Excellent All around receiver
Written: Jul 21 '02 (Updated Jul 21 '02)
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Pros: 3-Component Video input; Component Video switching; Many sound formats
Cons: No variable low-pass setting for subwoofer.
The Bottom Line: This receiver will probably do everything you want a home theater receiver to do & more. Sounds good enough to function as your regular stereo receiver. Great video too.
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| shieber's Full Review: Marantz SR-9200 7.1 Channels Receiver |
Several things make this a great receiver. Discrete amps for all seven channels with decent headroom (140 watts per channel RMS into 8 ohms). A very nice remote and very good video and sonic performance.
A beefy toroidal power supply feeds seven amplifiers within the SR9200. This unit will feed three pairs of speakers plus a Low Frequency Effects (LFE) channel with 140 watts (RMS) and not break a sweat -- and no cooling fan is necessary. Seperate DAC (digital-analog converters) are use in each channel.
There are lots of inputs, all the videos get composite and S-video so you can use whatever you have. There are 4 component video inputs with 9 total video inputs (how many sources of video do you have?). Video: composite = 7 inputs & 4 outputs; S-video= 7 inputs & 4 outputs; component = 4 inputs & 1 output. Audio: Analog= 9 inputs & 4 outputs; digital= 10 inputs (9 are user assignable) -- 5 are coaxial and 4 are optical -- digital outputs=1 coaxial and 1 optical.
It has an RS232C Terminal for Future Upgrades or System Control from personal computer. The remote also can be connected to your PC for firmware upgrades and to say any learning or customization you do -- And you can cutomize the remote to your heart's content. AN LCD screen shows the buttons and you can design the size and shape and shade of the buttons and assign codes to them however you want, load a simulator of the remote to test how it all looks, then save the configuration and download it to the remote. Don't worry about having to change batteries and losing all that programming. You can make this remote behave just like all your other remotes.
You can set the Marantz so that, when you turn on your TV, the receiver automatically turns on and sets itself to "TV." When you turn the TV off, the receiver then shuts itself off after about 5 minutes. This auto feature doesn't interfere with using the receiver for any other sources, such as VCR, DVD, CD, Tuner, Tape deck, etc.
It handles HDCD, and has sepeate analog inputs to accept SACD or DVD Audio input from a player that decodes those newer high quality formats. It doesn't decode those formats itself. It does decode Dolby digital, Prologic II which is nothing like that abomination called Proligic. The new Proligic (Movie, Music), can take a normal stereo signal and send full spectrum material to surround speakers without destroying the sound quality. You might or might not like Stereo in surround, but try it, you very well might. The Marantz also decodes DTS EX, THX Ultra®, THX Surround EX®, DTS ES®,Discrete 6.1, Matrix 6.1, Neo: 6, Circle Surround 5.1 ®(Movie, Music). Plus there is the capability to download software upgrades via PC.
But what does it matter if you can play all these things if it doesn't look and sound great? I don't think you'll find a better picture coming out of any receiver under $5 grand. And the sound is superb. An open air quality on vocal without MOSFET harshness; no brittle harmonics. This unit replaces a top of the line Sony ES receiver and the Sony sound had nothing on the Marantz.
You can program a lot of things to set up the receiver, typical with home theater amps. You tell it which speakers you have and whether they are big or small. If you tell it "small" then the low frequencies go to the subwoofer channel where all the LFE always goes. The crossover point is 80Hz. That's a little high for my tastes but very common with home theater units. You can't tell the Marantz to use a higher or lower crossover point. But you can separately program the front, surround and rear surround pairs of speakers. You can also set separate relative volume levels and distances from listener for each of the seven channels.
Other tidbits are a copper plated chassis to enhance RF shielding to prevent interference. You can use the on-screen setup menu via composite, S-video, or component video output -- most receivers only work with S-video or composite. The power supply is a switching type so that a lower power level is available when only low power is called for and high power is available whenever it's needed. So a receiver capable of 980 watts continuous output into 8 ohms runs cool and without any fan humming in the background! Switching or dual rail power supplies were an unobtainable goal just a decade ago -- but they are much more common now and are great when they are properly designed.
This receiver will probably do everything you want a home theater receiver to do and still have a few features left over for when you are ready to add on later. And it sounds good enough to function as your regular stereo receiver. Add to that great video and you have a terrific package for about $2500.
And ever since the Japanese purchased the Marantz company from Saul Marantz oh those many years ago, the name has continued to stand for high quality and durable components.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 2500
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Epinions.com ID:
shieber
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Member: Scott Hieber
Reviews written: 34
Trusted by: 2 members
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