I was originally looking at the 585. Well I found a deal for the 780 and Energy Take 5 w/8" sub for $1200 US shipped. As you can tell I went for the 780.
I think it's great. The addition of the Mark II remote is a real bonus. It controls everything in my house. It's a little heavy but I can live with it. People with small hands may have a hard time though.

I use the receiver mostly for movies. It gives a whole new experiece with 5.1 DVDs. It has enought inputs/outputs for everything I own and then some. Easy to hookup and calibrate, the on-screen menus are well laid out and easy to use.

One negative is the fact that when switching sources to DVD (etc..) it doesn't rememeber to switch to optical input. This is annoying but I created a macro on the remote that takes care of that for me.

Remote, multi-room, build quality, sound quality

none

I've dreamed about this baby for 2 years, yep it's as good or better than I imagined. The sound if absolutly superb.
The receiver is built like a battle ship and although it doesn't have component video i/o, neither does anything else I own - nada problema. I recenlty hooked up a Sony DVP S330 and let the sparks fly. Wow, truely amazing Dolby Digital processing. I'm still awed at the capability of this receiver, and, I was able to use my old one as the amp for the multi-room function. Very cool. Everything you've read about the remote is true, I have LITERALLY taken the batteries out of ALL my other remotes and put them in the closet. Talk about pegging the ol' spousal acceptance meter.
If you've been thinking about this one act fast, Marantz has stopped making them and the replacement does'nt appear to be anywhere near the same receiver, and no mkII Remote.
I thought it more than a little interesting that my local high-end audio dealer REFUSED to even consider selling his SR780 floor model after seeing what the replacement models were like. Hhhhmmmmm. BTW, I think HiFi.com still has some available. Good luck.

RC2000-MK 2 Remote Control
Excellent Pro-Logic Decoder

No DTS Decoder, Source Bypass, and 6 Ch Input
Mediocre 2 Channel sound
Limited digital Inputs/Outputs

I used this receiver at home for about a week and it worked well and sounded great but I returned it to wait for the newer Marantz line to arrive with DTS decoding, external 6 Ch Inputs, and extra Digital Inputs/Outputs.
The SR-780, sounded better at Prologic decoding than my SR-7000 does, but I rarely use this surround mode anyway with DVD's. On digital sources I would say the sound quality is comparable for DD but prefer the DTS sound that is not available on this unit.
The included remote is one of the best available on the market with it's only weakness being a bit heavy and oversized to hold.
As a HT Receiver it's a quality unit but was disappointed in the sound quality of 2 Ch audio thru the CD analog input. The dynamics and imaging seemed compressed going through the receiver's electronics. A direct bypass switch on the unit would have helped that somewhat maybe, but if you're not too fussy about your music it may not bother you.

All in all, this older receiver will still continue to outperform some new kids on the block but you may want to consider some newer options available on Marantz's current receiver line.

Similar Products Used:

Marantz SR-7000

Well, after searching endless hours on the net reviewing specs, features, benefits, power, Dolby Digital/DTS options, etc., etc., I finally purchased the Marantz SR-780 just last week. I have a relative in the high-end audio business. They deal Denon, Marantz, SONY, HK, and even Carver's Sunfireline (UN-*%&$!-BELIEVABLE!!), and the like.

I listened to just about everything. And, After settling on the fact that I wasn't able to purchase Bob Carver's stuff (Cinema Grand/Theatre Grand/Sunfire sub), I picked the 780 due to a number of key factors:

*) Didn't see the need for Dolby Digital AND DTS
(btw: a CA co. will outfit for DTS, and it has Lucas Films Cinema REQ)

*) Even power (85W) across all five channels is plenty to drive
my loudspeakers. I went with an MB Quart "C-Line" (German Co.) system:
QL C400 fronts, QL C300CTR center, Balcony rears,
and the 1200Si 185W powered sub.

*) I needed the Multi-Room/Multi-Source feature. This is nice - I use a
separate Parasound amp to drive 10 rooms in my home. The receiver also
integrates nice with some Niles equipment I purchased. Specifically, it
has a Multi-Room RCA-Type infrared input on the rear. You can take the
remote throughout the house and it will only send commands to the Multi-
Source portion of the 780.

*) PLENTY of A/V ins & outs including S-Video. Also, a nice amount of
5.1 hook-ups.

*) Nice 2nd generation learning remote. The Macros and lighted keypad make
it real easy for my wife to operate.

*) 3-year parts & labor warranty.

I believe this unit has the right mix of power/features for the price ($1199).
Of course, there's a lot of other stuff out there cheaper - SONY and PIONEER
have some gadget-rich models (sound fields, etc.), but the Marantz is meant to do more than just play loud music and videos. When I shop, I look [or ... listen :)] for true musical reproduction.

Having my wife say that it sounds like a Jazz band is in our family room after dropping $2K only confirms my choice.

I bought the SR-780 last year knowing very little about Marantz. I needed something with alot of inputs that had Dolby Digital. There is alot of good equiptment out there, but after comparing sound quality and price I had to go with the Marantz and I have never been sorry about the decision. It is a great reciever and the remote is the best.

I've had this receiver for just about a year now. I love it. More than enough power for my room, plenty of inputs, and a great remote. Unfortunately there is no DTS decoding and no S-vid input on the front. Other than that, I'm very pleased. This is a quality piece of equipment.