Another excellent receiver, but is this really the best value?
Written: Sep 11 '02
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Pros: Excellent construction, a fair value with excellent sound
Cons: Lacks a few bells and whistles, not the best bang for the buck
The Bottom Line: This is an excellent receiver, no duobt. But it may not be the best use of dollars considering the competition. Listen Closely...
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| nick1326's Full Review: Marantz SR-7200 Receiver |
If you're reading this review, it's obviously very likely that you know exactly what we're dealing with here...Marantz is clearly upper echelon stuff, and the SR7200 is no exception. Built along the same achitecture as the other high-end Marantz receivers (SR6200, SR8200) and the same rough idea architecturally as the ultra-big-brother SR9200, the 7200 incorporates a few key features and quality-of-circuit innovations which make it a darn good piece. However, when you step into this high-end HIGH-PRICE arena, depending on a few things, you may want to ask yourself "is this really the best bang for my buck?"
We audiophiles are weird people and quite a diverse group. This stuff costs money, and I've seen all kinds of audiophiles, some are filthy rich and don't care what they get for what price, as long as it sounds good...Some are rich yet no matter how much money they have, they'll scrounge every last penny and shop for value 'til the bitter end. Some, alnog the same lines, shop for the best sound - I like that option. And finally, you have some like myself - no where near rich, rather on the "lighter wallet" side, yet with a burning passion for music and audio and an unwaivering demand for the best quality and ultimately the BEST SOUND.
I shop by my ears, and that's that. If it comes down to not being able to afford something, I'll find a way. Luckily, in this class of receivers, while no where in the "cheap" range (650 is quite the sum of money in my opinion) we are happily NOT in the multi-thousand dollar class like the B&K receiver that I will own, at some point before I die!!! Since we are right in the middle of "middlesville" in audiophile la-la land, I'm going to write this review with keen attention to real value, because 700 bucks are alot of hard earned cash and I really want to help yuo decide if this unit is where you really want to spend it...
The SR7200 is loaded with a pretty impressive list of features. Staring with both 5.1 and 6.1 compatibility, the SR7200 does demonstrate that Marantz has an interested in staying ahead of the market (Remember, 99.9% of the industry is still on 5.1 platform of surround, but trust me, 7.1 is right around the corner). Right off the bat, I have to point out that 7.1 would have been nice to see - the 6.1 channels in the Marantz ARE fully discrete, which is a great plus, however to add in 2 more channels for 7.1 without making them fully discrete would have cost minimal amounts and I feel would have been most appropriate given the tough competition in this class...
At a nice round 105 watts per channel, the SR7200 is just about right where it should be in terms of power. Bear in mind Marantz typically DOES NOT understate their numbers, which may be good ro bad - but again, in terms of value, we are in the middle - certainly not the worst, but clearly not the best. Many other comparable receivers for this model year have taken the wattage another step higher, like Denon's 3802 pumping 110 per channel, very understated, more like 120-125. Nevertheless, remember the raw numbers and specs mean next to nothing when comparing this to what your ears tell you...My ears clearly told me that the leftover 3801 Denons blew away the 3802 on the musical end.. With the Marantz, you are getting nothing more than what that show you - just a nice round 105 watts... numerically, the middle of the road ni value terms...
Sound: What about the actual sound? I do have a softspot for Marantz watts - however I also have a gripe as well. Marantz' receiver line have always tended to have a nice warm round sound which is appealing to my ears. As opposed to some competition with slightly colder sound, the Marantz is ideal for hiding some of the weakness in our systems - such as a mid-line pair of speakers for music. A colder receiver would bring out the inferiority of the speakers immediately in the sound, however the warmth of the Marantz helps to hide this. At the same time, my ears tell me the Marantz doesn't kick out the cleanest sounding watts, I found better transient attack and better midrange evenness in other brands, at least in terms of music. Music is personal and very subjective however, and your ears might tell you differently, so the important thing is to AUDITION EVERYTHING! By the way, we haven't gotten to my gripe yet.. No matter how excellent the Marantz reputation is (and it is EXCELLENT) you can't get aruond one simple factor. Marantz is built by Philips and PHILIPS AINT THE BEST....or even close. YES, Marantz is the higher line, and clearly it is built with better componentry...but the bottom line is it is built with better PHILIPS componentry and this may not say too much for the line.... Compare the Philips/Marantz relationship to the Onkyo/Integra connection... I would rather have an Onkyo receiver over a Philips... While it is tighter competition in the higher end lines, I would probably take the integra over the Marantz, just on componentry alone...but that is also debatable - it depends on the sound.
Let's look at the features of the SR7200:
105 watts x 6 Channels (8 Ohms)
Dolby Digital® (AC-3)5.1/6.1, DTS® 5.1/6.1 Compatible, Dolby Pro Logic®, Pro Logic® II (Movie, Music)
Circle Surround® 5.1
Preset Modes: Hall, Stadium, Matrix,Movie
All Discrete Amplifier Stages
192kHz/24-bit D/A Converters (for front L & R channels)
6 Channel Stereo Mode
Speaker A/B
DC Triggers
Component Video Switching
On Screen Display
Source Direct
Delay Time
30 Presets
Manual Station Naming
Display Dimmer
Timer/Clock
Headphone Jack
Rec Out (Source)
Video
Composite
In (VCR1, DSS/VDR2, TV, DVD, AUX) : 5
Out (Monitor, VCR1, DSS/VCR2) : 3
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S-Video
In (VCR1, DSS/VCR2, TV, DVD, AUX): 5
Out (Monitor, VCR1, DSS/VCR2): 3
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Component (In/Out): 2/1
Preamplifier Outputs: 7(Channel)
Front (L/R), Rear (L/R), Center, Surround Back, Sub-Woofer
Direct Inputs: 7(Channel)
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Audio
Analog In: 8 (CD, Tape, CDR/MD, VCR1, DSS/VDR2, TV, DVD, AUX)
Analog Out: 4 (Tape, CDR/MD, VCR1, DSS/VDR2)
Digital In: 5 (2 Optical, 3 Coaxial)
Digital out: 2 (1 Optical, 1 Coaxial)
Clearly the 7200 has plenty of ins/outs and flexibility in features...BUT: why only 2 optical digital ins? THe standard in this class is 3/4 depending on the brand - optical is becoming more popular, 3 is the minimum I need, and my system is nowhere near "exotic" and most of the comparably priced receivers in the class offer 3 or 4...I believe Marantz could have been more generous here. Nevertheless, a ton of features do help make this more attractive. It comes with a learning remote with LCD screen which can control a large portion of your system - another key feature, though again, simply the standard in this class - nothing more special- just very good like the rest.
I could go on forever about why this may not be the best value in receivers - the simple fact is YOUR ears have to really tell you the deal...I can only say this, I firmly believe that if you are totally married to Marantz and won't take anything else brandwise, it would be foolish to ignore the SR8200, because it is a MUCH better receiver and SOUNDS BETTER...at least according to my ears and most other friends/contacts of mine as well. THIS presents another problem though: walking on to the SR8200 is a big step, about 600 more dollars "big" so this moves you into a completely different category of product... Personally I highly encourage you to look at the Denon line- I believe they sound better, offer more flexibility and are built with better componentry and architecture, and YES, my ears DID tell me the difference.
I invite you to visit my Denon 3801 review:
http://www.epinions.com/content_74766192260
Remember, no matter what you decide, the SR7200 is a damn good piece - however it just isn't the best in this class NOR is it the cheapest...THis receiver is clearly in the middle - with that in mind I have no doubt that you could look elsewhere and A) spend less and get the same type of features OR B) spend the same money and get more power, more features and better "stuff". The choice is yours, but no matter what you decide, make sure your ears tell you yes, yes, yes, because your ears will be the ears that reap the benefits of your decision. Good luck and listen, listen, listen!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 675.00
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Epinions.com ID:
nick1326
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Location: Long Island, NY
Reviews written: 232
Trusted by: 93 members
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Music, Motorcycles, Drumming, Surfing, the finest cigars and living life to its fullest...
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