My input on my new Marantz 6200 (1 Viewer)

[Chris PC]

What speakers are you fellow Marantz 6200 and 7200 owners using ?
My setup with my 6200 is PSB Image
6T front
9C center
2B surrounds
I like my setup. If anything, sometimes I wish I had a bit more of a fuller bass. This is in comparison to my older technics amp and Boston Acoustics speakers. I suspect the bass control on the Marantz is not centered where I was used to before, and also that it is possibly a bass control with a narrower range of effect. The treble control seems similar. It alters the sound, but its not as noticable as you'd expect.
Don't get me wrong, when there are low notes, I hear them, and I hear them well, most of the time. Perhaps I'm used to a different bass control and a bit more harmonic distortion in my older speaker amp combo, which was probably similar to more bass.
Actually, there are other weird things going on with my setup. When I have the setup with FRONT=SMALL and SUB=YES and I turn UP the bass 1 dB on the remote, the SPL level meter actually records a -1/2dB reduction in SPL level reading. When just measuring the FRONT=LARGE and SUB=NO the bass control makes more sense, registering roughly +1 dB increase for each increase I adjust on the remote. Whats up with that?

 

[John Garcia]

There should be no difference betwen the 6200 and 7200, they have nearly identical amp sections. Most of the differences come in features - dual room capability, 12v triggers, 192K DACs, RC1200 remote, etc... Though I have seen reports that it is actually 110x6, that still would not be much of a difference.

Man, the SR7200 REALLY sucks! (and I assume the 6200 would be even worse)

LISTEN to one, and you will think otherwise. If you notice, almost none of the tested receivers hit their claimed power, and the ones that did are much more expensive. The fact is, these amps put out plenty of power, regardless of those tests. Those tests are a bit to the extreme also, since I don't think they are driving speakers to do their measurements.

 

[Jeff D.]

There should be no difference betwen the 6200 and 7200, they have nearly identical amp sections.

This is grossly inaccurate. There is quite a difference in sound quality between the two models. The 7200 also offers A/B speaker switching for the main speakers. To accomodate this, the 7200 has a better power supply than the 6200 - allowing it to drive harder loads without ill effect.

No, they are not wildly different, but there definitely is a difference.

/Jeff

 

[Chris PC]

I wonder if I could use the tape loop with a graphic or parametric EQ on my receiver. Just an idea. Or maybe the Marantz doesn't have a tape "loop" so to speak.

 

[John Garcia]

No, they are not wildly different, but there definitely is a difference.

The reports I read said the 7200 had slightly different transformer, but that the power ratings were more or less identical +/-5w. I heard absolutely no difference in volume or sound quality with 2ch music.

If the DACs are in fact the same, as is suggested by the Marantz website, the sound again, should be nearly identitcal.

 

[Ferran Mazzanti]

I audiotioned a 7200 and a 6200 hand to hand and I could find no difference in 2 channel stereo nor in dolby digital modes... however, a careful test at home might indicate differences that otherwise have to be insignificantly small. I guess comparing to an 8200 or 9200 would be a different story, though...

 

[ChrisAG]

I suppose it makes sense that the 7200 MAY have a more robust power supply to handle the "B" speakers, but there is only a 2 oz difference in weight between it and the 6200, which can be accounted for by the additional binding posts and internal circuitry for DC triggers, etc. A bigger weight difference exists between the 6200 and lower models.

I doubt there is much difference in sound quality, if at all. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the 5200 I had in my home for a week sounded just as good as the 6200, except when I really cranked it, whereupon it sounded slightly harsh compared to the 6200.

 

[Doug_Wes]

Well, I sure HOPE the SR7200 that magazine tested was defective! Jeez... 27 watts/channel is awful. My 6200 has plenty of punch, but I'm using only four speakers for the time being so that's why I was concerned about that low power figure when all the channels are driven.

My Marantz dealer told me the 7200 has a beefier power supply than the 6200... but judging by the similar weights of the two models, it sure can't be much beefier. I think the difference between the two is mainly the added features of the 7200.

John - You mentioned the DAC's in the 6200/7200... did you notice that the specs for the 6200 in that regard are inconsistent? Some places it states the 6200 has 96 KHz DAC's for all channels, other places it says 192 KHz for the front L/R channels. Anybody know which is correct?

Ferran - I definitely could hear a difference between the 5200 and 6200 (although all the Marantz receivers sounded good to me). I took the cover off my 6200 to look inside (can't resist doing this whenever I buy a new component) and it appears that the 5200/6200/7200 must all be basically very similar, since the same main circuit board is used for all these models.

Chris - The 6200 doesn't have a tape loop... not many home theater receivers seem to have that anymore (same as phono preamps, I guess). I agree with ya that the 6200 doesn't have especially "rich" bass... my old HK unit had a fuller sounding low frequency response. I also agree that the base/treble controls on the 6200 have a limited effect. But something I don't understand Chris... can't you tweak your bass response via your subwoofer's level and/or cross-over controls? That works much better for me. And the tone controls function only for the two main channels anyway, right?

And by the way... if you want your subwoofer to be active in Source Direct as well as in "normal" mode, connect it to the 6200's L/R front preamp outputs and use the sub's cross-over.

 

[Chris PC]

Yep. I'm aware of all the suggestions. I'm just comparing apples to apples. When I talk about bass sound, I am comparing my old amp and speakers to my new receiver and speakers and not talking about my subwoofer. I listen to music without my subwoofer sometimes, because, like I said, I like to hear what they can do. Once I finish moving things around, I can try to see what I can do. Its tricky. I dislike the Marantz 100 hz crossover, so right away, the subwoofer doesn't integrate very well as is. Second, listening with just the speakers doesn't always give me the bass I like because the bass controls don't seem to work the way I'd like them too.

I could have the subwoofer in source direct via the FRONT L & R pre-outs, but then I'd need a crossover to blend with my front speakers. Fronts are -3 dB @ 32hz but my subwoofer crossover only goes to 50 hz. Still might work as the 50 hz subwoofer crossover slope may just be a match as it is. I just don't have a long enough pair of RCA's right now to try it. I'll check it out. Also, that leaves the receiver working fully hard on all the bass, I'd rather a crossover between 50 hz and 80 hz.

It weird because some CD's sound great. I have a sneaking feeling my room acoustics are bad the way my room is setup right now. I suspect that the way my speakers are placed, I get some cancelations in the bass in my room. I will tweak further.

Here is a simple question though:

My rooms bass has never been the greatest. Two walls are concrete and so is the floor. Thats not bad, but the other two walls ar made of cheap paneling and a drop ceiling. In fact, the ceilings and walls don't even really act like normal surfaces because the don't meet and form a corner. If I go into the a-joining room, I can hear the low bass very well with my rooms door closed. Its odd. The sound comes through the ceiling space. I won't be here much longer, so more work on the walls, like making real drywall walls doesn't seem worth it. Perhaps when I adjust my room for once and for all, meaning, get some stuff out that gives me more space to tweak, I will take the freq response of the fronts and the sub and the front and sub together so I understand my room better.

Early, yesterday evening, I listened to quite a bit of music with my 12 year CD player and the SR6200 and my PSB 6T's alone. Blue Rodeo was awesome, as was my Rheostatics CD. I love listening to music at dusk with the lights off so I can't see my room. I hear the music floating in space. Very effective.