Detail, great clarity, imaging and lots of power and bass. Remote operates well..sofar. Good looking unit. Etc...

Weak binding posts, remote is not back lit. Why not????

Wow!! I brought this unit home for the weekend, on Thursday, I didn't expect such a great performance. Based on all the reviews, I thought that it was to good to be true. Well, it's not. This receiver has it all, most important, it sounds great, very detailed and clear. I'm considering the SR-19, however, with the SR7000 sounding as good as it did, I'm now considering this unit. The only thing really, is the remote, not back lit.

Other then that, I feel that this receiver will make any real audiophile very happy. I feel that there is no comparing this unit to the Yam992 which I owned for 2years previously. The onkyo seemed a little bright, at times, and maybe not as detailed, but still a great receiver. The Denon was also nice, but lacked in the bass department, and the remote is terrible, also not dig out.

Bottom line is that the SR7000 is the best receiver for the money. Not to mention, if under $1000 Cnd. Can't beat that!

Similar Products Used:

Yam 992, Onk777 and 676, Denon 3300

Great Remote,Large readible display,lots of inputs,outputs

connectors are not gold plated,speaker binder posts are not either and are not high grade

Being an 'audiophile' many of the features and terms were new to me. But once explained by Dealer- the set-up went very well with the excellent 'on screen display'. The Remote is excellent and can do incredible things like a string of commands (macro). But, it does have to be programmed for each component.
I am used to Bryston Amps so not sure of quality yet but,demo in store with my exact speakers played very well. I am currently only using 2 speakers but, am soon changing to a 5 channel high quality system -which will really test it.
I find the cosmetics and build to be very good and appealing (except for lack of gold plating as mentioned). The flexibility of this product is amazing and I think it will have a long successful stay in my HT. If I get really serious about HT - I will use it as Pre-amp/Processor for Brystons in future.

Similar Products Used:

Denon3300 and NAK 10

clear sound, power, flexibility, room for expansion

poor innstructions

After trying an Onkyo 777 and all the others I went to the last store in SF. They had two brands, being this Marantz the one they recommended for my budget. To be honest I bought because I was tired of looking and because they treat me very well, opening a box to show me the only one they had. I got it right there and after suffering in the set up because an extremely poorly written instructions I was amazed by the sound of this receiver. I try hard to like the Onkyo 575 or 777 but there was always a litte hum. The 7000 is silent as a dead man. Pure sound not bright at all. At 200 dollars less than the Denon 3300 is a steal. The remote is the best I saw for under a $1000. The sound is great. I am so happy now. If you are looking for a receiver under a $1000 this is the one.

Similar Products Used:

onkyo 575 & 777, Denon 1700 & 3300

Quaility build, clean sound; no hum/hiss at any output level, intuitive setup & use

Still looking for one

After being Internet screwed (which turned out to be a blessing in disguise..) on a Denon AVR3300, I went to the local high-end store and took a listen to every receiver they had. Forgetting the hype and "name brandism", this unit was the clear winner. To be honest, Marantz was not in my initial search - very foolish on my part. Simply put, the sound was the most natural in terms of clarity in all ranges, not bright on the top and not "boomy" or flat on the lows. All the other units seemed to missing some of the equation and/or seemed more complicated to operate (Pioneer). Took the unit home and set it up without the manual, it took 20 minutes and seemed very logical in its organization. Once set up, my entire family was paralyzed for the weekend as Godzilla ran a muck in our family room and my wife and I dodged bullets during the Matrix. Though purchased for HT, music is also a pleasure. With this unit hooked up to my Dish, any movie broadcast in Dolby Digital becomes a 5.1 DVD - nice. Anyone looking for the sweet spot in HT receivers (maximun performance/dollar) should give this unit a demo. At $750.00, this unit performs better than $1200+ units. If you have champagne taste or have an auditory system significantly more evolved than mine give it a pass. We will no longer being going to the movies, outside the home that is!

System:

Marantz SR7000
Proscan 8086 DVD
Sony 53 TV
RCA DD Dish
PSB Image 5T
PSB Century 200ci
Olympus XL5 Pro
PSB Subsonic 6 subwoofer

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer Elite 24tx & 26tx, Denon AVR3300, Yamaha 2095, Onkyo 777

Versatility, Power, Looks, Quality, Remote kicks butt, Sound reproduction, DD, DTS 96/24 PCM,...everything

Baddly written manual.

I've had my fair share of problems with the units used above. Primarily the Marantz SR5000 had terrible video interference when used as a video switcher the HK500's sound reproduction lacked warmth, and the features of the Denon although quite similar to that of the Marantz cost ~$200 - $300 more depending on the dealer and I doubt the quality of the Denon had anything to do with it.

This unit rocks...my music comes to life, and my movies don't sound like your sitting at a scream fest like with some low end recievers. The 5 Dig. I/P and 2 Dig. O/P make this unit difficult to run out of hookup options. As well as 100W/Ch discrete! and 55A/Ch of HCC makes this unit able to run even the most demanding speakers without missing a beat(i.e.4ohm PSB, Paradigm, HECO, Mission, etc) (and if someone is thinking of Nuance as a speaker, well what ever the sales guy told you you've just made the guy a 2000% markup- that includes the awesome price he gave you-and if he's a friend...you've got pretty dumb friends.)If you don't believe me just look at the review of the heap of plywood or pressboard you've invested hundreds of dollars into, better yet take one of the speakers out off the "box" and look at the design of the speaker from the inside.

The receiver so far was able to power my HECO (4ohm) speakers quite well. Very steady and continuous output through all of the dB range. I haven't tried maxing out the speakers and the unit as they need to be broken in a bit, but for all types of music, ranging from classical to hard rock and metal, the reproduction is superb. I would suggest to anyone outhere who is looking for a good HT receiver to consider this one as the best bang for the buck.

Similar Products Used:

SR5000, HK500, Denon AVR3300

Clean Interface, On-Screen Programming, Overall Sound, Active Bass/Treble controls

No Gold Plated Terminals, "Caps" on Speaker Terminal Outputs, Remote

Ok, first off this is one great receiver for the price. I listened to ALL the "mainstream" stuff - Onkyo, Yamaha, Sony, Kenwood, Pioneer and was woefully unimpressed. Now for my first confession: I was originally hooked on a HKavr65; after listening to it, no go, no wonder they are all on sale. Ahhhhh, I said, how about the HK Avr500, MUCH better: Very nice receiver. Ditto for the Denon AVR 3300, VERY NICE RECEIVER! Now you are probably wondering, why did I buy the Marantz? Two reasons: Price (I got mine for $649, the lowest I could find the HK was $700, the Denon $899) and reputation. I honestly could not tell a difference between the sound and the interface/appearance are very similar. I really don't think you can go wrong with any of the three, personal preference/price will probably be the driving factor. I like the fact that neither company wastes time building in 4,000 sound fields you'll only use once to impress your friends (read : Sony, Onkyo, Yamaha, etc.)

All three of these receivers dedicate your money to kick-butt amps, pure and simple, not a lot of B.S. One thing however - I can't stand the damn remote. No backlight, weird buttons... No deal for me. This is probably because I use a Pronto and am used to "having it the way I like it", so don't read into that statement too much. Stay away from kids' receivers (Pioneer, Sony, Kenwood, etc.)and stick with these three. Buy whichever you get for the best price, and you won't be disappointed!

Similar Products Used:

Denon 3300, HK AVR65, HK AVR500, Onkyo, Yamaha

Ready for DD, DTS. Clean power design, video switching

Crappy manual and no backlight on remote

I'm new to HT, but I own an audiophile music system (Thiel speakers, Audio Research Amps, digital transport and DAC, etc) While this doesn't make me an authority about anything, I think I *do* know the difference between a decent and lousy sound deliverty system.

The reviews on this site are accurate, if not a tad effusive. But can you blame them? Most mainstream audio products are horrible. The Marantz SR-7000 is a remarkable exception. It does what it's advertised to do: the SR7000 delivers clear, balanced and engaging sound. Let's hope DTS catches on because the unit's internal DAC handles digital information particulary well for something in this price range. Right now, I don't believe you can buy a better $700 HT recceiver.

A tip: Some "sound" problems on DVD's can be laid at the feet of the DVD manufacturers and movie sound producers. Unless you're renting a brand new, high budget DTS movie, expect to hear some hiss, poor sound effect dispersal and even outright distortion. If you're shopping, try to get a DTS version of Saving Private Ryan. If a system can deliver that sound track well, you have a winner.

FYI, check out the Encore speaker system by Energy (small Canadian company) $1500 gets you a speaker system that matches the Marantz SR-7000 perfectly.

Similar Products Used:

HK, Denon

Power, Sound Qyality, Value.

Does not accept banana plugs

WOW!! I got this bad boy yesterday for $770 (I decided to go with a local authorized dealer, to save any future headaches). After reading the review in Sound and Vision magazine, and doing research (this site included), my decision was easy. The Marantz SR-7000 is, in my opinion, the best A/V receiver under $1,200.

The NAD T760 had great sound quality, but slightly lacked in the power department. The Sony 555ES was a nice product. I tested it at a local dealer and was very impressed. It listed for 999, but One-Call would have it on my door step in 3 days for 680 (I highly recommend One-call, got my Sony 530 DVD for 339). I was concerned with reliability issues the ES line has been having.

After reading about the Marantz, I visited my local dealer. I was sold in 5 minutes. He played the train scene from the Fugative. MAN!! I was blown away. After hearing a few audio CD's, my choice was easy.

This big bad boy, kicks the snot out of anything in it's price range, hands down. Believe all you've heard about the Marantz. This product comes with my highest reccommendations.

Thanks to all on this site who have taken the time to submit reviews and make us all better informed consumers.

Similar Products Used:

NAD T760, Sony 555ES.

Lots of Bass, 5channel stereo, runs cool

None

I ended up with 2 of these (long story) so see EBAY if you are interested in getting one at a good price! This unit absolutely has the most bass of all the units I tried. The 5 channel stereo mode is a really neat effect and not gimmicky at all because it does not add any delays. While listening to CD's, radio and TV the 5 channel stereo mode really is awesome. The power supply and heat sinks on this thing are massive and the unit runs very cool even when pushing it hard and I have only 1" clearance above it in my enclosed TV stand. Dolby Pro-Logic sounds as good my old Pro-Logic receiver which is unusual because all the other receivers lacked severely in Pro-Logic mode. A nice feature is that the Bass and Treble controls are active in Music AND all other modes including Pro-Logic and Dolby Digital. A high pass rolloff is available for Dolby that is very similar to the RE-EQ on other units. Not only are there 5 digital inputs but they are addressable!

The remote is the best of all units I tested because it has a LOT of memeory for learning and yu can change the labels on the LCD selectable devices and keys.


This is the unit to get if you want something that will perform well in Home Theater and music with no tradeoffs!

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood VR-309, Sony STR-333ES, Kenwood VR-3080

Gotta love that remote...... The fact that it is not backlit is irritating, but other than that it lacks nothing. This is acually the best universal I have gotten with and peice of gear in my a/v setup.....PERIOD..... I can finally put the 6 other remotes away...

I can overlook the manual as this receiver is very simple to use..... Not many unnecessary bells and whistles here.

From the minute I got this baby I fell in love. I hooked it up to my psb's and they never sounded better. On my previous sony receiver the psb's sounded a bit harsh but I figured that was to be expected from bookshelf speakers. With the 7000 they really came to life. I can usually find a defect or design flaw in any peice of equipment I get, if a remote without backlighting is the best thing I can come up with..... then Marantz has hit a homerun with this one. Plenty power and it performs flawlessly with HT or music. It's simplicity is a breath of fresh air...

Similar Products Used:

sony, onkyo, and hk