Marantz AV Owners Thread

[petetherock]

I did a bit of reading into these models which retail for about 12xx and 18xx respectively.

 

On paper there are bit missing from them that other brands possess, monst glaringly are the video sections. Others carry DCDi and Reon chips which make this pair pale in comparision.

 

So why bother with them? Actually I would advise potential new av amp buyers to assses their personel needs and avoid being seduced by the marketing speak. Do you really need the video chips?

 

Say you have a brace of hi def players, eg a Toshia XA2 or A35 plus a PS3 etc, these do a very good job of upscaling on their own, possibly better than the amp, so you want a direct patch through with an unadulterated signal to the video output.

 

Some may wish to upsclae their legacy TV, VCD or DVD players. Then its time to assess your needs versus the cost to benefit ratio of upscaling SD sources.

 

Marantz has been a little tardy when adopting new technology, but tries to make up ground with a musical signature. So it is best to decide if that is what you want, or get the latest video chip plus the latest audio format decoders, beacause you already possess a seperate audio system with will make this AV setup pale in comparison.

 

Oh the fact that there is a 4 HDMI input with 2 outputs helps

 

PS: if you have not figured out, I am biased towards Marantz

Cheers

[snip3r]

SR5002 and SR4002

Marantz will also be showcasing its two new high-value 7.1-channel surround sound receivers, models SR5002 and SR4002, both featuring upgrades to HDMI 1.3 switching. Both models also feature HDMI 1.1 Repeating capability, and for total future-readiness, both will also accept LPCM 7.1 signals from an HD DVD player or Blu-ray player. Both models are ideal for customers who wish to step up to a higher level of home entertainment performance and flexibility for a more affordable price. In addition to Dolby Pro Logic, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX, DTS and DTS ES processing, they both feature dual component outputs and upconversion capability to component video. As a multi-room receiver, the SR5002 provides 2nd zone audio output capability (individual source), IR Flasher input DC trigger output and RS232 port. In addition, it is XM-ready with discrete IR commands.

 

1) Here they state HDMI 1.3 and 1.1 . Which is which now?

2) How does these 4002 and 5002 compares to Onkyo 605 and 505 with respect to HT ( not music ) .

 

Thanks

 

[petetherock]

This forum might help:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=804601

 

As for Sound quality, only you can judge which is better.

 

Check if the 5 and 4xxx decode TruHD and DTS MA via their 1.3 HDMI and can they pass through 1.3 or just 1.1

[ccwjames]

Hi bro, I am going to get a PS3 soon..... So, currently I am using marantz sr7500 and was thinking is it worth to sell my sr7500 and get a HDMI receiver like onkyo 605? will there be any improvement in sound quality?But so far I am still quite satisfy with my system.... :)

[petetherock]

Your SR 7500 is a serious machine, it offers a higher level of music quality and amplification, and it has pre-outs.

What the Onkyo offers will be the new sound formats which may offer a new level of HT excellence, which you need to try.

Plus HDMI is a nice thing, you need to figure out the balance, or get a 7002.

 

Hi bro, I am going to get a PS3 soon..... So, currently I am using marantz sr7500 and was thinking is it worth to sell my sr7500 and get a HDMI receiver like onkyo 605? will there be any improvement in sound quality?But so far I am still quite satisfy with my system.... :)

[ccwjames]

Hmm, any idea what's the price for 7002?

[Frank1624705861]

S$1290 first quote - with GST? - Sim Lim Sq(grd flr) as of 11am, 19th Dec. 07.  Anyone has a better quote?  When I decide, I will go bargain it down.... ;)

[wongcp21]

Bought last week 7002 at $1270 (including gst) at shop at grd level SLS. Could have gotten it at 1250 at adjacent shop , but no stock and have to wait. Couldn't wait so pay 20 more......  ::)

[yob]

Hi Marantz Seniors.. would like to seek advice on my 4001 avr.. been working fine till today.. Tried to do speaker volume level balancing using avia disc & encountered these 2 probs:

 

#1 - my front left volume level is very soft & Front right volume level VERY loud, even setting front left to max setting (i.e +10) & front left to minimum level (-10) doesnt help.

 

#2 - when i entered avr setup mode to adjust speaker level setting, avr vfd shows left channel but sound coming from front right speaker & vice versa. However, when i played avia disc's speaker identification test, sound is coming correctly from all 5.1 speakers only the front left too soft & front right very loud..

 

Tried swapping front speakers & cable but the prob still there??? Sad thing is that this avr less than a year, it was a wedding gift to me from my work buddies, so i have no receipt as proof that warranty still valid..  :-\

 

 

 

[petetherock]

Are you able to direct the pre-out of the left speaker to the rear surround which you may not be using?

That may allow you to use the amp unit of the rear left surround as the front left.

Otherwise, I think the unit amp section of the front left is kaput. Weigh repairing vs a new amp...

[JayLopez]

Hi All,

 

Please advice which should be used when watching movies. Pure Direct, Source Direct or Auto?

 

I thought Pure Direct is best for Music.

 

Thanks.

[petetherock]

Try all of them mate, its so easy... :)

 

I use source direct, for everything, only one choice

 

Cheers

[Cody]

EDIT: see HERE for info on the LFE/Audyssey bug and the DTS HD-MA "bomb" issue. Both can be fixed via a firmware update.

Introduction:

As some of you may know, I’ve been using a Pioneer VSX-AX4ASi AVR, which I’ve only had for around 12 months. I hadn’t anticipated upgrading so soon, but a combination of a desire to decode DTS-HD MA, as well as to find a more satisfactory sound overall and a general itchiness to get something new, lead me to move it on and commence the hunt for a replacement.

My key requirements were as follows:

• Audio quality (2ch as well as HT)

• Audio quality

• Audio quality

• HDMI v1.3a and decoding for all the new audio formats

• 2 HDMI outputs (for a future projector purchase)

• Bug-free operation! Meaning I don’t want something with known issues

• DC Trigger outputs and of course 7.1 pre-outs

All of which I needed to achieve within a relatively modest budget (under $2.5k). The RRP of the Marantz SR7002 is $2599 and it comes with a 3 year warranty. Its available in silver or black.

After spending probably too much time reading up on specs and other peoples opinions, I decided to do some auditioning, and so after approaching my local HiFi specialist to unfortunately find they had no plans to get the Marantz in, I ended up at Harvey Norman of all places! I’ve never been to HN Chadstone before, but they actually have some great gear set-up in their demo room, including a Sony TADA9000ES and Marantz SR9600. More importantly for me though they had the main 3 I was looking into:

• Yamaha (1800)

• Onkyo (805)

• Marantz (7002)

The Marantz had only just arrived, but the guys there were only too happy to quickly set it all up for me. I listened to all 3, mostly on 2ch music fed by a Pioneer DV989 – a very capable universal player and one I’m personally quite familiar with.

I should at this point clarify that I’m no audiophile! I do however know what I like and have found my tastes have developed and become more discerning in the last few years, particularly as I’ve been exposed to some sensational set-ups (alebonau’s and Spearmint’s being the most notable) and started paying more attention to mine in an effort to better understand sound quality in general. So I feel like I know enough to get me by, although possibly I know just enough to be dangerous!

Back to business, first to be culled was the Onkyo, which I felt was a bit all over the place with its imaging and lacking midrange clarity. The Yamaha and the Marantz I found much harder to pick between, as both were excellent with midrange and bass, however the Marantz I felt had the edge, particularly on the vocals, with a much sweeter soundstage. This was all down to preference though of course, and I think I could have also been happy with the Yamaha. With the decision made, I handed over the plastic and eagerly headed for home.

Note: I did consider briefly the SR8002, but felt the additional features were not going to be worth if for me. I will be using a power amp, so don’t think I would get the benefit of the improved torodial transformer, I’m not fussed about zone 2 video, IR input/output and don’t think I’d be able to hear $1000 worth of difference with the copper chassis.

Unpacking and set-up:

As one would expect, the Marantz comes securely packaged, double-boxed, wrapped in soft covering and nestled in polystyrene. All accessories are neatly bagged and taped to the soft protective covering of the AVR itself.

Whats in the box?

- Marantz SR7002

- RC8001SR (main remote control)

- RC101 (second zone remote)

- 5 x AAA batteries (3 for the RC8001 and 2 for the RC101)

- AM loop antenna

- FM antenna

- Audyssey microphone

- Front auxillary input cover

- Power cable (both Aus and US type)

- User guide (a full inch thick!)

Unpacking 1 Unpacking 2

One of the first things that struck me when I lifted it out was its size, or rather, lack of. With the SR7002/8002, Marantz boast a “new compact chassis”, which for me is around a 9cm (depth) saving over my previous AVR. It also weighs in 1.4kg less.

Full dimensions are:

- W: 440mm

- H: 184mm

- D: 376mm (incl. binding posts)

- Weight: 15kg

Power consumption is a healthy 770w. Full specs can be found at marantz.com

Looking inside through the vents, I noticed the circuit boards are stacked almost to the top of the chassis, which is very different to the layout of AVR’s I’ve had in the past, which seemed to have bucket loads of space inside. Despite this, the unit doesn’t get particularly hot at all, and after a solid workout, isn’t too hot to leave your hand on. There are also vents on both sides, so (like all amps really) you will still want to ensure there is plenty of space all round for ventilation. Top vents

The second thing that struck me was how good it looks! Highly subjective and a matter of personal taste I know, but the simple, uncluttered design, along with the gold text over black, looks a treat in my opinion, and had me wondering why I ever strayed from black HT equipment in the first place…In place

With the 7002 in place and AV rack pulled out, I went about the task of connecting it all up. I used the following connections:

- Toshiba HD-XE1 via HDMI

- Beyonwiz DP-S1 via HDMI

- Sony PS3 via HDMI

- Sonly SLV-X822AS (VHS player) via Composite

- Sony SCD-XA3000ES (SACD player) via stereo analogue RCA

- Hitachi Plasma via HDMI (using HDMI monitor output 1)

- And of course the 5 speakers and sub

Like most AVR’s these days, the speaker posts are quite close together, making feeding bare wire in a bit of a pain (mental note, buy banana plugs). The section around the binding posts is covered by a plastic shield to prevent contact with the chassis and one thing I really liked was that there is a separate set of binding posts that can be used for powered second zone speakers or bi-amping. There is a small switch on the back to change between multi-zone and bi-amp. I’m not using this at the moment, but probably will in future.

With connections in place, it was time to hit the GO button…

Configuration and settings:

Firstly let me comment about the Marantz menu system… The good thing is it works over HDMI, the bad is that its, well, basic. Actually, it reminds me a little of a Commodore 64 I once had…. But importantly it does the job, although I do think they could have tried a little harder in this area, I mean, my 6 year old Samsung mobile had a nice colour GUI, so how hard could it be? Oh dear...

Anyway, the menu system has six options at the top level, covering all the usual business. I didn’t find the menu/set-up particularly intuitive and did have to refer to the manual on a number of occasions. Fortunately the manual is fairly easy to follow and provides the info you need.

A few points on set-up:

• There are 8 available inputs in total (TV, DVD, VCR1, DSS, AUX1, TAPE, CD/R, AUX2). They are all fully configurable to any combination of HDMI, Digital (coax/optical), Component and Composite/S-Video you want – with the exception of AUX1, which for some reason you cant assign Composite/S-Video to. This means of course you could use all 8 for video inputs if you wanted. If 8 isnt enough, you can also share an input, by say assigning it HDMI and Component (for example) and switching it to “AUTO”. The input will then auto detect which input is receiving a signal and use that. In the instance where both were sending a signal, it uses HDMI first, then Component, then S-Video/Composite.

• The inputs can be renamed to anything you want, up to 10 characters. So if you are using say, TAPE for a HD-DVD player on HDMI, you could rename it "HD-DVD". One small “bug” I noticed was that it reverts to the original name on the AVR’s front display, when you press mute. For example I renamed the “DSS” input “PS3” and while it displays “PS3” during normal operation, when I press mute it says “DSS: MUTE”.

• The Audyssey auto-set-up and calibration was easy to use and only took around 10 minutes to set-up 3 listening positions (you can set up to 6 in total). I don’t personally have a great deal of confidence in auto set-up systems, so got out the trusty old tape measure and SPL meter to make a number of adjustments to the Audyssey settings.

• Whilst the 7002 boasts an OSD, it only works with composite based sources, either when output as composite or up-converted to HDMI etc. I did connect a composite monitor out cable to have a quick look at it and its about as easy on the eye as the menu system itself, so no big loss in my opinion. Here is what it looks like. Presumably this would normally be overlaid on the video source.

• There is a lip-sync setting, that can be manually set at 10ms increments from 0ms – 200ms. As far as I can tell, this applies the delay to all inputs, however there is a lip-sync button on the remote, so presumably it can be turned off/on via that and could be set in a macro. There is also an auto lip-sync feature, but be aware this is a feature of HDMI 1.3a, so requires a compatible HDMI 1.3a, auto lip-sync enabled display to work. I havent had any sync issues, so havent used this feature.

Video features:

I really like how Marantz have kept the video processing side of this AVR to the absolute minimum. Personally, I don’t put much stock in the video (scaling etc) capabilities of most AVR’s today and would rather add a dedicated video processor if I want to go down that path.

Note: THERE IS NO SCALER IN THIS RECEIVER, that is to say, it cannot up-scale anything to a higher resolution. Basically what comes in goes out. What it can do is the following:

• De-interlace a 576i or 480i signal. (needed as not all displays can accept 576i/480i)

• Up-convert composite/S-Video to Component or HDMI, or Component to HDMI.

That’s it! Also, both these options, along with the OSD, can be switched off, if you want no video processing whatsoever.

The front display of the AVR itself, has a number of indicators etc as to inputs, what signal its receiving etc etc, all the usual stuff. There is however only 1 main line of text on the display, but you can cycle through a number of options via the remote. The only real difference for me with my last AVR was that input and surround mode are no longer displayed at the same time, meaning you have to cycle the display. This has turned out to be no issue at all as I don’t really need constant reminding of what input I’m using and find leaving it on the surround mode works for me. The display can also be turned completely off, which conveniently also turns off the blue lights above the source and volume dials. Pic with display off

One other point of note, while there are 2 HDMI outputs, only 1 can be used at a time, meaning you cant output simultaneously to both. You can however flick between the 2 on the remote.

Audio features:

As per the specs, the 7002 decodes all the main surround formats, including DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD. ProLogicIIx, DTS Neo:6 & 26/24, CSII, Dolby Virtual Speaker, Dolby Headphone, THX and Neural Surround are also present, so plenty of options. Probably the only one it does have that I would like is Logic7, but then you need a Harman Kardon or Lexicon for that. DSD and HDCD are listed in the manual, so presumably these are both accommodated.

I watched a few HD-DVD’s and Blu-Ray’s, utilising both bitstream output as well as PCM. All worked perfectly and sounded great (including DTS-HD MA).

There is a SOURCE DIRECT mode, that bypasses the tone control circuit, acoustic EQ and bass management. There is also a PURE DIRECT mode that in addition, switches off the video outputs and turns off the display, including all front lights, with the exception of the PURE DIRECT blue light.

**Note: all acoustic EQ modes (incl. Audyssey) are disabled when you bitstream Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus or DTS-HD (MA).

edit: it also may be worth noting that Marantz use Audyssey MultiEQ in the 7002/8002, which is basically the version below the MultiEQ XT used in most comparable offerings from Denon, Onkyo, Integra and Nad. According to the Audyssey website, it seems the key difference is that it uses lower filter resolution and can only store up to 6 positions, vs up to 32 for MultiEQ XT. a list of what receiver has what Audyssey version can be found here.

The remote:

As mentioned, there are 2 remotes included. I haven’t used the second zone remote, but have been using the main one. The main one (RC8001) looks pretty much exactly like the RC1400 on the Marantz website. The RC101 is also on there if you want to see what it looks like. There are 13 pages in the manual dedicated to the RC8001 and 6 for the RC101. I’ve only glanced at this section of the manual, but basically both are fully programmable and the RC8001 looks like it has a lot of potential, including of course macros.

I personally didn’t like the RC8001 at first and found it hard to use. I have however warmed to it over the week and can see it does have potential as a universal remote, however I feel its not as user friendly as my Harmony 880 (and certainly has none of the WAF of the Harmony), so have relegated it to the remote drawer. One tip with the remote, you have to press the AMP button in the bottom right hand corner for it to control the AVR (volume etc). If you don’t, you’ll be pressing the buttons to no effect, as I was initially!

Regarding the Harmony, the database has the 7002 and did set-up the basics. I do now of course need to put aside a few hours to fine tune it (groan).

edit: iv'e since noticed the IR receiver angle is fairly limited compared to my other components.

Performance:

Its very early days, so I’ll keep my comments brief and add more when its had a chance to run-in fully.

Movies: I have watched 3 movies and parts of a few others so far. Audio wise I have been very happy, with meaty, detailed LFE, clear dialogue and excellent steering of surround effects. I’ve had (touch wood) no lip-sync or HDMI issues so far and really everything has worked perfectly.

TV: I’m still playing around with the surround modes to find the one I’m going to settle on. I like the CSII and ProLogicII (music), one of which I’ll probably stick with. Again, happy with performance so far, and like with movies, I’ve been particularly impressed with improvements on dialogue. I think the Marantz does a noticeably better job of driving my centre speaker.

Music: This is where for me I find it much easier to tell the difference between the 7002 and my old Pioneer and in this case the differences are not subtle. Key improvements I’ve noticed have been in the bass, which is clearer, sharper and sounds more powerful (I do like a bit of extra bite in the bass, so this suits me nicely), soundstage imaging, which is considerably improved and not “veiled” in any noticeable way and the midrange overall, which is much more detailed and revealing.

My 2ch listening was done in PURE DIRECT mode and overall I’m really chuffed with the 7002. I had high expectations of the Marantz musically and it hasn’t disappointed. I cant honestly say its as good as my old Musical Fidelity A3.5 stereo amp, but it is much better than any AVR I’ve heard before, especially my old Pioneer. I think this will tide me over quite nicely while I save for a separate 2ch pre-pwr combo.

Conclusion:

So far I’m really very pleased with this upgrade. I haven’t found anything about it yet that I don’t like (well, except maybe the menu, but how often do you use that once its set-up?). In going with the Marantz I did “forego” some of the bells and whistles of the competition, but I’m pleased to say that to me its been worth it and the sound improvement more than makes up for it.

I do have an Elektra power amp on the way, and will report on my opinion on the change that makes and the suitability of the 7002 as a pre-pro in due course. My expectation is that it will make a fine pre-pro and the Elektra will take the sound up another notch.

Anyway, if you have made it this far, thanks for reading and please feel free to ask any questions or correct me on anything you think I may have got wrong.

Cheers!

DG, happy Marantz owner.

Edited June 9, 2008 by D.G.

[50mxe20]

Read every word.

Well done.

Can't think of any questions other than what movies did you demo?

[betty boop]

a good read DG, congrats on the new purchase, good on you for taking the time out to post a review, sure there'll be many quite interested both in how it goes not just an AVR but also for its pre-pro capabilities. A very good alternatives to the denons it would seem not just in cost but in quality terms as well.

[yamapro]

Great review DG,

I must say this AVR is at the top of my list now

Funnily enough the OSD and Menu system look almost unchanged from my SR7400 (and even on that it was behind the times)... i actually like it though as it is easy enough to navigate and it is rare to make major setup once it's all calibrated anyway:D It could be a con but it makes me feel that they have maybe spent the money on pursuing the finest audio quality? Coz we know the budget hasn't gone on the GUI or even the video side of the unit

One question if i may, you mentioned Source and Pure Direct modes bypassing bass management - does this mean that nothing is output through the LFE channel at all (as per classic Marantz and earlier Yamaha Pure Direct) in these modes or that the bass is just unmanaged (ie no Low Pass point etc etc..)?

I really hope it is the latter as i love the direct modes for music listening but need augmentation from MR. Subby

Cheers,

Alex

[Cody]

Read every word.

Well done.

Can't think of any questions other than what movies did you demo?

Thanks Lyle!

Movies were:

- Pearl Harbour (Blu-Ray), via uncompressed PCM

- The Hills Have Eyes II (Blu-Ray), DTS core as PCM

- First Blood (HD-DVD), DTS-HD MA bitstreamed

Also parts of We Were Soldiers (HD-DVD), with both DD+ and DTS bitstreamed.

And gave the Eagles (HD-DVD) with DTS-HD MA bitstreamed, a good workout (god I love that disk!)

Music was:

- Rolling Stones Flowers SACD

- Bernard Fannng Tea and Sympathy

- Dire Straights Brothers in Arms SACD

- The Dissociatives

- Bic Runga's Beautiful Collision and Drive

- MOS Chillout Sessions 9

[yamapro]

One other Q please DG

What speaker system did you audition with at HN when you were shortlisting the 3?

Ta

[Cody]

a good read DG, congrats on the new purchase, good on you for taking the time out to post a review, sure there'll be many quite interested both in how it goes not just an AVR but also for its pre-pro capabilities. A very good alternatives to the denons it would seem not just in cost but in quality terms as well.

thanks Al. of course your welcome to drop by for a listen any time.

Great review DG,

I must say this AVR is at the top of my list now

Funnily enough the OSD and Menu system look almost unchanged from my SR7400 (and even on that it was behind the times)... i actually like it though as it is easy enough to navigate and it is rare to make major setup once it's all calibrated anyway:D It could be a con but it makes me feel that they have maybe spent the money on pursuing the finest audio quality? Coz we know the budget hasn't gone on the GUI or even the video side of the unit

One question if i may, you mentioned Source and Pure Direct modes bypassing bass management - does this mean that nothing is output through the LFE channel at all (as per classic Marantz and earlier Yamaha Pure Direct) in these modes or that the bass is just unmanaged (ie no Low Pass point etc etc..)?

I really hope it is the latter as i love the direct modes for music listening but need augmentation from MR. Subby

Cheers,

Alex

hehe, very ture re: the GUI, thats pretty much what I put it down to!

re: bass management, I understand its the latter, as the manual states that in source direct mode, all speakers are automatically set to large and subwoofer to "yes", with tone, EQ and other additional processing deactivated.

[Felix..]

A very comprehensive review D.G. Extremely helpful for prospective buyers especially given there are currently no online pro reviews that I'm aware of.

Just some minor queries. How bright is the 7002's front panel display in a dark room? Your pictures look like they were taken in daylight/lights on, no doubt to get good shots. I note above you have the option of completely turning it off but can you also dim it if desired?

Also how responsive/smooth do you find the volume control via remote control and how accommodating is the 7002 IR sensor to an acute angle signal from the remote, or do you need to be pretty straight on for it to work properly?

[yamapro]

thanks Al. of course your welcome to drop by for a listen any time.

hehe, very ture re: the GUI, thats pretty much what I put it down to!

re: bass management, I understand its the latter, as the manual states that in source direct mode, all speakers are automatically set to large and subwoofer to "yes", with tone, EQ and other additional processing deactivated.

That is awesome news

Thanks for taking the time out to review and Q&A it. As Felix said it's nice to have such a comprehensive review, especially in absence of pro reviews (although i always prefer real world reviews anyway)

I really think i will be sticking with Marantz now... yay

[50mxe20]

Thanks Lyle!

Introduction:

As some of you may know, I've been using a Pioneer VSX-AX4ASi AVR, which I've only had for around 12 months. I hadn't anticipated upgrading so soon, but a combination of a desire to decode DTS-HD MA, as well as to find a more satisfactory sound overall and a general itchiness to get something new, lead me to move it on and commence the hunt for a replacement.

My key requirements were as follows:

• Audio quality (2ch as well as HT)

• Audio quality

• Audio quality

Did you really mean to repeat this three times?

ie, Audio quality was what really mattered most!!

[Mining Man]

~

I must say this AVR is at the top of my list now

~

After reading the OP, I've created a list just for this AVR.

[Spearmint]

DG, what an excellent read, I thoroughly enjoyed it and could sense your emotions whilst reading. I’m glad my system was a bit of a help in your evolving journey.

[com59841503560232]

Introduction:

As some of you may know, I’ve been using a Pioneer VSX-AX4ASi AVR, which I’ve only had for around 12 months. I hadn’t anticipated upgrading so soon, but a combination of a desire to decode DTS-HD MA, as well as to find a more satisfactory sound overall and a general itchiness to get something new, lead me to move it on and commence the hunt for a replacement.

My key requirements were as follows:

• Audio quality (2ch as well as HT)

• Audio quality

• Audio quality

• HDMI v1.3a and decoding for all the new audio formats

• 2 HDMI outputs (for a future projector purchase)

• Bug-free operation! Meaning I don’t want something with known issues

• DC Trigger outputs and of course 7.1 pre-outs

All of which I needed to achieve within a relatively modest budget (under $2.5k). The RRP of the Marantz SR7002 is $2599.

After spending probably too much time reading up on specs and other peoples opinions, I decided to do some auditioning, and so after approaching my local HiFi specialist to unfortunately find they had no plans to get the Marantz in, I ended up at Harvey Norman of all places! I’ve never been to HN Chadstone before, but they actually have some great gear set-up in their demo room, including a Sony TADA9000ES and Marantz SR9600. More importantly for me though they had the main 3 I was looking into:

• Yamaha (1800)

• Onkyo (805)

• Marantz (7002)

The Marantz had only just arrived, but the guys there were only too happy to quickly set it all up for me. I listened to all 3, mostly on 2ch music fed by a Pioneer DV989 – a very capable universal player and one I’m personally quite familiar with.

I should at this point clarify that I’m no audiophile! I do however know what I like and have found my tastes have developed and become more discerning in the last few years, particularly as I’ve been exposed to some sensational set-ups (alebonau’s and Spearmint’s being the most notable) and started paying more attention to mine in an effort to better understand sound quality in general. So I feel like I know enough to get me by, although possibly I know just enough to be dangerous!

Back to business, first to be culled was the Onkyo, which I felt was a bit all over the place with its imaging and lacking midrange clarity. The Yamaha and the Marantz I found much harder to pick between, as both were excellent with midrange and bass, however the Marantz I felt had the edge, particularly on the vocals, with a much sweeter soundstage. This was all down to preference though of course, and I think I could have also been happy with the Yamaha. With the decision made, I handed over the plastic and eagerly headed for home.

Note: I did consider briefly the SR8002, but felt the additional features were not going to be worth if for me. I will be using a power amp, so don’t think I would get the benefit of the improved torodial transformer, I’m not fussed about zone 2 video, IR input/output and don’t think I’d be able to hear $1000 worth of difference with the copper chassis.

Unpacking and set-up:

As one would expect, the Marantz comes securely packaged, double-boxed, wrapped in soft covering and nestled in polystyrene. All accessories are neatly bagged and taped to the soft protective covering of the AVR itself.

Whats in the box?

- Marantz SR7002

- RC8001SR (main remote control)

- RC101 (second zone remote)

- 5 x AAA batteries (3 for the RC8001 and 2 for the RC101)

- AM loop antenna

- FM antenna

- Audyssey microphone

- Front auxillary input cover

- Power cable (both Aus and US type)

- User guide (a full inch thick!)

Unpacking 1 Unpacking 2

One of the first things that struck me when I lifted it out was its size, or rather, lack of. With the SR7002/8002, Marantz boast a “new compact chassis”, which for me is around a 9cm (depth) saving over my previous AVR. It also weighs in 1.4kg less.

Full dimensions are:

- W: 440mm

- H: 184mm

- D: 376mm (incl. binding posts)

- Weight: 15kg

Power consumption is a healthy 770w. Full specs can be found at marantz.com

Looking inside through the vents, I noticed the circuit boards are stacked almost to the top of the chassis, which is very different to the layout of AVR’s I’ve had in the past, which seemed to have bucket loads of space inside. Despite this, the unit doesn’t get particularly hot at all, and after a solid workout, isn’t too hot to leave your hand on. There are also vents on both sides, so (like all amps really) you will still want to ensure there is plenty of space all round for ventilation. Top vents

The second thing that struck me was how good it looks! Highly subjective and a matter of personal taste I know, but the simple, uncluttered design, along with the gold text over black, looks a treat in my opinion, and had me wondering why I ever strayed from black HT equipment in the first place…In place

With the 7002 in place and AV rack pulled out, I went about the task of connecting it all up. I used the following connections:

- Toshiba HD-XE1 via HDMI

- Beyonwiz DP-S1 via HDMI

- Sony PS3 via HDMI

- Sonly SLV-X822AS (VHS player) via Composite

- Sony SCD-XA3000ES (SACD player) via stereo analogue RCA

- Hitachi Plasma via HDMI (using HDMI monitor output 1)

- And of course the 5 speakers and sub

Like most AVR’s these days, the speaker posts are quite close together, making feeding bare wire in a bit of a pain (mental note, buy banana plugs). The section around the binding posts is covered by a plastic shield to prevent contact with the chassis and one thing I really liked was that there is a separate set of binding posts that can be used for powered second zone speakers or bi-amping. There is a small switch on the back to change between multi-zone and bi-amp. I’m not using this at the moment, but probably will in future.

With connections in place, it was time to hit the GO button…

Configuration and settings:

Firstly let me comment about the Marantz menu system… The good thing is it works over HDMI, the bad is that its, well, basic. Actually, it reminds me a little of a Commodore 64 I once had…. But importantly it does the job, although I do think they could have tried a little harder in this area, I mean, my 6 year old Samsung mobile had a nice colour GUI, so how hard could it be? Oh dear...

Anyway, the menu system has six options at the top level, covering all the usual business. I didn’t find the menu/set-up particularly intuitive and did have to refer to the manual on a number of occasions. Fortunately the manual is fairly easy to follow and provides the info you need.

A few points on set-up:

• There are 8 available inputs in total (TV, DVD, VCR1, DSS, AUX1, TAPE, CD/R, AUX2). They are all fully configurable to any combination of HDMI, Digital (coax/optical), Component and Composite/S-Video you want – with the exception of AUX1, which for some reason you cant assign Composite/S-Video to. This means of course you could use all 8 for video inputs if you wanted. If 8 isnt enough, you can also share an input, by say assigning it HDMI and Component (for example) and switching it to “AUTO”. The input will then auto detect which input is receiving a signal and use that. In the instance where both were sending a signal, it uses HDMI first, then Component, then S-Video/Composite.

• The inputs can be renamed to anything you want, up to 10 characters. So if you are using say, TAPE for a HD-DVD player on HDMI, you could rename it "HD-DVD". One small “bug” I noticed was that it reverts to the original name on the AVR’s front display, when you press mute. For example I renamed the “DSS” input “PS3” and while it displays “PS3” during normal operation, when I press mute it says “DSS: MUTE”.

• The Audyssey auto-set-up and calibration was easy to use and only took around 10 minutes to set-up 3 listening positions (you can set up to 6 in total). I don’t personally have a great deal of confidence in auto set-up systems, so got out the trusty old tape measure and SPL meter to make a number of adjustments to the Audyssey settings.

• Whilst the 7002 boasts an OSD, it only works with composite based sources, either when output as composite or up-converted to HDMI etc. I did connect a composite monitor out cable to have a quick look at it and its about as easy on the eye as the menu system itself, so no big loss in my opinion. Here is what it looks like. Presumably this would normally be overlaid on the video source.

• There is a lip-sync setting, that can be manually set at 10ms increments from 0ms – 200ms. As far as I can tell, this applies the delay to all inputs, however there is a lip-sync button on the remote, so presumably it can be turned off/on via that and could be set in a macro. There is also an auto lip-sync feature, but be aware this is a feature of HDMI 1.3a, so requires a compatible HDMI 1.3a, auto lip-sync enabled display to work. I havent had any sync issues, so havent used this feature.

Video features:

I really like how Marantz have kept the video processing side of this AVR to the absolute minimum. Personally, I don’t put much stock in the video (scaling etc) capabilities of most AVR’s today and would rather add a dedicated video processor if I want to go down that path.

Note: THERE IS NO SCALER IN THIS RECEIVER, that is to say, it cannot up-scale anything to a higher resolution. Basically what comes in goes out. What it can do is the following:

• De-interlace a 576i or 480i signal. (needed as not all displays can accept 576i/480i)

• Up-convert composite/S-Video to Component or HDMI, or Component to HDMI.

That’s it! Also, both these options, along with the OSD, can be switched off, if you want no video processing whatsoever.

The front display of the AVR itself, has a number of indicators etc as to inputs, what signal its receiving etc etc, all the usual stuff. There is however only 1 main line of text on the display, but you can cycle through a number of options via the remote. The only real difference for me with my last AVR was that input and surround mode are no longer displayed at the same time, meaning you have to cycle the display. This has turned out to be no issue at all as I don’t really need constant reminding of what input I’m using and find leaving it on the surround mode works for me. The display can also be turned completely off, which conveniently also turns off the blue lights above the source and volume dials. Pic with display off

One other point of note, while there are 2 HDMI outputs, only 1 can be used at a time, meaning you cant output simultaneously to both. You can however flick between the 2 on the remote.

Audio features:

As per the specs, the 7002 decodes all the main surround formats, including DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD. ProLogicIIx, DTS Neo:6 & 26/24, CSII, Dolby Virtual Speaker, Dolby Headphone, THX and Neural Surround are also present, so plenty of options. Probably the only one it does have that I would like is Logic7, but then you need a Harman Kardon or Lexicon for that. DSD and HDCD are listed in the manual, so presumably these are both accommodated.

I watched a few HD-DVD’s and Blu-Ray’s, utilising both bitstream output as well as PCM. All worked perfectly and sounded great (including DTS-HD MA).

There is a SOURCE DIRECT mode, that bypasses the tone control circuit, acoustic EQ and bass management. There is also a PURE DIRECT mode that in addition, switches off the video outputs and turns off the display, including all front lights, with the exception of the PURE DIRECT blue light.

The remote:

As mentioned, there are 2 remotes included. I haven’t used the second zone remote, but have been using the main one. The main one (RC8001) looks pretty much exactly like the RC1400 on the Marantz website. The RC101 is also on there if you want to see what it looks like. There are 13 pages in the manual dedicated to the RC8001 and 6 for the RC101. I’ve only glanced at this section of the manual, but basically both are fully programmable and the RC8001 looks like it has a lot of potential, including of course macros.

I personally didn’t like the RC8001 at first and found it hard to use. I have however warmed to it over the week and can see it does have potential as a universal remote, however I feel its not as user friendly as my Harmony 880 (and certainly has none of the WAF of the Harmony), so have relegated it to the remote drawer. One tip with the remote, you have to press the AMP button in the bottom right hand corner for it to control the AVR (volume etc). If you don’t, you’ll be pressing the buttons to no effect, as I was initially!

Regarding the Harmony, the database has the 7002 and did set-up the basics. I do now of course need to put aside a few hours to fine tune it (groan).

Performance:

Its very early days, so I’ll keep my comments brief and add more when its had a chance to run-in fully.

Movies: I have watched 3 movies and parts of a few others so far. Audio wise I have been very happy, with meaty, detailed LFE, clear dialogue and excellent steering of surround effects. I’ve had (touch wood) no lip-sync or HDMI issues so far and really everything has worked perfectly.

TV: I’m still playing around with the surround modes to find the one I’m going to settle on. I like the CSII and ProLogicII (music), one of which I’ll probably stick with. Again, happy with performance so far, and like with movies, I’ve been particularly impressed with improvements on dialogue. I think the Marantz does a noticeably better job of driving my centre speaker.

Music: This is where for me I find it much easier to tell the difference between the 7002 and my old Pioneer and in this case the differences are not subtle. Key improvements I’ve noticed have been in the bass, which is clearer, sharper and sounds more powerful (I do like a bit of extra bite in the bass, so this suits me nicely), soundstage imaging, which is considerably improved and not “veiled” in any noticeable way and the midrange overall, which is much more detailed and revealing.

My 2ch listening was done in PURE DIRECT mode and overall I’m really chuffed with the 7002. I had high expectations of the Marantz musically and it hasn’t disappointed. I cant honestly say its as good as my old Musical Fidelity A3.5 stereo amp, but it is much better than any AVR I’ve heard before, especially my old Pioneer. I think this will tide me over quite nicely while I save for a separate 2ch pre-pwr combo.

Conclusion:

So far I’m really very pleased with this upgrade. I haven’t found anything about it yet that I don’t like (well, except maybe the menu, but how often do you use that once its set-up?). In going with the Marantz I did “forego” some of the bells and whistles of the competition, but I’m pleased to say that to me its been worth it and the sound improvement more than makes up for it.

I do have an Elektra power amp on the way, and will report on my opinion on the change that makes and the suitability of the 7002 as a pre-pro in due course. My expectation is that it will make a fine pre-pro and the Elektra will take the sound up another notch.

Anyway, if you have made it this far, thanks for reading and please feel free to ask any questions or correct me on anything you think I may have got wrong.

Cheers!

DG, happy Marantz owner.

great read DG

Cheers