Marantz
NR1506
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OUR VERDICT
We've had a chance to test a few of Marantz's slim line receivers over
the years and always come away impressed. They lack the power of some bulkier
receivers, but their sonic acumen make them great for the average home theater
user or music lover. The bottom line is that unless you need the extra power,
the Marantz NR1506's features and sound quality should put it on your short
list of receivers.
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Pros
· Great sound
· Wireless connectivity
· Dual subwoofers
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Cons
· No Atmos or DTS:X
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The NR1506 looks
exactly like its predecessor, the NR1504, and the only way to tell them
apart is the model number and some changes to the rear panel. Belonging to
Marantz's slimline series and only being 4.1 inches
high makes the NR1506 a perfect candidate as the main hub of a scaled down home
theater. And while it may be less visually demanding compared to its full-size
AV receiver siblings in the Marantz catalog, it still has a long enough
list of features to appease even the more demanding home theater enthusiast.
Features and Functionality
One of the more
noticeable differences between the previous model and the NR1506 is the two
rotatable antennas mounted on the back for wireless connection to bluetooth
devices or a Wi-Fi setup. The 1506 also supports AirPlay for wireless
communication with iDevices.
New is also the six HDMI 2.0a ports with 4K Ultra HD compatability,
capable of 60 Hz full rate content, 4:4:4 Pure Color sub-sampling and 21:9
aspect ratio pass-through. It's also HDCP 2.2 compliant, which is a requirement
for 4K Ultra HD copy-protected content. Five of the HDMI inputs are placed at
the back and one is conveniently placed in the front for easy access. 3D
content is also covered, and the HDMI output supports ARC (Audio Return
Channel) for receiving audio from an ARC compatible TV.
The NR1506 handles streaming of wireless audio signals very well thanks to
the two RF antennas, and both bluetooth and Wi-Fi worked fine without any
break-up or interference during the test. If you want to you can also connect
it to the internet, either wirelessly or hard-wired via the RJ-45 Ethernet LAN
port, and get access to a multitude of internet radio channels, or
streaming music services like Spotify Connect and Pandora, for example.
It's also
DLNA 1.5 certified for compatibility with PC, Mac and NAS and allows you to
stream lossy formats like MP3, AAC, WMA, AIFF, and lossless formats
like WAV, FLAC 192/24, DSD (2.8 MHz) and ALAC while also supporting
Gapless Playback.
With just
five pairs of speaker terminals, the NR1506 only allows for a simple 5.1 setup. It does however
provide you with pre-outs for the front channels (L+R) if you wish to add
external amplification, and two (2) subwoofer pre-outs, which gives you more
flexibility when it comes to subwoofer placement, and, consequently, a more even
bass response if set up properly.
Unfortunately,
due to the restrictions of being only a 5.1 channel AV receiver means that
Marantz had to purposely omit the new Dolby Atmos and DTS:X formats in the
NR1506, and you will have to climb up a step on the Marantz ladder and get the NR1606 if you want this option.
Setup and Usability
Thanks to a well
designed user interface (although a bit crude visually), and the clearly laid
out controls on the front of the receiver and the remote control, it is very
quick and easy to set up and use the NR1506. At first, the 'Setup Assistant'
takes you through the process step-by-step, and is very helpful if you're
inexperienced or not used to installing and setting up home theater systems -
all you need to do is to follow the instructions, select speaker options, etc.
To optimize the performance of the receiver, Marantz has chosen Audyssey's
MultEQ calibration system and also include a measuring microphone and mic
stand. It calibrates the speakers using up to six measuring positions to get
the best possible result, and a step-by-step guide will provide assistance to
make sure that the calibration gets done properly.
Once the calibration is done you will be asked if you want to activate
'Dynamic EQ' (features advanced DSP processing to deliver full range wide-band
response, even at reduced volume levels) and 'Dynamic Volume' (features
advanced psycho-acoustic processing to deliver clear dialog and wide range
sound at reduced volume levels so that you can enjoy theater-level clarity at
whatever listening level you choose). If you're not pleased with the results of
the automatic calibration you have the option to adjust the levels to your
liking, or you can skip it altogether and set it up manually using your
(golden) ears or a dB level meter and a tape measure.
Sound Quality
After
performing an automatic calibration and some minor tweaking of the levels, we
started our listening test with plain two-channel music, mainly streaming high
resolution audio files but also listening to CDs. We let the NR1506 do all the
digital-to-analog conversion, and all unnecessary processing was turned off by
using the ‘Direct’ and ‘Pure Direct’ modes.
Listening
to a wide variety of music in a wide variety of genres, the NR1506 revealed a
very organic and musical sounding character with a surprising amount of power
and authority at odds with its compact size. It did a good job at conveying
harmonial structures, giving instruments and vocals nuance and texture. It also
painted a large and spatial soundstage, both in width and depth, and it was
fairly easy to pin-point the different instruments within that space.
Moving on
to multichannel audio, and we're yet again amazed by how potent this little
Marantz sounds. Using two subwoofers obviously adds to the extra sense of
power, but it's hard to believe that it's rated at only 50 watts per channel
(20Hz~20kHz, .08%THD, 8 ohms), and it only shows its limitations when you turn
up the volume to levels that will either cause hearing impairment or get you
into trouble with the neighbors - probably both.
The NR1506
was very convincing with effects-heavy movies, like 'Star Wars', 'The Lord of
The Rings' and 'The Dark Knight' trilogies - so much that it was at times hard
to remember to listen critically as it was so easy to get swept away by the
stories that unfolded before our eyes (and ears of course). The modestly sized
receiver did an equally good job with more subtle storytelling and less
effects-laden movies, where it could demonstrate its ability to paint
soundscapes with plenty of details and atmosphere. The overall musicality and fluidity
also lended itself well to multichannel music as well, and it was hard to
resist stomping our feet (or banging our heads) to the beat of the music. It is
quite remarkable how much aural joy Marantz has managed to cram into such a
small unit.
Conclusion
If you’re
looking for a slimline AV receiver that is ideal as the main hub of an
inconspicuous home theater in your living room, the NR1506 is, thanks to its elegant
design and useful features, the perfect choice. You will miss out on Dolby
Atmos and DTS:X, but who cares when it sounds this good?
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