Review: Marantz SR7300 AV Surround Receiver (1 Viewer)

[Steve Marsh]

Having owned RECENT Marantz, Onkyo, NAD,Yamaha and Rotel recievers I can tell you without reservarion that the Rotel stands head and shoulders above the others.
As far as Bass management goes it only affects 5 ch I/Ps for DVD audio and SACD which for me is not an issue. Besides there is a work around to the doubling issue.
The Rotel has better quality sound, construction and honest power into all channels IMO as well as a 5 year warrentee.
Just my 2 cents
Steve

 

[Doug Brewster]

Mike hates HK and nearly any company he sees as unresponsive to the consumer - whether they are or not. He has no tolerance for any company/product that has a flaw (no matter how large or small) in design that he considers to be unacceptable or unrepairable. It is a point that will drive him to unending argument against those products. This is his heartfelt conviction.

That isn't meant to be a slam Mike. Only, what is observed by me to be an accurate explanation of your position. It is open to your correction.

Mike's a big fan of Denon and Yamaha. Why he would consider Marantz (now a Denon affiliate) to be a good company when their 7200 was renowned for reducing itself to a smoking carcass, I don't know... That's a little bit of a slam, but only because I just don't get this inconsistency in his thinking.

Rotel is really good stuff and has one of the best reputations in the industry. For music, it is among the finest equipment at it's price point... Denon may be a better value for home theater.

All of this IMHO which is shared by many in this and other forums.

Incidentally, it is a waste of time to discuss amplifier power with Mike. I'm not certain it's very important to him.

 

[Gene Chan]

Rotel? I've never been all that impressed with their amps. After every demo or audition I would come away with a "yeah So??" kind of impression. Uninspriing in other words. I was also considering their new 1066 preamp/pro...then I found a thread where people were moaning about a power cord problem? Any one heard of or own this preamp/pro care to comment?

 

[Steve Marsh]

Mike
For me there was never an issue with the management so to speak.
I set my sys to no sub and set all speakers to small with the exception of the fronts which I set to large. I then feed the front pre-outs to my Paradigm X-30 crossover and set it accordingly. From there the high pass section of the x-30 goes to a power amp for the front speakers.(or main amp in section of a reciever) This may seem like a hassle but in my case it is the way I always set up no matter which brand I am using as I like the control of the X-30 better than all the recievers with the exception of Sony ES. Yes I tried Sony ES and I hated it for other reasons involving overall sound quality and smoothness.
I had a Marantz 7200 which had problems with switching and IMO lack of power o/p in surround modes. If you want to talk about poor customer service I give you Marantz and some of thier retailers. I phoned Marantz USA and described the switching noise which I had an issue with. They claimed it was a defect. I went to the retailer (I'll call them Retailer 1) with the unit and they said they will confirm it with Marantz Canada. Well guess what? Marantz Canada said it is not a defect and therefore is not covered. I am refering to a noise which sounds like a relay clicking when changing from CD (2CH) to say DD 5.1 with the large rotary switch on the front faceplate. There was no noise from the speakers and I only became concerned when another retailer (I'll call them retailer 2) said they had a service letter from Marantz stating that this clicking sound was a way to isolate a defective 7200. Marantz USA backed this up over the phone.
I had already been dissappointed with the lack of power when in surround mode and in all honesty was looking for a reason but the fact is that Marantz USA called it defective and a local retailer #2 they had the service letter which as I said tipped me off in the first place. The 2nd retailer even offered to give me a new one in the box (in exchange) although I had not purchased from them as they said Marantz would take the other one back no problem.
So I tried to trade for a NAD T752 from retailer #1. Well guess what. I got it home and it would not recognize DD or DTS streams off any thing other than NAD and Marantz DVD players. I took it back and the retailer confirmed the problem, called NAD and said they would have a fix soon. 2 weeks later the fix was in but I had enough of the retailer and the products so I paid a 15% restocking fee on the Marantz 7200 (which Marantz USA claimed defective) and got the hell outa there. Yes I lost $200 on the deal which was particularily insulting due to the fact that I had purchased mucho equip from the retailer over the years as well as referring them several other customers including my brother who also spent significant funds. I am sure I could have pursued this furthur with Marantz but to be honest when I weighed the plus and minus, (minus being that I may be stuck with the 7200 permanent) I opted to pay the 200 and find a different product from A DIFF RETAILER.
Then I tried Sony ES, Denon, Yamaha and finally the Rotel. Each had strong and weak points but for me and my sys config the Rotel was A CLEAR winner. Fortunately the new retailer was kind enough to let me demo each unit in house to make my decision. The new retailer knows my addiction to Hi-Fi and was pleased to get me in the door and actually sold me a Rotel 1055 for roughly the same as the other retailers price on the 7200.
I completely understand that all major manufactures of audio and indeed all consumer products will have issues with bad batches etc. It is how they deal with the problem that is important and in this case Marantz clearly dropped the ball. It has been over a year since the infamous 7200 and Marantz will suffer and is going to suffer for a long time due to this product and thier handling of the problems.
Why didn't they
1) Send a so called non defective unit to S+V for re-eval (assuming the power supply in the test unit was actually defective)
2) Issue literature saying anyone with the issues will get thier money back no questions asked instead of this hokey confirm the problem and try to fix crap.
This was an annoying problem blown out of proportion as a direct result of thier handling of the issue. As I stated earlier in this thread there is a reason the 7300 is now made in Japan and there is a reason that Jeff Kowerchuck was relieved by that fact.
So in the end Marantz and the retailer lost a frequent customer and generated posts like this. I lost $200 but IMO ended up with a superior piece of equipment at a better price. My main regret is that I had an excellent rapport with the retailer #1 and feel that they carry some quality product. Now it is one less place/option for me to shop.
Anyways this thread is supposed to be about the 7300 which I am sure is a quality product and I'm sure it carrys that "sweet" Marantz sound. I'll bet they don't make the same mistake for some time or maybe never. At least one would hope.

Its all good.
steve

 

[Steve Marsh]

Mike
My problem with the 7200 really boils down to the lack of surround power. Marantz never admitted to this problem which is why I feel they should have sent a "serviceable" unit to S+V for reassesment. It is easy to claim that you cant hear power and you need test equip to confirm o/p which is true. The problem is that very few people have the equip and Marantz knows it. The switching problem I had was secondary and did not effect the sound in any way. I got the occasional pop on the mute circuit but I think that was just random and not a hardware problem. I stil feel that I should not have paid the 200 on the strength of Marantz USA saying it was defective (not to mention the amount of equip I bought or referred to retailer #1 over the years) but the bottom line is that I was not sold on the power o/p of this unit and did not want to keep it anyway.
It is funny you should mention research on the web as essential. Retailer #1 said that the web is very bad because it propogates false rumors and half truths in re to products and there faults. In this case he was referring to the Marantz and claimed they had never had a problem with any of thier units. Well I know this is not true because I have a personnal friend (also on this forum) who took back 2 6200's to them for the capacitor problem. Fortunately for him this was a problem that was easy to demonstate and Marantz had already admitted to so he was able to exchange w/o paying the restocking fee. Retailer #1 had no idea that I knew this fellow and I just let them continue on in thier claims to me that I am the first. BTW. They stil do not know I knew another person returning the Marantz to thier store. Depending on who reads this thread they may know now.
Along with the bad press on the net is the good. Marantz has reaped the rewards (justly) of thier rep for sweet sound in no small way from the net. I'll bet 70% of consumers find out about the sweet sound of Marantz from the net and then go audition or just buy.
Steve

 

[Jeff D.]

I think people need to realize that EVERY receiver is man made and ANY man made item can and (given time) will break down or have problems. If you do some thorough research (that does not mean simply listening to a few airheads on the internet) you'll find that all major brands have suffered QC control problems at some time or other.

How do these companies respond? Generally quite well. Some better than others. But all you need is one knucklehead...and there are LOTS of those...who complains because some company didn't refund his money, kiss his ass and pay his debts and suddenly everyone extrapolates that that company has poor customer service. There are some companies that have legitimate customer service issues, but a lot of them are also quite good. A lot of it has to do with getting the right person, unfortunately. But it is funny how one bad story can turn a whole (ignorant) crowd against a company.

As for retailers, some are good some are bad. I happen to know the retailer I work for is excellent. We pride ourselves on service. We've been in our location for 25 years now and we're going nowhere. Only one other store in the city has outlived us. Do we satisfy everyone? No. But, as anyone in retail will learn, you cannot satisfy everyone. But, given our track record, 99% of our customers are satisfied.

/Jeff

 

[Doug Brewster]

Mike,

"The series had reported problems with noise and S-Video distortion. From owners comments, the problems were fixed with no problems."

The only problem I was aware of was a power supply problem that resulted in shorting out and actually yielded smoke. That it had other problems is not a surprise. It also sounds like Steve did NOT get a Quick Fix with no problems. Since that is what you say "pisses me off", I was referring to how selective this irritation seems to be for you. I knew several people who were quite dissatisfied with how Marantz was handling their problems and it was shortly after that it was Marantz announced their association with Denon (had previously been associated with Phillips). Many of those in the trade who were aware of the problems with quality control and customer service were encouraged by this merger - believing the those issues to be a problem with cash flow.

Generally speaking, I have no favorite companies for quality control or customer service as I completely agree with Jeff's views on the same. I've found that being "pissed off" will seldom result in a satisfactory solution. I try to be a reasonable customer and approach a dealer and/or manufacturer in a reasonable manner (and have seldom been disappointed). Where I have been disappointed, I've learned a lesson and avoided that dealer/manufacturer, cut my losses, or tried a different approach. I also have occasionally decided "you can't win them all", and continued to support a dealer/manufacturer that wasn't willing to go the extra mile for me - provided they met their responsibilities. While it shouldn't be expected that every time a product is mis-manufactured or damaged that the customer ought to be upgraded, usually a company will do it anyway. Some designs just don't work out ( it happens) and these items aren't any good or fixable. A reputable company (and all of the major manufacturers are) will try to make things right. Sometimes it's on you to approach them the right way. My suggestion is to avoid losing tempers, making assumptions or statements regarding the company's ability to produce quality products, and any form of name-calling. A company will do more to maintain a customer than to try to make someone happy if they are never going to support that company.

Mike, what I have noticed and objected to with your comments can be summed up this way:

1)Your very strong opinions (like the rest of us) are built a generalizations regarding anecdotal information as opposed to fact. From there, you leap to dogmatic statements that seldom yield to fact or experience of others. While this makes the forum interesting and entertaining, it can also mislead those who are here to learn.

2)Some of the companies you dislike (NAD, Rotel, and even HK) are actually considered to be higher quality and are of better reputation among higher end users than many of those companies to whom you are loyal. (In fact, HK's AVR8000, which you have cited as inexcusably flawed, is considered a great receiver, currently at a bargain price). Outlaw is another company that has had some quality control issues but is held in high regard. Quality control of a new design or any one flaw is not necessarily a reflection of the overall quality of the company or product.

So I engage with you in order to give others an opportunity to see that opinion, no matter how strongly stated, defended and/or "backed up" by selective application of examples, is only opinion. Sometimes that type of opinion can get in the way of meeting your needs. Take a deep breath.

Doug

 

[Steve Marsh]

Do we satisfy everyone? No. But, as anyone in retail will learn, you cannot satisfy everyone. But, given our track record, 99% of our customers are satisfied.

Congratulations. It sounds like you work for a good retailer.
Steve

 

[Jeff D.]

I only talked with Marantz USA since the retailer asked me to let THEM deal with Marantz Canada.

Standard procedure. I think any decent retailer will speak with the manufacturer on a customer's behalf. Of course, some customers aren't happy until the manufacturer hears what they want to hear. So why blame the retailer? There was a 'period of ignorance' from Marantz Canada...I have no idea why, maybe as I said the retailer simply reached the wrong person at Marantz Canada. Is that the retailers fault? Are they supposed to just waste the whole day on the phone until they finally hear what you wanted to hear?

At the end of the day, the x200 led to some unfortunate situations for a _few_ consumers. The majority of users though are quite happy with their units. Complaints of poor QC were likely due to confusion with the manufacturer itself. Even the Marantz rep told us the situation had been frustrating.

Also, kudos to Doug Brewster who gets the award for best post in this thread. Very thoughtful and intelligent post, and a lot of knuckleheads could do well by studying it.

/Jeff

 

[Nick V]

The answer lies in what the problem really was. Marantz received a bad batch of caps. These caps were tossed into the bin and mixed with good caps.

I believe that there were other problems. The problem that bothered me the most was the loss of vertical hold during bright scenes with the video switching. All 4 of the x200 units that I owned had this problem. The sound of those receivers were spectacular for the price, but I couldn't live with that specific problem.

BTW, I no longer have that problem with my Yamaha receiver, and it was definitely a problem related to the video switching in the Marantz receivers.

 

[Doug Smith]

Yeah I agree that the only problem I had with my old 5200 - video flashes (not present in the new 7300). Here in Vancouver it does take a rather long time fro repairs on the warranty (two months). Is this mormal?

 

[Steve Marsh]

Jeff

There was a 'period of ignorance' from Marantz Canada...I have no idea why, maybe as I said the retailer simply reached the wrong person at Marantz Canada.

I believe Marantz Canada was fully aware of the situation since as I said before they had issued service letters and exchanged units already. But you are correct My retailer may have reached the wrong person.
In reality I'm not a hard customer to satisfy and I understand the problems facing retailers today due in no small part to the chain stores such as A+B and Future Shop etc with thier high volumes. It is my belief that a smaller independent store needs to draw and keep the customer in other ways such as customer service. This is hard as well due to the fact that the chains allow a 30 day money back for whatever reason. I wish I had an easy answer for the small independents. As far as I can tell the only hope they have is to carry lines which the chains do not. IE Anthem, Rotlel, B&K. In this way Jeff I think you're outlet is covered.
The bottom line for me here is that I lost trust in a retailer I had dealed with for a long time and considered almost friends. The $200. No big deal but it's the principal.
It's unfortunate this problem with the line arouse and the confusion existed. I wish it never happened as I used to like dropping into the store and seeing the new equipment. Maybe buying some now and then.
In my last dealings with this retailer I found out from them that they rarely listen to music or watch movies at home even though they have access to all the equipment. It must be like almost everyone else who sees it all day at work and wants nothing more to do with it afterwards. Too Bad. it's gotta be hard to seem excited about a product to a customer when in reality the salesman is disinterested.
Obviously you do not fall into that catagory since you took the 7300 home for a test. Kudos and keep interested.
At his point I am going to terminate my I/P on this thread since I feel I have made my case. Sure I could go deeper into detail about what had happened and believe me there is more but I want to put it behind. It is water under the bridge. So unless someone harpoons, makes a personal attack or challenges me Bye Bye and I say it once more. MARANTZ MAKES A QUALITY PRODUCT BUT MAKES MISTAKES LIKE ALL MANUNFACTURERS OF ALL GOODS.
Steve

 

[Cary P]

Just wanted to put my 2 cents in on this thread.

Over the last three years, I've had the Marantz SR7000, SR7200, and now have the SR7300 in my system as a home theater processor. I have Paradigm active speakers and use a separate 2 channel pre-amp for serious music listening, so my experience with these receivers is strictly in use as a home theater pre-pro.

I believe that the SR7X00 line of Marantz' receivers have offered a lot of value at their price point over the past few years, and I've always liked the look, sound, and feel of Marantz' products. These receivers are intelligently designed, for the most part, and offer most of the features anyone might want for a nice home theater setup.

However, I do feel that the last two offerings of the SR7X00 line have been problematic. The SR7000 was a classic, and I sometimes wonder if I would've been better off keeping that flawless unit instead of going through these annual upgrades. My 7200 had all of the typical problems that have been reported (well, except for the smoke), and my new 7300 has the reported high-frequency ringing tone as well.

It's a shame, because the SR7300 is otherwise a great unit that meets most of my home theater needs. But, I've decided the high frequency ringing is unacceptable and will probably return the unit if a fix is not forthcoming soon. I recently demonstrated this problem at my dealer with the new 7300 OSE that just arrived and it exhibits the same behavior. He was puzzled and said he will ask the Marantz rep about the problem.

Luckily, my dealer has been very flexible with his upgrade and return policies over the years. He knows I am picky and often get the upgrade bug. But you can bet I'd be pretty p.o.'d if I had to pay a $200 restocking fee to return a faulty unit, so I can understand the attitudes of some regarding Marantz' recent history with their receivers.

The most frustrating thing is Marantz' refusal to publicly acknowledge the problems. I never read one public rebuttal, press release, or recantation after the Sound&Vision fiasco. My email's to Marantz regarding these problems always go unanswered, and their website is almost useless in resolving support and service problems.

It seems Marantz' strategy is to let their retailer's deal with the problems on a case by case basis, which is fine if you have an honest and reliable local dealer. But I think their customer service could be improved. Just look at how responsive Anthem and Rotel have been regarding their customer's concerns - Marantz' responsiveness to their customers leaves a lot to be desired in this age of the internet.

I would return my SR7300 in a minute if there was some decent competition in the sub-$1500 price point. But, as Mike already pointed out, it seems as if MOST ALL of the competition also has reported QC problems and operating issues with their home theater receivers and pre-pro's. So many of us are left with little choice but to put up with the (mostly minor) problems for now.

A lot of us in this hobby are perfectionists, and I don't think any company has come up with the perfect sub-$1500 home theater pre-pro or receiver as of yet. Thankfully, I still get a lot of musical enjoyment out of my 2 channel sources, and can tolerate a few bugs and blips in my home theater processing for the short-term. My advice is to put most of your home theater money into amps, speakers, two channel pre-amps/sources, cables, etc. and put as little money into your receiver or pre-pro as possible until the consumer electronics companies finally get it right.

Cary

 

[Mike Up]

Doug,

Quote:

An opinion of performance sonics and feature likes is just that, an opinion for which you, I, and everyone else is entitled to. Saying posters who sight their numerous problems and troubles are misleading others, is an irresponsible statement and an outright insult to those people. Calling them liars would be no different of a statement. Just because you choose to dismiss information that can help many others avoid getting a defective component(which can be difficult to get fixed is some cases), is your choice but is not for you to choose for others. For your sake, I surely hope you don't get burned with your brand, that you so vigorously uphold.

 

[Jeff D.]

Nick V:

The S-Video problem was a cap problem as well.

/Jeff

 

[Mike Up]

Jeff,

Since you have some insider information that the rest of us none dealers do not, I have some questions.

Being the caps used in the power supply are not used for the video section, are you saying that there were problems with many of the caps used in the receiver line?

While I don't doubt your statement, that's one hek of a problem with numerous, different caps that were all defective.

I've replaced caps along with other electronic components and am familiar with problems. It's unusual for different size and spec'd parts to share common manufacturing defects. If that was the case, I would hope that Marantz would break sourcing contracts over this huge manufacturing problem.

Thanks for answering, if you can.

Have a good one.

 

[Jeff D.]

Mike:

You'll have to bear with me here, as I am not a technician and I simply go by what I have read and heard from Marantz, and our own technician.

The power supply was never an issue with these receivers. Whether the receivers met spec or not, power was never a documented problem nor was there ever a documented service bulletin. So, I know of no major problems in the power supplies of these units.

There were two main issues with these products. One was a loud 'popping' sound through the speakers when switching inputs. The problem manifested itself if the unit was left to run for 15-20 minutes and then the source was switched. If one repeatedly switched inputs, the pop would not occur - it would only happen if the unit was left for a short amount of time. As I recall, the problem was a cap in the muting circuit that was discharging (hence the pop sound).

The other issue was the vertical hold problem on the SVideo input. If there was a very bright scene, the unit would lose the vertical hold on an Svideo signal. The problem was isolated to a cap on the video input board. Replacing the cap solved the problem.

So, as far as I know these were cap issues. I do not know that these caps were of the same value. For all I know, Marantz ordered a lot of caps of different values and these two happened to be faulty. From what I heard from our rep, Marantz did learn its lesson over this fiasco - as I mentioned earlier it was a nightmare to troubleshoot and track down the problem.

/Jeff

 

[Mike Up]

Thanks Jeff,

That was very informative. Man, that does sound like a bad problem. Sure someone got disciplined over that.

Take care.

 

[Doug Brewster]

Mike Up,

Guess what!? This forum is not considered to be THE authority regarding product quality and desirability except by those people here who consider it so.
"...the companies you dislike (NAD, Rotel, and even HK) are actually considered to be higher quality and are of better reputation among higher end users", is no less true simply because you don't believe it. Those with more experience and expertise in the A/V field would disagree with you (and do).

"Saying posters who sight their numerous problems and troubles are misleading others, is an irresponsible statement and an outright insult to those people. Calling them liars would be no different of a statement."

Besides being a mis-interpretation of what I said, this statement is just silly. My objection was to the way you personally decide a company is no good. You cited many complaints about certain companies as proof. On the other hand, Marantz has had recurrent problems with certain things, but that is not proof. Ditto Denon. Very selective...
Your continued citing of posts regarding those manufacturers that you see poor quality only reinforces my statement: "Your very strong opinions (like the rest of us) are built a generalizations regarding anecdotal information as opposed to fact." Thank you.

"...an opinion for which you, I, and everyone else is entitled..."

Since what we so strongly predicate our arguments on is opinion, why do I object at all? This is why:
I have seen many consumers get into a fight with a manufacturer or dealer rather than to attempt to problem solve. This never leads to a satisfactory solution and causes the consumer to turn away from what MAY be a superior company/dealer/product. It is not always the case that a recurrent problem is simply a reflection of not caring, nor is the company's inability to replicate or solve that problem. Further more, the problem may be something that can be tolerated and lived with (I know this statement will really set you off, Mike, but it isn't why I made it). Since a reputable company wants you to be happy with them, they will frequently make all kinds of con-sessions to promote good will and keep you as a customer. They are less inclined to do so if you are angry, insulting, convinced they are deliberately building a defective product or incapable of building a good one. In other words, if you doubt their integrity and base your approach on that belief, why would you expect them to "do the right thing" and why would they be inclined to? You have already decided they are not able to do the right thing and they have no incentive to do it because you're going to believe they're a bad company anyway. On the other hand, if you trust them, are patient and work with them in a reasonable manner, they will often make you happy by going beyond the requirements of their warranty. This has happened to me many times with many companies - because I love micro-electronics and they are sensitive and subject to failure, both of product and design. Repair and replacement is a fact of life in this consumer arena. Things don't always do what they are intended to do and frequently do things that they weren't intended to do. This is true of EVERY company who produces these products. My intent is to encourage others here to give dealers and manufacturers an opportunity to work things out with you. This experience may be different that what you expect, both positively and negatively at the same time.

As for manufacturers, I have my favorites, but all of the majors produce products that are acceptable. It's simply a matter of preference. On the other hand, certain aspects of certain products are more robust and/or of higher quality. This is not subjective or anecdotal.

Steve Marsh,

I am not saying you are in any way to blame for your experience. You sound like someone who has been a good and loyal customer and simply experienced poor treatment. It has happened to me too. I have no explanation and am sorry to hear it. I know how it feels to have had a company do this, especially one that is like a friend. The trust never is fully restored. Most of the time, you will no longer do business with them. A very sad situation. It sounds as if you have been in contact with Marantz and done all you could. The only thing that might be worthwhile is to again contact them and let them know how bitterly disappointed you are and ask them if there is anything they would be willing to do to make things better, but you have indicated that you'd rather not. Don't blame you for that, but wish you could have. Rotel is a great piece of equipment and a step up from the Marantz (IMHO) anyway.

Doug

Doug

 

[Jeff D.]

I'm going to go along a similar line to Doug for a moment.
Steve mentioned the retailer who didn't like the internet. Now of course, most people will recoil in horror when they are told the internet is not all its cracked up to be. Most people think the internet is the saviour. The reality is - whether they know it or not - it is not.
The Home Theater Forum has amassed a huge following and a good reputation. Other forums have done the same. So there is a sentiment that everything read on here is gospel and that this is in fact one of the best resources for home theater and/or hifi equipment.
Reality check people: it isn't. In fact, it is a very poor resource and sometimes it is quite shitty. It may have a few good gems of information, but you must wade through a lot of poo before you find it.
Part of the problem is the information itself. Few post on here in an unbiased and objective way. If they want to report a bad experience, they are very pissed off. The company is question has made a shitty product (very often because of some trivial thing) and because they were not satisfied instantly, either by the dealer or the company, they have an axe to grind and they are determined to let everyone know that product sucks.
What happens then? A few other people who may have noticed the same problem chime in...sometimes a 'few' may even be 10, 20, 30, 40 or maybe even more people. Suddenly they are all caught up in their own vitriol. Casual readers now see this and read it, and instead of thinking for themselves, decide the product and the company really is crap.
And that is the heart of the problem...people have stopped thinking. What they haven't thought is that the anger is exaggerated simply because someone is pissed off. Further, they haven't thought that those 40 people represent only a tiny, tiny, tiny fraction of total owners out there, and the majority of them are more than likely very happy with the product.
People need to wake up: the whole world is not on these forums. Last check the HTF had 34,875 registered members. Not even close to the population of the real world. The point is, for every product there will be some unsatisfied customers and more than likely you will hear more from them than from the satisfied ones. Why? Well, why would the satisfied ones feel the need to talk - they are happy and are enjoying the product. You will always hear more bad than good on these kinds of forums.
And what happens is the dimbos extrapolate this and denounce the company and product. This thread is a classic example...starts off as a glowing review for a new Marantz receiver. How many posts before someone brought up the problems in the previous series? First of all blowing those problems out of proportion and second assuming that every product has been, and always will be, problematic. No one listens to the good stuff, they've already had their minds made up for them. They don't think.
The internet has many other bad effects, though I'll mention only one other: it is killing small retailers. This doesn't bother most people, because they have decided these retailers have poor service anyway. Most of them probably don't even know, or didn't even give them a chance. And if they did, once again they didn't stop to think why. If these places do have bad service, maybe its because the company is struggling and they cannot employ the right staff. They need staff, but can only afford to pay the minimum and thus the service sucks. Another reason could be unreasonable expectations - this forum is full of enthusiasts which means we take the hobby to the extreme. A lot of people seem to think good service means knowing and understanding every possible facet of the hobby. Wake up people - we are the exception. Most people don't need sound pressure meters to set up their receivers or need their TVs calibrated. Oh, and guess what - you can have a damn fine system without those things. I know it may be a shock to some, but its true. So don't look down on people simply because they aren't as hard-core as you.
But inevitably all people care about is price. Plus, if its cool on the internet, it must be good. I'd much rather buy a waterheater from SVS, because everyone loves it (news alert: the performance is no surprise, look at the size of it!). I don't want to support my local dealer, who pays business taxes which are used for the upkeep of my community and who employs staff who work in my community and hell, may even buy products for the company I work from. No, no, I'll buy all my stuff off the internet thanks.
These people are absolute boneheads and I'll tell them straight to their face. I've said this many times before, but eventually this attitude will come back and bite them in the ass.
The internet is NOT a saviour, in fact it is doing more harm than good. Most people can't think for themselves though, so they'd never know it.
/Jeff