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Will write a followup as I get more used to it. Very clear as opposed to flat(my old sony since 98) solid constuction. Originally called sales for a Onkyo TX-805 they had one left through factory refurbished from [.]. for only 599.00 after speaking with the rep(who was knowledgeable by the way) he mentioned this Marantz SR5003 especially hearing the speakers im running(b&w 600 series) Shipped last saturday morning(fed-ex) and i've been very impressed with the sound.
The looks are pretty nice, too. I bought this Marantz receiver on sale from OneCall, which I've purchased from before and had very good experiences. It replaced an analog 2 channel preamp because I decided to add a display and needed HDMI switching.
if you are listening to a CD and then switch to Aux1, the remote also sets itself to control Aux1 instead of the receiver, even if you don't have anything actually set to be controlled as Aux1). I use a Logitech Harmony 670 universal so it's not a big deal.Overall, despite a few minor ergonomic nitpicks, the Marantz SR5003 is a very nicely made and specced AVR. (I.e. I especially dislike that switching inputs on the receiver also switches what component the remote controls - you have to press the "Amp" button to control the receiver again.
This is not a very common feature in this price range, and it took me quite a while to find a receiver under $1K which met that along with having a few other must have features. The remote is not a favorite of mine. It's in a secondary system with a universal DVD/SACD player (connected via HDMI) and a recent addition of a Logitech Squeezebox, and also an external amp driving a biamped set of speakers. The one operational nitpick I've had is that the menu interface could be a little better, and the setting of the 12v trigger to turn on the external amp is off by default - and the option to change that is buried fairly deep in the menus.
I've been very happy with it from a feature standpoint as well as performance. I also needed something with the 12 volt DC trigger output to turn on the external amp, which not many receivers have. The fact that Marantz has a reputation for giving attention to refining the sound quality of their products helped.
For what its worth, my SR5003 is hooked up to a pair of recently "broken-in" Monitor Audio RS-6's (main), a Boston Acoustics VR-1 (center) and a pair of Paradigm Atoms (rear surround).And last but not least, two "thumbs-up" to OneCall, with which I had no experience before this purchase. My only caution would be that the SR5003 is rated at 90 watts per channel, which is fine for my room size (about 15 x 15) , but may not be enough for larger rooms. Nonetheless, my aging ears (which suffer from a touch of tinnitus from too many concerts in my 20's) do not need high volume, and I am satisfied with the power of the unit. I purchased this AVR on Thanksgiving Day, when it had been offered by OneCall (via Amazon.com) for nearly 20% off list price (despite the fact that this unit seems to rarely be discounted on the internet). I have since purchased a couple other items from OneCall (one of which had to be returned due to a mistake on my part) and the service and promptness of OneCall has been exemplary with each transaction. Now that I have had a chance to listen to it with the Blu-Ray as well as listening to it in 2-channel mode (music) I can report that I am very pleased with the sound quality and separation in both 2-channel and my 5.0 setup (no subwoofer is being used). I waited to review it until I had a chance to set it up with a Panasonic Blu-Ray (BD55) that I received for Christmas (also purchased on Amazon.com). The sound quality in 2-channel was very important to me, and for the price this AVR is a very reasonable choice.
(I am having it restored) I got the Marantz primarily for when I set up my 50" plasma for surround sound. For AV purposes the Marantz is really well designed with a huge number of configurations.
The sound is very clean and powerful. I also I have the XM satellite radio setup which was very easy to connect and make active.
I previously had a McIntosh amplifier (tube) and preamplifier, then a 150 watt Luxman reveiver. The sound is quite good although maybe not quite at the level of the Luxman for classical music which is what I listen most often (I am a trained musician).
The remote is quite well designed and can be used as a universal unit. The Luxman because of its age started popping in and out of one of the channels.
Right now it's pushing two Klipasch Chorus II speakers.
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