Features
The top-of-the-line SR8002 is a high-powered THX Select2-certified receiver whose Crystal 192kHz/24-bit DACs and output-stage amplification utilizing discrete components certainly contribute to its superb sound. Build quality is likewise exemplary°I was immediately impressed with the copper-plated chassis intended to block spurious RF radiation from itself or other nearby equipment. The receiver uses premium output capacitors, a monster toroidal transformer, and high-efficiency cast-aluminum heat sinks to develop 125 watts for each of its seven channels. All of this could be viewed as so much marketing bunting, were it not for the fact that the SR8002 really delivers.
In addition to powering your main home theater, the SR8002 provides two additional zones. Room A can receive two-channel audio, either line or speaker level (i.e., amplified) plus composite or component video, while room B is treated strictly to two-channel audio.
THX Select2 certification offers three facets of operation. First is THX Re-EQ, which tames soundtracks that were intentionally "brightened" for their theatrical debut. With the Definitive Technology Mythos speaker system, I set it to engage whenever THX was selected, but left it disengaged with the Martin Logans, which are more naturally rolled off.
Second is Timbre Matching, an integral and non-defeatable feature that tries to electronically compensate for the fleshy outer part of your ear called the pinna, so that your surrounds don't sound jarringly different than your front speakers. Third, THX Adaptive Decorrelation (also non-defeatable when THX is engaged) provides a subtle bit of time and phase manipulation for the rear channels that helps a 5.1 system sound as spacious as what you might hear at your local multiplex.
As with most modern AVRs, the SR8002 provides all the requisite codecs and surround modes. Also available are things like center-channel width for Pro Logic IIx and center gain for DTS Neo:6, which provide quite a bit of control over the whole silk-purse-from-a-sow's-ears aspect of two-channel analog audio sources.
There's even a dynamic-expansion feature called M-Dax, which is meant to breath life into MP3 or other highly compressed sources. It seemed to perform like an old-fashioned "loudness" button, goosing the bass and treble some, but usually with good results. If all the options confuse you, just let the SR8002's automatic-sensing mode make these decisions for you. Nine times out of ten, you'll like what it picks.
Of course, it wouldn't be 2008 if the 8002 didn't offer Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding via HDMI. I don't yet own any movies with DTS-HD MA soundtracks, but it's nice to know the SR8002 is ready for them, especially since I recently updated my Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD player's firmware to include Digital Direct Audio Mode, which enables the player to pass a Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD MA bitstream via HDMI to a receiver for decoding.
For audio purists, the Marantz can be set to run in one of two "direct" modes. Source Direct bypasses all tone controls, room equalization, and bass management; I used this mode mostly for CD listening. Pure Direct suspends all video output as well.
If your player can output SACD or DVD-A bitstreams via HDMI, the Marantz will gladly accept them. I made the mistake of purchasing a 40GB Sony Playstation 3 which apparently dropped the SACD playback found on the 80GB model, so I was unable to try this. Of course, the SR8002 also has 7.1-channel analog inputs, so your older multi-channel audio playback equipment can ride out its golden years.
The SR8002 has four HDMI 1.3a inputs and two outputs, although only one of the outputs can be active at any given time. The remote control offers "soft" buttons (labeled in its LCD screen) that select one of the two HDMI outputs, which is great for systems like mine with a projector and plasma TV.
When it comes to video processing, Marantz's philosophy is that less is more with AVRs, an attitude I'm learning to appreciate. The only video processing available on the SR8002 is simple deinterlacing to convert component 480i to 480p, and it's defeatable. The only other video processing is cross-format conversion. First, component, S-video, or composite inputs can be output in all three analog formats when Analog is selected in the video-conversion menu. Second, any analog source can be converted to digital and output over HDMI. These two cross-conversion modes (analog-to-analog and analog-to-digital) can be assigned separately, in combination, or not at all, on a source-by-source basis.
If your display has top-notch video processing, like the Gennum VXP chipset in Marantz's own $20K VP-11S1 front projector, that's where you'd want any scaling to occur, so the lack of it in the SR8002 is irrelevant. Working from the other end, your source component may feature upscaling that is superior. For instance, my Toshiba HD-XA2 does an excellent job of upconverting standard DVDs to 1080i or 1080p, so I have no need for the receiver to do anything more than just pass it on.
I like the simplicity of Marantz's approach to video processing in AVRs, and I think consumers are well served by not having to pay for processing that is likely superfluous at best. Any serious high-definition source is already capable of outputting 1080i, 1080p/60, and even 1080p/24, leaving your AVR delegated to acting as a simple switcher most of the time anyway.
User InterfaceThe SR8002's primary remote deserves special mention. Most of the AVR's functions are available from a dedicated button or one of the five "soft" buttons that flank the right side of the LCD window, which displays their context-sensitive labels. Those soft buttons offer a wealth of convenience and seem thoughtfully selected. As I mentioned earlier, my favorite feature on the remote let me switch between the two HDMI outputs with the push of a button. Also useful is the ability to cycle through all the various DTS and Dolby modes by pressing the corresponding button. As with all remotes, there's a learning curve, like remembering to press a source button twice, not just once, to switch to it, but the manual is excellent at showing you how everything works in plain English.
Marantz includes a second programmable learning remote for use in the other zones, making it easy to spread the joy. It's an IR model, so it needs an IR repeater system from the likes of Xantech or SpeakerCraft. Marantz's IS201 iPod dock also includes IR repeater capabilities.
According to the owner's manual, the receiver's onscreen display (OSD) is limited to its S-video and composite outputs, but as I was viewing the component connection to my plasma, I could see some basic settings when switching inputs on the AVR. For instance, when I switched to the TV input, I could momentarily see the source I'd selected, the video and audio connection, and the current surround mode. I could also see these settings by pressing the OSD button on the remote, but only via the component output.
According to Marantz, changes in volume should also be visible via component as well as S-video and composite, but they were not in my system. And none of this info is visible via HDMI, which Marantz confirmed. A truly useful OSD would display changes in volume and surround mode via all outputs. At least the setup menu was visible via all outputs I tried (S-video, component, and HDMI).
Setup & Testing
The SR8002's input setup menu is pretty basic and easy to understand. For each source, like TV or DVD, you can select whether the input is HDMI or component video with coaxial or optical digital audio.
I did run into a bug while setting up my DirecTV high-definition DVR. Initially, the Marantz refused to recognize the DVR's HDMI signal. I switched to component with optical digital audio, which worked, but I wasn't happy about it. A few weeks later, as I was messing around with the setup menu and trying again, I got it to work. Don't ask me how I did it, other than intentionally trying wrong settings and then switching back°like I said, "messing around." A call to Marantz confirmed that the HR20-100 DVR I use might not have wanted to accept the Marantz as a social partner in the HDCP dance. Why it finally did, I'm not certain, but it was the only bug I experienced and the problem never recurred.
The SR8002 employs the Audyssey room-correction system, which relies on test tones built into the receiver and the provided microphone to take readings from up to six listening positions in your room. The entire process is quite fast and easy to do, with onscreen prompts directing you each step of the way.
The measurement results are used to set the EQ in one of four ways. The first is Audyssey's attempt to find an EQ curve that provides uniform response at all six measured locations. Second is "Front," which uses the test results to equalize your center and surrounds to sound as close as possible to the front left and right speakers.
"Flat," the third option, attempts to do what the speaker designer and the laws of physics failed to°obtain a flat frequency response from all your speakers. The final mode is called "Preset," which gives you access to nine rather coarse frequency bands from 63Hz to 16kHz. I'd say the first mode was the best of the active EQ options, but my speakers are matched closely enough in timbre, and my room is only slightly toward the lively side of neutral, so my preferred EQ setting was generally "off."
I was very impressed with the Marantz's FM tuner design and performance with both analog and digital HD Radio stations. (Despite having a 14-foot yagi antenna mounted on the roof of my house, which sits at an elevation of 991 feet above sea level, many tuners I've tested have behaved like I had attached a 2-foot piece of corroded wire.)
The SR8002 brought in 30 analog and digital stations that I was interested in saving to its 60 available presets. Where it not for my well-bred taste in music, I'd doubtless be complaining that even 60 presets wasn't enough! Stations as far as 60 miles away in Islip, Long Island, came in clear enough to be received in stereo. The bonus is Marantz's remote, which has an extensive menu of soft-button options that made preset assignment and navigation a breeze.
Real-World Performance
Shane Buettner never mentioned this in his review of the Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD player, and I didn't even come around to this way of thinking until the Marantz showed up, but the XA2 is at least as good as the best-sounding CD transport I've had in my home theater. Many believe that "bits is bits," but the combination of the XA2 and the Marantz had that elusive jump factor you seldom get from audio equipment.
The Bill Holman Band's "Lightnin'" from the first JVC XRCD Sampler CD has layered horns and a tight rhythm section that comes through exceptionally well over the Marantz. Zoot Sims' Quietly There CD (also on JVC's XRCD label) and Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet (CD, Mobile Fidelity/Prestige 7200) were just two more of the many jazz selections that sounded absolutely majestic over the Martin Logans. The Marantz provided a powerful presentation, not at all dynamically shy or compressed. Tonally, the sound was precise and very analog-like, though I don't mean artificially sweet. Instruments had body and presence and left me feeling quite satisfied.
Turning to more subtle fare, the piano on Chopin's Greatest Hits (CD, Pro Arte) was pitch perfect, sounding every bit like a real piano. Even jumping up to something larger scale, like Claudio Arrau playing Beethoven sonatas, the SR8002 cast a magical spell over the room°excitingly dynamic and warm, but without any upper-frequency limiting. Only track 17 of Puccini's La Boheme (Erato ECD 75450) brought on a hint of strain.
To break in my recently purchased Sony PS3, I put on Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds Live at Radio City, a fine Blu-ray title with a 1080p/24 video presentation and a Dolby TrueHD soundtrack (96kHz/24-bit) that sounds great. For one thing, the instruments are sensibly placed in the front channels, so don't expect much other than crowd noise from the surrounds. The song "Gravedigger" comes closest to capturing the feel of a couple of guys with guitars and a story to tell, and the Marantz carried the emotion well. Unfortunately, I couldn't let the Marantz do the Dolby TrueHD decoding because the PS3 won't pass TrueHD as a bitstream over HDMI.
Watching movies with the SR8002 convinced me that modern receiver design needn't compromise audio quality in pursuit of the latest technology. The Marantz had the best sounding amplification of any receiver I've had in for review.
The opening horn blast of the ferry carrying sailors to their untimely death in D j Vu on Blu-ray is just the beginning salvo in a richly mixed, uncompressed PCM soundtrack (5.1 channel, 48kHz/16-bit) replete with subtle details. The Marantz easily poured on the film's thick orchestration while still letting me hear the practically inaudible click of Denzel Washington's cell phone when he flips it open. From the cry of seagulls to the clang of sea bells somewhere down river, the SR8002 was a vested accomplice in this underrated film.
One of my favorite movies is Christopher Nolan's first big hit, Memento. It's out on Blu-ray with an uncompressed PCM soundtrack (5.1 channel, 48kHz, bits unspecified, but likely 16). You might think that a score based on the repetition of a three-step chord progression would become tedious after a time, but it really drives the movie at key moments. When I heard it from the Marantz, it filled me with anticipation in true Pavlovian fashion. On top of that, the clarity of the center channel is chilling in the Memento mix. Voices are rich, incisive, and weighty, and the SR8002's sound is the opposite of sterile, providing a listening experience that's right up there with the best I've heard, but at a price that is within reach of most readers.
Regarding the power capabilities of the SR8002, it had no problem driving my four large Martin Logan electrostatic speakers full range at levels that shook the room. With nary a hint of compression, the Marantz is certainly powerful enough to drive most speakers to realistic theater levels, and then some.
I had no call to use the built-in deinterlacer, but I did let the Marantz cross-convert the component video output of my Xbox 360 to HDMI, and it did an excellent job with a steady diet of Mass Effect and Call of Duty 4. I was able to quickly switch my plasma from its component to HDMI input to see if the cross-conversion caused any artifacts, and I'd be hard pressed to say I saw any difference. The game sound was immersive and totally impressive. With its four HDMI inputs, the SR8002 guarantees your console a seat at the home theater table.
Conclusion
Like most modern receivers, there's so much to discover in the Marantz that this review could easily stretch to novella length. So let's just cut to the chase. The sound is superb, the feature set is extensive yet user friendly, and the $2000 price tag isn't going to land most folks in the poor house. If you don't need extensive video processing (and most people don't), then I strongly recommend the Marantz SR8002 above all others I've reviewed to date. It has earned a place in my heart.
"So will Freddie find his cellar door?"
Oh yes, I think he already has!
Highs
Powerful, musical amplification
Easy to use with a great remote
Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding
Two HDMI outputs for dual-display setups
Lows
No onscreen volume/source/surround mode display via HDMI or component
Specifications
Rated max power: 125Wpc (20Hz-20kHz, 8ߟ, no. of channels not specified); 160Wpc (20Hz-20kHz, 6ߟ, no. of channels not specified)
Max THD (at max rated power): <0.08%
Speaker impedance range: 4-16ߟ
No. of zones: 3 (A/V to zone 2, audio only to zone 3)
Analog audio inputs: 6 L/R, 1 7.1-channel
Digital audio inputs: 3 coax, 3 optical
Analog audio outputs: 4 L/R
Digital outputs: 1 coax, 1 optical
Video inputs: 4 HDMI (1.3a), 3 component, 4 S-Video, 4 composite
Video outputs: 2 HDMI (1.3a), 2 component, 3 S-video, 3 composite
Speaker outputs: 11 (5-way binding posts)
Other connections: AM/FM, XM satellite radio
Dimensions (WxHxD): 17.3" x 7.3" x 15.6"
Weight: 33 lbs
Price: $2000
Manufacturer Info
Marantz USA
us.marantz.com
Review system
Sources
Toshiba XA2 HD-DVD player
DirecTV HR20-700 HD DVR
Microsoft Xbox 360
Sony PS3 (40 GB)
Speakers
Martin Logan Prodigy
Martin Logan ReQuest
Martin Logan Theater-i
Velodyne FSR-18 subwoofer
Definitive Technology Mythos ST
Definitive Technology Ten center
Definitive Technology Gem XL
Cables
Interconnects: AudioQuest Jaguar
Speaker: AudioQuest Montblanc
Optical Digital: AudioQuest Opti-Link 3
Coaxial Digital: AudioQuest VDM-5, Straightwire Silverlink II
Video: AudioQuest YIQ-3 component, Monster HDMI
Measurements
This graph shows that the SR8002’s left channel, from CD input to speaker output with two channels driving 8-ohm loads, reaches 0.1% distortion at 174.1 watts and 1% distortion at 187.4 watts. Clearly, the distortion level is very flat across all power outputs until it gets to about 155 watts. Into 4 ohms, the amplifier reaches 0.1% distortion at 231.9 watts and 1% distortion at 271.5 watts.
With five channels driven continuously into 8-ohm loads, the receiver reaches 0.1% distortion at 119.0 watts and 1% distortion at 133.8 watts. With all channels driven continuously into 8-ohm loads, it reaches 0.1% distortion at 109.1 watts and 1% distortion at 117.7 watts. The power specs do not specify the number of channels driven, but at 125Wpc into 8 ohms with less than 0.08% THD, they are not far off the mark.
