Review: Marantz SR7300 AV Surround Receiver (1 Viewer)

[Jeff D.]

Pablo:

The SR7300 remote, while not as good as the RC1200, which came with the SR7200, is better than the SR6200 remote. So if you were to make the upgrade, I don't think you'd be too upset.

/Jeff

 

[Miles]

I was wondering if anyone has figured out how much bandwidth the 7300 has for component High-Def switching?

Thanks,

Miles

 

[Ed Teng]

Thanks for a good review.
Anyone compared Marantz SR7300 with SR8200?

 

[Darren_C]

Nice review! Also, great comments about power ratings. It takes a factor of 10 in power for a perceived doubling in volume. A mere doubling in power is only a modest increase in volume level. The 1dB difference from 80 to 100 watts, for example, is the minimum perceived audible difference in volume. At such similar power outputs, I'd be much more concerned with dynamic ratings. Unfortunately, those are not always published for mid-level receivers.
I own a 5300. I've only had it a couple weeks, but it is very nice so far. Can someone explain what the delay issue is for digital sources? I have observed no delays using the coaxial digital input from my CD player. The new Panasonic CP72K DVD player will be hooked up this week along with my center rear speaker, so I will have more to report soon..
I have some other comments about the 5300 (and 4300) in this thread:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...hreadid=112780
Jeff- Perhaps you know why my FM mode seems to default into mono on all stations (even strong ones)? I suspect there is a way to set stereo as the default, but couldn't figure it out or find it in the manual. Each time I switch to a new station, I have to hit the "auto" key on the remote to force stereo. Finally, I note that my 5300 is made in China, for what that's worth.

 

[ChrisWiggles]

Yes, I just got in my 5300, and I noted that on the side of the box as well. It was my understanding that they were moving production back to Japan for "better quality control." Perhaps I was mistaken? No matter, it sounds amazing with my Paradigm mini-monitors now! I have one questions though, that I couldn't find in the manual anywhere. If I take it off of s-direct mode, the "peak" light lights up and blinks, it seems with loud passages. What is this "peak" light indicating?
Thanks

 

[Jeff D.]

What is this "peak" light indicating?

The PEAK light will only come on if the analog inputs are being overloaded. Many components output a higher voltage than is standard - which is 2V I believe. There could be many reasons for this, though the most likely is to achieve success in quick A/B comparisons. A component that outputs a little more will sound louder than a 'standard' component and thus will probably win in a quick comparison.
If this overload is too great, it can result in distortion. I remember this discussion back in the days of the SR7000/8000. I believe the consensus was that the unit was a little oversensitive - even when the PEAK light came on there did not appear to be any distortion. Another method of getting rid of the light was to attenuate the inputs using the ATT button - though this tended to be detrimental to sound quality.
As for why SOURCE DIRECT shuts the PEAK light off - I can only guess that whatever is being overdriven and causing the light to come on is removed from the signal path in SOURCE DIRECT mode.
Darren:
I am unaware of any delay issues in the current series. Delay is caused when the digital signal is lost for a moment and it appears the receiver needs a second or two to grab it. In its worst form, this can be aggravating when navigating menus on a DVD, or skipping tracks on a CD.
I said 'appeared' because the reality is that any delay problem is a result of the combination of components in your system. The problem is not just due to the receiver. Example: in my system (Marantz SR8000) with a Pioneer DVD player, I never had any delay issues at all. The Marantz always grabbed everything right away. I upgraded to a Panasonic RP91, and with the same receiver I now have a very slight (1/2 second) delay when skipping chapters. So its a combination of factors. Fellow Winnipegger Matt Broeska also noted this when he was investigating the problem.
As for the FM problem...I am unsure. I never use the radio. I'll look into it for you.
/Jeff

 

[Doug Smith]

I upgraded from a 5200 about three weeks ago simply for the increase in power. And the 77300 delivered. I must also concur with your statement about a rather long "break in" period. I also experienced this - quite different than the X200 series. When I first bought this I was also pleasantly surprised to find there was no "dropouts" when playing CD's or (less so) DVD's. However I did get quite a "snap" coming out of the receiver when switching over to the CD setting (through a Toslink cable). However, this has since disappeared. Setting up your speakers with a setup disc and a sound meter is interesting in that some surround settings such as CSII and 6 channel stereo must be again accessed through another special menu and re-tweaked. I was not used this with the 5200. I bought new Mission front and centre speakers, and a new TV at the same time as the receiver. The speakers needed to break in as well. And now that they have, its a wonderful sound. There is no point in routing your component cables through this receiver however. There is no menu access this way at all - including volume OSD. Compared to the 5200 (which was bad enough) this is a complicated setup - be prepared. As far as the remote is concerned - forget about it. Its marginally better that the old 5200's which wasn't good. It has a very small LCD at the top which gives very little info. It is not backlit, and you need to be a rocket scientist to program it. It does have interesting macro's available, however. But don't upgrade for the remote! You'll probably wind up with this remote (in that it is a little too complicated to put onto another remote) and one other remote for all of your other less sophisticated gear like a TV, VCR, DVD, etc.

 

[Steve_Corrick]

So far I am very pleased with the overall operation & sound of my 7300. DD5.1, DD-EX, DTS, DTS-ES, PLII and CS all sound great with appropriately encoded materials. The source direct mode that bypasses internal tone adjustments is very clean, accurate sound steering and detailed, particularly on DVD's. Sum of all fears sounded great tonight.
Direct access to some adjustments such as speaker settings or surround adjustments at the touch of a button would be nice, But as designed it's manageable. I can see the front panel display well enough to make adjustments when using the component switching, OSD is not available through these inputs. (300xDVD and DVD-5.1 SACD *7.1 input)I can still use both S-vid and component for the SACD player and both switched through the 7300 if I want to use the OSD. Last video input is passed through when the 7.1 input is selected. I finally have auto on-off for my Marantz MM-9000 amp !
The remote is OK once you get it programed correctly. It has a few pros. It maintains volume punch through when you change sources, HOW ? Do not use the volume buttons for controls of your other devices. There is also some device control punch through that occurs on the remote. I used the Bass and Treble up down keys as alternate device ch-vol up-down keys, TV input select key was set while remote was in amp mode, Input select on TV is always available when I change to any source. Example, I programed DVD and VCR play-pause-stop buttons on to the same buttons, yet when I select DVD, CD, Satellite I can still change VCR channels with out reselecting VCR to operate theses keys. When you reprogram the same keys to control different functions on multiple devices the keys that you have not reprogrammed for a 2nd or 3rd device maintain the new function programed even though you may have selected one of the other devices.
Interesting that the same keys can be programed to control multiple devices yet if you only reprogram them once they maintain the new function when you change devices. With a little planning this can be quite nice. I did not try to replicate 100% operation of my other devices, yet I can put them away and have all of my usual day to day functions set up, Programing "learning" was fairly easy - about 5 min per device, Must also learn each devices number keys if it's not a Marantz device, DO NOT change the functions of the number keys while in AMP mode as these keys can directly select surround modes in AMP mode. I have to press AMP after using TV-VCR-DSS-DVD to change surround modes through direct selection buttons rather than through the OSD.
BTW Marantz ! Back-lighting would have been nice and made this a very decent remote.

 

[Gene Chan]

In the past, with the x200 models, they had a highly inflated wpc rating. When tested it turns out the "true" wpc ratings was significantly lower. For example, the sr7200 was rated at around 105x5 when in fact it only did 29x5 wpc
Has there been any testing done on the new x300 series of receivers in this respect? I was always a fan of the Marantz sound and was considering to buy a Marantz till I read about the x200 receivers...the sr8200/9200 not being of the same ilk.
Any comments would be appreciated

 

[maolen]

Gene Chan,

You are not quite right in saying that the SR7200 only
had 29wpc. This is an old story and wherever forum you
go now, they would have already know that the unit used
when they got this rating had a problem which did not
give correct power rating. Although there was a high
rate of problem units for the X200 series, I believe that
was solved on their 2002 releases.

Although it's comforting to know that one's unit has
high power rating, this should not be your sole deciding
factor.

I bought my SR7300 last month and loving it more as days
pass. It's power is more than enough for me.

 

[Gene Chan]

Hello Maolen,
It's definitely not THE deciding factor but all things being equal it is high on my check list.
So, you were saying that this 29 wpc problem was only an issue with that particular sr7200 that was used for the test? Because the same was the case for the sr5200. Except it's "true wpc rating" was 39-odd wpc instead of it's claimed number. It wasn't just the sr7200. Guess, I should have mentioned this in my first posting.
I found that information from magazines and online reviews.
I hope some one does an indepth review of the new x300 series to see at what wpc do they clip. Then I will consider Marantz again as one of my choices. Right now it's between the B&K AVR505, Pioneer Elite 47tx and Sunfire Ultimate.
Later all!

 

[Lewis Besze]

If wattage is your main concern,then the Sunfire should be in your future,as it beats anything else on the planet right now.

 

[Gene Chan]

For Lewis Besze,
Yes, I've seen a test for it already. While rated at 200x7 it's really "only 185x5". Not sure what the wpc is at x7 but shouldn't be that different. But I would still like to give Marantz consideration..."...all things being equal".
Which is why I hope some one does some real testing of the new x300 series to see if Marantz has done any thing about the amp section.

 

[maolen]

Hi Gene,

I've never heard the issue on SR5200. But even though,
would a receiver 2 notch lower than the SR7300 have
a higher actual wpc? I don't think so.

If you are really interested on these figures, maybe you
can audition a similarly rated receiver from another
brand (like Yamaha and Denon which you had read as
having close to their rated wpc) and try to see if which
one clips earliest. Well if it is true that SR7200 starts
clipping at 29wpc, this will be noticeable compared to
maybe 90wpc.

If you cannot find any difference, then it's possible
that there is only a slight difference in their actual
wpc and this should not be of much issue.

Good luck.

 

[Gene Chan]

Hello Moalen,
Regarding the sr5200 I was going by this article... http://www.hifichoice.co.uk/review_print.asp?ID=1878
...scroll to the bottom for the numbers.
Any how thanks for the advice but I already have a few receivers in mind. Currently it is the B&K AVR505 vs. Pioneer Elite 47tx vs. Sunfire Ultimate. Would like to include the "sr8300" in the group. Just need to know that it CAN produce wpc numbers close to or better than it's advertised rating.
Later!

 

[Jeff D.]

I find it amusing how this myth about the x200 series continues to be blown out of proportion.
Let us go over the facts, first of all. The review of the SR7200 brought to light the fact that the power ratings collapsed significantly when all six channels were driven. Marantz, who by the way has a stellar reputation for building quality receivers, responded, saying that the model tested was in fact a preproduction model and the performance was not representative of actual production models. For whatever reason, everyone seems to ignore that.
Now, just the other day I ran an SR7200 running Paradigm Monitor 11s, CC370 centre, PS1000 sub and Mini Monitor surrounds. I ran three demos - Saving Private Ryan, U571 and Behind Enemy Lines - ALL at reference level. There was NO hint of this unit running out of steam and there was certainly no clipping or distortion. The SR7200 is more than capable in the real world.
Let us just assume that it really does blow out to 29 wpc with all channels driven. How come I had such a good result? Two possibilities: the situation is exactly like Marantz said, and production units performed better, OR it really does output 29wpc, but that was totally sufficient for my application.
My point is - WHAT DOES IT MATTER? As long as the receiver can run that loud without damaging anything, what does it matter what the numbers are? It amazes me how people cannot see the birds for the trees here.
The review of the SR5200 at HiFi Choice only proves my point. I have to laugh when people look at the lab results and sneer - did they not read the rest of the review? The SR5200 received a Recommended Rating in that review. In fact, the actual review in the magazine was a group review. The Marantz was compared against Denon, Kenwood, Yamaha and others (can't remember right now). Guess what? The conclusion of that review put the Marantz on top. Funny that, isn't it?? HiFi Choice is well-respected for placing sound quality first. I find it very interesting that they did not obsess about the power rating, but focused on what really matters - the sound.
By all means, go and buy that receiver that delivers 100wpc with all 20 channels driven. Guess what? Us Marantz owners will be happier because our amps sound better, so there.
People, listen with your ears, think with your minds and screw the numbers. They don't mean that much.
/Jeff

 

[ChrisWiggles]

I'm totally with Jeff on this one. The myth about the 7200 is ridiculous, and S&V made a correction in their next issue because of that test unit they received. I think that for the price, I'd trust the Marantz to sound best, and more than be capable of handling loud movies for extended periods of time. Wattage ratings are not important. Most of the time, you're barely using but one or two watts of power. I don't think I would be able to be in the same room with a receiver that was outputting even 29 watts into one channel, let alone six. As I say with speakers, sure if you want super-loud, go with some of the very efficient klipsch. If you want super good, go with one of any number of great brands. Same with receivers. If what you want is just ear-splitting volume, that's fine. I would prefer better sound every day of the week. BTW, every review of the 5200 that I've read raves about it, and only recently has it fallen behind because, while it sounds the best, it's processing is no longer "cutting-edge." Here's news: the x300 line is out, with the same, if not better sound, and all the processing to boot.



There was never anything wrong with the amp sections. They were great. They still are great. Why would they do anything to fix what's already great.....

Notice also that the wattages of the many other Marantz receivers, other than that one over-emphasized test of the 7200 some time ago, are pretty honest.

 

[maolen]

Jeff is totally correct here. The reviews on wpc
was never a deciding factor for me since my ears
dictates differently. But I do understand that everybody
wants some comfort feeling that what they purchase
lives up to whatever they've advertised. But for me,
the Marantz SR7300 I bought has a lot better sound
than similarly priced models of other brands here.
NAD T762 would have given me a tough choice but this
will only be available by March 2003.

Gene,
I have heard a lot of good things about Pioneer Elite 47tx
but sad to say these series of Pioneers are not available
here in Singapore. I would have loved to compare the
45TX side by side with it's equivalent models here.

 

[Jeff D.]

Mike Up;

The statement was sent to all authorized Marantz dealers and could be shown to you on request.

As for the other problems, yes they did exist. They were due to bad batch of caps that were accidentally mixed in with the good caps (hence the somewhat irregular pattern of people having problems). Marantz acknowledged the problem and provided solutions - both for existing owners and potential new purchasers. All subsequent machines were fixed (and dealers could send the units they had back to Marantz to be fixed) and any existing owners could bring their units in for replacement of the bad caps. Had you purchased the unit from a local dealer authorized to service them, you could've been up and running in a few days.

/Jeff

 

[Gene Chan]

Maolen understands exactly what I was getting at. Of course sound quality takes presidence over wattage. But "all things being equal" I would also like to own an amp/receiver that comes close to or bettering the manufacturer's claims.
Btw...while we're on the topic of wattage the Pioneer Elite 47tx is rated at roughly 130x7 but in testing they discovered it actually delivers 144x6...why they didn't test it with 7 channels driven I don't know. But, this is just one example of where the amp section actually gave better numbers when tested...
Which leads me to my next question: How is it that manufacturers will list a certain wattage spec but when tested it turnes out that the amp is "capable" of more output before clipping?
Later all!