Need Help: Marantz 7300 vs 7300ose

Yusuf · 04-17-2003, 07:19 PM

I am trying to decide whether to spend an extra $300 to get a Marantz SR7300ose rather than an SR7300. Given a limited budget, is it worth spending that extra money, or would I better off putting them towards speakers, sub, etc? All things being equal, is the sound of the ose clearly superior to the base model? I'm planning on enjoying the receiver for a good long time so I'm willing to make the extra investment if it's truly worth it, but not simply so I can have gold plated inputs or "hand selected chips" , if you know what I mean. (And no, I can only consider Marantz, not other brands at this point, and the price difference is $300 for me.)

FYI, I'm planning to purchase B&W 602's (or 602.5's?) and an LCR60 (or LCR600) for my fronts (using my reliable old Polk bookshelf monitors for now for rears.)

Can wait to get them. :-)

Thanks for any input.

Yusuf · 04-18-2003, 06:33 PM

No input at all?

Rick CH · 04-19-2003, 11:45 AM

Beware of the high frequency noise problem many of us 7300 owners have found on this receiver. Some have listened to the OSE found it also exhibits this problem. Check the following links for all the info.

Marantz 7300 hiss
Marantz 7300 review (read the posts towards the end of the thread in particular)
Marantz 7300 on AVSForum

Yusuf · 04-19-2003, 12:49 PM

Thanks for the tip, Rick CH.

Actually, I'm quite familiar with the hiss. Purchased an SR7200 last fall which began to hiss a few months later. After going around in circles with the retailer (hifi.com) and the local authorized service center, Marantz corporate agreed to replace it with a new 7300. It is waiting to be shipped. Last weekend I learned of the OSE and asked Marantz about purchasing an upgrade; they said it would cost the retail difference: $300. Thus my dilemma. (I'm operating on the assumption that my replacement receiver will be flawless.)

Daneel · 04-19-2003, 01:16 PM

I wish you luck. I have come across very few people who have a 7300 without the high pitched problem.

IMO it is not worth the extra money. I don't say this because I have any experience with the OSE (I did have a 7300 though) but because I cannot see there being a great improvment and dislike the stance Marantz has taken on the problem.

I returned my 7300 and am now the happy owner of a 45tx which with MCACC enabled sounds better than the Marantz.

**HTF Ads**

Yusuf · 04-20-2003, 08:43 PM

Thanks, Daneel. At this point I'm pretty much committed to Marantz and certainly hope they are addressing any problems they are having with the 7300/7300OSE's. The people at Marantz in Illinois have been quite accommodating.

John Garcia · 04-21-2003, 12:36 AM

I've been offered a great deal on an OSE, because my dealer sold the last 8200 he had...and won't be getting any more with the 8300 on it's way (June he says). He did have a 9300 already, but I did not get a chance to listen to it.

My dealer says the OSE will be a worthwhile upgrade. It amounts to roughly the power supply of the 8200 dropped into the 7300 (along with copper clad chassis, etc...).

I noticed no hiss or high pitched sound when I auditioned a 7300 not too long ago at this dealer, but I was listening in source direct, which I've read does not exhibit the hiss. In fact, I was quite impressed with the unit.

I currently own a 6200 and I have had no problems to speak of, and I have no complaints beyond the audio pick-up (digital drop outs) issue. Personally, I feel some of these people who are complaining about hiss are making a bit more of the issue than it really is. Why anyone is listening to their system at this level with nothing playing is beyond me. I suspect that if a random selection of receivers in this price range were compared, similar results would be the case.

Cary P · 04-21-2003, 03:34 PM

I can assure you that the high-pitched ringing noise IS a big problem for me. I would not characterize the sound as a hiss - it is more like a low level ringing tone.

A little bit of low level hiss is acceptable and the norm with almost any component, but the constant ringing with the 7300 is another matter entirely and quite annoying to me. If you listen to relatively quiet stuff such as easy listening cocktail music, or bossa nova style jazz, in a digital surround mode such as Dolby Pro Logic II, the ringing tone is readily apparent at modest listening levels - especially through the center speaker. I can easily discern the ringing tone from eight feet away when playing quiet music late at night.

The ringing tone is only present when using the digital processing on the 7300. If the unit is in analog Source Direct mode the tone is not present. I have listened to two other 7300 units, including the 7300 OSE, and they have exhibited the same behavior.

Since I upgraded to the 7300 for it's advanced digital processing, the ringing tone is unacceptable to me. I previously owned the 7000 and the 7200, and they did not exhibit this noisy behavior.

The situation is really quite a shame, because the 7300 is otherwise a very fine receiver. I've been a loyal Marantz customer for years, and was hoping Marantz would come up with a easy solution to this problem. But after waiting nearly six months for any kind of acknowledgement from Marantz, I've just about given up on their VERY disappointing customer service.

Contrast this with Rotel or Anthem, who have been very active in responding to their customer's concerns with free software upgrades and other modifications in their line of home theater processors.

Luckily, my dealer is very understanding and will accept a return on my unit for store credit. My patience with Marantz has just about run out, and I will likely return my 7300 by the end of the week.

Cary

PeterCB · 04-21-2003, 07:10 PM

Cary, I completely agree with you. Every time I try to convince myself I can live with the noise, a quiet passage comes up in a DVD or CD, and I want to get rid of the receiver.

The three alternatives I am considering are:

1. Rotel 1055 - As you said, great customer service and FREE software upgrades. However, a poster on another forum who traded his 7300 for a 1055 said it has noise issues of its own. I am still waiting for a response as to what they are. I'm not sure about the remote (e.g., some buttons that I think I would use everyday are hidden under the bottom flap).

2. Marantz SR8200 - Another 7300 owner I know took this route. He says definitely no noise issues, and a step up in power (120 vs. 105 wpc). The only downside is giving up a few features (e.g., CS 5.1 vs. 6.1, no DTS 96/24). I'm also not sure whether I like the touchscreen remote. Since the 8300 is out, you should be able to get one for the same price as a 7300ose.

3. Wait for the SR7400. As you say, the 7300 would be a great receiver were it not for the noise problem. Marantz has already told my dealer that they will not fix the problem during the current production run. One can only hope that the next series does not suffer from this problem. I would think that it will come out in 2004.

What do you plan to do if you return the 7300?

Peter

Rick CH · 04-21-2003, 07:28 PM

This noise problem is absolutely not a case of making a mountain out of a molehill. It is the same ringing tone that a high pitched tuning fork produces. White noise you can shut out (like the noise of the fan on a PS2 or a video projector), but this tone just can't be ignored. It's literally like trying to ignore a mosquito buzzing around your ear. Granted, if you have the volume turned up high enough you won't hear the tone. But the volume I have to listen to at night so I won't bother any neighbours is at a level that leaves this problematic tone all too audible.
Caveat emptor!

Cary P · 04-21-2003, 07:46 PM

Peter,

I have the same dilemma. One of the reasons I've kept the 7300 this long is that there is no clear alternative unit to exchange with at my dealer.

The dealer I purchased the 7300 from also carries Rotel, and I've given the 1055 receiver and 1066 pre/pro some serious consideration. But, as I'm sure you know, those units have their own set of issues. But the difference is, Rotel has been very active in acknowledging and responding to their customers, and I think most of the issues have been worked out by now. I am leaning towards going with Rotel for that reason alone.

I did actually audition the 1066 for about a week last October, and my memory is that the unit sounded a bit better than the 7300 - more spacious and detailed. The 1066 was whisper quiet - I could barely hear any hiss or other noise even with my ear right up next to the speaker. But I returned the unit because of it's bass management problems, awkward remote, and the price was a bit more than I wanted to spend at the time. I thought the 7300 might be able to match its audio performance for a lot less price, but that was obviously a mistaken assumption.

I recently read that there is a small hardware modification that will fix the remaining bass management issues with the Rotel 1066. With that obstacle removed, I am now seriously leaning towards the 1066. It lacks some of the surround modes of the 7300, but most of my music listening is in DPLII or analog two channel, anyways.

I've never given the 8200/8300 much consideration because I already have external amplification and really don't need such a big, high powered receiver. It will be interesting to see if future Marantz receivers also have the high pitched ringing tone. But I think it will be quite a while until the 7400 arrives - at least another year.

Good luck with your decision.

Cary