Powerful Workhorse, Multitude of Inputs, AMAZING REMOTE CONTROL!

I upgraded my old excuse for a home theatre system (Sony str-de935 receiver, advent babyII front speakers, technics "package combo" center and rear speakers, aiwa sub) with the following setup:

Marantz SR-19 Receiver
Kef Reference RDM II Front speakers
KEF Reference 100 Center Speaker
KEF Q15 Rear Speakers
Velodyne HGS-10 Subwoofer

This is complemented by a DLP Projector which projects against my living room wall providing a huge picture with excellent video quality (High-end Monster S-Video III cable helps tremendously!)

The Marantz receiver has been great and has definitely sounded better as the system has gotten "broken in" the past three months. Setup was extremely easy as each speaker (location, size, volume) can be configured via the on-screen video assistance menu or just by using the front-panel lcd on the receiver. The guy at Harvey told me that this receiver was great if the receiver was going to be used equally between home theatre and just pure audio listening. I have a Sony 300-CD changer along with a MD player that are both hooked up as well. CD's and MD's sound extremely warm and provide a sound that is unmatched by any system that I have heard. My old Sony is now relegated to my bedroom and the sound from my old system is almost unbearable compared to the new system. In comparison, CD's sound like they are coming out of a mono AM-radio!! I couldn't believe the difference. Movies like Armageddon and Matrix sound unbelievable and have subsequently resulted in two noise violations by my neighbors already.

The remote control on this unit is unbelievable! It's a learning remote and is very simple to use. I have all my systems programmed to use the remote (even my Air Conditioner in the living room!!) I call it "Mission Control" because of it's imposing presence on the coffee table..By far one of the most impressive features of this unit.

Do yourself a favor and don't skimp out on the cables. All my systems are hooked up using high-quality monster cable and the sound is just tremendous.

The only downside to the system is that I can never play it as loud as it should be as my neighbors will soon lobby to evict me from my apartment. My only option may be to have a "movie night" and invite them all so I can crank it up! Anybody with their own house will truly be able to uleash the power of this baby...

You will not regret purchasing this unit.

Similar Products Used:

Sony STR-DE935

Clear Sounding!
The RC2000 remote is great and impresses visitors.
Quality Build. HEAVY Construction.
Multi Room/Multi Source

Big (not a weakness, just something to keep in mind when buying a rack)

I've had this unit for close to a year now. I've been contantly impressed with the clarity of sound provided through this reciever. Especially for the price. The remote is awesome, and has replaced every remote I have. It's got an impressive LCD display and it "learns" other remotes easily. The number of inputs have been more than adequate for my setup. The video switching provides an amazing picture (of course, I don't have that impressive of a TV, so maybe someone with something fancier could tell me if they could detect and image loss). The Audio is amazing as well. Crisp Bass, not too muddled. Amazing range for all the speakers. Setup is relatively easy, not so easy my finace could do it, but the on screen menus are easy to navigate. It's not as friendly without a TV hooked up I'm afraid. The layout is excellent on the front, and the finish is great, no scratches or knicks that I've found.

Theres one quirk I can't seem to figure out though. Can I manage the Bass/Treble for the multi-room output seperate from the main output? Any clues would help.

My "Small" Setup:
Marantz SR19 Reciever
B&W LM1 Fronts
B&W LM1 Rears
B&W CC3 Center channel
Definitive Technologies ProSub 100TL
4 NHT SuperOne Ci in-wall speakers for multiroom setup
Niles Audio 4 way speaker switch
Adcom GFA 5002 AMP for multi room
JVC 32" TV
Sony DVP-550D Single Disc DVD Player
Sony DVP-CX850D 200 Disc DVD changer (with all my cd's)
Sony B55 DirecTV reciever
Wired with Liberty Cable and generic 12 Guague cable.
Belloggetti AV 2103 Rack
2 Belloggetti AV 2100 Racks


I gave this a 5 because it's the best in it's class. not necessarily the best reciever ever, but the best in it's class.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha AV1 (ok so it's not very similar)

build quality is Quite impressive for a "Reciever"

I have also experianced an annoying, Hard to place hiss

This Is a response to JT In RedWood City. I've been running the SR-19 with a Pair of Hales Revelation 3 speakers and the Pairing is quite nice. The Hales are very responsive to system upgrades, and I've recently been playing around with cable to see just what I can do with the 19. I've been amazed. I've run the spectrum from low to high as far as cable is concerned and with each step up in price and quality, the Hales and the 19 allowed for far more improvement than I would have imagined. I finally settled on a pair of Nordost Red Dawn Cables at $480/3m at netmarket but their's definitely something missing as far as the visceral punch, dynamic affect, and low level detail the Crescendo's delivered. I'm currently saving $ for a pair of Str8Wire Crescendo's:$2000-$3000; really the only wire to condider in their whole line. The difference this cable made was Incredible! Cable is the place to concentrate after you make your speaker choice. One Employee at the establishment I used to demo the Str8's actually felt that I would be best served going with a pair of Serenades at $1300 and investing in a REL. I was intrigued, but after hooking up the Crescendo's the submerged bass jumped out of the shadow and the guitar crunch on Ministry cd's came alive with a wicked visceral dig. Definitely audition and buy good cable. The 19 will allow you to hear quite a bit before running into the wall of diminishing returns. Thanks for your eyes, ken

Similar Products Used:

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