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Marantz SR7002: Review

Posted to Audio Components 2009-07-04

Marantz has a reputation for making quality audio gear that goes way back, but they've made the transition to the A/V world of today's surround receivers quite well with the Marantz SR7002. This receiver features 7 channel surround at 110 watts of current feedback amplified sound per channel. It boasts 4 HDMI in/2 out and can perform HDMI 480i/480p upscaling.

The SR7002 will handle any surround format you're likely to encounter including Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, XMHD Surround and dts-HD Master Audio. It also features Deep Color, xvYCC and SA-CD support by HDMI. It comes equipped with Audyssey MultEQ which allows you to automatically equalize all 7 channels using an included omnidirectional microphone. The unit also features a set of 2nd zone audio/video outputs.

Rating:

4.4 out of 5

Quality

You can't beat the quality of a Marantz receiver. Just look on Ebay, and you'll find working Marantz receivers for sale that were manufactured in the '70's. You'll pay quite a bit more for the Marantz - an obvious competitor is the Harman Kardon AVR-354, which is priced a good $400-$500 less. But the Marantz has more output power (110W/ch. compared to 75W/ch) and a better feature set, too. And the performance of the Marantz lives up to the name as well.

Features

The SR7002 comes with an excellent feature set. The unit features all of the digital and analog I/O you're likely to need for a complete media center. It also comes with two remotes - a main-room remote and a multi-room remote for the 2nd zone. And there are front panel inputs for S-Video, Video, Analog Left and Right and Digital optical. The unit is also XM satellite radio ready.

Summary

If you're looking for a top of the line surround receiver to base your multimedia system around, the SR7002 definitely deserves a look. More than a few long-time Marantz users report purchasing an Onkyo or Harman Kardon and returning it in favor of the Marantz - they report that the others just didn't have that "Marantz sound-". So if it's in your budget range, it at least should be on your short list.

Pros

7 channel surround receiver with 110w/channel
Discrete channels, current feedback amplification
HDMI upscaling
Supports multiple surround formats
Marantz quality and performance

Cons

There are no cons for this product