these flaws upfront

 

[efernand1]

Hi Narenvaidee

I use the NR1504 and it is a 5.1 AVR when compared to the PM5005 which is a stereo amp. Although being 50w pc at 8 ohms load, you can run satellites or bookshelf speakers which are rated at 100w pc at 8 ohms...like all electronics, AVRs are like amps and get heated up so better to put a small cooling 5 or 6 inch cooling fan....it helps...the protection circuit is great...works well....The best part of the AVR besides its Bass and Treble controls, it has 9 band adjustable EQ for each speaker which helps to tweak the right balance of sound you would want to hear....being using it almost 2 years now and I hear 80% music using the stereo mode and also you can use the 5 channel stereo mode...which sounds very warm....movies awesome performance and ofcourse the NR is the slim series of AVRs...

With the new models coming in like NR1506, NR1606 and SR5010, I guess you may get the NR1504 cheaper.....between 29k - 34k.....check with dealers and make a choice....

All the best

 

[Verma]

^^ How much had you paid for it two years ago?

 

[efernand1]

Hi,

Apologies for the late revert, paid close to 43k for it...