audiojunkie23

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $600.00 from Ebay

Summary:
I've only had this a short time so i will keep my review short until further analysis. But what i have found in the short time that i have had this, is that this is a quality product. I originally auditioned this 5 years ago at a local shop but could not afford at the time. 99% of movies are recorded in a 5 channel format so the lack of expansion ability to 7 channel does not bother me. This thing was built to last, it is a beast. If you are reading this review, you probably are already aware of the fact that power ratings can be very misleading. This receiver is rated at 110wpc, but i assure you that the current sony, pioneer etc... sitting on a shelf at Best Buy for $300, rated at 120x5/7 is quite a different result. I am currently running my Magnepan 1.4's with this receiver, and they are not the most efficient load(4ohm, 84db). Now the Marantz will not keep up with my tube amp but for a surround unit it holds its own. Infact, just testing the capabilities of its amp, i ran my maggies in stereo at 100% volume for 5 minutes without distorting or clipping. Soundstage and imaging are pretty darn good for a reciever In surround this thing rocks. Playing in DTS mode with the THX selected, the scene in War of the Worlds with the tripod coming out of the ground is just flat impressive. If you prefer quality over flare, this thing should please you. Can't wait to put in a larger room with a better sub and surround speakers.

Strengths:
Power, gobs of it. Surround processing. Soundstage, imaging(for a reciever)

Weaknesses:
none really, other than i would like a B output for the main speakers.

Similar Products Used:
Kenwood Vr-4700 Yamaha, numerous receivers, good and cheap. Jolida Pioneer Elite Magnepan Current Setup: Marantz SR-19 Pioneer Elite DV-09 Magnepan 1.4 main poor quality center, rears and sub SignalCable.com brand speaker cable, coax, component, power. Good cables on the cheap.

Price Paid:  $2200.00 from Canadian Distributor

Summary:
Review is for the SR-19EX. I was looking to buy a Yamaha until I heard this one in an A/B comparison. The depth and width of the soundstage were so much greater than Yamaha. Bass response is tighter and has much more punch. It truly is a music lovers amp, but it's no slouch for HT. Tone bypass is a nice feature and in my experience, Marantz seems to have paid attention to the little details that often separate the good from the great. It's also very handsome and built like a tank. The remote has a lot of functions but it's a little too heavy and improperly weighted. However, it does control my whole system and the macros are nice. You need an extra 2 channels of amplification to do 7.1, but at least it's ready. Tons of inputs and component switching is nice, although I'm not sure if it can pass all the progressive formats. It certainly handles 480p fine. There's a bunch of soundfields that I never use. Basically, I bought the amp for it's awsome sound. I've had no problems with it and there's nothing about it's function that particularly bugs me, it does everything I need it to do.

Strengths:
Beautiful natural soundfield, great build quality, component switching

Weaknesses:
Remote

Similar Products Used:
Yamaha RXV, Sony ES, Denon

Price Paid:  $2000.00 from Peachtree Acoustics

Summary:
This is a review for the 19EX Except for a glaring lack of a analogue digital auto-detect, this is truly the receiver I have ever owned. Granted the auto detect only affects those with Comcast "Digital" Cable where the box outputs digital for pay channels,PPV,etc... While the networks et al, are output analogue. I realize it is just a matter of pushing the d/a button but try explaining that to your wife. Power supply seems about as good as the B&K I previously owned even without it being a toroidal supply, which is to say excellent. The DAC'S are superb the DSP modes are not. However, sound is what matters and this truly is a good sounding piece. And a good looking one to boot.

Strengths:
Decent power supply DAC's Construction Sound Quality especially DTS

Weaknesses:
Digital/Analogue auto detect somewhat unforgiveable for a $2300.00 receiver. Manual seems written on a bad acid trip.

Similar Products Used:
Denon AVR-4800, B&K AVR-305, Harman Kardon AVR-7000, Onkyo TX-DS797, Nakamichi AV-10.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Refers to the SR-19EX. My initial impressions concerning styling was big. People say it's built like a tank. I agree. I thought I was going to die when I hauled the box up five flights of stairs. It's definitely beautiful and by far more elegant than the competition. The remote is amazing. Take a few minutes to read the manual and it will be a god-send. Heck...I even control my air conditioner with this thing. I was looking for an A/V receiver for 50% music/50% movies. Ended up narrowing the search to Marantz, NAD and Denon. I was drawn by Marantz's trademark warmth and musicality. Even though it doesn't compare to separates, 2-channel stereo is a wonderful compromise. For some reason, music through the Denon sounds processed--the words "metallic" and "electronica" comes to mind--and not as natural. The Marantz definitely draws more attention to the mids and it outshines the others. The Denon and NAD had a little more bass emphasis with muddier mids. For movies, it's equally impressive. I found the same warmth and discovered I enjoyed listening to voices and soundtracks more than before. Boom and bang are great and not overemphasized. It's definitely got enough juice to rattle windows without sounding overstrained. I use "A Bug's Life" as one of my test DVDs, and I was amazed at how the subtleties really came to life. I watched some movies over and over because I liked the way they sounded. I've had it for a year now, and I still love it. I use it for 75% music/25% movies now because it was more than I expected from an A/V receiver for stereo. I tested a few of my friends' speakers, and found I found the limits of bad speakers very fast. If I only liked to watch big bang movies like "The Matrix," and if I didn't love music, I'd honestly opt the Denon, but as Marantz's motto goes, it "Because Music Matters."

Strengths:
Build. Styling. Music. Remote. Simple to operate yet full of bells and whistles. The little gyro tuner. No excessively stupid DSP modes. Almost everything.

Weaknesses:
If this is a reference receiver, where's ProLogic II?

Price Paid:  $2500.00 from LenWallis Audio

Summary:
This is for Marantz SR-19EX. First tested was Pioneer- 711S and it was no show for audio or home theatre, despite the advertised features etc. Then I planned to get Sony DB1080 but a local Hifi store manager advised me to focus on the Yamaha or Marantz products as they are "real mccoy" A/V equipments and value for $$. For 2 mts I was undecided between a Yamaha RX-V2300/3200 or a Marantz 62007200. I have listened very varefully to the sonic quality and movies surround sounds etc.. It was a hard decision about budget, audio sonic love or movies "blasting bang" sounds..Being a audio first then movie second person, I feel that Yamaha is too "bright" for music/songs. . By chance I saw on the web a special discount for SR-19EX and I though I gave it a go at AUD $2500 ie $500 over my budget. I took the tank home without testing it or a manual as its been in the hifi store shelf for a while,on special. Marantz hifi means quality and I believe its worth the investment by the look of it...massive and classical with curve at the adge..visually appealing. The last 10 days last a combination of excitement, trial,disappointment , enjoyment and craving for more.. As shared by many reviews, the audio is superb when I listened to CD on AAD C-600 floor speaker. Played 'Avemano", "Era", 'Postcard from LA', 'Jessie' etc and boy , what an indulgence !! Tried "Lord of the Rings","Gone in 60 seconds" and others..great effects too. However the bulky remote control really dried me nut as I don't have a manual -to be sent from Japan soon...I was a constant battle and mind boggling effort trying to understand howtowork the remote control. I was also having a hard time to setup the system and level...Also loud level (+1 dB onward), there's hissing sound and distortation. And the bass management at low frequency sucks !! Can't handle bass at low level if level set at 7 +. I have decided to return to the Hifi store to exchange for SR7300 (just released in December 2002) or refund..

Strengths:
Superb audio when played CD - warm and smooth, natural Power - 130 watt RMS, enough to lift the roof !!

Weaknesses:
bulky remote control - difficult to use too heavy -25kg !! bass management muddy at low frequency Echo when watching TV with

Similar Products Used:
Auditioned Marantz-SR6200/7200 & SR8200,Yamaha RX-V2300, Pioneer amplier AAD-C600 front speakers Goodman surround speakers normal hifi cable/banana connector JVC DVD player Sony CD player JVC 6