remote, d/a conversion, build quality, rf demod for laserdisc.

the manuel and no phono input.

this is truly a piece of audio art to the ears. music sounds pure in direct mode, very natural. dts, dpl, and dd are fantastic as well. a true godsend for laserdisc fans, includes a built in demod for those incredible sounding dolby digital lasersiscs.

every feature you could need, remote

The user manual is a burden to use. Who wrote this thing?

Very good a/v pre-amp

Sound quality, that Oh-so-wonderful remote!, easy to use,
solid build quality. Convenience outlets, plenty of inputs/outputs.

no phono input or balance control (typical today), not software upgradable

I can't add much to what other reviewers have said about the AV9000. You get quite a preamp/tuner/processor for under $2000US. DD, DTS, DPL, and couple non-adjustable DPS soundfields. Component video in/outs. Auto detect which works very well. The best non-touch screen learning remote on the planet. Tuner is great, but I don't listen to radio much at all. 2nd zone outputs. 6-channel inputs for DVD audio. Even a RF-mod for laser disc. Easy to use, and it good looks in your AV rack.
The sound quality is terrific both for HT and music. My DVD won't pass a DTS bitstream, so I can't play DTS DVDs yet, but DD movies are great. 2 channel music is very good, Wish it had a front/back 4 speaker stereo mode though. Originally I thought I would be getting new main speakers, but now I don't have to. The AV9000 has breathed new life into the ones I have now.
Very easy to set up. Armed with my SPL meter, it only took a few minutes to set levels via the on-screen menu. I question the lack of a balance control on the front panel, however B&K, Parasound, etc. don't have one either.
Special thank you to Marantz for putting convenience power outlets on the back. There still are some of us who don't have amps that can be triggered with DC. Don't understand why most manufacturers have eliminated convenience outlets.
It's not software upgradable, but I still think this is the last preamp I will have to buy. If you're looking for one in the $1500 to $2000 range, and you're more concerned about sound quality than bells and whistles, make sure you check the AV9000 out. Marantz has a winner here!
Hopefully someday I'll have a dedicated listening/HT room for this baby.

Similar Products Used:

B&K Ref20, Sony TA2000ESD & various 2 channel receivers

Ease of use, Calibration, Remote

Manual of course but excusable because it is such a killer Piece!

I sure had fun investigating Pre-Processors for the Home theater and keep a good sounding stereo system with it. I actually purchased a Sunfire Theater Grand with the rest of my equipment (Adcom 5802, 5503, Sony 7700 DVD), anyway I had problems from the get go with the Sunfire-did not come with a remote so I was in No-tell Land for a week and a half. When I got the remote I found out how hard it was to set up especially with the knobs in back and all that. Anyhow there were alot of things that were apparent but I just accepted it as that was just the way it was until a friend came over to check it out and he has quite a bit of experience with these type of things and told me to check out the Marantz AV-9000, well I did and I was blown away by the difference (not just minor). First was Separation of everything, Bass response, Front speakers being better between the center and sides. Oh by the way All those HIGH Priced processors that everyone thinks that are so great, Lets watch a DVD on those and see if are any pops when the unit goes over to Dolby Digital. (that is just unacceptable with machines costing twice or more than this one). This doesn't have the upgradable feature like the Sony TA-E9000ES but doesn't need it. When I took the Sunfire back to get my money back they found it hard to believe why I didn't like. Try a Marantz out and you'll see why! They wouldn't even let me try the Sony Or Adcom out because they flat out knew they were not as good and people had brought back the Sony Unit. I was told not to waste my time. I'm not bashing the Sunfire because they are honest people to talk to and friendly to deal with and their equipment is built well. They told me the changes that were being made in the new model, but it still had the bad remote. I do have a Signature Subwoofer and Love it, I just think Marantz has more Money to test out their stuff, thats why I had to wait a month to get mine because the item is so hot it sold out. I never had such a run around in all my life for a single piece of equipment but this piece is the brain of whole thing.
Equipment Klipschorns, KLF C-7, KLF-20 Rears, Sunfire Signature Sub. Sony 7700 DVD player, Adcoms 5802 & 5503

Similar Products Used:

Sunfire, Sony, Krell, Adcom

Very happy about the unit, specially the great remote that comes with it. It is used mainly in a HT setup so I do not care too much about 2 channel music. I do listen to CDs but I pipe it through the thx cinema mode. The remote is great and the HT performance is great too. It does not have phono input but since I don't listen to vinyl, no problem :)

Features,well thought out circuitry with more than enough options.It appears that Marantz is back.

Too new to notice any at this time.Have had it for 4 months and finally had the time to hook up.

So far so good,i'm pretty happy.I had looked at the B&K ref.20 but read of too many complaints unfortuantly as i wanted to support a USA product.Once again i had to go another route with in my price range.I could not afford the SUNFIRE nor the PARASOUND which indeed might be of better quality in more ways than one,but all i can say is i know i made the right choice as Marantz thought of everything.Simple to use and built with the future in mind.The sound is good[am using a Aragon 8008b/Vandersteen 2ci and Defin.tech 2002 at the present time amongst other items,and it seems as if the Phoenix has risen from the ashes,Marantz IS BACK.

Similar Products Used:

Carver[older Carver items]before it changed.

Excellent build quality, very smooth sound, especially on DTS encoded DVDs. Check out "Gladiator" with AV-9000. Nice OSD set-up. Features too many to list.

Haven't found any yet.

I purchased Marantz's AV-9000 after having looked around for awhile for a quality DD/DTS/THX pre/pro. The other choice was Sony's processor but, luckily, they didn't have one in stock, so I checked out the AV-9000. Am I glad I did! This this blows Sony away on music, which is important to anyone who doesn't have a separate music system. But its main strength is with movies, be they DD or DTS. I personally prefer DTS as it sounds smoother to me.
The set-up was rather intuitive, and I had it up and running in about ten minutes. I love the distance setting for all of the channels.
The remote that comes with this thing is incredible (no wonder it sells for $250 if purchased alone). Loads of programming and an LCD. A little on the bulky side, but then again, it's more of a command center than a remote.
Make sure you have good sources and amps to hook it up to: it's very source and software revealing!
Overall, I am very satisfied with the unit. Great sound on movies, ditto on music, and trust me you won't need another preamp for a long time.

Current System:
Marantz AV-9000 pre-pro
Marantz MA6100 5 mono blocks
Sony DVP-S7700 dvd player
Polk Audio CS1000p center speaker
Polk RT2000i front speakers
Polk RT12 surround speakers
Polk CS250-S rear center
Velodyne FSR-12 powered subwoofer
Mitsubishi WS-55807 55" widescreen projection TV
Panamax MAX1000+ line conditioner/surge protector

Similar Products Used:

None to date

Soundstage, Build-Quality, Styling,
Asthetically pleasing, awesome remote!!

have not found any yet.

Recently I upgraded from the Marantz av550 to the AV9000 and was stunned at the difference in soundstage. I had previously been running the av550 with clean, quality amplifiers and thought I might have been missing something, but when I brought home the AV9000 and put in a CD, it was a completely different sound that was much fuller and cleaner with 3 times the sound stage and not comparable in any way to the old 550!! I had no idea the potential for all this incredible sound was hidden in my system by the av550....The AV9000 is also impressive watching DVD's! Especially good job with DVD's in DTS as someone else mentioned below. The pans between speakers are smooth yet bright & responsive. Overall, this unit sounds as good as units costing several thousands of dollars more. For the money, go buy one now, you won't regret it!!

Other Equipment:

Adcom GFA-5800 mains
Onkyo Grand Integra M-508 rears
Carver TFM-35x center
Sony 670D DVD player
Sony ES CD player
Polk SDA1C towers
Polk Monitor 5jr's
Marantz AV9000

Similar Products Used:

Marantz AV-550

Great looks, killer remote, THX, quality, ton's of inputs/outputs!

Manual sucks

Owned a Marantz AV-550 for a year and liked it. Traded up to the AV-9000 about a month ago and noticed marked improvements in sound quality. Great for music and HT IMO.
Good price for all you get in this unit. Best pre/pro under $2k!

Current system:

Marantz AV-9000
Rotel 5-ch THX amp
Marantz CD player
Sony DVD
Sony VHS
Rotel line conditioner
Vandersteen 2Ce Sig fronts
Paradigm CC450 center
Paradigm PW-2200 sub
Paradigm surrounds
Tara Labs cables

Similar Products Used:

Marantz AV-550

Very solid, clear sound staging and unit includes all options sought after by home theatre enthusiasts. The ultimate remote control (RC-18SR)

does not include a phono input ? why not Marantz?

This unit in all aspects is better than the Rotel RSP-985. Initially, this unit had the sound of a very "Cheezee" analogue to digital conversion. All sources were low rate digital, with very little dynamics, until given sufficient time to break in.

The break in period of the RV-9000 differs with the power amplifier which you are using. With the Rotel RB-985, at moderate to high listening levels for about 25 hours (usage), the RV-9000 began to break in. The Rotel RB-985 produces a peak current of 40 amps. which may help to accelerate the break in period. So, give it a fair chance to break in before you critisize the sound.

The AV-9000 is now producing an incredible sound stage, truly invigorating dynamics and an extremely low noise floor.

Power amplifier - Rotel RB-985
Interconnects - Tara Labs-RSC series reference generaton 2
Speaker wire - Tara Labs-RSC series prime 1000
Speaker - Klipsch-klipschorn (104 db sensativity)

For audio quality I give it a 4 (after all the lexicon pre, does rule. For home theatre it's definitely a 5. I would highly recommend the RV-9000 to be used with high end interconnects and high end speaker cable to take full advantage of it's capability's.

Similar Products Used:

Rotel RSP-985