“Marantz’s SR6004 packs as many tech features like Bluetooth as an audiophile could ask for, without compromising the brand’s legendary sound quality.”
Avg
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Superior sound
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Bluetooth and USB connectivity
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7.1, multi-zone and bi-amp capability
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Pro-Logic IIz support
Against
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No THX processing
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Only one S-Video input
Introduction
For the past 55 years, Marantz has put quality first. While other receiver manufacturers often scrambled to be first to market with the latest, greatest features, Marantz remained quietly patient, waiting out the inevitable bugs and limitations of brand new technologies. The result of the company’s patience is a legacy of exceptionally well-made, solid products that, to the satisfaction of their owners, perform flawlessly for years and years. Today, Marantz offers a suite of state-of-the-art receivers that, true to their tradition, have been carefully designed to offer the latest audio decoders and video processing combined with their legendary superior sound. Positioned toward the upper end of Marantz’s A/V receiver lineup, the $1,249.99 SR6004 is a tremendous value offering uncompromising sound, incredible connectivity, and an intuitive user interface in a very attractive package that’s consistent with Marantz’s history of high-style/high-performance products.
Out of the box
A well-powered and well-designed amplifier will, generally speaking, be heavy. Large power supplies, copper chassis and capacitors are heavy components, so it’s hard not to start judging the receiver as soon as you pick it up. The SR6004’s 28lb weight is admirable, but what’s exciting is the fact that it’s clearly concentrated in the receiver’s power section.
The jet black SR6004 is very attractive as far as electronic components go. Marantz has always produced elegant looking products and this receiver continues that tradition. The incredibly clean front of the unit is gracefully curved to the left and right, softening the appearance of this gentle giant.
In the package with the receiver there is one multi-function remote control with backlight; microphone for Audyssey calibration software; Bluetooth wireless receiver; antenna (or antenna, if you prefer); some batteries; and a user manual that is thicker than most government history textbooks.
Features
The Marantz SR6004 is very competitive. We immediately noticed four HDMI 1.3 inputs and two HDMI outputs. Component video and composite inputs are plentiful, but there’s only one S-Video port and it’s on the front panel. Marantz omitted the S-Video connection from the tray on the back of the receiver to reduce clutter and make setup easier. We’re extremely pleased to see Marantz’s on-screen interface output via HDMI (along with component and composite options), a feature often overlooked by other receiver manufacturers. The SR6004 will upscale all video sources to 1080p and output them through one of its two HDMI connections using on-board video processing from the i-chips. Another notable video feature is the SR6004’s ability to output a component video signal that is synchronized with the audio output of another zone. This essentially allows the user to offer full A/V capability in two rooms with different sources simultaneously, so you can now enjoy DVD projections District 9 in one room while the children watch Spongebob in another. Perfect!
The SR6004 offers all the latest audio decoders, including Pro-Logic IIz for “tall speakers” that add a vertical surround field for more realistic effects. You can enjoy uncompressed audio from Blu-Ray discs, high-definition multi-channel SACDs, DVD-Audio… you name it, and the SR6004 has you covered. Marantz has even included their own M-DAX processor to restore high frequencies to compressed music for significantly better sound from your iPod or iPhone.
Other special features include a Bluetooth wireless receiver that allows you to wirelessly stream music from your Bluetooth device; USB input that works with your iPhone as well as most other portable music devices; XM/Sirius radio capability; and an infrared receiver that lets you hide your gear in one room and control it from another.
Performance
To evaluate the SR6004, we put together an Oppo BDP-83, an Xbox 360, a Nintendo Wii, a VIP722 Dish Network receiver, and an iPhone 3G. We used speakers from Snell Acoustics, Aperion Audio and B&W.
Perhaps the most exciting new feature the SR6004 offers is its Bluetooth connectivity. Since it doesn’t offer a network interface, the receiver’s Bluetooth and USB connectivity are likely to be the most commonly used input sources. We tested each of these inputs using our iPhone 3G, first with compressed files, then with uncompressed files. What we found was that the all-digital USB interface was clearly superior in sound quality with uncompressed files and less pronounced with compressed music. However, the Bluetooth interface was much more convenient. We could control everything from our phone from across the room and, in some cases, from neighboring rooms. When we got out of range the music stopped and then resumed when we got back into receiver range. With Marantz’s M-DAX processing engaged, we noticed a significant improvement in high-frequency response, but it was still quite obvious that the source was compressed from the start.
Mark Knopfler’s first song Get lucky the release opens with eerie woodwinds backed by a luscious string section, before segueing into a soaring dual groove – just like the big flatbed truck the song is written about. During the quiet opening, the SR6004 exposed a huge amount of air around the Scotch flute and gave us a real sense of texture like bows cut across the strings. When the rhythm section kicked in, so did the Marantz’s extraordinary power – the bass was learned, punchy and balanced against the incredible transitional sounds of the acoustic guitar. We listened to this track through several systems and it often had a fairly flat, compressed soundstage, but the SR6004 breathed life into the recording with depth that was very satisfying.
For multi-channel music, we lined up for Pink Floyd The dark side of the moon on SACD and kicked away as the room was lit up by instruments from every direction. We’ve heard this recording dozens of times, but listening through the SR6004 was a completely different experience. There was remarkable separation between channels while maintaining musical cohesion. Each layer of the recording was well balanced and crystal clear.
For movie playback, we put the SR6004 through a number of speaker configurations. Most receivers support either a 7.1 speaker configuration or a 5.1 configuration with the option to add “treble speakers” supported by the Pro-Logic IIz, but not both at the same time. The SR6004 is one of the few receivers available that allows both in tandem. You can also forgo the taller speakers and use the outputs to double-amp your front speakers or run a pair of speakers in another room. This flexibility allowed us to run our full 7.1 system and include height speakers at our discretion. It didn’t take much listening to conclude that the SR6004 really behaved more like separate components than a receiver. Clean channel separation, lack of crosstalk, instantaneous power and super low sonic distortion all pointed to a combination of preamp/processor and 7-channel amplifier. By offering such exemplary receiver performance, Marantz has made the transition to component separation much more difficult.
To be honest, we had a hard time sniffing out any weak points the SR6004 might exhibit. So we put it through a series of tests to determine the quality of each of its components, and in the end we were impressed that the SR6004 managed to pass each one with top marks. We even compared its onboard DACs to those found in high-end SACD and Blu-Ray players and found that in most cases the Marantz’s decoding actually sounded better. It’s true that the SR6004 doesn’t offer THX processing, but its absence is barely noticeable and should only be a consideration for those who really enjoy the THX flavor of processing.
Conclusion
The Marantz SR6004 is perhaps the best-sounding receiver in its price class that we’ve had the pleasure of testing. It combines cutting-edge technology, premium quality components, breathtaking sound, high style and extreme flexibility to culminate in what we would surely call an “audiophile receiver”. In short, if you crave the sound of separate components but crave the convenience of a receiver, then the SR6004 is your ticket to audio heaven.
The tallest:
- Superior sound
- Bluetooth and USB connectivity
- 7.1, multi-zone and bi-amp capability
- Pro-Logic IIz support
Lowest values:
- No THX processing
- Only one S-Video input
Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn