Do you call the SR8001 an "audiophile's receiver" or a "videophile's receiver"? The answer is simply "Yes"? Here, you'll find the power, flexibility, and advanced performance you expect from Marantz. And a few surprises, too! All in a new chassis size that's more convenient than ever.Let's begin with the obvious - THX Select2 certification. It's your assurance that, in addition to the power you'll need to fill average-sized rooms with theater-quality sound (125 watts continuous from each of its seven amplifiers), other performance parameters like signal-to-noise and distortion are absolutely first class.Then, the SR8001 is one of the few receivers to feature Audyssey's unique auto calibration capability. This is a significant improvement over previous "room correction" strategies in that it improves the listening characteristics of your entire room rather than for just one or two seats.On the A/V side, the SR8001 features HDMI switching for up to four sources and two display devices. And there's format conversion to HDMI with Time Base Correction so even your older video sources will look their best. If you're not quite ready for HDMI (or if your displays aren't), the SR8001 offers two assignable component outputs, too. One infrared receiver input and two IR outputs add enormous control flexibility as do two DC "trigger" outputs.In short, the Marantz SR8001 is simply a culmination of everything you've come to expect from Marantz. Refined cosmetics. Sterling performance. Sophisticated advanced to enhance your enjoyment. Let's put this even more succinctly - it's a Marantz!
Customer Review: An Audiophile standard, not department store fodder
Oh my! Comparing a Marantz to Harmon Kardon. Even old man Harmon knows his equipment is nothing more then department store product and no way in the same class as this brand. Marantz.... created by Saul Marantz. Saul was a world renowned classical guitarist who was friends with Andres Segovia and who also knew the concept of pure true to life sound over colorized attempts at rewriting how a tone was meant to be heard. Saul created a world class brand not department store fodder. It is very sad we lost in Saul in January of 1997. Very few have contributed to the audiophile hobby as much as he and his two engineering companions, Sidney Smith and Richard Sequerra have. He would be laughing if he heard of a so called `enthusiast' picking an Onkyo or HK over one of his Marantz 8000 series AV receivers. What a joke. I am partially responding to the previous review and writing a review myself. Sorry for this. I own the SR8001. I also own a ZR6001 currently in use and one of its remote units also still in use, and an SR5400 from a few years ago sitting in the closet and finally a few of their CD and DVD players. I also own two mono-blocks from the early 70's all with the Marantz name on them, now relegated to the closet because of little ones running around the house now days. I can only say one thing. Fantastic musicality and true to life reproduction of tone with incredible depth, separation and balance. I am no stranger to Marantz or Onkyo or Harmon Kardon. I have long since given up the luxury of separates due to the little ones running around the house now and my finances now having more important dependants. This has left my audio shelves quite bare. But nonetheless, I almost fell off my chair laughing when I read this incredible review of the 8001 stating it was poor quality and was not in the same class as the Onkyo's and HK's of the world. It is true the Marantz is not in the same class as these other brands but it is also true these other brands are department store fodder class while the entire Marantz line is an audiophile standard class. This is the actual class difference the previous reviewer neglected to clarify. It has been this way for more then 50 years. Old man Harmon sold out to the Japanese engineers years ago and had to go bankrupt to buy his name back when they started making those $99 `Book Shelf' Stereo systems with the HK name on them. Sad. They used to rock now they rot. Onkyo is a good home theater supplier but still only department store grade product. Neither Onkyo nor HK could find their way to legitimately driving a good pair Martin Logans or comfortably sitting on the shelf next to a Conrad Johnson but any Marantz product would be perfectly situated and very comfortable in both of the aforementioned scenarios. Ask any audiophile why you do not see a Marantz sitting on the shelf at Best buy or Circuit City. It is simple. They (Best Buy or Circuit City) couldn't sell the brand because they couldn't explain the product. It's the same reason you don't see B&Os at Wal-Mart or Martin Logan's at Fry's. It's the same reason you don't see me buying my equipment at Best Buy. It's the same reason the previous reviewer probably has a pair of lonely Boston Acoustics sitting there looking pretty sad and with no where to go. These products (HK and Onkyo) are for the average person who cannot discern the subtle but profound differences in tonality, musicality, depth, separation that a true flat response can give the human ear. Marantz is not for the light hearted it is for the audiophile. If it didn't sound good to you then I would start by looking closer at your system and the room it is in and how it is setup. I wouldn't look at the strongest part of your system, the Marantz. Or maybe you should even invest in a hearing test. OK. So I have stated my response it is time for actual review. This receiver is second to none in the `non-separates' world. It has an incredible depth and presence. I use a mish mash of speakers ranging from a center channel Mirage (soon to go) to dual Martin Logans in the front to a pair of Wharfedale Opals in the rear and for the second surrounds. I even have a pair of Infinity reference series I actually like and use with the ZR6001. But I digress. Even with this mish-mash of speakers I have, with the help of this product I was able to tune my room to an awe inspiring live uncolored and perfectly balanced theater of sound. This product is unreal. I have it controlling three rooms. But it shines in the main hall it was bought for. I have it attached to a 61" 1080p Samsung set and a Toshiba 1080p HD DVD player as well as two different satellite receivers. I have the full compliment of 7.1 speakers which are topped off with a Martin Logan Dynamo. It all sits in a 17'x21' rectangular room with a couple odd wall cutouts that make it hard to tune to the room. But this unit did 99% of the work for me and just tweaked the speakers here and there and Voila! Perfect theater! Highs - The upper range from around 15 to 20 is remarkable and never tinged with harmonics or a tinny feel as is prevalent with the Harmon Kardon's (the full line). Even the Onkyo had some restraint on the top end but the HK was just a screech owl. Even though my ears have lost some off the top end (maybe 3-5k) over the last decade or so this unit is perfectly clean as my mic and meter told me so. The HK's always left me hearing a tinny somewhat shallow blending of a screech owl and nails on the chalk board that some less experienced listeners might attribute to `excellent highs'. Unfortunately this is actually exaggerated, colored and unbound screeching; basically a loss, or worse yet, a coloring of what should be realistic tones. After all when was the last time you heard a violin play a high C that sounded like a screech owl rather then a song bird reaching for the heights of a specific well rounded but pinpoint tone? Bass - As for the bass, the unit shows uncanny restraint but not once has it lost the spatial importance of the low notes to overwhelm the ear with muddy hollowness. Nor has it ever been at a loss for power at the low end. It pounds where it is supposed to and muffs where it is supposed to. I can shake the walls without a hint of distortion or color. It puts forth a tight but free bass response that never loses the harmonics of the actual tone either digital or analog. It has never overdone the harmonics like some banger's trunk mounted kicker. The bass from Jaco Pastorius in Overture Cotton Avenue from Joni Mitchell's Don Juan's Reckless Daughter is so overwhelming yet `in bounds' (a term I made up) it nearly made me call Marantz to ask how they could release an all-in-one AV receiver with the tonal response of their Model 9! Mids - Take a listen to David Brubeck's Take Five, original release. Close your eyes and the liquid Sax will have you leaning over to shake Paul Desmond's hand. The clarity at half volume was enough to make me cry. The recording from original analog to DVD was so clear I could hear Paul Desmond's shirt ruffle as he leaned into the most important sax solo of this century at probably close to 90 decibels. Try this on an Onkyo. It was so slick you could almost hear the cigarette's ash falling into the ash tray on the table next to piano. But any way... Don't let any old amateur fool you. This is not Best Buy special or Circuit City bargain table item. It is not a plug and play item either. You can't take out of the box and simply connect cables to willy-nilly. You need to learn this unit and set it up correctly. But once done you will reap the benefits for years and probably decades to come. Finally, functionality... The Audio section has an S/N of 105db - Wow! An analog in frequency response of 8Hz - 100kHz (+/- 3 dB) - Holy cow Batman! A digital in frequency response of 8Hz - 45kHz (+/- 3 dB) - Unreal! 8 channel pre-amp out! 8 channel in! 4 HDMI in 2 out. Nice! 4 Optical's in! 3 digital coax's in! Oh yea, and don't forget... HDCD decoder, Source direct, On-screen display, A-B speaker switch, Upgradeable firmware, Auto sound calibration with the supplied mic, Gold plated connectors, Multi-room audio output, Analog to HDMI up conversion in unit or pass through!, Composite video to S-Video conversion, S-Video to component video conversion, Composite video to component video conversion. Geese! Need more? Pretty much all the decoders you need: DTS 96/24, DTS Neo:6, THX Select 2, DTS-ES decoder, DTS-ES Matrix 6.1, Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS-ES Discrete 6.1, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, THX Surround EX decoder, Dolby Digital Surround EX. Who could ask for more. Well... the other guy who likes the HK might be looking a bit dopey right now in my eyes but let him enjoy his HK. I'll take my good old Marantz any day.
Customer Review: My experience is this is not audiophile
I purchased the receiver from some alley rip off artist(Scammers on audiogon or videogon - American theater stay away!) However received it brand new. It does not have the high frequency response of an Onkyo worth one forth as much and quite older. In the past I had a Harman Kardon AVR 7300 and musically there is no comparison. The marantz leaves the music lifeless while Onkyo and Harman Kardon which I have to compare this to, animate the music rather than put it into dull blunt lifeless notes. Quite frankly - and I don't care about the positive go getters who don't appreciate this. This Marantz is the worst sounding receiver I've ever heard including one I dropped off at a dumpster. This is not the first time I've owned Marantz products. It is the worst experience. The first Marantz I owned in the 1980's and it was great- high quality sound. Nearly every manufacturer I've listened to includeing HK have lowered their standards according to my very bias ears that search for High quality sound. I've experienced many receivers in my lifetime and I was shocked by this purchase. This is the third Marantz product I've owned. They were so good the first two times that I gave them a purchase without even a listen. Big Mistake..... Hey, It's fun to add to this review. I just compared The five channel Enigma DVD I have on both the marantz listed here and the Harman Kardon AVR525. I used the same eq settings on some Ashly Equalizers. All Ashly 1502's. I had the treble and bass set to as bright and booming as each unit could go. The Harman Kardon blows the Marantz off the map. Owl screech is definitely the Marantz. The HK has nice crisp highs. Thundering base. The Marantz does not have clarity and punch. For money some people will write anything and just leave you dopey eyed years later when you learn there was a difference.
Samsung NC10-14GW
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