Marantz 1609 + Taga Harmony 606se + QAcoustics 2070si sub

[robin_blues]

Hi,

I have recently purchased Marantz 1609 and Taga Harmony 606se speakers from Hifimart and QAcoustics 2070si subwoofer from other source..

I have a problem. The sound is very low. The receiver is not sounding any good. The volumes needs to be set at minimum 50 and some voice only at 60+ but at that volume speakers are sounding weird with odd sound and harsh.
The remote sensitivity is pretty bad, it takes at least a second or more to reflect. The sync when modes are changed is also bad. I have to switch off receiver and switch on receiver for my change to reflect. if I change some value using menu, back button does not work, via menu. So many issues with 1609. Does any one has same issue with Marantz 1609? Even after 6 hrs of continuous operation at a volume of 60-70, the receiver barely warms up which is also surprising.. I did setup, reset and all possible options.. At this point I am suspecting receiver since the sound via sub is also very low and bad.. Basstronics I love you, the speakers barely shown any excursions.

I saw a demo of 1609 in AV Expo Bangalore a couple of months back connected to Jamo speakers in atmos mode and I was surprised with sound quality and volume. So I believe 1609 is a good sounding receiver.

I am not getting much help from Marantz. I spoke to Anil but he says they sell a lot of Marantz and Tagas. As suggested I took to service center in less than a week of purchase and they returned saying there is no problem with receiver.

To test Marantz 1609 with another set of speakers or to test Taga 606se speakers with another avr, I don't have anyone in my friends circle who owns an avr or speakers. 80 thousand rupees is at a risk now. I don't know where the problem is and how to fix and next course of action. Any suggestions?

Thanks
Robin..

 

[sasank]

Hey,
I'm using marantz SR 6012 and taga platinum speakers.you can start hearing the sound from speakers only after 50+ .depending on the source you have to decide.nothing to worry about it.its common with marantz.i play around 70 to 76 for Amazon prime movies.initially speakers may sound harsh.after break in it sounds better.try adjusting the speaker placement.run audessy.it may help you.coming to the weird issue you mentioned,I haven't faced any as such.try factory reset.see if there is any firmware update is available.download marantz remote app and use it in the place of remote. and see if there is any change in the behaviour.

 

[MaSh]

Hey hi,

What's your location? Could you post pictures of your Speaker Levels and speaker configuration screen? Also, please switch to volume in db units.

I own Marantz 1504, which has the same amp specs. My signature has the details of the speakers this receiver is driving.

MaSh

 

[reachkalyan.kr]

Hi,

I have recently purchased Marantz 1609 and Taga Harmony 606se speakers from Hifimart and QAcoustics 2070si subwoofer from other source..

I have a problem. The sound is very low. The receiver is not sounding any good. The volumes needs to be set at minimum 50 and some voice only at 60+ but at that volume speakers are sounding weird with odd sound and harsh.
The remote sensitivity is pretty bad, it takes at least a second or more to reflect. The sync when modes are changed is also bad. I have to switch off receiver and switch on receiver for my change to reflect. if I change some value using menu, back button does not work, via menu. So many issues with 1609. Does any one has same issue with Marantz 1609? Even after 6 hrs of continuous operation at a volume of 60-70, the receiver barely warms up which is also surprising.. I did setup, reset and all possible options.. At this point I am suspecting receiver since the sound via sub is also very low and bad.. Basstronics I love you, the speakers barely shown any excursions.

I saw a demo of 1609 in AV Expo Bangalore a couple of months back connected to Jamo speakers in atmos mode and I was surprised with sound quality and volume. So I believe 1609 is a good sounding receiver.

I am not getting much help from Marantz. I spoke to Anil but he says they sell a lot of Marantz and Tagas. As suggested I took to service center in less than a week of purchase and they returned saying there is no problem with receiver.

To test Marantz 1609 with another set of speakers or to test Taga 606se speakers with another avr, I don't have anyone in my friends circle who owns an avr or speakers. 80 thousand rupees is at a risk now. I don't know where the problem is and how to fix and next course of action. Any suggestions?

Thanks
Robin..

Hi Congrats on your purchase.

First of all make realistic expectation .

What is your previous AVR? Are you just entering in AVR world? I strongly believe this is your first AVR !!!

What is your source of Audio ?

50 and some voice only at 60+

That's Normal IMHO( depends on audio source ).No need to worry !!

Basstronics I love you, the speakers barely shown any excursions.

This is basis entry level AVR from Marantz so don't expect your woofer will blow away your expectation.

Even after 6 hrs of continuous operation at a volume of 60-70, the receiver barely warms up which is also surprising.. I did setup, reset and all possible options.. At this point I am suspecting receiver since the sound via sub is also very low and bad.. Basstronics I love you, the speakers barely shown any excursions.

Are you using Eco mode ON if available.Try to disable it.

The remote sensitivity is pretty bad, it takes at least a second or more to reflect. The sync when modes are changed is also bad. I have to switch off receiver and switch on receiver for my change to reflect. if I change some value using menu, back button does not work, via menu. So many issues with 1609.

Denon and Marantz have same kind of option in their setup.It is not the issue for going back you have to enter and go back with return ?exit !!!


Try to reset and do room calibration setup and try

ATB

 

[sunand777]

First you calibrated with audissey and then tweak manually below,
Increase input source level in settings- input..and raise the channel level for each speakers in options button on remote also increase speaker level in settings for each channel , i am using this for past 6, 7 months, i got desired volume and sound quality at just 25 - 30 volume level...

 

[robin_blues]

Thanks for the replies, I will send some pictures of the configuration..

sasank the response of Marantz android app is better than remote. There is one firmware update that I intentionally did not cause it has no changes on audio front.

MaSh I stay in R T Nagar, Bangalore.

reachkalyan.kr this is not my first AVR, it is second, first being Onkyo 875 which I still use in Hyderabad driving Focal 836v towers/CC908 center/Yamaha555 surround/focal 800v sub, 2nd being the current setup that I am using in Bangalore.. I have done factory reset, audessy reset, increased db levels of individual channels, tired in non-audessy mode.. In short tried all possible ways that I know of though I am not an expert in configuration. It is more from learning from online.

I did recommend 1500/1600 to one of my friend who took 1509 and is using with Denon Sys5.1 speakers in Chennai and as sunand777 has said they are receiving the desired volume at 20 levels and if they put the volume at 40 the sound is like it is going to break the window glass.. They have crisp clarity.

I would be glad if someone could help in setting up to figure out if there is any issue.

Thanks
Robin

 

[MaSh]

Oh if you are in Bangalore, you'll find a number of members to hear their setup. If you are around Whitefield, you could drop in and listen to mine.

MaSh

 

[efernand1]

Hi,

I have recently purchased Marantz 1609 and Taga Harmony 606se speakers from Hifimart and QAcoustics 2070si subwoofer from other source..

I have a problem. The sound is very low. The receiver is not sounding any good. The volumes needs to be set at minimum 50 and some voice only at 60+ but at that volume speakers are sounding weird with odd sound and harsh.
The remote sensitivity is pretty bad, it takes at least a second or more to reflect. The sync when modes are changed is also bad. I have to switch off receiver and switch on receiver for my change to reflect. if I change some value using menu, back button does not work, via menu. So many issues with 1609. Does any one has same issue with Marantz 1609? Even after 6 hrs of continuous operation at a volume of 60-70, the receiver barely warms up which is also surprising.. I did setup, reset and all possible options.. At this point I am suspecting receiver since the sound via sub is also very low and bad.. Basstronics I love you, the speakers barely shown any excursions.

I saw a demo of 1609 in AV Expo Bangalore a couple of months back connected to Jamo speakers in atmos mode and I was surprised with sound quality and volume. So I believe 1609 is a good sounding receiver.

I am not getting much help from Marantz. I spoke to Anil but he says they sell a lot of Marantz and Tagas. As suggested I took to service center in less than a week of purchase and they returned saying there is no problem with receiver.

To test Marantz 1609 with another set of speakers or to test Taga 606se speakers with another avr, I don't have anyone in my friends circle who owns an avr or speakers. 80 thousand rupees is at a risk now. I don't know where the problem is and how to fix and next course of action. Any suggestions?

Thanks
Robin..

Hi

As others have already mentioned....run audyssey again and then check......

Before increasing the speaker levels manually....increase the source levels appropriately....keep it on 10 or 12......

Then if you still feel some shortfall then tweak the levels of speakers 1db step at a time......

I have used a variety of Marantz AVRs and there is indeed a hidden power potential that needs to be tapped......

If the speakers have low sensitivity (SPL 88db or less) you will need more power to waken them. The NR series is very much capable of driving Dali Zensor 7 towers...our own FM in Bengaluru used the same for a year or more....never faced challenges....

Hope the speaker cables and source connectors are of appropriate quality.....that also makes a difference.

 

[reachkalyan.kr]

@reachkalyan.kr this is not my first AVR, it is second, first being Onkyo 875 which I still use in Hyderabad driving Focal 836v towers/CC908 center/Yamaha555 surround/focal 800v sub, 2nd being the current setup that I am using in Bangalore.. I have done factory reset, audessy reset, increased db levels of individual channels, tired in non-audessy mode.. In short tried all possible ways that I know of though I am not an expert in configuration. It is more from learning from online

Then you could easily make out.
Did you disabled eco mode off.
Iam not sure whether it is available.
What is your audio source.
Check your audio source cables possible

 

[robin_blues]

@reachkalyan.kr Echo mode is off..
Audio source is Airtel HD DTH and HTPC via HDMI

Speaker cables are DAC 16AWG, HDMI cables are bought from Amazon

 

[efernand1]

@reachkalyan.kr Echo mode is off..
Audio source is Airtel HD DTH and HTPC via HDMI

Speaker cables are DAC 16AWG, HDMI cables are bought from Amazon

Have you tried manual tweaking?

 

[VRavichandar]

Have you set the speaker impedance in Marantz? The Tagas have an impedance of 6ohms.

I see that Marantz 1609 is rated at
Power Output (8 ohm, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 0.08% 2ch Drive)50 W
Power Output (6 ohm, 1 kHz, 0.7% 2ch Drive)70 W

The 606SEs specifications
power handling 20 - 150W
(recommended amplifier power)110W RMS

Probably you are providing just the bare minimum power to drive the speakers when you keep your volume at 50% .

 

[robin_blues]

VRavichandar thank you for the reply.. I did not see anywhere where I can set the speaker impedance.. I will check that.. Coming to the power, yes you are correct that Marantz is 50wpc but the problem that I am facing is if I increase the volume the sound is very harsh as if they are ordinary speakers.. Probably this turned to be a bad marriage between Marantz 1609 and Taga 606se.

Has any of our forum members used with Marantz 1609? If yes can you let me know the speaker system so that I can reconsider changing the speakers?

Thanks
Robin

 

[efernand1]

VRavichandar thank you for the reply.. I did not see anywhere where I can set the speaker impedance.. I will check that.. Coming to the power, yes you are correct that Marantz is 50wpc but the problem that I am facing is if I increase the volume the sound is very harsh as if they are ordinary speakers.. Probably this turned to be a bad marriage between Marantz 1609 and Taga 606se.

Has any of our forum members used with Marantz 1609? If yes can you let me know the speaker system so that I can reconsider changing the speakers?

Thanks
Robin

Hi,

I suggest you post this challenge in the Marantz Owners Thread.....over there you will get first hand responses......The NR series 160X has been used by many over the years...besides the model changes in features, it still continues with the same power output ratings where the latest models (1509 / 1609) are now capable to handle speakers of 4 ohms also.

The Tagas are 6 ohms speakers and the auto impedance selection is done during Audyssey Caliberation. This would also include level setting for each speaker.

Since DTH is your source, the levels would be definitely low and you need to manually adjust the source levels for each source.....suggest you adjust this to +10 or +12.

Secondly, please share a picture of the speaker level settings that Audyssey has captured for your speakers....(something like this)



Are you using a 5.1 setup or 7.1 setup? (taga specs https://www.hifimart.com/speakers/speaker-systems/taga-harmony-tav-606-se-speaker-package.html)

If you are using a 5.1 setup, you can Bi Wire the front speakers and use the 2 remaining channels to supply more power to the fronts....(Refer to the manual which has all details on how this needs to be done.....rather than Bi Wire....since these speakers seem a bit power hungry, i would assign the 2 remaining channels as Front B and connect a pair of wires which will feed to the Fronts....(you will need to remove the binder plates behind the front speakers..).

Please share the picture of the speaker channel levels......The NR series is more than capable to drive Dali Zensor 7 Floor Standing speakers...find it very hard to believe that it cant drive these Tagas....

Also the quality of sources matter......if the source is bad, you can expect poor tonal quality. Try hooking up a CD or Blu Ray player where you can play a disc....or better still ...play some FLAC or MP3 (320 kbps) music files through the USB port option on the AVR and check.....(here you will need to adjust the source level too). By Default...all source Levels are at '0'.

 

[elangoas]

80 thousand rupees is at a risk now. I don't know where the problem is and how to fix and next course of action.

Would like to know few things before you can try few things..

1) Did you calibrate the set-up using Audyssey?
2) What is the crossover set by Audyssey for each speaker & subwoofer? Did you tweak them?
3) What is set under bass management? LFE + Mains (or) LFE only?
4) What is the Audyssey preset that you run on your AVR at the moment? (Ex, Movie / music & L/R Bypass)..
5) Is the Audyssey Dynamic EQ & Vol features engaged (or) disengaged?.. If engaged, what arethe values?..

 

[VRavichandar]

VRavichandar thank you for the reply.. I did not see anywhere where I can set the speaker impedance.. I will check that..
Thanks
Robin

Check this link for setting speaker impedance in 1609

 

[VRavichandar]

Coming to the power, yes you are correct that Marantz is 50wpc but the problem that I am facing is if I increase the volume the sound is very harsh as if they are ordinary speakers.. Probably this turned to be a bad marriage between Marantz 1609 and Taga 606se.
Has any of our forum members used with Marantz 1609? If yes can you let me know the speaker system so that I can reconsider changing the speakers?

As others have suggested above, increase the source level (can be set up to +12) for each input you are using. I suppose your Airtel DTH is connected to AVR via HDMI. You have selected Dolby digital plus as your sound output over spdif? Can you increase the output volume to max on your Set Top Box?
For HTPC - I suppose you have set the sound output to 7.1 there and the output volume is max in your htpc?
I use a Denon x2400 paired with Taga 606SE as centre, surrounds and rear surrounds. I can assure you that the Tagas sound quite good and no harshness or abnormality noticed.
When you say harshness - do you mean mids and highs are loud and bass is subdued? Can you give more clarity when you say they sound as ordinary speakers - do you mean they are flat, tinny, poor frequency response...?
Set the impedance (I have posed a link to the setting page in 1609 manual). The speakers need to 'burn in' - takes about a 100 hours or so at mid volume ideally.
Do check the speaker connections once again - just to be sure - polarity, tightness of terminals?
Check all points raised by Elangoas above and your reply will help narrow down / eliminate the problem. Good luck.

 

[Sarfraz]

I have purchased marantz 1509. SAT is working fine but while I change the source from sat to tv out all ni voice output observe. After ditaching dish sat and restarting power I am able to get the tv output from the receiver . I am very confused with above issue. Request you to please help.

[email protected]

 

[argentum246]

As experts mention above, try to isolate the problem one at a time:
1. Cables - by far most ignored yet significant piece in the chain. Dont go for super costly ones, but ask ur dealer for good ones. Amazon ones are not always known for quality unless imported.
2. Banana plugs quality (if used).
3. Power source at home. Check for any current leakages and load issues.
4. Run One speaker at a time and see the load on AVR. If it is clear than issue is with load bearing capacity of avr. If same then you need to check other issues as mentioned.
5. Do factory / network reset twice. I have seen it worked with me once.
6. Make sure that there is no stray wire or a single strand touching from + to - on AVR or speaker side. A small broken piece also causes this issue.
7. Run audyssey twice with room completely silent.
8. Avoid connecting STB to AVR. Connect AVR to TV and use ARC from TV to AVR. Also ensure using good HDMI cable for both paths. The ones provided by STB guys is crappy to support good audio.
9. Are you using stabilizer? does it has sufficient ratings to support AVR? Try connecting direct instead or to another power outlet in your house.
10. Request another speaker from friend or dealer to check if you are running good avr.
11. Show the checklist of steps to dealer of what all you tried along with before and after sound videos. This shall help in exchange should need arises.
12. Try connecting BT / airplay as source. Download test audio files from dolby's website to check.
13.Check for any smell (diff from smell of a new AVR , like plastic burning type) when avr is behaving bad. Sometimes a stray piece of garbage is all it takes to ruin an AVR.
14. Call any FM living close by for a cup of coffee.

 

[spirovious]

When speakers are new,they need some time to break in or open.Also check manual if speaker impedance can be changed manually or its automatic.
Speaker level and speaker distance do change sound quality. Also source and original discs do sound better than bd rips.
Demo you took was of different speakers and dedicated room.That makes difference too.Tags are warm sounding speakers.
Try Audyssey and if not satisfied,then do manual settings live speaker ,crossover .
This way you can enjoy audyssey room correction with manual enhancement.