Marantz 7706 7015 Atmos Decoding Problem

[DoctorO]

I recently replaced a Marantz 7012, which decoded Dolby Atmos from two source components just fine, with the Marantz 7706 Pre-Amp, which is similar to the 7015 receiver. For some reason, it only sees Dolby Atmos signals as 5.1. Dolby Atmos does not appear in the Surround Mode Menus. This is happening with both sources (a 4k BluRay player and Apple TV+ black box) and it is not a problem with how those devices are configured. The unit is sending matrixed signals to the Atmos speaker setup, so it "knows" things are set up for Atmos.

Damn. 50+ years in this hobby and I can't figure out what's causing this! Any ideas?? Do I have a bad unit?

Thanks!

 

[ar surround]

WTF!!!

Did the clock strike midnight on Marantz and it turned back into a pumpkin? I had a problem with my SR7013 playing certain ripped ATMOS (mkv) files from my Oppo 205 last night...no sound. I need to mess with it more.

My experience has been that the Marantz AVRs automatically recognize the ATMOS stream without having to scroll through the AVR Surround Mode Menus. I just select Dolby Atmos from the disc menu and the AVR sees it.

Did you try rebooting both the disc player and the AVR?

[EDIT: The problem I had playing certain ripped ATMOS (mkv) files was my mistake and has now been resolved. There's no problem with my Marantz AVR. Hopefully, we can solve your dilemma too DocO.]

 

[slmccaul]

Possibly Marantz had a firmware upgrade that has messed things up??

 

[MrSmithers]

Yeah there's not a Dolby Atmos 'sound option' per se. I think that's for things like Auro 3-D. It should just decode Atmos and play it.

Have you gone through the Audyssey set up? Sometimes the speaker layout you select can change options for output. And the sound mode should be Auto or Direct I think? (The yellow button on my 7015 remote...)

Hope you get it resolved...

 

[DoctorO]

Well, I found the culprit, which is a very strange behavior in the Marantz 7706 that did not occur with the 7012. I am posting it here in case someone else encounters the problem.

I had the second HDMI output of the Marantz connected to a headphone amp/processor. The fine print discloses that when a lower resolution video component is connected to the second HDMI output, the primary video output also is down-res. Thus, my 4K player did not display Dolby Video or allow HDR. Audio was also automatically down-res. When I disconnected the 2nd HDMI output on the Marantz, Dolby Atmos and high res video automatically were available from the 4K disc player and the Apple Box.

 

[ar surround]

Well, I found the culprit, which is a very strange behavior in the Marantz 7706 that did not occur with the 7012. I am posting it here in case someone else encounters the problem.

I had the second HDMI output of the Marantz connected to a headphone amp/processor. The fine print discloses that when a lower resolution video component is connected to the second HDMI output, the primary video output also is down-res. Thus, my 4K player did not display Dolby Video or allow HDR. Audio was also automatically down-res. When I disconnected the 2nd HDMI output on the Marantz, Dolby Atmos and high res video automatically were available from the 4K disc player and the Apple Box.

This is good info, Doc. Thanks for figuring this out. Messing with these complicated AVRs / processors certainly counts towards exercising one's brain. My wife won't even go near my system.

 

[DuncanS]

Well, I found the culprit, which is a very strange behavior in the Marantz 7706 that did not occur with the 7012. I am posting it here in case someone else encounters the problem.

I had the second HDMI output of the Marantz connected to a headphone amp/processor. The fine print discloses that when a lower resolution video component is connected to the second HDMI output, the primary video output also is down-res. Thus, my 4K player did not display Dolby Video or allow HDR. Audio was also automatically down-res. When I disconnected the 2nd HDMI output on the Marantz, Dolby Atmos and high res video automatically were available from the 4K disc player and the Apple Box.

Its part of the 'joys' of HDMI & HDCP, everything in a system must be 4k even when things aren't switched on - the HDMI links are often still interrogated!

My NUC won't let me output any audio to my 2013 SC-LX86 Amp as it does not have HDCP 2.x on its HDMI links, and the NUC won't downgrade, so blanks audio & video

 

[Lucanu]

I own a marantz sr7015 and I‘ve found the “hard way” to send a second hdmi out without losing resolution or other functions on the main hdmi out. I bought the Arcana HDFury
4K Arcana 18Gbps | HDFury.com | Connect and Fix everything in HDMI

I connect it to the second HDMI out and set the values I need to “emulate”

 

[DuncanS]

I own a marantz sr7015 and I‘ve found the “hard way” to send a second hdmi out without losing resolution or other functions on the main hdmi out. I bought the Arcana HDFury
4K Arcana 18Gbps | HDFury.com | Connect and Fix everything in HDMI

I connect it to the second HDMI out and set the values I need to “emulate”

I have done something similar (I have tried a few different makes! and only connecting the NUC into the Oppo worked) so I ordered an HDFury Integral 2 which has arrived but I haven't had time to connect up yet.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

I still don't really understand the HDMI compatibility rules. I have an HDMI 1.4 AVP and an HDMI 2.0 AVP. I can (and do) use them both with no issue. I use the HDMI out from a small HTPC which is pretty old, so I assume 1.x HDMI protocol. I assume I haven't run into problems yet because the monitor is not 4k ?.

 

[ar surround]

This stuff will drive us all completely crazy. I've never been able to get ATMOS to work via the ARC of my Sony X900F TV (2018) on Disney+. My Marantz SR7013 (eARC) will flash DOLBY ATMOS for a second and then revert to DDD+. Could be the Android TV software version that is on the Sony X900F...for which they haven't rolled out a new software version in ages. And now I read about this snafu where Atmos isn't working on Disney+ anymore because of a software glitch.

https://9to5google.com/2022/07/21/disney-plus-dolby-atmos-android-tv/

 

[DuncanS]

I still don't really understand the HDMI compatibility rules. I have an HDMI 1.4 AVP and an HDMI 2,0 AVP. I can (and do) use them both with no issue. I use the HDMI out from a small HTPC which is pretty old, so I assume 1.x HDMI protocol. I assume I haven't run into problems yet because the monitor is not 4k ?.

The biggest problem with HDMI is the copy protection system, HDCP, which is not backwards compatible with earlier versions, some bits of equipment will downgrade some won't. Its all got much worse with 4k!

 

[LuvMyQuad]

The biggest problem with HDMI is the copy protection system, HDCP, which is not backwards compatible with earlier versions, some bits of equipment will downgrade some won't. Its all got much worse with 4k!

Ok so my Emotiva MC-1 AVP has HDCP 2.2. But Nothing else in the system does. Not the other AVP, an Emotiva UMC-200. Not the HTPC, which feeds both AVPs through an HDMI splitter. The splitter is set to copy the EDID of the UMC-200. Not the ancient Oppo 83SE disc player. Not the 10 year old LG plasma monitor. I even feed the video out from the UMC-200 to an HDMI input on the MC-1.

Even if i remove the splitter, it will still all work together.

From everything I have read this should not work. So you are saying the MC-1 is downgrading the HDCP? Or do you think the lack of any 4k sources sidesteps the problem? Should I expect a problem if I upgrade to a 4k TV?

 

[DuncanS]

Ok so my Emotiva MC-1 AVP has HDCP 2.2. But Nothing else in the system does. Not the other AVP, an Emotiva UMC-200. Not the HTPC, which feeds both AVPs through an HDMI splitter. The splitter is set to copy the EDID of the UMC-200. Not the ancient Oppo 83SE disc player. Not the 10 year old LG plasma monitor. I even feed the video out from the UMC-200 to an HDMI input on the MC-1.

Even if i remove the splitter, it will still all work together.

From everything I have read this should not work. So you are saying the MC-1 is downgrading the HDCP? Or do you think the lack of any 4k sources sidesteps the problem? Should I expect a problem if I upgrade to a 4k TV?

As your Emotiva MC-1 AVP has HDCP 2.2 if you connect to a 4k TV or connect a 4k source I don't think you will have an issue, I suspect the Emotiva can downgrade (like the Oppo 203 I have). I suspect that you might have issues with the UMC-200 and 4k sources, unless the 4k source can downgrade. The whole HDCP thing is crazy as we can all easily rip discs!

I have a Sony OLED 4k TV and a Pioneer SC-LX86 (2013 AV Amp), no issues with playing 4k discs from my Oppo 203. I got an Intel NUC and discovered that will only work with everything having HDCP 2.2 - it happily connects to the TV, but goes blank if connected via the amp (I hope the HDFury unit will work, its my the 3rd attempt to get a working connection, its got expensive, maybe I should have just bought a new AV Amp!). BTW a cheap Kodi based Odroid N2 works!

 

[timothyemerson]

This stuff will drive us all completely crazy. I've never been able to get ATMOS to work via the ARC of my Sony X900F TV (2018) on Disney+. My Marantz SR7013 (eARC) will flash DOLBY ATMOS for a second and then revert to DDD+. Could be the Android TV software version that is on the Sony X900F...for which they haven't rolled out a new software version in ages. And now I read about this snafu where Atmos isn't working on Disney+ anymore because of a software glitch.

https://9to5google.com/2022/07/21/disney-plus-dolby-atmos-android-tv/

Chiming in here as we have the same hardware - Marantz SR7013 and possibly the Sony TV. Here in NZ, that Sony TV model was the X90F but I think it's the same as the X900F. In NZ, the X90F only has an ARC (not eARC) so it could possibly be that on your setup, it's getting the Atmos signal, recognising it for a second but as it's "only" got an ARC, "downgrades" it to DD+. Just a thought.

 

[audiomaster]

This is good info, Doc. Thanks for figuring this out. Messing with these complicated AVRs / processors certainly counts towards exercising one's brain. My wife won't even go near my system.

Cudos to you. You obviously have her well trained! When I showed my wifey that that little needle thingy and it's holder on the end of the tone arm was $300.00 and one good bump and it's done, she left the TT alone from then on! I agreed to leave her jewelry alone too. She only mentions it if she wants more!

 

[ar surround]

Chiming in here as we have the same hardware - Marantz SR7013 and possibly the Sony TV. Here in NZ, that Sony TV model was the X90F but I think it's the same as the X900F. In NZ, the X90F only has an ARC (not eARC) so it could possibly be that on your setup, it's getting the Atmos signal, recognising it for a second but as it's "only" got an ARC, "downgrades" it to DD+. Just a thought.

Some additional information to digest (or indigest. LOL) The Sony X900F has Android TV version 9 installed on it. According to info on the internet, version 9 can reproduce an ATMOS stream via DD+. This is compressed, but it is still ATMOS.

While the DD+ stream is playing, the display on the Marantz SR7013 shows this:

But the thing that confuses me, is that when I hit the green SOUND MODE button on the SR7013 AVR remote, the display shows that the codec is this:

So am I getting "ATMOS" or "DD+ plus Dolby Surround" upmixed? Doh!

 

[Lucanu]

Some additional information to digest (or indigest. LOL) The Sony X900F has Android TV version 9 installed on it. According to info on the internet, version 9 can reproduce an ATMOS stream via DD+. This is compressed, but it is still ATMOS.

While the DD+ stream is playing, the display on the Marantz SR7013 shows this:

View attachment 81522

But the thing that confuses me, is that when I hit the green SOUND MODE button on the SR7013 AVR remote, the display shows that the codec is this:

View attachment 81523

So am I getting "ATMOS" or "DD+ plus Dolby Surround" upmixed? Doh!

If it works like the 7015 you can press green multiple times and see different surround options. To get full atmos I press the yellow button until I read Auto or Direct. Then you can press the info button and see if you are getting Atmos signal

 

[timothyemerson]

Some additional information to digest (or indigest. LOL) The Sony X900F has Android TV version 9 installed on it. According to info on the internet, version 9 can reproduce an ATMOS stream via DD+. This is compressed, but it is still ATMOS.

While the DD+ stream is playing, the display on the Marantz SR7013 shows this:

View attachment 81522

But the thing that confuses me, is that when I hit the green SOUND MODE button on the SR7013 AVR remote, the display shows that the codec is this:

View attachment 81523

So am I getting "ATMOS" or "DD+ plus Dolby Surround" upmixed? Doh!

Ah right - I didn't know that about Atmos coming through as DSur. Interesting.

I can only speculate but I'm guessing that because the Atmos audio is compressed/less than the bitrate that would be on a BD/4K disc, it triggers/activates/shows "DSur" on the Marantz. I'm guessing that you're probably getting the Atmos info sent to each channel but that it's getting monkeyed with by DSur due to it not being completely lossless.

Just a guess on my part though.

 

[ar surround]

If it works like the 7015 you can press green multiple times and see different surround options. To get full atmos I press the yellow button until I read Auto or Direct. Then you can press the info button and see if you are getting Atmos signal

The SR7013 works the same as the 7015. I do the same as you, I press the yellow button until it reads "Auto." The info screen says:

SOUND: Dolby Audio - DD+ + DSur

(Yes, I confirmed that the test movie on Disney+ was in Atmos.)

So I suspect that I'm getting just a 5.1 DD+ stream upmixed to 7.1.4 using DSur. The instruction manual even says so: