Comparison Denon DRA-100 vs Marantz M-CR511

— Receiver. The key feature of the receivers, which distinguishes them from the players (see the relevant paragraph), is the presence of a built-in power amplifier that allows you to connect passive acoustics to the device. The design may provide other connection options — preamplifier output, digital audio jacks, etc.; moreover, the set of outputs in receivers is often more extensive than in the players. However, the main feature is precisely the compatibility with passive acoustics.

— Player. Devices for playing audio from various sources — from an external device that broadcasts an audio signal, from a USB drive, from files on a built-in storage device, etc. The only exception in this regard is content from local networks and the Internet: devices with such capabilities are usually referred to as a separate category — network players(see below). The fundamental difference between the players and the receivers described above is the absence of a power amplifier. Thus, passive acoustics can only be connected to such devices through additional equipment.

— Network player. A variation of the players described above, capable of playing audio from network resources — streaming services (see below), computers and servers on the local network, etc. The specific set of network functions may be different, but they are necessarily available in one form or another. Also, many of these devices a...re capable of working with non-network sources, such as external audio devices or flash drives; however, such functionality may not exist. All such nuances in each case should be clarified separately.

The range of audio frequencies that the audio receiver can handle. The wider this range, the more complete the overall picture of the sound, the less likely it is that too high or low frequencies will be “cut off” by the output amplifier. However, note that the range of sound audible to a person is on average from 16 Hz to 20 kHz; There are some deviations from this norm, but they are small. At the same time, modern Hi-Fi and Hi-End technology can have a much wider range — most often it is a kind of "side effect" of high-end circuits. Some manufacturers may use this property for promotional purposes, but it does not carry practical value in itself.

Note that even within the audible range it does not always make sense to chase the maximum coverage. It is worth, for example, to take into account that the actually audible sound cannot be better than the speakers are capable of giving out; therefore, for a speaker system with a lower threshold of, say, 70 Hz, there is no need to specifically look for a receiver with this figure of 16 Hz. Also, do not forget that a wide frequency range in itself does not absolutely guarantee high sound quality — it is associated with a huge number of other factors.

The nominal sound power output by the audio receiver per channel when operating with a load having a dynamic resistance (impedance) of 8 ohms. In our catalog, this parameter is indicated for the mode when both channels of the receiver work under load; when working on one channel, the rated power may be slightly higher, but this mode cannot be called standard.

Rated power can be simply described as the highest average output signal power at which the amplifier is able to operate stably for a long time (at least an hour) without negative consequences. These are average figures, because in fact, an audio signal is, by definition, unstable, and individual jumps in its level can significantly exceed the average value. However, the key parameter is still the nominal (average) power — it is on it that the overall sound volume directly depends.

This indicator also determines which speakers can be connected to the device: their rated power should not be lower than that of the receiver.

According to the laws of electrodynamics, with different dynamic load resistance, the output power of the amplifier will also be different. In modern speakers, values of 8, 6, 4 and 2 ohms are standard; the latter option, however, is rare, therefore, in audio receivers, the power for it, usually, is not indicated at all. As for the specific values for 8 ohms, the indicator up to 50 W is considered relatively low, 50 – 100 W is average, and with more than 100 W we can talk about high power.

The nominal sound power output by the audio receiver per channel when a load with a dynamic resistance (impedance) of 6 ohms is connected to it. It is customary to specify this parameter when the receiver is operating in two-channel mode (stereo); when using only one channel, the power may be slightly higher, but this mode cannot be called standard.

Rated power is the highest average (rms) output signal power at which the receiver is able to work for a long time without failures or malfunctions. The average power is taken because the audio signal is, by definition, unstable, and individual jumps in its level can significantly exceed the average value. However, the key parameter is still the rated (average) power. It determines two points — the overall volume of the sound and compatibility with one or another passive acoustics. The higher the power of the receiver, the louder the sound it can provide; at the same time, this power should not exceed the rated power of the speakers — otherwise, overloads and even damage to the equipment are possible.

As for the resistance, according to the laws of electrodynamics, with a different load impedance, the output power of the amplifier will also be different. In modern speakers, values of 8, 6, 4 and 2 ohms are standard; the latter option, however, is rare, therefore, in audio receivers, the power for it, usually, is not indicated at all.

The nominal sound power output by the audio receiver per channel when a load with a dynamic resistance (impedance) of 4 ohms is connected to it. It is customary to specify this parameter when the receiver is operating in two-channel mode (stereo); when using only one channel, the power may be slightly higher, but this mode cannot be called standard.

Rated power is the highest average (rms) output signal power at which the receiver is able to work for a long time without failures or malfunctions. The average power is taken because the audio signal is, by definition, unstable, and individual jumps in its level can significantly exceed the average value. However, the key parameter is still the rated (average) power. It determines two points — the overall volume of the sound and compatibility with one or another passive acoustics. The higher the power of the receiver, the louder the sound it can provide; at the same time, this power should not exceed the rated power of the speakers — otherwise, overloads and even damage to the equipment are possible.

According to the laws of electrodynamics, with a different load impedance, the output power of the amplifier will also be different. In modern speakers, values of 8, 6, 4 and 2 ohms are standard; the latter option, however, is rare, therefore, in audio receivers, the power for it, usually, is not indicated at all. As for specific power indicators at a 4-ohm load, values up to 100 W...are considered relatively small for modern receivers, more than 100 W — respectively, high.

Signal-to-noise ratio when operating the audio receiver through the RCA line input (see below).

Any signal-to-noise ratio describes the ratio of the level of pure sound produced by the device to the level of extraneous noise that occurs during its operation. This parameter is the main indicator of the overall sound quality — and very clear, because. its measurement takes into account almost all the noise that affects the sound in normal operating conditions. A level of up to 90 dB in modern receivers can be considered acceptable, 90 – 100 dB is not bad, and for advanced audiophile-class devices, a signal-to-noise ratio of 100 dB or more is considered mandatory.

The sampling rate of the digital-to-analogue audio signal converter provided in the design of the audio receiver.

A digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) is an indispensable element of any system designed to reproduce digital sound. The DAC is an electronic module that translates sound information into pulses that are sent to the speakers. The technical features of such a conversion are such that the higher the sampling rate, the better the signal at the output of the DAC, the less it is distorted during conversion. The most popular option in receivers today is 192 kHz — it corresponds to a very high sound quality (DVD-Audio) and at the same time avoids unnecessary increase in the cost of devices.

Audio file formats that the receiver is capable of working with. Among those, there may be lossy compressed (MP3, WMA, etc.), lossless compressed Lossless(FLAC, APE, etc.) and Uncompressed uncompressed formats (DSD, DXD, etc.).

In general, compression is used to reduce the volume of audio files. Lossy compression (the most common option) cuts off some of the audio frequencies (mainly those that are poorly perceived by the ear), making such files take up the least amount of space. Lossless compression preserves all original frequencies; this format is preferred by many lovers of high-quality sound, however, such files take up a lot of space, and the difference between normal compression and lossless compression becomes clearly noticeable only on high-quality equipment. Uncompressed formats, in turn, are intended primarily for professional audio work; their full reproduction requires Hi-End audio equipment, and the volumes of such materials are very large. However, these standards are quite popular among sophisticated audiophiles.

Separately, it is worth touching on the uncompressed DSD format. This standard and its direct derivatives DSF and DFF use coding using the so-called pulse density modulation. It is considered more advanced than traditional pulse-frequency modulation, and allows you to achieve more accurate sound, a higher signal-to-noise ratio...and less interference with a relatively simple element base.

— Lossless formats. The receiver's support for audio formats that use lossless compression. Unlike lossy compression (in the same MP3), with this compression, the sound is not cut, all its details are preserved as much as possible. Nowadays, there are several lossless formats, including FLAC and APE; the specific set of standards that the player is compatible with should be clarified separately. However, anyway, this function will be useful to those who appreciate the most complete and reliable sound.

— Formats without compression (uncompressed). Receiver support for non-compressed audio formats. Most of these standards are professional, they provide very high quality and reliability of sound, but they also take up a lot of space. Examples of uncompressed formats include DSD and DXD.

— RS-232. Also known as a COM port. Service connector to control the audio receiver, used to connect the device to a computer or specialized equipment. Such control can provide more options than using the original control panel or remote control.

— I2S support. The presence in the receiver of an input and/or output for a digital audio signal in the I2S format. This format is mainly intended for signal transmission within audio devices, but sometimes it is also used for communication between devices; the latter is implied in this case. The I2S interface does not have a standard connector; it can use ports of various types — in particular, BNC, RJ-45 (LAN) and ev...en HDMI. Anyway, the purpose of this connector is similar to the coaxial S / P-DIF (see "Inputs", "Outputs"); while the I2S standard, on the one hand, provides higher quality and noise immunity, on the other hand, it is less common and significantly affects the cost of devices.

— Multizone. Possibility of simultaneous transmission of signals from different sources to acoustic systems located in different places (zones). For example, in a large house, you can simultaneously broadcast music from the player into one room, and a radio programme into another. Another use case for Multi-Zone is entertainment centers with several rooms of different types (for example, a table tennis room, a roller skating rink and a cafe).

— Direct connection (By-pass/Direct). The ability to feed the audio signal coming to the input of the audio receiver directly to the amplification stages, bypassing all additional controls (timbre, balance, etc.). Direct connection not only minimizes distortion in the processed signal, but also ensures that the sound is as close to the original as possible, which allows demanding listeners to appreciate the skill of sound engineers. For such a connection, either a separate set of Main connectors (see "Inputs") or a conventional line interface switched to By-Pass/Direct mode by a special regulator can be used.

— Smartphone control. The ability to control the receiver from a smartphone, tablet or other gadget with a special application. In this case, the connection is usually carried out via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and the specific capabilities and features of such control may be different, depending on the model. However, the app is often more convenient and visual than using a control panel or even a traditional remote control; and some functions of the receiver can only be accessed via a smartphone.

— Voice assistant. The ability to control the receiver using one or another voice assistant. It is worth noting that own voice assistants in this technique are not provided, and we are talking about compatibility with external devices that have this function (for example, with a smartphone or tablet). The most popular voice assistants nowadays are Google Assistant, Apple Siri and Amazon Alexa.

— Connecting an iPod/iPhone. Extended capabilities for working with portable devices from Apple — primarily the iPhone and iPod touch, often also the iPad. The specific set of such features may be different, it should be specified separately in each case. So, in some models, an “apple” gadget can be connected using a dock or a special cable and used as a signal source, controlling playback from the remote control or receiver panel and at the same time recharging the gadget. In other devices, the connection is made via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, while the iPhone / iPod can work not only as a signal source, but also as a remote control (see "Control from a smartphone"). Other additional features may be provided, such as synchronizing the multimedia libraries of the receiver and the Apple device.