sur AVS, SteveH a écrit:Agreed.^^ For me, I like to benchmark products in stereo because it is so much easier to go back and forth. I don't want to risk Audyssey applying different correction to both pieces so I do not engage it when I want to compare pieces in the same family. The 8802 is just more impressive. The noise floor is lower and the dynamics improved (bigger and better power supply?) over the 7702. It has a fuller sound (less jitter and or better DAC?) for stereo
and also theater. I would say the 7702 is a
little more "forward". I am not saying that is a bad thing but rather slightly different. I said it before... The 8802 does a better job of staying out of the way.
I was hoping the delta was the same amount as when I compared the 880
1 to the 7702. When Marantz graciously allowed me to take an early look at the 7702 and I picked Dr_Mark's room to play in, the 7702
easily beat the 8801. As I mentioned above, I should be picking up an 880
1 trade for a 8802 in Scottsdale. So I want to re-verify what I heard but now on a different system and room. If anyone wants a smoking deal on a used 8801, PM me. If anyone wants to come by and listen for themselves here in the PHX area, PM me. While we are at it, if anyone wants to borrow both processors in PHX, just PM me. All this applies in MN as well when the ice melts off of our northern MN lake.
Back to the differences. I'd say the 8802 is a little less than a 1/2 letter grade better in theater over the 7702. I will be re-verifying that the 8802 is
another 1/2 letter grade better than the 880
1. So to my ears, it's Denon AVP<8801<7702<8802. That's in theater and in stereo. The biggest jump was coming from the 8801 to the 7702. So for those going from a 8801 to an 880
2, you will hear a difference. ATMOS and other 3D sound formats are the bonus.
There has been a lot of talk about people using a different stereo preamp in a theater bypass loop. I have a tremendous amount of customers who want dual duty without the clutter, complication, and expense. I tend on attracting customers who fall in my camp because I personally want one room if at all possible. The 7702 delivers to a less degree and the 8802 is up another level. It's audible, it's relevant, but it is not "massive". As I have said before, my favorite preamp is no preamp. That means I cannot chose just
any preamp for a bypass loop. Most fall far short as I am picky. If it matters, I use this Lyngdorf
http://www.lyngdorf.com/products/tdai-2170 . Currently I have it in another room using a pair of DALI Rubicon 2's and their boundary woofers but I plan on dragging it downstairs. It easily sounds 5x more expensive that it costs. I've heard a lot of systems (CES, CEDIA, THE show, Montreal HiFi, factory training, and customers homes every year times 18 years). A very small handful of
systems make the hair raise on my arms.
Maybe 1 or 2 a show. The 7702 could not do it. But the 8802, ATI Signature, and DALI Rubicon 8's got it done.:kiss: So unless you have the best of the best DAC and stereo bypass preamp, the 8802 probably wins. Disclaimer: I subjectively like a pure and open sound. There isn't anything "warm" about the 7702 or 8802. So some will still want their Conrad Johnson preamp in bypass and I understand that too.
All of these comparisons take time and writing them up even more time. I will be doing a lot more experiments and sending off the results via a Constant Contact mailer.
