Marantz AV-600 A/V Preamplifier
Marantz AV-600 A/V Preamplifier
USER REVIEWS
[Mar 19, 2005]
old_s13
AudioPhile
Strength:
Excellent build quality. RC2000 is a good remote. Classy appearance.
Weakness:
Being that its now 2005, this unit is a bit dated.. but thats not to say its useless. One thing I hate about this system, is that when you turn off the main "display" on the pre-amp, there is a small (but VERY bright) light that illuminates and says DISP.. its an idiot light to remind people that the display is not broken. Either way, I would prefer it all unlit but hey, what can you do. I just stuck a sticker of me and my wife on it and called it a day. Thumbs up on the Marantz AV600. Its 2005 and I picked this pre-amp up in EXCELLENT condition for under $250, what a steal! The unit works flawlessly, took about 1-2 days to get used to it and configure it -- but it works SO well. Being an old seperates fan, I got pulled away about 6 years ago due to "dolby digital 5.1" revolution.. and while 5.1 sure is nice, NOTHING can compete with the stability, cleanliness, and perfection of stereo and seperates. So, I ditched my Sony 5.1 reciever and picked up this Marantz AV-600. I connected it to my old vintage Kenwood L-07M monoblock amps and let me tell you, life is ALL good again! The pre-amp combined with the monoblock amps just breathed new life back into my Klipsch KG5.2 main speakers! My 15" JBL sub is rolling oh so smooth! Similar Products Used: Who cares? This unit is awesome. |
[Jul 22, 2003]
thargismo
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Bargain at $200 to $300 used. Smooth and warm two channel performance. RC2000 Remote!
Weakness:
No Dolby Digital or DTS This preamp is a steal! I got off eBay to use in my main TV room. I was quite suprised to find that an older unit produced such incredible stereo imaging. I don't know that I would have paid the $1300 it originally listed for, but it is a great performer for someone looking to get top end stereo performance for very little money. The ProLogic decoding is also very good, yet its two channel listening that was most impressive. It delivers smooth and warm sound with an excellent imaging. The RC 2000 remote is an added bonus. It will literally run everything in the cabinet. I would highly recommend! Similar Products Used: None in this price range. I graduated to a Sunfire Theater Grand |
[May 07, 2002]
nate
AudioPhile
Strength:
midrange at high volume. the name. reliable
Weakness:
muddy bass. dry lifeless treble no where near the sound quality of the original marantz equipment of the 70''s. philips bought out marantz and they are making money off the name. their sound is very similar to pioneer sony and other mass market products. im using paradigm studio 20 and ma500 mono blocks. Similar Products Used: pioneer, sony |
[Mar 24, 2002]
Joao Estrulla
AudioPhile
Strength:
The crystal-clear, warm sound
Weakness:
The handling is a little difficult, it has too much features Its best value for money, especially in my case, for only 302Euro instead of 1500Euro. Im highly impressed by the Quality of this bolide. It is really audioEnthusiastic. My older NAD Surround Amp broke up, and i bought the Marantz AV600 with the Monoblocks. Theres really a great difference. Im very happy, that i decided to buy this peace of Luck, peace. Similar Products Used: NAD T751 |
[Mar 12, 2000]
Ryan Scott
Audiophile
Strength:
Price! Features, quality build, sound quality
Weakness:
Hard to find any Current setup: |
[Apr 14, 2000]
Joe
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Made in Japan, Remote Control, Input level control, Thx-certified, base management, vidio switching
Weakness:
no loudness control, no tone bypass, Solid unit, I lifted the top to view the bild quality, I liked what I saw. I believe this unit offers almost everything you need in a pre-amp. Except the weakness stated. One other feature I like that the Harmon Kardon offers that the Marantz does not is Direct Preset FM tuning from the Base(not remote). But really ,you can't have everything! I espcially like the way the volume know control is not so sensitive. You can really get the exact volume you need ,espedially from the remote.The input control feature is nice to since I use a dolby processor along with the av600 to bring it up to digital format.I will give this unit fivee stars for quality, however, the price is not that competitive, I will rate a four for value. Similar Products Used: Hk PT2500 |
[Aug 04, 2001]
Herman Sudarsono
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
THX Certified, DSPs, Inputs/Outputs, Sweet Stereo Sound, Superior built, Classic Model
Weakness:
No Dolby Digital, but Marantz made this unit early 90's. So, there were no Dolby Digital at that time. I bought this unit way way back. I believe it was 1993. |
[Nov 20, 1999]
Gary
Audio Enthusiast
This is a great preamp/processor if you can find one. I got a B-stock machine for 499 over a year ago and haven't regretted it for a minute. Very musical, very flexible, lacks DD but I picked up a used Marantz DP-870 to take care of that. Compared it to the AV-550, and I agree with other reviewers that the 600 just sounds better. I use it for stereo and home theater, and recommend it highly. |
[Apr 30, 2001]
Captain Lionheart
Audiophile
Strength:
Build Quality, controls, THX Certified, lots of inputs/outputs, tuner, DSPs, warm sound quality.
Weakness:
Not many except for...No Dolby Digital or DTS BUT you can add one. DSPs are weak. No fiber optic on the back but that doesn't matter to me. This is a terrific preamp and is in the hall of fame here on Audioreview.com! Similar Products Used: Rotel, Denon, Yamaha, etc... |
[Oct 17, 1999]
Tyson Baldridge
Audiophile
Strength:
Flexibility, Quality
Weakness:
No Dolby Digital The AV-600 is an awesome pre-amp. I've used this for the last 3 years in my home theatre / music setup with my only complaint being that it doesn't have Dolby Digital decoding (which is why I'm currently selling this item to get the AV-9000 instead -- email if interested: tbass@virginia.edu). This pre-amp DOES have full bass management, always cutting the bass from the L & R speakers (if you have the subwoofer enabled) at a 12db/octave slope. The center channel is crossed over similarly while the sub is crossed over at 24db/octave. The surrounds are not crossed over as there is no need to do so with ProLogic (no bass present). Adding the DP870 to the AV-600 would be the perfect combo for those looking for great sound at (esp. now) a great price. Similar Products Used: Nothing comes close (except AV-9000) |