Build quality (nice and heavy), looks and performance

Would like to see a more stable platter for the DVD/CD

Excellent quality in video and audio. Makes an exceptional cd player. A nice perk is 2 sets of AV outs. I don't like the "bookmark" system. Pioneer has the easiest I've seen, 1 push of a button and you have a "bookmark." With Marantz, its a several step process, but with the right remote (Pronto) a macro can be created and you have your one step "bookmark." In my opinion the cd quality is better than the Elite 09, but the 09 may win out A LITTLE in DVD quality, but since the Marantz costs hunderds less, it is a better buy than the DV09. I can't make a side by side comparison to the Sony 7700, however I feel the 7700's use of a dual laser system (one for DVD, and one for CD) is more hype than acutal quality. Use one laser, and spend the extra money saved in different areas where needed....ie copper shielding, which the Marantz has in appropriate spots. Also, the Marantz is THX Ultra Certified. Maybe the Sony will be in time, but not as of yet.

All in all, the Marantz is worth looking at for any system.

Also, for anyone who doesn't know this yet, this Marantz DVD player has a firmware upgrade available, which fixes some glitches in the software.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer Elite DV09, Pinoeer 414, Sony 7700

very clear and clean

flimsy tray, remote to large and heavy

Although this is a DVD player, I use it mainly for cd's. Due to space limitations I did not want two units. The other reviews are ok as to sound, etc. These comments are my personal take on the unit. For the price of this unit, Marantz delivers a so-so unit. The tray is flimsy and doesn't even come out all the way. One has to pull it out of the unit to remove or insert a disc. The remote is too large and heavy. Performance, read "tracking" on cd's is below any unit I have used. It skps and/or drops out sund lik ths, f u knw wht I mean. if u can giv ths 5 strs, somthg is wrong. Not a great value for a huge amount of cash. This was my first Marantz... maybe my last.

outstanding picture and sound quality, classy look

flimsy tray, slow reading, gigantic remote control

Before I bought this DVD player, I spent one full day comparing it to Sony 7700 and Pioneer S10. The Marantz is far superior to both Sony and Pioneer in term of sound quality. It sounds much more musical when listen to audio CDs and has better dynamic when watching action movies. Concerning picture quality, the Marantz is slightly sharper than the Sony and is about the same as the Pioneer.

When I brought the unit home and connected it to my system (Classe Amps and Thiel Speakers), the Marantz really surprised me. It sounds even better than my CD transport, jitter reducer, and D/A converter combination. (I used CEC transporter, Audio Alchemy v2.0 Jitter Reducer & v3.0 Digital Converter) I couldn't believe it myself. I spent a long time conducting comparison. Marantz is definitely a clear winner. It sounds much more musical and has better detail and sound stage.

Regarding the unit's ability to read CDs and DVDs, I have not experienced any problem at all. It reads all my CDs and DVDs, even the very dirty ones and the faked ones I got from China.

Similar Products Used:

Sony 7700, Pioneer S10