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SR-96: the next best expandable thingSep 26 '99 Write an essay on this topic.The SR-96 is Marantz's prequel to the SR-880 and SR-18. It was their top of the line model until the 880 came along in '98. It was also more reasonably priced than the 880 as it does not include a Dolby Digital decoder. Feature-wise, it is closer to the 880 than 18. The 880 is essentially the 96 with a built-in Dolby Digital decoder, an additional A/V input slot and without the THX certification of the 96. The 96 is the ultimate in terms of expandability. It includes connections for an external Dolby Digital decoder such as the Marantz 870, as well as connections for bypassing the built-in main and pre amps (something the 880 lacks). There is no named DVD input, however there is a "laser disc" slot that would do quite nicely. All A/V inputs support S-Video so the 96 is also excellent as a switcher for up to 6 devices. There are also line level hookups for a second set of speakers. The sound is driven by 110 watt left, right and center amps and the surrounds by 90 watt ones. All are discrete. I am driving Definitive BP-10B bipolar speakers as the system is primarily used for video. I could hear differences in much higher priced systems, but for the money, this one drove the BP10s cleanly and crisply all the way up to the limits of the amp. The FM tuner also leaves something to be desired, with sound feeling a bit flat even at high signal strength. But the ability to program in station call letters is nice. The 96 also comes with the first revision of the ultimate programmable remote control, the Marantz RC2000 (the next revision added explicit channel up/down controls and rearranged some buttons). All in all, if you can find this unit used, in combination with a standalone AC3 decoder will set you back far less than the 18 and you'll get comparable bang for the buck.  |
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