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how to set up good home theater sound (and picture)

I am very new to the latest home theater formats. I have a new 4k TV but I don't yet have any devices that will stream 4K. My fios box does TV and I do netflix, amazon, and disney through our PS4. I just got a Marantz AV 7702 processor. I used to run Theta digital equipment for DVDs but no one buys disc players anymore, right (even 4k disc players)? Oppo seems to have gone out of business. Is the new PS5 an audiophile quality player? Will a new FIOS box satisfy? I'm wondering why I even have a good processor but I definitely miss good quality sound for movies. It's only OK running the current equipment into the Marantz and nowhere near what I remember from a Theta DVD player and my old Sunfire processor. It should be much better with the new sound formats. One option for video would be to run the apps directly from the TV, which would optimize video, but then I'm running an HDMI cable from the TV to the Marantz, and I assume that would be poor sound quality? How do you get audiophile quality movie sound these days? Thanks all.
dbw1
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Well the good news is you're listening, and you're hearing. The bad news is you bought into the surround processor sales schtick. Those things are death to sound quality. No amount of money in a processor will get you even close to a run of the mill $800 integrated. Sad but true. 

The good news is this means you can save a whopping lot of money because you need only 2 speakers and a few subs, only 2 channels of amplification, etc. 

There's a whole slew of video sources you can figure that one out yourself. Whatever one(s) you choose simply connect the video directly to your monitor, connect L/R audio to your integrated, and you're set with sound quality no processor can touch, and all for a fraction of what you would have been chasing on the hamster wheel of HT.  https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367
erik_squires
15,946 posts
 
My two suggestions:

LG for the TV and Anthem for your AVR or processor.  LG will include apps for your most common streaming services:

Netflix
Amazon
Sling
Hulu

It will also do ARC - Audio Return Channel - Via HDMI. 

I find the sound quality of Anthem superior to Onkyo/Emotiva and Marantz by wide margins, though I have varying levels of experience with each of those brands.

Hook up any additional devices (DVD, PS5, etc) through it. Alternatively, you can use your TV as the switcher if it has enough inputs, and use the AVR as the processor/volume but not the switch.

I have also tried Roku by the way, and for unknown reasons, the LG video quality is consistently superior. This may be a settings thing though.


Best,

E
auxinput
2,920 posts
 
I actually have quite a bit of respect for Marantz processors.  They are the only "consumer level" processors that have a discrete analog output stage.  Excellent power supplies.  It provides a very refined and full sound with lots of impact.  That being said, the Marantz is voiced slightly warm and will have soft rolled of highs, but only in comparison to another processor.

So, if you want something with better high frequency response, the Anthem is the way to go if you want 4K and all the bells and whistles.  A step above this would be the Krell Foundation 4K, but we are getting expensive now.

I would agree on avoiding Emotiva/Onkyo/etc.

I don't have direct experience with Roku so I couldn't comment on Erik's experience, but my general assumption is "HDMI - audio return channel" is a decent feature but not necessarily as good quality as a with a direct source.
dbw1 OP
173 posts
 
Thanks all. I guess I was not clear on my question - what should I be using as the source? That is, what "box" should be connected to the Marantz to stream content and play discs? The PS4 and my FIOS cable box are not cutting it in terms of sound quality. I can upgrade from the Marantz to an Anthem processor, but will that do any good if I'm feeding the processor a signal from a playstation? 
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