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Smooth operator
A relaxing look at a Marantz
By Max Christoffersen
May 2001
Marantz SR5000 AV receiver. $1999
Think treacle. Or smooth molasses, or maybe a whisky that slides down real smoooth. That’s what this home theatre receiver sounds like.
And I found a more 'relaxing' audio relationship in the Marantz SR5000. It’s a midrange home theatre receiver designed for those looking for a bit more audio than bells and whistles and it fits the mould of a unit designed to appeal to those with a primary love of music first and home theatre second.
Marantz has always enjoyed a level of innovation in its product development and the company has been making some big waves in home theatre recently. Its flagship home theatre products have been well received by owners and reviewers alike after years of playing second fiddle to more popular mainstream brands. This model fits in the same range but further down the scale of its wave-making bigger brothers and sisters.
Marantz has always had a formidable reputation for audio product quality and coupled with its strong link to Philips and customised audio-only products I was looking forward to seeing as Marantz up close. (Fifteen years later, I still lust after the Marantz CD94 CD player... simply gorgeous!) So it was with some interest I unpacked the Marantz and was met with a very symmetrical styling and very ‘me-too’ Japanese look as far as mid-price home theatre receivers go.
The set-up was straight forward, although some have struggled with the lack of on-screen displays and ‘economical’ owner’s manual.
But let's cut to the chase. The reason you would buy this Marantz is to hear an engaging quality of sound on both two channel audio and multi-channel home theatre. And it is exactly what you get. The somewhat 'soft' and lush delivery of both music and film soundtracks was very appealing, even if at times I would have preferred a touch more assertiveness in its delivery.
But what was evident is that the warm two channel audio balance transferred exactly to multi-channel home theatre soundtracks providing a relaxing, detailed and totally non-fatiguing home theatre experience. The warmth of the orchestral strings on film soundtracks and acoustic guitar intro (from Hell Freezes Over) slowly seduced the ears into a very laid back but thoroughly engaging performance. Before you knew it, Don Henley was singing Desperado and you didn't notice the time or feel the need to turn down the volume or adjust the top-end balance as the night went on.
If your priorities lie with the emphasis on warmth, this unit is for you.
However, the DSP soundfield functions are the worst I have ever heard. Suffice to say, Marantz would have been well advised to provide this unit with only Pro Logic, Dolby Digital and DTS decoding and leave it at that. It''s frankly a comedown from such wonderful music performance to hear such tinny DSP.
In use, the unit was less inviting than its sound quality. The remote is very limited in its acceptable angle requiring an almost dead-centre front approach to get the unit to respond. And when it does the healthy and substantial clunk of relays tells you the function has been set.
Further if you are looking for some instruction and advice from the owner's manual forget it. This is a brief, to the point, and almost graphic-less manual designed for people with time to spare and experience with other units. And when combined with the lack of on-screen displays means you are largely flying blind with this unit.
Be warned - the digital volume pot is finely set requiring a few turns to get to a realistic listening level and what appears as a metal fascia is plastic.
The inputs always appear to be somewhat sparse on midrange amp/processors in comparison to their heavyweight flagship counterparts, but with only two coaxial and only one optical input, potential purchasers will need to be sure it caters for all on-hand equipment.
There is a level of future-proofing with a standard six channel input/pass-through and pre-outs on all channels. And a welcome touch was the provision of independent level controls on the remote for surround centre and subwoofer levels.
What can't be forgotten, despite the somewhat 'clunky' nature of driving this unit was the very intoxicating feel. And when you consider that the same tonal characteristics carry over to multi-channel performance... pass over the red wine and roll on DVD audio!
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