Remote; % channel Stereo; No Hiss or Hum; Multi Room/Source Audio and Video; 5 Dig ins, all assignable; Dig out; sleep timer; DD night mode;

No A/B main speakers; No seperate Subwoofer speaker outputs

I purchased this unit last week. When I finally turned it on, later that night (setup was pretty easy), all I could say was WOW!. This system is great for music. In 2 channel direct mode or in 5 channel stereo (Denon is not the only one with this excellent DSP!) music comes to life. I cannot hear any hiss until I reach max volume (+14).

The remote is very easy to set up and use. It learns all the commands from your component remotes. The keys glo so that you can see them in the dark. The LCD screen on the remote is not backlit, which is odd, but for the ease of use of this remote, this is not a big deal.

You can setup the system from your remote sitting across the room with the On screen Display or without (I suggest doing the OSD at first, but later you can just use the BIG readout on the system panel display).

It can automatically select sound modes based on the input source, which is nice. Cycling through the various DSP modes is simple and there are buttons to take you directly to certain DSP modes. 5 channel stereo is great for music and for TV listening as well. The other DSP modes are OK. I find that DD/ 2 channel/5 channel and sometimes DPL are the only ones I use. The other few modes are similar to DPL. Also, it remembers the mode that you last played a source in.

It has made my rather crappy speakers (you chould see what I use for a Center channel!!) sound the best they have sounded. I cannot wait to hear this system, when I get real speakers. But until then I am quite happy with the sound. There is plenty of power for me. In certain DSP modes, the volume is lower than in Direct mode.

Overall, I would rate this the best buy in this class. I got mine for $750 including tax from a local dealer that I want to support. His price was the best as well. I compared this to Denon 3300, pioneer elite 26-tx and the Marantz sr-5000. The 5000 is nice musically as well, but for the extra $200, go for the upgrade it is worth it. As for Denon, this receiver has the best feature of the DEnon and that is the 5 channel stereo.

Similar Products Used:

Tested Denon 2700, Pioneer elite 24tx and 26 tx

Read Below

Read Below

Great Product, absolutely the best bang for the buck!

Lets start with the Equipment list:
Marantz SR-7000
Sony DSS Receiver BS-3 ( I think on the Model #)
Sony Playstation 2
Phillips DVD Player (Not sure on Model #)
Paradigm 8" Sub (Not sure on Model #)
Paradigm Phantom Front speakers (On speaker stands)
Paradigm CC170 Center
Paradigm Titan Rear (Wall Mounted)
Sony Trinitron 27" TV.
OLD Crappy Panasonic VCR.

Now, the weaknesses:

The manual- as applies to the remote. I have buttons on that sucker that I can not figure out.

The remote - backlighting would be very nice on the LCD.

OSD - I found the OSD both confusing and difficult to manuver through the first few times I accessed the System Setup.


and, The Strengths:

I love the way this unit sounds. I was apprehensive about getting a new receiver, because I was very content with my SR-580, despite its lack of S-Video switching. This was my main reason for getting the SR-7000... However, now that I have it, and spent way too long setting it up, I am thrilled with the sound quality. Like most of the reviews I have read, I don't use features like Hall, Matrix, or 5-Stereo. I have been absolutely estatic with the SR7000 in DTS, DD5.1, and Stereo Modes. It makes my Paradigm setup sound brighter, louder, and clearer than the SR580 did. And I WAS HAPPY WITH THAT UNIT.

The Remote, confusing at first, takes the place of all of my other remotes. Give yourself about 2 hours to play with this sucker, and you'll have mastered it. The Manual does, fortunately, describe the macro and learning functions of the remote very well.

I do not have the best listening ear, but I do know when I like what I am hearing, and I can tell the difference between high-quality and crap. This is A1 quality all the way. I would recommend this receiver to anyone.

Enjoy.

Similar Products Used:

Marants SR580, Sony, Nakamichi

As close to true as a component system...of course costing a lot less....

none

This Reciever is the best thing out there....period.
Sure you can spend a fortune to get 5% more of something you are looking for..but you can't beat this reciever for it's price..BUT i heard from my dealer today that they are going to discontinue it....if you don't have one and you are shopping around..get one..or you may miss out on the deal of a lifetime....
I am a magnepan guy and these do the maggies good justice..I have the Older smg'a maggies...

Similar Products Used:

carver and adcom 2 channel components....

DD, DTS, 2 channel stereo. 5 dig I/P. 3 dig O/P Speaker setup, and options

Manual is poorly written

With age this "beast" gets better. I could not justify paying the extra for the 8000 as the difference IMHO was really not noticiable. My system currently consists of the Marantz CD67SE (Modified with a new clock and O/P transistors as well as an isolated Opto-coupler from the rest of the circuitry). My newest addition is the Marantz DV18MKII (which in a side by side test with Toshiba progressive scan players beats them flat down and sounds - like a Marantz product should.) So far I have not encountered any problems with the unit. Also all of my Odeon speakers are rated @ 4 ohms so the unit tends to run a bit hot but, it never shut it self off or shown fatigue when playing complicated passages of music. All in all, for the money I paid for this Marantz product, I believe like many other reviewers here it is probably the best bang for the buck in todays market of mid-fi equipment.

P.S. Sources are usually the more important for creating the correct sound than the actual receiver.

Similar Products Used:

Marantz SR 5000,Marantz SR 8000, HK 7000. Denon 3300. And listened to a few Carver, Luxmann and Yamaha setups

Lots of power, great remote, looks great, easy to use, great for music and ht, good value, made in Japan (not China like Arcam!)

Heavy (due to good construction), may be too warm for some speakers (not mine)

I auditioned every receiver in this price range (700-1000) and wound up purchasing this one. I really like the performance in 2 channel stereo. Especially with the Paradigm Reference 40's I have it paired with.

I have had the unit for 3 months and it has only gotten better. I love the performance in DTS (especially Gladiator, Almost Famous (music), and Matrix)

Other components:
Paradigm Ref 40's
Ref Center Channel
Infinity Surrounds
Pioneer 434 DVD
Sony CD changer (toslink cables using the DA converters in Receiver)
Sony TV (old but still works great)

I liked the Marantz 8000 but didn't think it was worth the extra 300.

Lastly, the unit was not made in China and that's good. I DON'T BUY ANYTHING MADE IN CHINA!

Similar Products Used:

Arcam AVR 1000, NAD, Onkyo, Dennon, Yamaha

"Because Music Matters"

None

I LOVE THE WAY UNIT SOUNDS. DTS, DD EXCELLENT.
STEREO SOUND ALSO VERY GOOD- NO COMPLAIN AT ALL.
THIS IS A1 QUALITY ALL THE WAY.

Similar Products Used:

NAKAMICHI, ONKYO.

Great for music, solid construction, powerful, good "tube like" sound (not exactly but as close as I have heard from a receiver in this price range). Easy to operate. Japanese quality. Best warrantee in industry (3 years!)

No back lit remote, heavy, big

I looked at everything out there for at least one year before making my purchase of this unit. I liked the Marantz 8000 but the price difference was too much for my budget.

I liked the Denon and Pioneer but the Marantz seemed more solid and slightly warmer sounding. This may not be your bag, so I suggest doing the testing yourself.

I really wanted to like the Arcam because it looks cool, I thought it was from England (wrongly, it was made in China!). I like the other products they make in England but the AVR 1000 is overrated and overpriced for the performance you get.

Lastly, the only advice I would suggest is to make up your own mind. Don't be influenced by friends, reviews or pushy salespeople. Take your time and make the right decision. Also, make sure the receiver sounds good with your speakers. I took home a demo unit from the store I purchased it from and tested it in my home for a week before purchasing. I wanted to be 100% sure!

Similar Products Used:

Arcam AVR 1000, Denon 3300 and 3801, Pioneer Elite, Onkyo, Sony ES, Yamaha, Marantz SR 8000

Quality construction, power, music reproduction, multi room capability.

Manuel seems to be written like they assume you already know the terminology and have set one of these up before.

I have only had this reciever a short time and so far have been real pleased with it. Very difficult decision as I had wavered between several different recievers. Onkyo 787, HK 500, Marantz SR8000, and the Outlaw 1050. In short form (not really) I chose the SR7000 because:

Onkyo: Refurb from One Call for about 600. I heard some overheating problems with this unit and I also think Onkyo, unlike the Marantz, didn't get as many positive reviews. ALso there was some confusion on the warranty policy with a refurb. suposedly Onkyo doesn't warranty refurbs, someone else does. I have purchased from One Call before and they also have a rotten return policy. Basically, your stuck with the product (like my Yamaha that I had auditioned at a local store and it sounded great there) unless it doesn't work whereas alot of dealers give you a couple days to reconsider.
HK 500: I recieved two AVR 75 two years ago from HK Outlet and both had dead channels. The channels that did work sounded great and now I am told that HK new sloagan is " we sound great when we work." I got my money back but it took awhile as they couldn't find the last returned reciever. Lots of quality control problems with their newer products and based on the number of refurbs they have I was scared off.
Marantz SR8000: Too much, I was on a budget of about 700. Several reviews mentioned the unit was better (quality of build and materials) but not worth the extra several hundred and I concur.
Outlaw 1050: Lots of features I liked, 6.1, good reviews, and their customer service is fantastic. I can't say enough about how well they treat people. They seem very sincere in trying to give you a good prodct and they don't nock others. I did contact them and they responded right away. This was my second choice only because they didn't put a very good FM tuner in and FM is important to me. I also was a bit leary of the 65 watts but was assured it would be enough. They have refurbs 450. and New units 500 on their website. THe 6.1 isn't a true one either but that wasn't a big deal.
Marantz SR7000: This website realy helped. Lots of good reviews and links to magazine reviews. I also appreciate the people who responded to my Emails. I checked the Marantz website and I am told they are changing it which is good because its lousey. I purchased through Accesseries for Less out of Orlando they are an authorized Marantz online dealer. 650 included 2nd day air Fedx from Orlando to Seattle. I originally Emailed them and they responded right away. They also mentioned HiFI dot com and I did contact them as I wanted a new unit but they (HiFI)really don't want to help you out with questions and they absolutley won't adjust their price to match anyone (lots of exscuses), or make suggestions. I felt comfortable with Accessories for Less and they did seem sincere in helping me out with any problems/questions I may run into. I spoke to a Ray but a Mark originally Emailed me. No high pressure. I have a couple questions I will Email them and see but for now I have been happy with them.
The reciever itself seems very well built. Compared to my Yamaha you can see the difference. It is also made in Japan which I think is much better than China or Malaysia. Sound is excellent and I don't think I could improve on it. This reciever has an excellent FM tuner and that has been mentioned in several of the Magazine reiviews. I have no overheating problems with it and although this supposedly doesn't put out a true 100 watts per channel it was plenty. I ran a few movies through it (DVD) and the Dolby DIgital and DTS were everything I had hoped for. I use my DVD for CD's and I also was more than pleased with the sound quality, this is were it excells. This was the area my Yamaha severly lacked. My rear speakers with the Yamaha sounded very tinny (metalic) but with the Marantz it was perfect. I also like that you can enter the distance between the speakers and the listener and they adjust themselfs to sound even. I have my fronts and backs set to Large with a sub and it actually sounds the best. The remote is nice to. Lots of easy to find controls, not spread out all over the place. My one complaint is the manual. It seems to be written like you already are an expert in stereo reciever technology and setup. I did figure it out on my own (this isn't rocket science) but I would have felt more comfortable with a glossary of terminology. No explanation of why you would want a control set up a certain way and in some instances what this stuff does. Lots of unclear directions. Overall I am very happy with this unit. Considering the price and sound quality (thats why you buy a stereo) I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to anyone that is comfortable with a refurb. My system is all Infinity, CC3 center, RS 5 fronts, RS4 rear, BU120 for the sub. This unit is discontinued and alot of online retailers are sold out. Prices for new ones start at 600 but not from authorized dealers (if that matters to you). If your budget is under 600 check out the Outlaw, go to their website and read the reviews. I have been told a new model will be out shortly from Marantz that has alot of new features but I'm sure the price for the new ones will be far above 600. Again I am very happy so far with this unit and you can Email me with any questions. Thats what this website is for, to help others with the daunting task of decisions. I rated this with five stars but only because a 4 would be unjustified . I take off for the Marantz itself lack of a good website ( I couldn't contact them with Email it returned undeliverable) and the poorley written manual.

Similar Products Used:

Replaced a Yamaha 5150, Harmon Kardon AVR75

Alot of great reviews on warm music tones

Volume knob is old school. Everybody thinks there's no power. :)

Actually I'm planning to buy a SR5000 or SR7000. Interesting someone said the 7000 screws up the bass for systems with a high end subwoofer? See SR5000, Lots of complaints for more power. I think the DB graduation has users confused. Starts off slow and picks up steam. lol

Hope to post a real review soon. At least this will be one post. Sure has been a rash of tripple posts. ;)

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha & Denon

Dolby Digital, DTS, Multi-room capability (haven't used yet), abundance of inputs, high quality of sound, pre-outs. Ahh you know them already ;-)

remote control not backlit. The RC1200, which is exactly the same, is backlit. I will call Marantz to see if anything can be done about that. Need to engage ATT mode manually. No ATT button on the receiver itself. No component video switching. Marantz has a VERY misleading website. Why am I saying so? Virtually all features they list for 14EX are available for the SR-7000!!!

OK, so first just so you see what we are working with here and what my opinion is based on, the system:

Marantz SR-7000 - The star of this show
4x Paradigm Atom - speakers, optimally placed and on stands
Paradigm CC170 (matches Atom) - center channel
Definitive Technology ProSub 80 - powered subwoofer
Marantz DV-3100 - DVD player as well as my CD transport. Connected via coax digital and component video.
Sampo 560E - DVD player (used for VCD/MP3/Region-free playback) - in the DSS input
Sony N60 - A lousy VCR
Sony Playstation - in the LD input
Toshiba 32" TV - component video inputs

Now, as you can see that's a lot of equipment, and it all works!

As I am a computer networks engineer, I couldn't care less about the manuals, but you may have to. Only in the manual will you find out that you need to activate ATT mode if your receiver goes into "PEAK" mode.

Now for the good stuff...

CDs sound exceptionally nice.
Whoever needs more power, more power and less neighbors to you. My ears can barely stand the volume level 0. Oh, and do try the 5-stereo mode. I don't like it that some CDs trigger peak mode if played in analog mode through CD input. But I can set the ATT mode and it'll be all fine.

My MP3 player is guilty of triggering peak indicator as well.

The unit can nicely manage switching all of my components, although the wire maze behind it is indeed amazing. Configuring it is no more difficult than setting up a Cisco 4300-series switch, pretty straight-forward.

To hook up your subwoofer, use the sub pre-out.

Music sounds like live, except quiter. If you want loud, go for Classe and Aerial speakers ;-).

The DVD experience is exceptional. I just need a large movie screen and I can forget about going to movies.

My movies sound just like they should, and the delay timing that I've set in the receiver compensates for my room size nicely. I can hear everything from a whisper in bed, to Fantasia 2000 DTS, to bullets flying by my head in Saving Private Ryan DTS, to explosions in Tomorrow never dies.

I have spent quite a bit of time listening to things in my favorite store, and honestly I have no wish to replace any of my equipment.

If you need bass boost, tone controls, and so on, you belong in Sony DE-range. It does have well-hidden treble/bass adjustments on the remote, if you really need them.

If you need Aiwa flashyness, you can buy mine. I had an Aiwa hometheatre before. Not the low-end models either, which is why it lasted so long. But the difference between my system and consumer junk under $1000 is very audible.

I love my SR-7000, and I hope you will too!

Similar Products Used:

nothing in its class