Marantz NR1609 vs Marantz CINEMA 50

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Votes 1 1
Rating 5 5

NR1609 vs CINEMA 50 comparison chart

Marantz NR1609 vs Marantz CINEMA 50 review

Marantz NR1609
vs
Marantz CINEMA 50

Being able to compare Marantz NR1609 and Marantz CINEMA 50 gave us an insight into what of them would be better for home theater configuration. According to the results of our review, Marantz NR1609 received 8.2 points out of 10 possible, and Marantz CINEMA 50 was rated 8.6 points. The release date of NR1609 is 2018, and CINEMA 50 is 2022. CINEMA 50 is more performable in terms of audio broadcast than the NR1609.

Main advantages Marantz NR1609 over Marantz CINEMA 50

  • We do not know advantages

Main advantages Marantz CINEMA 50 over Marantz NR1609

  • More channels, namely 9, makes this receiver more profitable than its 7-channel competitor.
  • 110/8 W/Ohm RMS makes it more productive compared to 50/8 W/Ohm RMS in another receiver in the review.
  • Include HDMI eARC function.
  • 8K/60Hz signal pass-through is available.

Amplifiers

For the built-in amplifier, the devices received different marks - 7 and 8, respectively, on a 10-point scale.

NR1609
7
CINEMA 50
8

The number of channels is equal to the number of possible connected speakers. The Marantz NR1609 supports 7.2-channels sound, but Marantz CINEMA 50 supports a 9.4-channels configuration.

RMS stands for the actual power of the receiver. The higher this value, the louder the sound can be produced. The differences between the models in terms of RMS power are significant - for the CINEMA 50 this value is 110/8 W/Ohm, and for the NR1609 it is 50/8 W/Ohm.

NR1609 CINEMA 50
Channels7.29.4
Stereo power (RMS), W/Ohm50/8, 70/6110/8, 150/6
Output impedance, Ohm8, 68, 6
Frequency response10Hz-100KHz5Hz-100KHz
THD in stereo, %0.080.08

Audio features

After reviewing the audio features of each model, we can rate the NR1609 8 out of 10, and the CINEMA 50 - 7.

NR1609
8
CINEMA 50
7

Most receivers now come with a microphone included. It is with the help of this microphone that the auto-calibration system functions, which adjusts the sound of the receiver to the room.

NR1609 CINEMA 50
Digital to analog converter (DAC)192 KHz/24-bit192 KHz/32-bit
Bi-amping
Pure direct (straight)
Auto speaker calibrationAudyssey MultEQAudyssey MultEQ XT
Speaker A/B switching
Other audio featuresAudyssey Dynamic Volume, Audyssey Dynamic EQ, Compressed Audio Enhancer(MDAX2), Hi-Res audioAudyssey Dynamic Volume, Audyssey Dynamic EQ, Audyssey Dynamic LFC, Dirac Live Suppot, Compressed Audio Enhancer(MDAX2), Hi-Res audio

Connectivity

The connectivity of competitors in our comparison is markedly different, Marantz NR1609 scored 8, and Marantz CINEMA 50 scored 9 out of 10.

NR1609
8
CINEMA 50
9

Bluetooth connection is now one of the main communication protocols for the receiver's control or even music broadcasting.

DLNA is the perfect way to use your local cloud storage to stream movies and music directly to a TV. You can use the DLNA protocol only with Marantz CINEMA 50.

NR1609 CINEMA 50
Wi-Fi2.4/5GHz2.4/5GHz
USB1 (USB 2.0)1 (USB 2.0)
Bluetooth
Ethernet (RJ45)11
DLNA
MHL

Streaming services

Now music streaming services are gaining more and more popularity. They allow users to listen to millions of songs by subscription.

NR1609 CINEMA 50
Apple Music (AirPlay)AirPlay, AirPlay 2AirPlay, AirPlay 2
Amazon Music
Spotify
Other streaming servicesDeezer, Pandora, TuneIn RadioDeezer, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, Napster, SoundCloud, Amazon Music, Amazon Music HD, MOOD:Mix

Extensive connections

The presence of many connectors makes the receiver more versatile. But there are also narrowly targeted models, the number of connectors which are limited to a certain area of use. And when choosing their own receiver, users need to consider exactly your goals for using the receiver. For extensive connection, Marantz NR1609 got 9 points, but Marantz CINEMA 50 received 8 points.

NR1609
9
CINEMA 50
8

Marantz NR1609 is equipped with 8/1 HDMI inputs and outputs, and Marantz CINEMA 50 has 6/3 HDMI inputs and outputs.

HDMI eARC is the next step in the development of audio return channel technology, which works in conjunction with HDMI 2.1. Using eARC provides the highest sound quality for home audio systems. HDMI eARC is available on Marantz CINEMA 50.

The HDCP encryption protocol is now mandatory for most media devices. This security technology encrypts digital signals from one product to another. HDCP content-encryption protocol is present on Marantz NR1609 in the HDCP 2.2 version, and Marantz CINEMA 50 has the HDCP 2.3 version.

NR1609 CINEMA 50
HDMI input/output8/16/3
HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel)
HDMI eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel)
HDMI CEC
Digital content protection (HDCP)HDCP 2.2HDCP 2.3
Subwoofer output (LFE)24
Headphone output1 x 6.31 x 6.3
Optical digital input12
Coaxial digital input12
Composite input30
Component input/output2/10/0
Phono (MM) input
Front panel connectorsUSB, HDMI, phones, setup micUSB, phones, setup mic
Multi channel preamp output

Video features

The AV receiver is the heart of the home theater. And in this case, support for all current video formats ensures the best user experience, so it is very important to consider this when choosing a device. Video features of the NR1609 were rated 9 out of 10 against the 8 for the CINEMA 50.

NR1609
9
CINEMA 50
8

With the 4K pass-through feature, the AV receiver sends "native" 4K signals to a 4K TV from a video source without any processing. The NR1609 works with the 4K/60Hz video, and the CINEMA 50 has the 4K/120Hz.

The AV receiver passes "native" 8K signals from a video source to 8K TV without any encoding, with the 8k pass-through features. The 8K path-through is available on Marantz CINEMA 50.

NR1609 CINEMA 50
HDR (High Dynamic Range)HDR10+
4K signal pass-through4K/60Hz4K/120Hz
8K signal pass-through8K/60Hz
HDMI signal pass-through
3D signal pass-through
HDMI pass-through in standby mode
Video conversionanalog to HDMI
Analog to HDMI scaling
HDMI to HDMI scaling
Dolby Vision
Other video featuresBT.2020HLG, BT.2020, Dynamic HDR

Additional features

In terms of evaluating additional features, both receivers received a score of 10 out of 10.

NR1609
10
CINEMA 50
10

NR1609 CINEMA 50
Voice controlAmazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AIAmazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI
App controliPhone, iPad, iPod, AndroidiPhone, iPad, iPod, Android
Displaycolour OSDport hole OLED
TunerAM, FMAM, FM
Sleep timer
Auto power off
ECO mode
Graphical user interface (GUI)
Setup assistant
Firmware updatenetwork, USBnetwork, USB
Other additional featuresIP Control, Web ControlIP Control, Web Control, App Control, RS232 Control

Multi-room

As the center of a home media system, each multichannel receiver has an additional set of terminals for connecting the second set of speakers to create additional audio space in Zone 2 or even Zone 3 where audio can have the separate source.

NR1609 CINEMA 50
Multi-room zones22
Zone audio outputspeaker, preoutspeaker, preout
Zone HDMI output
Multi-room controlHEOS AppMarantz 2016 AVR Remote, HEOS App
RS-23201
Remote control input/output (IR)0/01/0
DC trigger output (12V)11

Multichannel surround

Marantz NR1609 got 8 points for the multichannel surround sound and Marantz CINEMA 50 got 10.

NR1609
8
CINEMA 50
10

Auro 3D gives a bit more versatility than Dolby Atmos or DTS:X and provides a hemispherical sound and enables a receiver to produce 3D sound stages. Marantz CINEMA 50 has Auro-3D on its feature list.

IMAX Enhanced is a licensing and certification program under which home theater devices deliver crisp 4K HDR pictures and powerful sound as it was designed by the IMAX engineers. The CINEMA 50 licensed by IMAX.

NR1609 CINEMA 50
Dolby Atmos
Dolby TrueHD
Dolby Surround
Dolby (other)Dolby Digital PlusDolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
DTS:X
DTS HD Master
DTS Virtual:X
DTS Neural:X
DTS (other)DTS-ES, DTS 96/24, DTS-HD, DTS-EXPRESS, DTS-SurroundDTS-ES, DTS 96/24, DTS-HD, DTS-EXPRESS
Auro-3D
IMAX Enhanced
Multichannel stereo
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