Jeff D.
Supporting Actor
- Joined
- Jul 10, 1999
- Messages
- 521
- Real Name
- Jeff
I've been running in a brand new Marantz SR7300 this long weekend and thought I'd offer my opinions.
As many know, the last series (x200) from Marantz was quite controversial and some even felt it marked a step backward for the company. From what I have seen and heard from the new series (I have also been working with the 5300), it seems like they have learned from their mistakes and this new series could prove quite successful.
Before I even opened the box I saw something which made me happy - the 7300 is made in Japan. I have no idea why, but it offers me some reassurance. The x000 series, with the excellent SR7000 and SR8000 came from Japan and was in its time probably the best series of HT receivers on the market, offering stellar performance for both stereo and multichannel applications. Here's to hoping the new x300 series picks up where that series left off.
The cosmetics of the 7300 are slightly changed, but similar to the last series. A solid brushed aluminum front panel is dominated by two large metal knobs. The right knob controls volume. The left knob, reserved for selecting the surround mode on previous generations, now acts as a multi-function control. Combined with the Select and Enter buttons below it, one can navigate and control the menu system from the front panel, reading the very legible display. A nice feature for the pros, who don't need to see the menu onscreen.
There is the standard Auxilliary input on the front panel, only it is now joined by an optical digital input as well. Round the back you'll find six digital inputs - three coaxial and three optical - which can be assigned to any of the 10 inputs on the receiver. When assigning these inputs, you can designate the digital input exclusively, or use an 'Auto' mode, whereby if no signal is detected at the digital input you choose, the receiver looks to that input's analog input for the signal.
The rest of the panel is clean and elegant looking, allow you to choose the source input, control the primary functions and operate the tuner. Silkscreen logos indicate the presence of pretty much everything anyone could want in terms of surround modes: Dolby Digital EX, Pro-Logic II Movie and Music with the appropriate adjustments, DTS ES Discrete and Matrix, DTS 24/96, Circle Surround II.
This is a six-channel receiver which will provide amplification for the surround back channel. It also offers A/B speaker switching for the main front pair. Power is rated at 105WPC for all six speakers. You will find an RS232 port on the back of the receiver, presumably for future software updates. The SR7300 also offers component video switching, with two inputs and a single output - along with the usual composite and S-Video switching.
The one possible downside to the new model is the remote control. Gone is the familiar RC1200 and RC2000MkII. The remote control is a completely new design. You will have to forgive my lack of knowledge of this remote - I have a Pronto and used the codes from my own SR8000 to operate the 7300 and quite simply forgot about the remote. I will test it out and offer my opinions later.
So, let's cut to the chase. Most people reading this will know the problems the previous series had. Time to say if Marantz has learned from the past and remedied these problems.
The first problem was not really a problem, but simply a design choice, and it has affected every Marantz receiver prior to the 7300 - a fixed crossover point at 100Hz. With the 7300, a variable crossover control is now available. The user has options of 80, 100 and 120 Hz, found in the on-screen menu system. Ultimately it would've been nice to see a 60Hz option - maybe we will see such a thing in a software update. In the meantime, this is an excellent start and certainly offers some more flexibility for installations.
Next up: the performance of the digital inputs. The previous series was famous for taking its time in grabbing the digital signal from a DVD player or CD player. The SR8200 seemed to be the worst offender, sometimes taking as long as 4 seconds to latch on. I am happy to report there is no such delay in the 7300. In fact, in all my testing, there appears to be no discernible delay at all. Whether it be navigating menus or simply pausing and restarting a movie, the 7300 was always right on the ball with the signal from my Panasonic RP91 DVD player - so fast it almost seemed ahead of it by a few milliseconds. There is certainly no cause for concern here.
S-Video switching was also a common problem (though very quickly remedied by Marantz). I can say there are no difficulties with the S-Video switching at all. The picture does not blank out during bright scenes and there are no wavy lines or other distortions at all.
Having established that the general performance of the unit was solid, it was time to get it set up and do some listening. The usual set of set-up options are provided in the on-screen menus, thus I won't elaborate further.
Right out of the box, the 7300 sounded quite chirpy and crisp. This settled down in about the first hour, though I am finding it requires more break-in time than I have found usual with Marantz receivers. With DD and DTS soundtracks, the sound can be likened much to the 8200 - which I found a highly dynamic and engaging performer. My SR8000 sounds downright dull by comparison. The sound is fast and punchy and keeps you gripped. Everything seems justly right with multichannel material and the slightly edgy sound suits the soundtracks on most DVDs.
2-channel mode offers a similar taste, though it is toned down a bit. Still, by Marantz standards, the stereo sound is quite lively. I think this feeling is lessening in intensity as the unit breaks in. Initially soundstaging was a bit flattened, but it seems to be working itself out now. The high-end in particular in quite engaging - this could be a problem with particularly bright speakers or rooms. Of course the 2-channel performance cannot come close to that of a dedicated stereo system, but it certainly does a good job, as Marantz receivers have always done. Whether your listening is geared more towards HT or music, you should find the Marantz more than capable in either situation.
Thus concludes my review. Hopefully you haven't fallen asleep reading. My overall impression is very good. I have always been fond of the Marantz sound and was interested to hear this model. I must say the sound is a bit edgier than I have been used to with the company's previous HT receivers, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. They appear to have freshened up the sound of their receivers, and tossed in a solid feature set as well. Highly recommended.
/Jeff
As many know, the last series (x200) from Marantz was quite controversial and some even felt it marked a step backward for the company. From what I have seen and heard from the new series (I have also been working with the 5300), it seems like they have learned from their mistakes and this new series could prove quite successful.
Before I even opened the box I saw something which made me happy - the 7300 is made in Japan. I have no idea why, but it offers me some reassurance. The x000 series, with the excellent SR7000 and SR8000 came from Japan and was in its time probably the best series of HT receivers on the market, offering stellar performance for both stereo and multichannel applications. Here's to hoping the new x300 series picks up where that series left off.
The cosmetics of the 7300 are slightly changed, but similar to the last series. A solid brushed aluminum front panel is dominated by two large metal knobs. The right knob controls volume. The left knob, reserved for selecting the surround mode on previous generations, now acts as a multi-function control. Combined with the Select and Enter buttons below it, one can navigate and control the menu system from the front panel, reading the very legible display. A nice feature for the pros, who don't need to see the menu onscreen.
There is the standard Auxilliary input on the front panel, only it is now joined by an optical digital input as well. Round the back you'll find six digital inputs - three coaxial and three optical - which can be assigned to any of the 10 inputs on the receiver. When assigning these inputs, you can designate the digital input exclusively, or use an 'Auto' mode, whereby if no signal is detected at the digital input you choose, the receiver looks to that input's analog input for the signal.
The rest of the panel is clean and elegant looking, allow you to choose the source input, control the primary functions and operate the tuner. Silkscreen logos indicate the presence of pretty much everything anyone could want in terms of surround modes: Dolby Digital EX, Pro-Logic II Movie and Music with the appropriate adjustments, DTS ES Discrete and Matrix, DTS 24/96, Circle Surround II.
This is a six-channel receiver which will provide amplification for the surround back channel. It also offers A/B speaker switching for the main front pair. Power is rated at 105WPC for all six speakers. You will find an RS232 port on the back of the receiver, presumably for future software updates. The SR7300 also offers component video switching, with two inputs and a single output - along with the usual composite and S-Video switching.
The one possible downside to the new model is the remote control. Gone is the familiar RC1200 and RC2000MkII. The remote control is a completely new design. You will have to forgive my lack of knowledge of this remote - I have a Pronto and used the codes from my own SR8000 to operate the 7300 and quite simply forgot about the remote. I will test it out and offer my opinions later.
So, let's cut to the chase. Most people reading this will know the problems the previous series had. Time to say if Marantz has learned from the past and remedied these problems.
The first problem was not really a problem, but simply a design choice, and it has affected every Marantz receiver prior to the 7300 - a fixed crossover point at 100Hz. With the 7300, a variable crossover control is now available. The user has options of 80, 100 and 120 Hz, found in the on-screen menu system. Ultimately it would've been nice to see a 60Hz option - maybe we will see such a thing in a software update. In the meantime, this is an excellent start and certainly offers some more flexibility for installations.
Next up: the performance of the digital inputs. The previous series was famous for taking its time in grabbing the digital signal from a DVD player or CD player. The SR8200 seemed to be the worst offender, sometimes taking as long as 4 seconds to latch on. I am happy to report there is no such delay in the 7300. In fact, in all my testing, there appears to be no discernible delay at all. Whether it be navigating menus or simply pausing and restarting a movie, the 7300 was always right on the ball with the signal from my Panasonic RP91 DVD player - so fast it almost seemed ahead of it by a few milliseconds.
There is certainly no cause for concern here.S-Video switching was also a common problem (though very quickly remedied by Marantz). I can say there are no difficulties with the S-Video switching at all. The picture does not blank out during bright scenes and there are no wavy lines or other distortions at all.
Having established that the general performance of the unit was solid, it was time to get it set up and do some listening. The usual set of set-up options are provided in the on-screen menus, thus I won't elaborate further.
Right out of the box, the 7300 sounded quite chirpy and crisp. This settled down in about the first hour, though I am finding it requires more break-in time than I have found usual with Marantz receivers. With DD and DTS soundtracks, the sound can be likened much to the 8200 - which I found a highly dynamic and engaging performer. My SR8000 sounds downright dull by comparison. The sound is fast and punchy and keeps you gripped. Everything seems justly right with multichannel material and the slightly edgy sound suits the soundtracks on most DVDs.
2-channel mode offers a similar taste, though it is toned down a bit. Still, by Marantz standards, the stereo sound is quite lively. I think this feeling is lessening in intensity as the unit breaks in. Initially soundstaging was a bit flattened, but it seems to be working itself out now. The high-end in particular in quite engaging - this could be a problem with particularly bright speakers or rooms. Of course the 2-channel performance cannot come close to that of a dedicated stereo system, but it certainly does a good job, as Marantz receivers have always done. Whether your listening is geared more towards HT or music, you should find the Marantz more than capable in either situation.
Thus concludes my review. Hopefully you haven't fallen asleep reading. My overall impression is very good. I have always been fond of the Marantz sound and was interested to hear this model. I must say the sound is a bit edgier than I have been used to with the company's previous HT receivers, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. They appear to have freshened up the sound of their receivers, and tossed in a solid feature set as well. Highly recommended.
/Jeff
