Marantz 7702 MK2

[gatestick]

I just got my Monolith 7X200 amp last weekend. All I can say is WOW. In the process of changing it out I accidently found out that the RCA outs are still active when the XLR is selected in the menu. I wanted to do a measurement using RCA vs XLR. The measurements look nearly identical just 6 or 7 DB louder using XLR. I only changed out the 1 cable for testing purposes in an attempt to save time. Having both outs on the Marantz active at the same time allowed me to run 2 sets of front speakers using equipment I have on hand. I have 2 questions now and many more to come I am sure. (1) Is there a chance of doing damage to the Marantz 7702MK2 using both RCA and XLR simultaneously? This also allows me to possibly bi-amplify the front 3 channels. Specifically the center channel Klipsch RC7 is rated at 125 watts RMS. (2) Is it a bad idea to bi-amp this using the Monolith for the low side (200 watts) and the Yamaha Z9 (140 watts) for the high side. Another question just popped into my head. Is there any benefit to doing this, or is there something I could be doing better?

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

I would be good to see a wiring diagram to see of the XLR and RCA outputs are buffered. Not sure if that’s the right term, but basically they should not be “seeing” each other, as would be the case if they were paralleled.

That said, either way using both will not cause any harm, any more so that using basic splitters.

As far as biamping, give it a try, but many feel it’s a useless gimmick, as everything goes through the speaker’s passive crossover.

Regards,
Wayne

 

[ddude003]

(1) Is there a chance of doing damage to the Marantz 7702MK2 using both RCA and XLR simultaneously?

Some amps this can cause issues/distortion/harm... Best to ask the manufacturer... The Unbalanced RCA pre-output is 1.2 V while the Balanced XLR pre-output: 2.4 V per specs in the manual... So there may be some level matching issues to think about also...

Usually the benefit of bi-amping is by driving the high frequency drivers, in your case the horn, with an amp that excels in high to mid frequencies while driving the low frequencies drivers with an amp that excels in mid to low frequencies... For example a tube amp for the horn and an SS amp for the rest... You would most likely need mod your speakers crossovers or yank them out completely then managing them with DSP or other external methods...

 

[gatestick]

Level matching is an issue. Most trims are near the -12db max with the Yamaha boosted a little. This is mostly an experiment, and an excuse to use nearly all of the equipment I have. I find this kind of thing fun, even though I find more questions than answers. I doubt that Marantz will answer me but I will try. Thanks everyone for the input.

 

[gatestick]

This is what Marantz had to say.

 

[ddude003]

Well there you go... And kudos to Wayne... It will be interesting to hear back from you of your experience with this experiment... Have fun!!!

 

[gatestick]

This has worked out for me for more than a year. I don't like that I need to have positive trims for the Yamaha channels, but it is only driving Atmos speakers. I had my Infinity speakers up front for a while. I didn't like the sound with 2 pairs of front speakers for left and right channels.