Marantz SR7005 Audio Video Receiver
I picked up a refurbished unit last month to replace an aging HK that was developing a feedback issue(s) on the analog inputs and then the digital inputs started picking up some white noise maybe from the video board.... Paid 899.
We have a 3D panasonic plasma, polks front, surround and center, klipsch for the wides (the height speaker set up was not liked by all), sony center speakers for the back surrounds and a cherwin vega and polk subs. I ran the microphone set up and enjoyed the new sound for a few days. Loud and clean but it was still lacking....it still had a harsh digital sound that seemed overworked......I blamed the player so clicky-clicky on amazon.
The settings for this reciever are limitless so I picked up a new panasonic blu-ray with 7.1 analog outputs with 32bit DAC chips and a 8 gang analog snake. It brought more separation and clarity to the mids and bass response using the 7.1 input on the marantz.....but oh the drama...
With the amp set on 'auto' it would always revert back to the hdmi input or worse yet, no sound when playing on the old(er) Sony blu-ray. Everyone was mad at me because it was to complicated) lol. The solution was a manual set up. 7.1 soundtracks go in the panasonic player and 5.1, SACD discs or anything with a dts symbol go in the Sony. Easy.
Used the set up program a few times while changing up the speaker placement. It's close. I like a little less mid range so I use the manual EQ for music and movies. This amp is truly amazing with the different speaker configuration. Most of our movies are 5.1 so we use the wide setup on this amp. This feature is my favorite.
We also have an apple tv box but compressed music is not my cup of tea. I can't comment on the correction software or marantz AirPlay upgrade. The apple box is useful to render what resides on your home network or iTunes account.
This was a refurbished unit and the firmware update was a non event.
Another remote.....that has to be pointed at the unit....sorry, no. A new Logitech harmony is on pre-order. Changing between apps on the iDevices is like work so the harmony will make it seamless. Innovating innovation.
The experience; the first audio format I played was a SACD version of dark side of the moon on the Sony. The remaster of the great gig in the sky was amazing. The zeppelin celebration day was ok for a live recording but we haven't tried any blu-ray audio CDs yet. Tom Petty is ordered and looking at David Grohls 'analog mixed' sound city studio tribute. The signal to noise ratio for this reciever let's you hear the music as close to what the artist intended.
Movie soundtracks are really what this reciever special. Anything layer down with 5.1 let's you use the wide setting for a soundstage with presence. When the punks drive up and gun down Ben Affleck in Smoking Aces, the wide setting lets you hear the car drive past then back up as if it was in your own living room. the earth imploding in the avengers will make your house think it is really happening. If there is a helicopter in a scene, the marantz will let you know. The amplifiers in this unit pound out some seriously tight bass.
There are a lot of amps on the market but everyone has their own preference to sound quality. The main reason I looked at this particular unit is that it is manufactured in Japan not a communist country. The second requirement was DNLA compliance. Every setting on the amp can be configured from the network using IE home group. HDMI Is no brainier but it took me a bit to configure everything correctly. For example, the Panasonic needed to modified to 7 channels (analog or digital) vs the 2ch/5.1 downmix which is the standard setting when hooked to a two speaker TV. Also, I found using the bitstream output sounds much better than the pulse code modulation when transferring music data into an emotional experience....
Pros; This is a powerful amp for our listening environment. Tool never sounded so good. It can support a wide range of inputs.
Cons; it takes some tweaking if you want to take full advantage of the diversity this reciever has to offer. HDMI makes stuff 'work' but there is more waiting below the surface...
Replaced an old Pioneer receiver in my home theater system. This thing has enough gozintas and gozoutas to connect all your stuff. Connect to ethernet and it streams internet radio stations (as well as firmware updates). Can stream audio/video from windows media center if you use that.
BalasHapusSound quality is excellent, and the built in auto equalizer sets things up perfectly. I was afraid it would over crank the bass but it is set a a just-right level. My system has Klipsch speakers and SW10 II subwoofer and the surround modes sound great with music and movies.
This is last year's model so you can get it for $ hundreds off original price. Not much difference between this model and the newest (newest does 4k video upscaling, this one only upscales to 1080p). I don't anticipate 4k displays getting into a reasonable price range for several years, so this receiver is a great deal now.
My first high end receiver was a Yamaha RX-V1. It gave me many years of trouble free enjoyment. My next receiver was an Onkyo TX-NR805. It lasted 18 months when the display went blank. This was a defect on many of the 805 models. After being fixed under warranty it wouldn't power up a month after the warranty ended. I then bought an Onkyo TX-NR807. My mistake. The HDMI board went bad resulting in no audio. This is a defect on many of the 807 and other models for that year. After this I decided to dump Onkyo forever. One reason in deciding to buy the SR7005 is the 3 year warranty (2years for Onkyo). The SR7005 I purchased is made in Japan. No more Chinese Onkyo for me.
BalasHapusFor my ears the sound quality is a toss up compared to the Onkyo. Gotta keep it honest.
The GUI looks nice and is easy too use. Some people don't like the small round display. I like it. It has a larger display behind the drop down door.
I've had zero problems with it. Everyting has worked smoothly with the airplay using my Asus Infinity tablet and my iPod touch. Fast response.
Playing mp3's with a thumb drive works very well. No hiccups.
No problems with Pandora via airplay. Spotify via airplay works great also.
The HD radio works well.
Like most receivers the remote has itty bitty buttons. I'm not going to deduct a star for that. Disagree all you want. My choice.
Not a deciding factor in my purchase but it has drop dead gorgeous looks.
For music my speakers are 4 ohm (KEF 104/2) and the receiver does not run hot even when pushed. For watching bly-rays my speakers are Polk Monitor 70's
with the CS2 center and monitor 40's for surrounds. A pair of Klipsch RW-12D are used for subwoofers. Maybe I missed something but I don't see any major difference
between this model and the new model.
Save yourself some bucks and buy this one instead of the newer model.
I was replacing an old Marantz receiver because i was upgrading my projector. The old unit did not have HDMI out puts, but the quality of the receiver was great. I went with the same brand and was happy I did. It was easy to set up and the sound quality is great.
BalasHapus
BalasHapusI was running my Denon 4802 for about 10 years and finally decided to upgrade to an HDMI switching receiver. I thought about another Denon but love the sound of my Marantz receiver I am running in another/smaller room, SR5003, and thought I would give them a close look as well.
BalasHapusLong story short, I settle on the SR7005. I did it not only for sound but also technology. I was kind of surprised to see the Marantz being slightly ahead of the Denon's but not that surprised I suppose since they are owned by the same company. The Marantz has the latest HDMI 1.4a spec which is really nice and includes 3D support. The other thing that sold me on it was the fact that it can do passive HDMI pass-through when in Standby so it doesn't have to be on if you are using it as a switch (I have been waiting for a long time for this feature to start showing up in receivers).
Sound quality is top notch as you would expect from a Marantz. The one thing I was hoping for was more "umph" from the amp being that it is their flagship. My Denon definitely had a stronger amp and it wasnt even the flagship at the time. But, the Marantz still has plenty so it is a minor grip. The Marantz does have a 7 channel amp which is pretty standard these days and has the option for zones 2 and 3; nice but I will probably never use.
I love the on-screen display. Alot has changed in 10 years. The OSD is the first on a Receiver that I have used that is actually easy to navigate and is intuitive. It is internet capable which is cool and the Audyssey setup was straight-forward. You can also set up options to do video up and cross conversion or turn it off altogether so it remains as pure as possible.
The remote seems adequate but I have a URC so I wont be using it much. The HDMI Output 1 supports ARC (audio return channel) and works great with my Panasonic plasma which I use for things like Netflixs and Pandora.
For looks, it is sleek and slick. Very classic look but still modern. Even my wife loved how it looks :). When the front door is close, you have a round display that tells you input and volume level. The one thing I wish it had was the current surround mode but not the end of the world.
Overall, very happy with my purchase and would highly recommend to anyone.
Ernie
Purchased in April 2012. The sound quality is clear at both low and high levels. Have been tranferring music to Windows media and the playback thru the receiver is great. Have receiver hardwired to home interent and use a Samsung D series plasma and Definitive Technology pro series 800 5.1 speaker and 2 niles 5 series outdoor speakers. Pandora and windows media work great, movie sound quality is clear and video upconversion is exceptional. Played a VHS of Bambi for the kids, a blockbuster tape with many previous veiws. The image and sound were excellent. Hooked up laptop so can watch internet TV. ARC function pushes audio out the speakers seemlessly. Still learning about a few features but overall a very satisfied customer. sometimes there are glitches but easily worked thru. Paid $1299 so look for a deal.
BalasHapusThis is a great reciever with many features.I will start off by saying that im a audiophile
BalasHapusand my first concern with any HT reciever is quality sonics using 2CH stereo and subwoofer.
My prior reciever was a higly regarded Sony str da5es that I used with a NAD 275BEEE Power
Amplifier.I also installed the NAD in the Marantz Front Pre-Outs.After a few days of listening
I can say that the sonics of the Marantz exceeded those of the Sony.Not a easy task as the
Sony was highly regarded and praised by many.I wanted to uprade to some modern features and this
is why I made the change.One of the nice upgrades was the feeding of both Video and Audio through
one HDMI cable.The results were superb as a improvement in video and sound occured.I also purchased
the optional Bluetooth device.I don't own any Apple products but do own a Sony Walkman Z-1060.After pairing
the Sony with the Marantz RX101 I was rewarded with awsome sonics.It was great sitting in the chair and having
hundreds of 16 BIT WAV files all controlled by the Sony Walkman.I did not pay full price but scored a new
one for $1,100 new/sealed and delivered.There are more features to check out and some more tweaking to do
but so far I am highly impressed with this reciever and give it 5 stars.