Power! Clarity! Crispness! No clipping no matter the volume setting.

Only thing negative is a top heavy remote control

DO NOT BELIEVE THE HYPE ! So i finally had the chance to purchase this unit for cheap thank god , because ive always had a nagging feeling i was missing something but in reality after setting up this receiver to replace my Onkyo TX-NR646 i was very disappointed & i wasnt missing anything at all , lesson learned . The sound was ok but i honestly like the sound of my Onkyo over the Marantz and the Onkyo retailed for 1/4 of the cost and has bluetooth . Another thing i didnt like about the Marantz was that it only had one audio setting for movies thats it ! And unlike my Onkyo you cant have all channel stereo sound which is awesome on the Onkyo especially for music . Dont get me wrong the Marantz is a good receiver but for much less money there is better for sure . It lacks features & ease of use . And i know the Onkyo isnt the best receiver in the world but i have owned many H/T receivers and it holds its own . I will honestly never buy a newer Marantz again vintage on the other hand is a different story that stuff blows the doors off products today alot of it is expensive mass produced over hyped garbage imo . Like i said if you get a pre-owned SR series receiver for cheap go ahead they are not the worst but definitely not worth anywhere near the asking price when new . And a side note my Pioneer VSX-557 from 1998 smokes the SR7008 in raw power not musicality of course but i picked that Pioneer up for 2 bills 18 years ago , what does that tell ya ! I would have never known if i hadnt experienced this myself . Ive gone back to vintage & my future purchases of new audio equipment will be very limited which definitely isnt a bad thing after all . This has been an eye opening endeavor to say the least & has put a much needed stop to my quest for the next best thing most of its all BS . The old stuff is better in so many ways . Just one mans humble opinion . Live & Learn . Good luck to ya'll & happy hunting ! P.S. I really got lucky after selling the Marantz & picked up a fully serviced HK 670 from 1981 that beauty is a beast Total sleeper !

Weaknesses : Features , ease of use , price , power Strengths : Sound quality , aesthetics

This Marantz reference series receiver is worth every penny. The sound is nothing but awesome, specially I've been using this as a two channel stereo receiver and loving it. This Marantz is almost or even better than my separates. I've compared the sound of Bryston, B & K and JBL synthesis and this guy is right up there with them sound wise. When you think of a 5-7k power amp and under 2k this receiver, cant go wrong with this one in my opinion. If you can find one in decent shape with the remote under $350, that would be a real steal. This Marantz have lots of sound characteristics of my 2245 which I liked a lot too.

Power, gobs of it. Surround processing. Soundstage, imaging(for a reciever)

none really, other than i would like a B output for the main speakers.

I've only had this a short time so i will keep my review short until further analysis. But what i have found in the short time that i have had this, is that this is a quality product. I originally auditioned this 5 years ago at a local shop but could not afford at the time. 99% of movies are recorded in a 5 channel format so the lack of expansion ability to 7 channel does not bother me. This thing was built to last, it is a beast. If you are reading this review, you probably are already aware of the fact that power ratings can be very misleading. This receiver is rated at 110wpc, but i assure you that the current sony, pioneer etc... sitting on a shelf at Best Buy for $300, rated at 120x5/7 is quite a different result. I am currently running my Magnepan 1.4's with this receiver, and they are not the most efficient load(4ohm, 84db). Now the Marantz will not keep up with my tube amp but for a surround unit it holds its own. Infact, just testing the capabilities of its amp, i ran my maggies in stereo at 100% volume for 5 minutes without distorting or clipping. Soundstage and imaging are pretty darn good for a reciever In surround this thing rocks. Playing in DTS mode with the THX selected, the scene in War of the Worlds with the tripod coming out of the ground is just flat impressive. If you prefer quality over flare, this thing should please you. Can't wait to put in a larger room with a better sub and surround speakers.

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood Vr-4700 Yamaha, numerous receivers, good and cheap. Jolida Pioneer Elite Magnepan Current Setup: Marantz SR-19 Pioneer Elite DV-09 Magnepan 1.4 main poor quality center, rears and sub SignalCable.com brand speaker cable, coax, component, power. Good cables on the cheap.

Beautiful natural soundfield, great build quality, component switching

Remote

Review is for the SR-19EX. I was looking to buy a Yamaha until I heard this one in an A/B comparison. The depth and width of the soundstage were so much greater than Yamaha. Bass response is tighter and has much more punch. It truly is a music lovers amp, but it's no slouch for HT. Tone bypass is a nice feature and in my experience, Marantz seems to have paid attention to the little details that often separate the good from the great. It's also very handsome and built like a tank. The remote has a lot of functions but it's a little too heavy and improperly weighted. However, it does control my whole system and the macros are nice. You need an extra 2 channels of amplification to do 7.1, but at least it's ready. Tons of inputs and component switching is nice, although I'm not sure if it can pass all the progressive formats. It certainly handles 480p fine. There's a bunch of soundfields that I never use. Basically, I bought the amp for it's awsome sound. I've had no problems with it and there's nothing about it's function that particularly bugs me, it does everything I need it to do.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha RXV, Sony ES, Denon

Decent power supply DAC's Construction Sound Quality especially DTS

Digital/Analogue auto detect somewhat unforgiveable for a $2300.00 receiver. Manual seems written on a bad acid trip.

This is a review for the 19EX Except for a glaring lack of a analogue digital auto-detect, this is truly the receiver I have ever owned. Granted the auto detect only affects those with Comcast "Digital" Cable where the box outputs digital for pay channels,PPV,etc... While the networks et al, are output analogue. I realize it is just a matter of pushing the d/a button but try explaining that to your wife. Power supply seems about as good as the B&K I previously owned even without it being a toroidal supply, which is to say excellent. The DAC'S are superb the DSP modes are not. However, sound is what matters and this truly is a good sounding piece. And a good looking one to boot.

Similar Products Used:

Denon AVR-4800, B&K AVR-305, Harman Kardon AVR-7000, Onkyo TX-DS797, Nakamichi AV-10.

Build. Styling. Music. Remote. Simple to operate yet full of bells and whistles. The little gyro tuner. No excessively stupid DSP modes. Almost everything.

If this is a reference receiver, where's ProLogic II?

Refers to the SR-19EX. My initial impressions concerning styling was big. People say it's built like a tank. I agree. I thought I was going to die when I hauled the box up five flights of stairs. It's definitely beautiful and by far more elegant than the competition. The remote is amazing. Take a few minutes to read the manual and it will be a god-send. Heck...I even control my air conditioner with this thing. I was looking for an A/V receiver for 50% music/50% movies. Ended up narrowing the search to Marantz, NAD and Denon. I was drawn by Marantz's trademark warmth and musicality. Even though it doesn't compare to separates, 2-channel stereo is a wonderful compromise. For some reason, music through the Denon sounds processed--the words "metallic" and "electronica" comes to mind--and not as natural. The Marantz definitely draws more attention to the mids and it outshines the others. The Denon and NAD had a little more bass emphasis with muddier mids. For movies, it's equally impressive. I found the same warmth and discovered I enjoyed listening to voices and soundtracks more than before. Boom and bang are great and not overemphasized. It's definitely got enough juice to rattle windows without sounding overstrained. I use "A Bug's Life" as one of my test DVDs, and I was amazed at how the subtleties really came to life. I watched some movies over and over because I liked the way they sounded. I've had it for a year now, and I still love it. I use it for 75% music/25% movies now because it was more than I expected from an A/V receiver for stereo. I tested a few of my friends' speakers, and found I found the limits of bad speakers very fast. If I only liked to watch big bang movies like "The Matrix," and if I didn't love music, I'd honestly opt the Denon, but as Marantz's motto goes, it "Because Music Matters."

Superb audio when played CD - warm and smooth, natural Power - 130 watt RMS, enough to lift the roof !!

bulky remote control - difficult to use too heavy -25kg !! bass management muddy at low frequency Echo when watching TV with

This is for Marantz SR-19EX. First tested was Pioneer- 711S and it was no show for audio or home theatre, despite the advertised features etc. Then I planned to get Sony DB1080 but a local Hifi store manager advised me to focus on the Yamaha or Marantz products as they are "real mccoy" A/V equipments and value for $$. For 2 mts I was undecided between a Yamaha RX-V2300/3200 or a Marantz 62007200. I have listened very varefully to the sonic quality and movies surround sounds etc.. It was a hard decision about budget, audio sonic love or movies "blasting bang" sounds..Being a audio first then movie second person, I feel that Yamaha is too "bright" for music/songs. . By chance I saw on the web a special discount for SR-19EX and I though I gave it a go at AUD $2500 ie $500 over my budget. I took the tank home without testing it or a manual as its been in the hifi store shelf for a while,on special. Marantz hifi means quality and I believe its worth the investment by the look of it...massive and classical with curve at the adge..visually appealing. The last 10 days last a combination of excitement, trial,disappointment , enjoyment and craving for more.. As shared by many reviews, the audio is superb when I listened to CD on AAD C-600 floor speaker. Played 'Avemano", "Era", 'Postcard from LA', 'Jessie' etc and boy , what an indulgence !! Tried "Lord of the Rings","Gone in 60 seconds" and others..great effects too. However the bulky remote control really dried me nut as I don't have a manual -to be sent from Japan soon...I was a constant battle and mind boggling effort trying to understand howtowork the remote control. I was also having a hard time to setup the system and level...Also loud level (+1 dB onward), there's hissing sound and distortation. And the bass management at low frequency sucks !! Can't handle bass at low level if level set at 7 +. I have decided to return to the Hifi store to exchange for SR7300 (just released in December 2002) or refund..

Similar Products Used:

Auditioned Marantz-SR6200/7200 & SR8200,Yamaha RX-V2300, Pioneer amplier AAD-C600 front speakers Goodman surround speakers normal hifi cable/banana connector JVC DVD player Sony CD player JVC 6

Remote control is the best I've seen. I use it to control all of my components. Tone control bypass. On screen setup menus are easy to understand and navigate. And oh by the way, the SOUND is the best I've heard this side of separates. Simple reference quality design. The build quality is superb. This thing is built like a tank! It is the central brain of our audio/video system and has been getting 12 to 16 hours a day of use for the last 2 years. I have not experienced any problems whatsoever from this piece of equipment. A very high quality receiver IMHO

Speaker terminals suck. Has no way to upgrade to newer surround formats. (I would rate this unit very high if there were some way to upgrade the firmware) No Component video. No video switching capabilities. The user manual is absolutely the worst! Japanenglish gobbldygook. Radio tuning is weird. When you turn the dial it advances through the FM band and then through the AM band. If you push the power button on the front panel to turn the unit off all user settings are lost. Use the remote to turn the unit off which leaves it in standby mode. I have on occasion clipped the amplifier when driving the Paradigms at volumes above 105 db. It just shuts off and comes back on when the volume is turned down. Stereo imaging is not the greatest. Vocals tend to drift from left to right just a bit. Gets a little warm.

I am extremely pleased with the performance of this receiver. My main interest was with 2 channel stereo, however in order to maintain matrimonial harmony with my other half, I needed to please her also. After listening to various offerings in this price range from Denon, Sony, Pioneer, Onkyo etc. I found this unit surpasses the others in sound quality. The ability to bypass the tone controls for direct audio is a big plus for me. It is amazing how much the sonics improve when these filters are bypassed. To say that I'm happy with it's musical abilities is an understatement. As a surround receiver built primarily for movies, it is already showing signs of age as it does not support many of the newer formats. I don't find this a great loss however as there are not that many movies available encoded with 6 or 7 channels. I must admit that I was totally unprepared for the surround experience as delivered by the Marantz. I've heard many all-in-one surround systems that claimed to be state-of-the-art. I'm sorry, but if accoustimass is state-of-the-art then this thing is light years ahead. I was so impressed by some surround movie sound tracks that I've been experimenting with some high resolution, multi-channel recordings from Chesky, Telearc and others. Surround sound music played on this receiver has captured my soul! I will never buy another 2 channel CD again. Paradigm Reference Studio 100 L/R " " " CC Center " " " ADP Surrounds Paradigm Servo 15 Sub Pioneer DV-444 DVD Player(Soon to be replaced) Mitsubishi WS55711 Diamond series RPTV

Similar Products Used:

My first multichannel receiver. I spent a considerable amount of time in listening tests comparing this unit with others in the range of price from $1200 to $2000 Denon - Too bright Pioneer - Can't

Power, looks, sound quality, build quality, remote.

Remote(see text), no standby switch on unit(need to turn off with remote).

Let's make it short, did alot of research and bought because of: Awsome power to shake a big room (15' by 23' by 10' high). Unexpected sound quality that reintroduced me to the simple pleasure of listening to good recordings. So good that didn't even take advantage of the store's trade-up program for the new models. Remote is real cool, back-lit, and controls everything with ease. But eats trough a pack of batteries like Rosie at a celebrity buffet. My only big complaint is the fact that there is no standby switch on the unit only a main power on/off switch that shuts down the unit completely and it can't be turned back on with the remote. Some have even told me that it erased the memory but can't verify, didn't risk it ! My set-up: Marantz SR-19 Panasonic RP91 dvd Axiom M80 5 speaker package (kicks ass!) M&K 1500 thx sub Hitachi 50" (weak spot)