Marantz AV8805chat_bubble_outlineFrom real comments

Sound quality and feature set impress most owners despite the price. Multiple owners describe the AV8805 as excellent sounding, filling AV feature needs without excessively compromising audio quality, with one calling it a 'great no compromise AV Processor' running KEF speakers and Bryston amps. Others simply say they love it, citing awesome sound in 7.2.6 setups with XLR cabling. A few note modest but audible improvement over older Marantz models like the AV7704, though 2-channel performance was called a weak point by one long-term user comparing it to a competitor.

The unit is not fully balanced, a recurring letdown for some buyers. Several commenters, including one citing the teardown video directly, note the AV8805 lacks a truly balanced signal path end-to-end despite offering balanced XLR pre-outs for driving external amplifiers. One AV7705 owner said they were disappointed the pricier unit wasn't fully balanced either. Another explained the balanced outputs exist mainly to support long cable runs into amps with balanced inputs, not for balanced internal processing, tempering expectations for audiophiles chasing pure balanced designs.

Setup, reliability, and heat generate mixed real-world experiences. Audyssey calibration accuracy split opinions: some report years of consistently correct distance and crossover results, while others got wrong speaker size or crossover readings requiring manual correction. A few owners reported failures after months of use, including blown amp channels, Bluetooth module and pre-out board issues, alongside slow Marantz customer service. Some also mention the unit running noticeably hot during extended use and criticized the initial setup process and remote's small status screen as unintuitive.