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Heard/Saw the Marantz AV8003 processor today
That's right, the AV8003 processor and MM8003 multichannel power amp have hit the street.
http://us.marantz.com/products/2317.asp
I saw the complete package today, both pieces with the Marantz Blu-ray player BD8002. http://us.marantz.com/Products/2393.asp
They were driving all Martin Logan in-walls with one of their mongo subs. The bad thing about systems like this you can never really compare apples to apples. Even if you brought it home and went through the trouble of setting it up you'd still have to go from memory as to what your old system sounded like. I have to say the system was impressive and far beyond what an A/V receiver could ever do. From what I'm told the ML in-walls aren't the easiest speaker to drive and this MM8003 drove this system without the slightest trouble. We watched a bit of 10,000 BC and then a BR Jazz Legends sampler. The Jazz music was where I was the most impressed. The sound was audiophile like, not at all sounding like coming from an A/V system. From Marcus Miller's bass to Chic Corea, the sound was incredible. So one can assume that both pieces are over achievers. I'm convinced this gear will be a hot item and garner Marantz a new respect in making high quality audio gear. Actually, the first prediction is a bit of a fudge since Marantz has sold most of this gear as soon as it hit the street. I plan to place my order for the AV8003 and it will take a minimum of 3 weeks to get one. The BR player I understand is even more back ordered. You could possibly get lucky and find a dealer who had the money to bring in a larger inventory who might still have something. Once I get one and hook it up in my system I'll be able to tell more about it. I've had an Arcam and my current Primare, so the 8003 will have big shoes to fill.
The BR player has an impressive build quality and the picture was stunning but unfortunately they had nothing there to compare it to. With the build and Realto chip set it will have to still perform something more to warrant $2k, in my book anyway.
As a side note those wanting a Blu-ray movie to show your system off should buy 10,000 BC. My vision isn't good enough to give you a videophile critique but I can tell you on a good system when the Mammoths come your house will be shaking and quaking. On Lossless the bass is like nothing I've heard in a soundtrack to date. I could not find in the movie menu where to set the audio. We had to use the audio button on the remote to toggle through the choices. I thought that a bit odd.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Peabody
That's right, the AV8003 processor and MM8003 multichannel power amp have hit the street.
http://us.marantz.com/products/2317.asp
I saw the complete package today, both pieces with the Marantz Blu-ray player BD8002. http://us.marantz.com/Products/2393.asp
They were driving all Martin Logan in-walls with one of their mongo subs. The bad thing about systems like this you can never really compare apples to apples. Even if you brought it home and went through the trouble of setting it up you'd still have to go from memory as to what your old system sounded like. I have to say the system was impressive and far beyond what an A/V receiver could ever do. From what I'm told the ML in-walls aren't the easiest speaker to drive and this MM8003 drove this system without the slightest trouble. We watched a bit of 10,000 BC and then a BR Jazz Legends sampler. The Jazz music was where I was the most impressed. The sound was audiophile like, not at all sounding like coming from an A/V system. From Marcus Miller's bass to Chic Corea, the sound was incredible. So one can assume that both pieces are over achievers. I'm convinced this gear will be a hot item and garner Marantz a new respect in making high quality audio gear. Actually, the first prediction is a bit of a fudge since Marantz has sold most of this gear as soon as it hit the street. I plan to place my order for the AV8003 and it will take a minimum of 3 weeks to get one. The BR player I understand is even more back ordered. You could possibly get lucky and find a dealer who had the money to bring in a larger inventory who might still have something. Once I get one and hook it up in my system I'll be able to tell more about it. I've had an Arcam and my current Primare, so the 8003 will have big shoes to fill.
The BR player has an impressive build quality and the picture was stunning but unfortunately they had nothing there to compare it to. With the build and Realto chip set it will have to still perform something more to warrant $2k, in my book anyway.
As a side note those wanting a Blu-ray movie to show your system off should buy 10,000 BC. My vision isn't good enough to give you a videophile critique but I can tell you on a good system when the Mammoths come your house will be shaking and quaking. On Lossless the bass is like nothing I've heard in a soundtrack to date. I could not find in the movie menu where to set the audio. We had to use the audio button on the remote to toggle through the choices. I thought that a bit odd.
More and more is going remote only.
I HATE looking at Marantz stuff, because its exactly what I want, and cant afford right now, what I have heard of theirs sounds absoutely amazing.
Time to check out the penny jar...:1:
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Peabody
That's right, the AV8003 processor and MM8003 multichannel power amp have hit the street.
http://us.marantz.com/products/2317.asp
I saw the complete package today, both pieces with the Marantz Blu-ray player BD8002. http://us.marantz.com/Products/2393.asp
They were driving all Martin Logan in-walls with one of their mongo subs. The bad thing about systems like this you can never really compare apples to apples. Even if you brought it home and went through the trouble of setting it up you'd still have to go from memory as to what your old system sounded like. I have to say the system was impressive and far beyond what an A/V receiver could ever do. From what I'm told the ML in-walls aren't the easiest speaker to drive and this MM8003 drove this system without the slightest trouble. We watched a bit of 10,000 BC and then a BR Jazz Legends sampler. The Jazz music was where I was the most impressed. The sound was audiophile like, not at all sounding like coming from an A/V system. From Marcus Miller's bass to Chic Corea, the sound was incredible. So one can assume that both pieces are over achievers. I'm convinced this gear will be a hot item and garner Marantz a new respect in making high quality audio gear. Actually, the first prediction is a bit of a fudge since Marantz has sold most of this gear as soon as it hit the street. I plan to place my order for the AV8003 and it will take a minimum of 3 weeks to get one. The BR player I understand is even more back ordered. You could possibly get lucky and find a dealer who had the money to bring in a larger inventory who might still have something. Once I get one and hook it up in my system I'll be able to tell more about it. I've had an Arcam and my current Primare, so the 8003 will have big shoes to fill.
The BR player has an impressive build quality and the picture was stunning but unfortunately they had nothing there to compare it to. With the build and Realto chip set it will have to still perform something more to warrant $2k, in my book anyway.
As a side note those wanting a Blu-ray movie to show your system off should buy 10,000 BC. My vision isn't good enough to give you a videophile critique but I can tell you on a good system when the Mammoths come your house will be shaking and quaking. On Lossless the bass is like nothing I've heard in a soundtrack to date. I could not find in the movie menu where to set the audio. We had to use the audio button on the remote to toggle through the choices. I thought that a bit odd.
Glad you enjoyed the Marantz combo... The features are spectacular... it is even a network music player (essentially a Squeezbox).... which is exactly the direction music is going now.... and should help to make it a big hit... Though it is still out of the reach of most mortals ($5K for the combo is not cheap, though knowing Marantz it's probably more than worth it)...
Also, even though Marantz doesn't get nearly enough amp reviews in North America... everytime they get one (that I've read anyway) it's a very favourable review... Marantz is probably my most admired brand, simply because I really like a brand that can cater to all price levels and somehow produce quality products at each price range... Check out the European reviews and you'll see that they get 5 out of 5 star reviews from their $600 Integrated amp all the way up to their $15K pair of monoblocks!!! How many companies can (or even would) produce high quality gear from $600 to $23,000??? Not to mention that they produce by 2 channel and HT.... Pretty impressive I think...
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I know a guy who moved here from the West coast who has a Marantz Reference system and he says it's awesome stuff. I'd like to hear it. Now that you mention it they do have an extremely broad line.
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This is why I love the summer...well, in addition to the scantily clad femmes frolicking around town. The new toys all hit the scene, and it looks like Marantz has finally arrived to stake it's claim.
At least on paper I like everything about the AV8003, except the price tag. Sucks to be on a budget.
In fact, I wonder if the MM8003 is really worth it's $2.5K...wait, let me restate that: I wonder if you can find a better multi-channel amp that outperforms the MM8003 for less.
All petty nitpicking aside, let us know how the things performs when you get that sucker unwrapped.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BadAssJazz
This is why I love the summer...well, in addition to the scantily clad femmes frolicking around town. The new toys all hit the scene, and it looks like Marantz has finally arrived to stake it's claim.
At least on paper I like everything about the AV8003, except the price tag. Sucks to be on a budget.
In fact, I wonder if the MM8003 is really worth it's $2.5K...wait, let me restate that: I wonder if you can find a better multi-channel amp that outperforms the MM8003 for less.
All petty nitpicking aside, let us know how the things performs when you get that sucker unwrapped.
Heres a competitor, there are both integra and onkyo models,
and you can find the Onkyo for 1100 or so, the Integra a little more
http://www.integrahometheater.com/mo...=Separates&p=i
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If anyone has followed my threads here on AR they know I am an Onkyo advocate but I have serious doubts the Onkyo/Integra processor or amp is in the same league as this new Marantz stuff.
Some one commented on the price, and it's true that $2.5k for a processor isn't "Average Joe's" A/V budget, but in A/V processors there's not much out there cheaper and to perform well with all the features of the AV8003 is quite a feat.
If anyone turns up reviews on this stuff, post us a link.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Peabody
If anyone has followed my threads here on AR they know I am an Onkyo advocate but I have serious doubts the Onkyo/Integra processor or amp is in the same league as this new Marantz stuff.
Some one commented on the price, and it's true that $2.5k for a processor isn't "Average Joe's" A/V budget, but in A/V processors there's not much out there cheaper and to perform well with all the features of the AV8003 is quite a feat.
If anyone turns up reviews on this stuff, post us a link.
When I first got into this you couldnt get a pre-pro for less than 2500
bucks, sherwood had a cheapie for 999$.
Then Outlaw came out with theirs, a nice one that was outdated almost the day the specs got firmed.
then the Onkyo/integra twins, and now your MARANTZ, which, while pricey, is rather reasonable in the prepro world.
Nice to see some affordable options in this field.
Cant wait for a review:1:
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Peabody
If anyone has followed my threads here on AR they know I am an Onkyo advocate but I have serious doubts the Onkyo/Integra processor or amp is in the same league as this new Marantz stuff.
Some one commented on the price, and it's true that $2.5k for a processor isn't "Average Joe's" A/V budget, but in A/V processors there's not much out there cheaper and to perform well with all the features of the AV8003 is quite a feat.
If anyone turns up reviews on this stuff, post us a link.
Here you go Mr.P
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=969706
I suggest you start at the back. The first few threads are all about the Marantz before it hit the street. Once it did hit the streets the reviews started from the consumers. A few did compare the two {Marantz/Integra,Onkyo}and most seem to think the Marantz is a bit better.
Kal Rubinson one of the reviewers of stereophile has been watching the thead closely. I asked him if he was going to do a review in his "Music in the Round" articl and he said no. But he did review the Intergra pre/pro and he gave it a very good review.
frenchmon
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fwiw, that thread was long. Some good info though. Glad I stayed with it because I was getting a bit worried with that guy who was having the issues which turned out not to be related to the 8003 itself.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Peabody
fwiw, that thread was long. Some good info though. Glad I stayed with it because I was getting a bit worried with that guy who was having the issues which turned out not to be related to the 8003 itself.
Yeah...for the most part, the guys that are having problems with the 8003 is due to the fact that they are not reading the instructions on how to connect and operate it. Every one is an expert at connecting and operating new gear. But overal it seems this thing is a step up from the Integra.
frenchmon
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IT WOULD SEEM THAT the Marantz is better than the Integra/Onkyo combo, the question is does that justify the extra price?
And no phono stage ?
GOLLY:1:
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pixelthis
IT WOULD SEEM THAT the Marantz is better than the Integra/Onkyo combo, the question is does that justify the extra price?
And no phono stage ?
GOLLY:1:
I would say that the thousands who have bought it testify that it was worth it.
frenchmon
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The only way to know if it's justified is to be able to listen to both and, even then, each would have to make up their own mind if it's worth it to them.
One guy went for a Krell to the 8003. I'm sure it's just to get the new features but I'd sure love to hear what he had to say on sound quality difference. Some day down the road I'll have to give a full report.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Peabody
The only way to know if it's justified is to be able to listen to both and, even then, each would have to make up their own mind if it's worth it to them.
One guy went for a Krell to the 8003. I'm sure it's just to get the new features but I'd sure love to hear what he had to say on sound quality difference. Some day down the road I'll have to give a full report.
Well from what I have heard from those who have it, they say the sound is outstanding. Some even says it blows the Integra away.
frenchmon
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Peabody
The only way to know if it's justified is to be able to listen to both and, even then, each would have to make up their own mind if it's worth it to them.
One guy went for a Krell to the 8003. I'm sure it's just to get the new features but I'd sure love to hear what he had to say on sound quality difference. Some day down the road I'll have to give a full report.
Mr. Peabody....when you receive the gear...will you do a review for us? I may be in the market for something similar soon. at least for the processor...probably go another direction and get a used 7 channel amp in the $1500 range.
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I will definitely post some stuff when I get it and hooked up for a bit. I don't know if they are really that hard to get or just my dealer can't get one. They estimate some time in August. I put $500.00 down and my name is on the list.
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Hey Mr. P hope you're getting a great price. There are a half a dozen places online that say they have it in stock for $2599. I hate waiting for things. I've been waiting since April for my speaker stands. I've spent my stands money twice already. First on a new turntable, then I saved up again and spent it on a new surge protector for all of my gear.
Is the 8003 going to serve as your pre/pro?
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The 8003 will be taking the place of my Primare. It has big shoes to fill but I will welcome some of the updated features.
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Hey Mr.Peabody.
I found an Adcom 5400 in the pawnshop for $179.00 It looks great and in very good condition. Is that a good deal, and how do they sound? Thinking about going back to get it.
frenchmon
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The 5400 new was about $599.00, 125x2 into 8 ohms. They were a good value new and a great deal for $180.00 in good condition. The 5400 has good bass, I observe a bit of a midbass hump, the highs are extended and may seem bright to some but a lot of that will depend on associated gear as well. Bright but not fatiguing. I drove a pair of Dynaudio Audience 60's with mine so it has some juice. Compared to higher end amps one could criticize but for the price point it was at, not much, if anything could beat it.
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Got my AV8003 today. I unboxed it but won't hook it up until this weekend. I want to look at the manual and have time to deal with it.
Performance will be the real importance but the feel coming out of the box is not so impressive. I'm more used to higher end gear though. My 31.7 is built like a tank. My Krell and CJ gear are all sturdy to the feel. The AV8003 is mostly plastic on front and flimsy metal cabinet like a receiver would have. I hate to diss it before even hooking power to it but it is, what it is. We also have to keep in mind this piece isn't priced like the prior mentioned brands.
The guys at the store said it is easy to set up but as I look at the 1/2 inch thick manual and hoping it's a lot of pictures or larger print or includes multi language........ oh well, you eat an elephant one bite at a time. Once I have a feel for the set up and performance I'll write but probably start a separate post.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Peabody
Got my AV8003 today. I unboxed it but won't hook it up until this weekend. I want to look at the manual and have time to deal with it.
Performance will be the real importance but the feel coming out of the box is not so impressive. I'm more used to higher end gear though. My 31.7 is built like a tank. My Krell and CJ gear are all sturdy to the feel. The AV8003 is mostly plastic on front and flimsy metal cabinet like a receiver would have. I hate to diss it before even hooking power to it but it is, what it is. We also have to keep in mind this piece isn't priced like the prior mentioned brands.
The guys at the store said it is easy to set up but as I look at the 1/2 inch thick manual and hoping it's a lot of pictures or larger print or includes multi language........ oh well, you eat an elephant one bite at a time. Once I have a feel for the set up and performance I'll write but probably start a separate post.
Some of the guys at the other forum said the same thing about the feel of it and the placstic. But they also said once they got it all hooked up, you forget about the feel and plastic, by the outstanding performance. Lets hope your experience is the same. Some of the guys where having handshaking problems through HDMI. Lets hope you have no such problems.
I suppose Marantz was trying to keep the price down a bit by the plastic and cheap metal. $2500.00 is nice coin.
The plastic is a first for Marantz. The Reference series which is aluminum and copper looks expensive.
Can't wait to see your report.
frenchmon
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I'm looking to possibly replace my McIntosh MX-119 with the AV8003. My biggest concern is the quality of the DACs for when I use my PC music server.
Looking forward to your impressions,
Mike
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I did a down and dirty manual set up Friday night because I was anxious to see how it sounded. I really hate to post impressions this soon, I still need to meter and there may be some burn in time, I hope it needs some burn in. Also, my only comparison is to the 31.7 which had an original retail of $4k. What I think so far is the AV8003 is probably a competent preamp for the money and it sure is loaded with features, however, at this point, I am not convinced it is a "giant killer". I'm still hopeful though it can sound better. When I auditioned it the sound quality certainly seemed good. It's not that it's bad in my system but it doesn't seem to have the dynamic range of the 31.7 nor does it image as well, like make the speakers disappear. I measured for the speaker set up but the sound still seems more intimate than with the 31.7. The fact that it sounds like a dynamics issue leads me to believe it may indeed need a bit more play time on it.
On a really positive note I noticed both a video and audio improvement from my Dishnet receiver using the HDMI through the AV8003. The video improvement was a total surprise. I was using a HDMI switcher before but I hadn't noticed any degradation when it was inserted. The audio I was hoping for, I think the Dishnet receiver has an inferior optical output. I had two receivers so far and neither sounded very good from optical out. Using the HDMI I had noticeably better rear effects from HD channels like Sci Fi, TNT and A&E. Those were just the ones showing anything at the time that featured any rear info.
One other consideration I'm thinking about too I was using my 31.7 multichannel analog input with a Blu-ray. This was a much better presentation than I ever got using optical or coaxial inputs. So my comparison isn't exactly A/B on the DAC section.
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Does Marantz really need to provide a panel mounted pictorial diagram as how to use the volume control? That strikes me like needing instructions on how to use a Wet Nap. :)
rw
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Peabody
I did a down and dirty manual set up Friday night because I was anxious to see how it sounded. I really hate to post impressions this soon, I still need to meter and there may be some burn in time, I hope it needs some burn in. Also, my only comparison is to the 31.7 which had an original retail of $4k. What I think so far is the AV8003 is probably a competent preamp for the money and it sure is loaded with features, however, at this point, I am not convinced it is a "giant killer". I'm still hopeful though it can sound better. When I auditioned it the sound quality certainly seemed good. It's not that it's bad in my system but it doesn't seem to have the dynamic range of the 31.7 nor does it image as well, like make the speakers disappear. I measured for the speaker set up but the sound still seems more intimate than with the 31.7. The fact that it sounds like a dynamics issue leads me to believe it may indeed need a bit more play time on it.
On a really positive note I noticed both a video and audio improvement from my Dishnet receiver using the HDMI through the AV8003. The video improvement was a total surprise. I was using a HDMI switcher before but I hadn't noticed any degradation when it was inserted. The audio I was hoping for, I think the Dishnet receiver has an inferior optical output. I had two receivers so far and neither sounded very good from optical out. Using the HDMI I had noticeably better rear effects from HD channels like Sci Fi, TNT and A&E. Those were just the ones showing anything at the time that featured any rear info.
One other consideration I'm thinking about too I was using my 31.7 multichannel analog input with a Blu-ray. This was a much better presentation than I ever got using optical or coaxial inputs. So my comparison isn't exactly A/B on the DAC section.
I'd be surprised if it did not need burn in time to sound better. After all, what is Marantz known for in their 50 plus years of history but great sound.
frenchmon
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I have the AV8003 and the MM8003 for a few weeks now...only just starting to learn its many features!
It does sound great!
Unfortunately I have the samsung BD1000 which does not give me Dolby true HD and DTS masterHD and 7.1 channels
Any recommendations for a good blue ray player??
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What set up were you using before? The AV8003 is taking a while to learn. I'm not sure how many hours the unit might need for breaking in. the frequency response and sound is pretty good but thus far it does not image or envelop my listening room the way my former processor did.
There is supposed to be a new Samsung model out that will retail around $700.00 that I would recommend. It will have all the latest encoding as well as going back to using the Silicon Optix chip for standard DVD upsampling as the BD-P1200 did which got rave reviews for it's DVD playback, and, of course, no fault with the BR playback. To my knowledge this will be the only player under $2k to offer decent standard DVD playback if that's of any importance to you. You could go for the total package and add the BD-8002, what's another $2k :) It, and Denon's top of the line players, are using the Realto chip set.
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I had a sony DA50ES that suited me fine until HDMI came along! My speaker set up are the mordaunt shorts performance series.
The Marantz certainly have good audio performance but I guess this will improve with time.
I also have a Toshiba XE1 which I bought before the demise of HD DVD and also bought heaps of HD DVDs cheaply! The unit has True HD and DTS master capability and I am very happy with the unit so far.
I guess my next blue ray would be the Panasonic BD50 or the Pioneer LX70 or even the Marantz Blue ray player.
Residing in Australia is not entirely satisfactory as we get the models later then you and also they are more expensive!!
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I don't know, you got the Marantz about the same time. The MM8003 is a nice amp and the combo is hard to beat for the price.
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Av8003
I have had my AV8003 MM8003 combo for a couple of weeks now. It replaced an NAD S170i, S250 combo. From my perspective, the Marantz pair had large shoes to fill as I enjoyed the huge soundstage the NAD pair was able to generate. I can say with all honesty that the Marantz pair is up to the task. One of the biggest concerns I have with this processor is that it's the first I've had to read the manual before understanding how to properly operate it. Especially with the remote. In any event, I'm fully up to speed now and couldn't be more pleased. Most of my enjoyment is centered around music and I'm very happy. I listen to many SACD's and they sound glorious through this system. When doing a head to head comparison against the likes of the NAD pair, a Primare combo or the like you will find the audio portion is in the same ballpark but it will more than likely not be a no-brainer. I purchased the set because I wanted access to the HD audio decoding and also got a simplified cabling plan as an added bonus. I'm happy with the overall sound and watching HD movies is a real treat.
System:
AV8003 Pre-processor
MM8003 Multi-channel amp
DV9600 Universal player
Toshiba HD-A35 HDDVD (I know the format is dead but the player works great)
Motorola 2-tuner HD Cable receiver
Jamo speakers
Mitsubishi 55" TV (old style big screen)
RGPC 600 S - Power conditioner (Richard Gray)
Kimber PBJ interconnects
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What Jamo speakers do you have??
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The AV8003 may be in NAD's league, and it could be there is something I still need to find to tweak or set on the AV8003 but from some one who previously had Primare, the 8003 is NOT in Primare's league, nor is NAD. I have the same set up, amp/speakers, and just swapped out the Primare with the Marantz, so it's a pretty good comparison. The AV8003 is just HT for me though and I like the updated features so I plan to keep it. As I stated before the AV8003 is a great preamp in it's price range but beyond that, it is not a "giant killer". There is a very noticeable gap between the AV8003 and the 31.7 in resolution and imaging. Enough that it would be easy for most to hear the difference. Coming from a Sony the AV8003 I have no doubt is an upgrade. Especially with getting the matching amp. The same could be said for anyone using maybe a Rotel, Adcom or similar gear. It's been a while since I've heard the Anthem AVM but I have my doubts the AV8003 is that good. Actually, I probably would consider taking the AV8003 back if I thought they would let me and not have to lose money, like a restocking fee or something. It really was more of a step back in sound from the Primare than I expected.
To keep things in perspective the Primare 31.7 had a retail of $1,500.00 more than the Marantz and the Marantz has, what, 10 times the features, so it isn't nothing to be ashamed of that the Primare sounds better. It should, people better get something for $4k. To get comparible sound of the Primare with the features of the AV8003 will be out of most of our price ranges for sure.
The 31.7 was a great deal more open and had the capability to make the speakers disappear. The AV8003 has not been able to do this. When I watch movies with sword fights using the Primare the clash really sounds like steel hitting steel with the impact and jolt to it. Through the Marantz swords are merely a sound effect. Things like water sounds had more realism through the Primare. Through the Primare birds and other ambient sounds seem to come from no whare, with the Marantz they are localized to one speaker location or the other. It's interesting on the Marantz it seems to put the music of a sound track slightly behind the dialog or center action which I like. The Primare kept things more even along the sound stage and some times dialog became more difficult to hear in busy scenes. The 31.7 was much more capable of letting you hear the separation between the instruments though, it was almost like watching a movie in the middle of a concert, the music to the sound tracks was almost, too good. A lot of this may not make much sense unless you've heard very good preamps before and have that reference point.
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I guess I'll have to wait a little bit longer to replace my Mac, thanks for the info all!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Peabody
The AV8003 may be in NAD's league, and it could be there is something I still need to find to tweak or set on the AV8003 but from some one who previously had Primare, the 8003 is NOT in Primare's league, nor is NAD. I have the same set up, amp/speakers, and just swapped out the Primare with the Marantz, so it's a pretty good comparison. The AV8003 is just HT for me though and I like the updated features so I plan to keep it. As I stated before the AV8003 is a great preamp in it's price range but beyond that, it is not a "giant killer". There is a very noticeable gap between the AV8003 and the 31.7 in resolution and imaging. Enough that it would be easy for most to hear the difference. Coming from a Sony the AV8003 I have no doubt is an upgrade. Especially with getting the matching amp. The same could be said for anyone using maybe a Rotel, Adcom or similar gear. It's been a while since I've heard the Anthem AVM but I have my doubts the AV8003 is that good. Actually, I probably would consider taking the AV8003 back if I thought they would let me and not have to lose money, like a restocking fee or something. It really was more of a step back in sound from the Primare than I expected.
To keep things in perspective the Primare 31.7 had a retail of $1,500.00 more than the Marantz and the Marantz has, what, 10 times the features, so it isn't nothing to be ashamed of that the Primare sounds better. It should, people better get something for $4k. To get comparible sound of the Primare with the features of the AV8003 will be out of most of our price ranges for sure.
The 31.7 was a great deal more open and had the capability to make the speakers disappear. The AV8003 has not been able to do this. When I watch movies with sword fights using the Primare the clash really sounds like steel hitting steel with the impact and jolt to it. Through the Marantz swords are merely a sound effect. Things like water sounds had more realism through the Primare. Through the Primare birds and other ambient sounds seem to come from no whare, with the Marantz they are localized to one speaker location or the other. It's interesting on the Marantz it seems to put the music of a sound track slightly behind the dialog or center action which I like. The Primare kept things more even along the sound stage and some times dialog became more difficult to hear in busy scenes. The 31.7 was much more capable of letting you hear the separation between the instruments though, it was almost like watching a movie in the middle of a concert, the music to the sound tracks was almost, too good. A lot of this may not make much sense unless you've heard very good preamps before and have that reference point.
Wow MrPeabody. I've been keeping up with the reviews of this thing on other forums and yours by far is totally different from any I have heard. I've read the reviews of those who have the Anthem and Marantz and they say the Marantz performs better than the Anthem. Your review is just not what others have been saying. Aside from the usually hand-shaking problems others have been complaining about, the only other complaint was that there was no post processing, but other than that, they say this thing is unbelieveable.
Here is a portion of what some are saying.
Quote:
adidino
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 402 Quick poll..
Who on this thread went from a higher end prepro such as Krell, Anthem D1/D2, Proceed, Lexicon, etc.. to the Marantz? and how do you feel about it now since most of you, I'm assuming have had it for a while.
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Bluray Player Audio Comparison Chart Thread
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MKtheater
AVS Special Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: central NY
Posts: 2,021 I did. I have owned many higher end processors with the highest being the Meridian 861. I like the Marantz. The best for movies so far.
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BEHIND THE SCREEN
frenchmon
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Frenchmon was there a link to that thread? I can't believe anyone would be happy coming from a Krell or a D1 and going to the Marantz. Of course, there's a guy on here who claims he went from Levinson separates to a Panasonic receiver and preferred the receiver. What do you mean by post processing? That post would be relevant because only those coming from higher end gear to Marantz would have an idea or perspective of the difference. I can't understand why my results are different. The Dyn's are very revealing though and I do tend to be a critical listener. I also post it as I see it, or hear it, for better or worse.
Any idea what most are using for HDMI cable with the AV8003? I'm not using a "high end" name brand and I wonder if that would make a big difference. It was as good as my Tributaries HDMI for video so I didn't think audio would be off either. I may try that to see what happens if anything. There's so much conflicting info out there about HDMI it's hard to know which way to turn. The only way is to try it yourself.
If anyone has any suggestions as to why mine isn't impressing me let me know. I am using all Transparent IC's and speaker connects. I'm using just a 1 meter Belkin HDMI from BR player to preamp and Tributaries from satelite receiver to preamp. The Tributaries is 2 meter to reach the receiver. I set the unit up manually which most prefer to do anyway. I've been waiting for cooler weather to play with the Audyssey so I can turn the air off. The only difference in my set up is the preamp and I'm using HDMI from source to preamp where I was using multichannel analog on the Primare because it didn't provide HDMI.
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Very Important Post, please read if you've been following this thread
As I sit down with my crow sandwich........
First, let me thank everyone who chimed in with their own experience with the AV8003 and Frenchmon for your input. I started this thread after hearing the AV8003 and i thought it did sound very good in the sound room. This coupled with your further input got me to doing some thinking on my system. I was always wondering how the AV8003 could be so far off and my disappointment was giving me grief. So I got busy today and made some calls, tried some things.
As stated above in another post, my set up didn't have much difference from using the Primare, only the connections, up to this point I went through the Marantz I thought pretty good, so it left the connections. I called the store where I bought it and one guy wasn't much help, they're waiting to pick up some training from CEDIA. Talked to another guy about HDMI and he told me there is a difference in the cable quality and offered to loan me one to try. I thought, "what did you expect him to say". The problem was real though and I had nothing to lose. I picked up a Tributaries Series 7 HDMI cable, and borrowed his SPL meter. And away I went.
Guys, no matter what you read, or from who, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN HDMI CABLES. I was not using a $10.00 cable, I had a $40.00 Belkin which said 1.3 compliant. After reading CRAP on the internet about " it's digital either it would work or not" and seeing ridiculous cheap HDMI cables I thought 1.3 and $40.00 would have enough bandwidth. I put the Tributaries in and a Blu-ray disc I watched just last night. I listened to it again, certain scenes before switching cables. The improvement was obvious though, it opened the sound up. I mean most of everything that was making me unhappy went away, the music bloomed out and away from the speakers, the water sounded more natural, the birds and animal sounds were out into the room again, I'm really excited. The Series 7 will cost me a $150.00 and I am happy to take it to them. I actually brought home 2 cables one to go between preamp and BR, the other between pre and TV. I only tried the one between the BR and pre but I already noticed an improvement in picture quality. I can't wait the get the second one in, I expect the video to blow me away. The picture was already a bit sharper with more detail, especially in dark scenes and very bright scenes. Very bright scenes had more color where things were easier to see. I've got high end cables throughout my audio system, I don't know what made me think I could skimp with HDMI.
http://www.hometoys.com/htinews/dec0...es/perfito.htm
For the very first time I put a meter to my system, any system. I have to admit I was not as close as I thought by ear. My center channel which is sitting lower than my mains needed a 2 dB bump and my rears needed almost that. After adjustment the rears sounded alright during the movie but seemed a bit loud on a HD music video channel. I don't like the rears to be overly loud but I figure the meter don't lie, so it must be either a engineering problem or the station. The sub was too loud but I knew that, I was just waiting to get a meter.
I'm still not ready to take the belt from the Primare and give to the Marantz but the Marantz is now making it a much closer call. More importantly the Marantz is good enough to satisfy, ME, now. After all isn't that the goal :)
In conclusion, anyone who spends the money for HD gear and don't at least try quality cables for themselves is a FOOL because they will never get there money's worth out of that HD equipment. Take it from one who has learned there lesson.
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First Impressions
I'm new to these forums but I have been reading this thread for the last few weeks now in anticipation of purchasing the Marantz combo. I have been particularly interesting in following Mr Peabody's feedback, especially after being initially dissapointed with the sound quality. I am happy to hear that a large proportion of the sound quality problems were related to cables. I too have witnessed the transformation that good quality interconnect can provide but have also not been certain as to how this affects HDMI - thanks for this feedback - it is critical to know.
I just received a trial Marantz AV8003 & MM8003. I previously had a Rotel 1068 pre-processor & 1075 amplifier. I am now wanting to make the switch up to HDMI due to HD broadcasts being launched in South Africa a few weeks ago.
Firstly, Mr Peabody, if you can do an Audyssey set up I would highly recommend it, it made a significant difference to sound quality. It will take around 10 minutes (or less if you don't do all six listening positions). I used this purely for EQ settings and then I changed some of my speaker settings such as distance, output levels and size. I found Audyssey incredible for EQ settings but didn't like what it did for the rest.
My first impressions were mixed but it's taken a while to tweak and get right. What truly stunned me is how it brought, what I thought were previously poor quality sound sources, to life; these sources being satellite broadcasts and PS3 MP3 playback. I never ever thought I'd use the PS3 for music, especially using it's optical digital out in the past. MP3 playback thru HDMI and the new combo is now incredible, and SACD playback thru the PS3 is surprisingly good. (I was not able to get mutli-channel SACD playback previously with the Marantz SA15 SACD player as it only supports stereo - a fine player though.)
I was initially expecting more of an improvement with stereo playback but am now happy with it. I think it took a while for my ear to adjust to the additional detail coming thru. It also brings otherwise dull CD recordings to life. (Could have been related to my room acoustics and Auddysey doing it's thing.) I was previously very happy with stereo playback with Rotel equipment and Marantz SACD player but only on a sub-set of disks.
No doubt HD blu-ray sound is excellent; tight and solid. Don't have that many disks to demo but will fix that over time.
If I had to rate the new combo over my previous Rotel gear out of 10:
CD/SACD Playback - Rotel: 8; Marantz: 9.5
Satellite Broadcasts (both stereo and DD5.1) - Rotel: 6; Marantz: 9.5
PS3 MP3 Audio - Rotel: 4; Marantz 9
Blu-Ray - Rotel (only compressed 5.1 available) 6; Marantz 9
One gripe is the remote control, which, while very advanced, does not appear to have direct buttons to change the source. You need to press a sequence of 3 buttons to change the source. (Possibly this can be changed via programmed - I'll work on this in time.) One other grip is that it's not descriptive enough on input streams, e.g. I would like to know what resolution PCM it is receiving.
Mr Peabody, if you do have a chance to set up the Auddysey EQ let us know what you think.
Thanks all for your posts, it's been fascinating to read.
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Mr Peabody..
Thanks for your thread! I was somewhat worried that you did not like the Marantz...all because of a HDMI cord! I use the Kordz HDMI cables and they are good.
I would have thought Belkin products are quite respectable and this goes to show.
Have you come to terms with all the features of the AV8003?? I mean the surround sound modes - the mind boggles!
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