Don't ask any questions. Just buy it. You cannot do any better than this. Do anything you can to get the higher end AV-600 THX but if you cannot, the AV-550 will still kick the crap out of anything for $1200 or less.

When comparing the AV-550 to what the market currently offers for $1000, it is hard not to award 5 stars but before that goes noted, I would like to note my extreme displeasure with Marantz. They took an incredibly high performance, sexy, powerful and exciting AV-600 and stripped it of all of its dignity, only to stamp AC-3 on it and sell it for $200 less. HOW DARE YOU Marantz!!! all you havde to do was take the AV-600, add AC-3 and you would have made our dreams come true!!! not abolish them! Now we have to buy the 550 and an $800 outbord processor and still not have stereo subs, superior audio processing, stereo center channel and much more!!! I still give 5 stars for what it is, it is ashame that we cannot give stars for political achievement.

It seems as though this review for the AV-550 has turned into a comparision between the 550 and the 600. Well what do they expect when the 600 has no review location. I agree with most of you. I Own a 600 and have auditioned the 550 several times. I convinced my friend to buy the 550 since the 600 is no longer available and he and I trade frequently to experiment. We both prefer the sonic performance of the 600 in-fact, he has offered to trade + $200 but I will not budge. The 550 retails for $1000 and the 600 retailed for $1200 but in my mind, the 600 is well worth twice the 550. I enjoy the 550 for what it is and it is a great deal but, there is nothing like the 600 anymore. It is a shame too bacause people seem to love the 600. Marantz should have come out with the 600 but add AC-3 and call it the AV-700. Not the opposite and downgrade a great receiver. Either way, both are great, but I prefer the 600

I bought the AV-600 and my friend loved it so much he bought the AV-550 thinking that it would be the same plus AC-3. Boy was he wrong. Both units are great deals and I think that they both merit 5 stars, but the AV-600 just stands well above the 550 in performance and features. As stated by another reviewer, you can add AC-3 to the 600 but you cannot add THX to the 550. I believe that THX is just as important and exciting as AC-3 and could not imagine myself without either.

Thank you Sid for such an informative review of the AV-550.... In my case, I have found the AV-550 to be an excellent performer, especially at the $790 I paid for it. I searched for a long time, but could not find any DD pre/pro to come close to its performance without spending a great deal more money. The only minor gripe I have with the AV-550 is that its build quality could be a bit better, but for the money, it is tough to beat, and it has that great remote too!

By brother is Co-Owner of a custom home Theater boutique in Vermont which allows me to audition virtually anything I want for a few weeks. I was about to settle on the Rotel THX unit when my brother asked me to give one last unit a try. It was the Marantz AV-550. He had just picked up the Marantz line to accomadate Rotel, Parasound, B&K, Meridian, Citation, Pioneer Elite, Denon, Lexicon and many others. I have to say that for the cash, the Marantz won hands down. I was all ready to walk away with the Parasound unit for a little more and decided not too without regrets.
The remote is everything that all of the recent periodicals claim and more. The video switching is far superb to any other unit at any price range. Stereo imaging and soundstaging was not perfect but very VERY close to other units asking nearly twice the price. I did notice some slight distortion during ultra intensive moments in suround modes but never in stereo. The distortion only came in at high volume levels that will never be reached in my home except for evaluations.

I detected absolutly no cross over in audio or cideo with any combination of resource switching which is very rare. In every other unit, I did notice very very faint traces of cross over in most of the other units I had.

The Marantz unit looks sleek and stark, fit and finish is great and the remote looks like something form the future.

Performance = 10
Styling = 10
Ease of use = 8
Functionality = 10
Quality = 10
Value = 10

Best buy. No other compares!!!

Definately a first rate pre-amp / Processor. My only complaint was that the digital connections were limited. The remote is worthy of Krell and Cello type systems. The processing suffers a little compared to the AV-600 but does include 5.1 and direct DVD control.
You must buy this !!!

I am reading these reviews of the 550 and wondering if you are all deaf of just too ashamed of getting sucked in to the Marantz marketing shlock? I'll bet you all own at least one set of Bose speakers and wear womens underwear while listening to your music.

I would like to know why there is no posting page for the AV-600. I can only assume that it is bacause the 600 has been discontinued but we are still trying to sell and buy discontinued units right? Especially something as great as the AV-600 was. I think that everyone has posted very good comments and concerns about the AV-600 and 550 fiasco.
It is un-doubtably true that the 600 had finer cuircutry, stereo sub and center channel outs, THX better build and sleaker looks, but I think some of us are a little harsh on the 550. It is an incredible unit when you consider all that it has and for the price at which it is available for. We have to rate something for what it is and nothing more. Even though the AV-600 blew it away, we should rate them both as a 5 star unit if they both deserve it. I know that most of you have done this but there are concerns on the other pages and many arguments made about the two units.

Marantz simply heard the cry for Dolby Digital at or below $1000 and answered it. They needed a processor in the $1000 range and not the $1700 like an AV-600 with DD would cost. I do believe that Marantz would sell out of a so called AV-700 (a 600 with DD) if they were to make one, but the 550 is a great deal at $1000 and not $1700. The choice is between the 550 and 600 though.

If you want pure audiophile quality with superior sonic features and are willing to pay a few hundred above the base unit cost to upgrade to DD, go for the 600. If you want a bargain deal with good musicality and dont care about THX or that you can never upgrade, go for the 550.

I have preformed in home demo's on both and they are both 5 stars in my book. I just won't tell you which one I kept because my opinion and purpose could be different than yours.