smooth sound, quiet amps, 2-channel direct, bulid quality, good looking

poor am reception - if anyone cares, binding posts

i have been hesitating on this model because of the poor sound and vision review, plus reports of early defective units out there. well, i took the plunge yesterday. the salesman at cs said they just got in a shipment of 7200's. i figured i had a better chance of getting a good one with a newer unit. yeah baby! boys and girls, don't scratch this model off your christmas list just yet! i think marantz has nipped the problem in the bud on this model. my a/d/s speakers have never sounded this good, and i have had these speakers over 20 years. no listener fatigue. listened for hours tonite. power output seems more robust than my previous onkyo 575. the onkyo sounded more shrill in the higher frequencies. not a fair comparison i guess. the 575 is rated at 70 watts, the marantz,100. the marantz also retails at $300 more than the 575 did. with the marantz i ran four 6-ohm speakers for 2 hours at high volume-no problem. i hear zero hissing, unlike my onkyo 575, which was slightly audible at high volumes. it takes a while to crank up the volume, but it gets there. you will be playing two channel direct with this receiver a lot, especially if you have good main speakers. the sound is full and lush. i am waiting for a center speaker and surrounds, so i'll report on home theater and dplII later. it's only been 2 days, but my first impression is 2 thumbs up!

Similar Products Used:

onkyo tx-ds575

Clean unit appearance, warm sound, remote is better than average, price

No discrete 6.1 mode compared to Denon 2802, remote not backlit.

Have had this unit for about 2-3 months now and overall enjoy the unit very much. For the price of 675, it's hard to beat. A better unit than the Onkyo 696 IMHO. Since I have Paradigm Reference speakers the warm sound of the Marantz compliments the forward nature of the speakers.

One gripe I have is that it seems like you have to turn the knob about 500 times on the unit to get the volume up. In addition, I kind of wish that the unit had a 6.1 discrete mode just to satisfy the naysayers who probably only run 5.1 anyway (like me). There is hardly and DTS discrete material anyway.

Overall warm sound and the DPLII is a nice but acquired sound. Circle surround and 6 channel stereo are too forward for my taste. I sometimes which I had the Neo like on Denon but it seemed to not work well with all media like the DPLII does (there is a review regarding this).

The power in stereo mode seems great but falls off in dolby digital but this was countered by some tweaking.

Some have complained about hiss at higher volume levels but I found that getting better interconnects reduced this dramatically (didnt do much for the quality of the sound otherwise though). I sometimes wonder if this unit is susceptible to ground loop issues, etc.

At any rate, if I had to make the decision again I would choose the same though I think the Denon is a good unit also. You really need to keep in mind what kind of speakers you will be using when buying a receiver.

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo primarily

Very clear warm sound. The receiver is dead quite. Aesthetically pleasing appearance. Adequate hook-ups. Priced right 3 year warranty.

It is a little weak on power, however, it drives refernce speakers with ease and if you are buing sound and not a spec sheet, it is fine.

I took delivery the day the furor started over the S&V review about deficient power output. I had chosen the Marantz because the Denon 3202 was strong but sterile and harsh. The 7200 is much smoother and warmer.

I e-mailed Marantz and a senior manager phoned me at home. Their position is that the unit that was reviewed had flaws and S&V never contacted them for correction or a unit that meets mfg. specs. They indicate that they stand by their product and advertisement. They have recovered the test unit and will make available products that meet their mfg. specs for review in the professional journels.

If I had not reviewed all the sites and read about the controversy, I would have been pleased, as I am, in any case. I have listened to a variety of cd's, dvd's, and broadcast stations. The unit is exactly what I had hoped it would be. It is easy to listen to, not fatiguing, and has adequate power to exceed listenable levels.

After reading all the reviews on this site and others, I am convinced that many need to be listening to their equipment instead of calling themselves audiophiles. They seem to be "internet-philes", to coin a phrase. I decided that sound is totally subjective. Find something that sounds good to you and enjoy it. Commenting time could be spent listening and watching. Time is too precious and the expense of having good equipment too great to sit and opine. This review excepted, of course.

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood VR-409, Denon 3202, Pioneer Elite series

As a partner in an A/V company, I get to look at and listen to a lot of different equipment. The decision for our company to pick up the Marantz line in 2000, was solely based on it's video products. I am happy to report that all of the Marantz products are very good and offer respectable performance for the price across the line. But enough with the introduction, you want to read about the SR-7200.

With all of the A/V receivers currently on the market today, I realize that making a decision can be a tough one. In the case of the SR-7200, the decision shouldn't be too hard. Take a look at some of the technical apects: 192/24 DAC's and fourth generation Cirrus Logic DSP chipsets, wide band component video switching, 6.1 decoding and amplifiers on board, all current surround formats including DPL-II and Circle Surround (this one is a Marantz exclusive I believe), full on screen display and setup menus, multiroom zone for independent second audio/video zone, etc...

Besides the technical jargon, there is one thing that an A/V receiver must do, sound good. The SR-7200 does this with aplomb and even makes me think I am listening to affordable two channel gear at times. Being an Integra dealer has given me the oportunity to compare several different receivers to this one. While the Integra receivers are amazing in their own regard, they are a bit more expensive then their Marantz counterparts and you give up features at the same price points. Ultimately, the SR-7200 wins the value war hands down. The issue of sound quality is very subjective, but for a sub $1,000.00 A/V receiver, the SR-7200 has never failed to impress me.

The real strength of the Marantz receiver line, is the AUTO DSP mode. While most receivers have the ability to detect the PCM/Bitstream signal and set the receivers DSP processor to the corrent mode, none seem to do it as easily as the Marantz receivers do. This is not a new feature for them either, they pioneered this detection circuit several years ago when DTS made it's presence known. I can highly recommend the SR-7200, and despite some of the reveiws in this section claiming noises and problems. I can honestly say that I have never noticed this with any of the Marantz A/V recivers much less the 7200. My current home theater system consists of these components:

Marantz SR-7200 A/V receiver
Marantz DV-7100 progressive scan DVD player
Marantz MV-5100 Hi-fi VCR
Integra HDR-1 hard drive media jukebox
Echostar 6000 HD capable satellite receiver
Marantz PV4293 42" plasma display
(3) Atlantic Technologies 270 LCR speakers
(2) Jamo 616 Inwall dipole rear effect speakers
(1) Velodyne VLF-810 subwoofer
Video, digital audio and speaker cabling is from Kimber Kable

Remote takes some getting used to, but isn't too bad if the rest of your components are from Marantz.

Check out the features of the Marantz and then compare the sound of this piece to similar equipment in it's price range. When you consider the 3 year parts and labor warranty, sound quality and feature content, you will be very impressed with the SR-7200!

Similar Products Used:

Integra DTR5.2/6.2/7.2 and Marantz SR7000/8000/5200/6200/8200

Movies and music sounded good.

Flashes and POPS !!!!!!!!

I like many others went through 2 of these recievers. Both had the video flashing and a popping sound as soon as I turned them on. I bought Marantz for there name and reputation. So I went to the Denon AVR-2802 and I'm glad I did.

Similar Products Used:

Denon AVR2802

Music performance in Source Direct Stereo Mode.
Build Quality, utter silence - no noise whatsoever

Front RCA sockets exposed - would be better with a blanking cover over them. Other than that, I've not bought a product I've been more happy with.

A superbly musical and pleasant sounding AV Amp, equally comfortable running with stereo, or HT source material.
It is in Source Direct stereo mode that really impresses me. I'm running the Amp with a Marantz CD6000ki signature CD player, and running through Linn Keilidh speakers for the fronts. The combo knocks spots off my old Technics AV Amp, which is to be expected, but it also is much more pleasant to listen to than my well reviewed but old Rotel 820 BXIII dedicated stereo amplifer.
I was extremely sceptical about buying another AV Amp and had planned to buy a dedicated stereo amp, and just run the pre-outs from the AV Amp through the stereo amp to get a no compromise solution. Anyway, auditioned a few AV Amps, and all were great at this sort of price point for Home Theatre work to be honest. However it was the Marantz that stood head and shoulders above the others for plain musicality and superb stereo sound. I have no regrets over this purchase, and won't be buying a separate stereo amp - I see no advantage in doing so - the Marantz is that good. I'll use the money I've saved to buy more CDs :-)
I also have the advantage of having to have only 2 boxes on my rack, which pleases the wife :-) (The DVD and VCR live under the TV on the glass shelves of my Philips 32PW9576)

Regards the faults and criticisms raised by other users. Either they don't own this amplifier, or they have had a faulty unit. The amplifier is silent - no electronics noise whatsoever. There are no source switching noises, other than the mechanical noises associated with relay switching. I'm driving a fairly grumpy set of low impedance speakers - the amp barely gets warm, and handles this fairly difficult load with alacrity. Power output? Well my speakers aren't hugely efficient, but I can crank up the Marantz to painful levels, and certainly significantly louder than the levels that would cause the Police to visit :-) If yours isn't loud enough, you either have hearing problems, or you are driving speakers with 50db efficiency :-)

Also, nobody seems to mention the Remote Control in any great detail - it is outstanding - I would have paid the equivalent of $100+ for it! Fully learning/Macro capable, and replaces up to 11 devices. Really easy to use and ergonomic too. I was going to buy a universal for my system, but have no need. So Marantz have saved me the $500 or so I would have paid for a separate stereo amp, and for a decent universal remote :-) Even more money for music...

Marantz have priced this wrong - I would have quite happily paid well upwards of 800 uk pounds or $1200 for this amp. At the price I paid (500 UK pounds) it is an absolute bargain. It should be on anyone's shortlist, especially so, if like me, you consider CD music sound quality to be very high up there on your priority list. Buy one.

Similar Products Used:

Auditioned Denon 3802, NAD T360, Yamaha (can't remember model, but in similar price range)
Owned Technics SA-AX6.

clarity,depth, not bright. nice bass. build quality is excellent(heavy=good) high end reputation.fairly inexpensive

none so far

at first i was skeptical about purchasing the marantz 7200. the reviews here were mixed at first but when i went into my audiophile store they recommended the 7200 for what i was looking for. i have a denon 1601 and it sounds great but for music it was too bright. also for dvd it didn't have a low harmonic distortion like the marantz, so it was noticable. but none the less it did sound great. the sherwood newcastle sounds even better than the denon but it doesn't have dts, only dolby digital. so the marantz combined all these qualities and then some. for music this receiver was born to play it. for dvd movies this receiver sounds so good that i hear certain things in certain movies that i didn't hear at first. plus with all the features and future upgradeable formats on board this receiver is a knock out. definately high end!

Similar Products Used:

denon 1601,sherwood newcastle 945

Looks Good, surround very good

Extremely underpowered

I am a Marantz fan, but I returned this receiver. I was very disappointed with the 2-channel audio power and sound. I would not recommend this receiver to anyone who is looking for a receiver to play 2-channel audio.

Similar Products Used:

Marantz SR7000, Integra DTR7.1

Excellent in stereo mode.Very good built quality.

Power output a bit soft in HT mode.Doesn't seems like 105W per channel.

This unit really surprised me in the stereo mode. Its performance come close to Musical Fidelity amp that I'm using.This is a good news for people who wants all in one solution as this unit is excel in both stereo & HT.
It sounds clear & warm. Definitely exceed the standard of Denon product I have come across.The only problem is its output is a bit soft, Doesn't sound like 105W per channel to me.But it could be due to my speakers as well(Dynaudio, power hungry type..)
So, to those looking for one solution to Hifi stereo & HT, it could be your answer.

Similar Products Used:

n/a

Smooth, clear, musical sound

None to date

This is a follow-up to my earlier review, prompted by the continuing controversy surrounding this receiver. I firmly believe that Marantz had a bad run from their mfg, which appears to have been corrected. There is a real division between reviews those who got a defective unit, (read low power and noise), and those who got a great product. Fortunately, I seem to have bought a good one.

This receiver is unbelievablly quiet in all modes of listening and has delievered great power to my surround refernce speakers. I suggest that those who got a defective unit, which by their own admission S & V did, contact Marantz for a replacement.