My little Marantz SR6003 review

[bigred7078]

I've read some complaints about the 6003's remote sensor not working great from angles...have you noticed this with yours?

i've read that too, but honestly its not that bad. Then again its sitting in my rack right in front of me lol.

 

[bigred7078]

Just thought i would check back in and comment that i am still greatly enjoying the Marantz after having owned it for a few months now. I greatly recommend this unit to anyone.

 

[ldgibson76]

Hello bigred.

It's very refreshing to see someone who is so enthusiastic about the Marantz product. Out of all of the mainstream AVR manufacturer's, Marantz could be considered the obscure brand. High quality, no doubt! Unique styling, definitely. Relevant performance, none of the unnecessary gadgetry, without question! Remains true to it's music first heritage, absolutely! (I sound like a commercial).

As you probably already know, I own the Marantz SR9300. I'll admit, in most respects it's a dinosaur. Vintage 2003! But I've gotta tell ya, I picked it because of some of the same reasons you picked the 6003. I too have a Yamaha RX-V3000. A 50 lb behemoth! I really felt that when it came to AVR's, Yamaha was the "be all/end all"! But when I heard the Marantz, I abandoned that school of thought quickly. The SR9300 was so refine and smooth. Truly natural sounding. So I do understand your satisfaction with the 6003.

When I do replace it, and if I go the AVR route instead of pre/pro, the only AVR I will replace it with is the SR9600. The SR9300 was a beast for sure, but SR9600, despite it being 3 years old and having HDMI v1.1, I would take it over any AVR available today, including the 8002, and your most impressive SR6003. Why! First, it's Marantz's last AVR made in *Japan. So the quality is top notch. And it too, is a beast! Tipping the scale at 57lbs. (I have this thing about weigh and quality). The amp section is augmented with the 16 HDAM SA2 modules. (High Definition Amplifier Modules).

Anyway, what you seem to dig about the Marantz product, I share that same admiration.

I do have question for you. I see you have relieved the 6003 of the amplification duties and use the Emotiva amps for that responsibility. Being that the Vienna's, the Mozart Grand, in particular, is a somewhat difficult speaker to drive, (4 ohm), do you think that the Marantz, no doubt a strong performer, could have handled the job alone or did you know it would be a strain and external amps would be needed for the Mozarts to get the most out of them?

The reason I ask is because I added an amp to the SR9300 which is rated at 140w x 7. And the performance with the Klipsch's was phenomenal. But when I added the MM9000, big difference. My fronts low end performance was enhanced and the center channel performance went from mediocre IMO to downright dynamic! And my surround sound stage just exploded. I literally had to turn down the dB output level on the SR9300. It was set to 6+. Now it's set at 0 dB.

I didn't mean to hijack your thread with rhetoric. I'm just very curious about your setup and configuration.

BTW, the Mozarts are amazing!

*Nothing against the Marantz products from China, but there is a difference in build quality of the SR9600. The internals were definitely of better quality. Larger Massive, High Energy Power Supply, Huge Toroidal
Transformer; Copper Plated Chassis; HDAM-SA2 Modules; gold plated terminals, etc,.... I've look at the 7001/2 8001/2, but not the 6003. I just think that the attention to detail was lacking with the China models. I'm sure that the QC was greatly improved with the 2008/9 models (new look/chassis).

I've said my piece!

Regards.

 

[Lordoftherings]

Ok, I got it. Marantz SR6003 = nice sweet sound (very vice looking with only 3 buttons).

Marantz SR7002 & SR8002 = also very nice sound with more power.

Marantz SR9300 & SR9600XM = flagship receivers from the Marantz line with HDMA amplifier modules (very nice sound and good build).

Emotiva XPA-3 is coming soon in my home for my 3 front main speakers, to be paired with my Onkyo TX-SR805.

I also own a Yamaha RX-V2092 (44lbs, 22,000uf caps x 2), love the sound, very clear, perfect match for my very smooth speakers (Image Concept 200).
Very good damping factor, good control on the bass, nice midrange, and cool treble.

I also own a Denon AVR-3805. Nice sound too, but different than the Yamaha.
Love my 3805, but for 2-channel stereo listening, I prefer the 2092.

I own a bunch of other receivers too, a nice vintage Kenwood. I had previously a Marantz circa 1998. Love more the Yammy with my own speakers.

Now, nobody said anything about Onkyo Tx-SR805 and TX-SR876, which I own both. The 805 was $500, and the 876 was $900. Talk about value and build and features and power.

How the TX-SR805 would compared to the SR6003? Exact same list price.

And the TX-SR876 vs the SR8002? Only $200 difference in their list price.

Maybe the OP have some opinion and thoughts to share. Or other members can pitch in from their experience. I will be very interested to hear other people opinions.

I really like this thread, the people in it are very smart and well behaved, with valuable comments. And like the others, I love the setup from the OP, very beautiful speakers, Emotiva XPA-3 of course, I like the TV stand too, very modern and elegant. The center channel looks serious and meaning business.

So, Congratulations to the OP for a gorgeous Setup.

Regards,

Bob

 

[bigred7078]

Hello bigred.

It's very refreshing to see someone who is so enthusiastic about the Marantz product. Out of all of the mainstream AVR manufacturer's, Marantz could be considered the obscure brand. High quality, no doubt! Unique styling, definitely. Relevant performance, none of the unnecessary gadgetry, without question! Remains true to it's music first heritage, absolutely! (I sound like a commercial).

As you probably already know, I own the Marantz SR9300. I'll admit, in most respects it's a dinosaur. Vintage 2003! But I've gotta tell ya, I picked it because of some of the same reasons you picked the 6003. I too have a Yamaha RX-V3000. A 50 lb behemoth! I really felt that when it came to AVR's, Yamaha was the "be all/end all"! But when I heard the Marantz, I abandoned that school of thought quickly. The SR9300 was so refine and smooth. Truly natural sounding. So I do understand your satisfaction with the 6003.

When I do replace it, and if I go the AVR route instead of pre/pro, the only AVR I will replace it with is the SR9600. The SR9300 was a beast for sure, but SR9600, despite it being 3 years old and having HDMI v1.1, I would take it over any AVR available today, including the 8002, and your most impressive SR6003. Why! First, it's Marantz's last AVR made in *Japan. So the quality is top notch. And it too, is a beast! Tipping the scale at 57lbs. (I have this thing about weigh and quality). The amp section is augmented with the 16 HDAM SA2 modules. (High Definition Amplifier Modules).

Anyway, what you seem to dig about the Marantz product, I share that same admiration.

I do have question for you. I see you have relieved the 6003 of the amplification duties and use the Emotiva amps for that responsibility. Being that the Vienna's, the Mozart Grand, in particular, is a somewhat difficult speaker to drive, (4 ohm), do you think that the Marantz, no doubt a strong performer, could have handled the job alone or did you know it would be a strain and external amps would be needed for the Mozarts to get the most out of them?

The reason I ask is because I added an amp to the SR9300 which is rated at 140w x 7. And the performance with the Klipsch's was phenomenal. But when I added the MM9000, big difference. My fronts low end performance was enhanced and the center channel performance went from mediocre IMO to downright dynamic! And my surround sound stage just exploded. I literally had to turn down the dB output level on the SR9300. It was set to 6+. Now it's set at 0 dB.

I didn't mean to hijack your thread with rhetoric. I'm just very curious about your setup and configuration.

BTW, the Mozarts are amazing!

*Nothing against the Marantz products from China, but there is a difference in build quality of the SR9600. The internals were definitely of better quality. Larger Massive, High Energy Power Supply, Huge Toroidal
Transformer; Copper Plated Chassis; HDAM-SA2 Modules; gold plated terminals, etc,.... I've look at the 7001/2 8001/2, but not the 6003. I just think that the attention to detail was lacking with the China models. I'm sure that the QC was greatly improved with the 2008/9 models (new look/chassis).

I've said my piece!

Regards.

ldgibson76,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Marantz And also thanks for the compliments

To answer your queston, yes i did try the internal amps of the 6003 and i just found it lacking overall. I already owned the emotiva amps when i bought the 6003, but i always like to test out its internal amps every time i get an AVR running pre/pro duties. The Emotiva amps definately brought the SQ back to the level that i desire. My experience in adding external amplification have been almost right on with your explaination.

Thanks for the contribution to the thread

 

[bigred7078]

Ok, I got it. Marantz SR6003 = nice sweet sound (very vice looking with only 3 buttons).

Marantz SR7002 & SR8002 = also very nice sound with more power.

Marantz SR9300 & SR9600XM = flagship receivers from the Marantz line with HDMA amplifier modules (very nice sound and good build).

Emotiva XPA-3 is coming soon in my home for my 3 front main speakers, to be paired with my Onkyo TX-SR805.

I also own a Yamaha RX-V2092 (44lbs, 22,000uf caps x 2), love the sound, very clear, perfect match for my very smooth speakers (Image Concept 200).
Very good damping factor, good control on the bass, nice midrange, and cool treble.

I also own a Denon AVR-3805. Nice sound too, but different than the Yamaha.
Love my 3805, but for 2-channel stereo listening, I prefer the 2092.

I own a bunch of other receivers too, a nice vintage Kenwood. I had previously a Marantz circa 1998. Love more the Yammy with my own speakers.

Now, nobody said anything about Onkyo Tx-SR805 and TX-SR876, which I own both. The 805 was $500, and the 876 was $900. Talk about value and build and features and power.

How the TX-SR805 would compared to the SR6003? Exact same list price.

And the TX-SR876 vs the SR8002? Only $200 difference in their list price.

Maybe the OP have some opinion and thoughts to share. Or other members can pitch in from their experience. I will be very interested to hear other people opinions.

I really like this thread, the people in it are very smart and well behaved, with valuable comments. And like the others, I love the setup from the OP, very beautiful speakers, Emotiva XPA-3 of course, I like the TV stand too, very modern and elegant. The center channel looks serious and meaning business.

So, Congratulations to the OP for a gorgeous Setup.

Regards,

Bob

Bob,

Actually the most current Marantz processor and amp combo is the AV8003 and MM8003. Its an incredible combo IMO.

Thanks for sharing the AVR's you've had, very cool

Now about the Onkyo vs. Marantz questions. Honeslty IMO its all going to be personal preference. The onkyo's are great products, especially for the money, but i dont find them to be my cup of tea so to speak. The Onkyo's are definately packed to the gills with features though which is very nice. I just find that Onkyo is more focused on overall features they have than the overall quality/ sound quality of the units. Not that they don't sound great, i just personally found the Marantz to be better.

If your after an awesome processor i suggest the AV8003. Its flat out awesome, and has mucho featurs to boot. Its been raved about since its release. Now of course it has its drawbacks but most units these days do too lol.

You should also love your XPA-3. There is nothing like having tons of headroom available

Thanks for the compliments on my room and gear, i appreciate it

-Steve

 

[aarond]

I was actually surprised by how well the 6003 did in the S&V review. Here is a quote from the review

"Power output from the Marantz SR6003 A/V receiver was very impressive. It substantially beat its 100-watts-per-channel ratings in single-channel, stereo, and even 5-channel tests (rare for any receiver), and it very nearly managed 100 watts all around even with all 7 channels driven. Frequency-response and distortion tests gave uniformly excellent results as well. But noise and linearity results consistently fell a bit short of theoretical targets, factors that together suggest a moderate least-significant-bit error in the digital-to-analog conversion system. Although this would restrict ultimate dynamic range by a few dB, it’s almost sure to be undetectable in real-world listening, and I noted no such artifacts in my evaluations, including fade-to-noise audibility tests over headphones."

nice for a sub $1k receiver

 

[Lordoftherings]

Bob,

Actually the most current Marantz processor and amp combo is the AV8003 and MM8003. Its an incredible combo IMO.

Thanks for sharing the AVR's you've had, very cool

Now about the Onkyo vs. Marantz questions. Honeslty IMO its all going to be personal preference. The onkyo's are great products, especially for the money, but i dont find them to be my cup of tea so to speak. The Onkyo's are definately packed to the gills with features though which is very nice. I just find that Onkyo is more focused on overall features they have than the overall quality/ sound quality of the units. Not that they don't sound great, i just personally found the Marantz to be better.

If your after an awesome processor i suggest the AV8003. Its flat out awesome, and has mucho featurs to boot. Its been raved about since its release. Now of course it has its drawbacks but most units these days do too lol.

You should also love your XPA-3. There is nothing like having tons of headroom available

Thanks for the compliments on my room and gear, i appreciate it

-Steve

Thanks Steve for your reply.

To be frank with you the Marantz AV8003 is not my cup of tea.
Great sound from it's analog outputs, but I'm more into digital these days.

And I like the Onkyo PR-SC885P much better for overall and for the price too (it was only $529 about 2 weeks ago).

The AV8003 has indeed too many fatal flaws, unforgivable. But that's me.
And the power amp,... I'd rather not talk about.

My take:

Onkyo TX-SR805 and 875, plus Onkyo PR-SC885P and 886P = best value and performance, plus features and ergonomics.

Marantz AV8003 & MM8003 = expensive, too many flaws, incomplete set of features, no volume indicator on the front panel display, not great bench tests on the MM8003. (Too many people disatisfied.)

Emotiva (all amps) = much better deal than the Marantz MM8003.

That's my very personal opinion.

But in your case, I approve the mix and match of the SC6003 with the XPA-3.

One last thing, my speakers are extremely smooth, so the Marantz is not a good match for me. But the Onkyo with it's neutral sound and clarity is the best match. And Yamaha sound is also a good match for my speakers, better than Denon.

In the end, it's all about the perfect marriage, same for married couples.
Everybody is good but better with some type of people. Same for speakers vs receivers or separates.

Regards,

Bob

 

[bigred7078]

I was actually surprised by how well the 6003 did in the S&V review. Here is a quote from the review

"Power output from the Marantz SR6003 A/V receiver was very impressive. It substantially beat its 100-watts-per-channel ratings in single-channel, stereo, and even 5-channel tests (rare for any receiver), and it very nearly managed 100 watts all around even with all 7 channels driven. Frequency-response and distortion tests gave uniformly excellent results as well. But noise and linearity results consistently fell a bit short of theoretical targets, factors that together suggest a moderate least-significant-bit error in the digital-to-analog conversion system. Although this would restrict ultimate dynamic range by a few dB, it’s almost sure to be undetectable in real-world listening, and I noted no such artifacts in my evaluations, including fade-to-noise audibility tests over headphones."

nice for a sub $1k receiver

Yeah i have that issue and it was a pretty favorable review.

 

[bigred7078]

Thanks Steve for your reply.

To be frank with you the Marantz AV8003 is not my cup of tea.
Great sound from it's analog outputs, but I'm more into digital these days.

And I like the Onkyo PR-SC885P much better for overall and for the price too (it was only $529 about 2 weeks ago).

The AV8003 has indeed too many fatal flaws, unforgivable. But that's me.
And the power amp,... I'd rather not talk about.

My take:

Onkyo TX-SR805 and 875, plus Onkyo PR-SC885P and 886P = best value and performance, plus features and ergonomics.

Marantz AV8003 & MM8003 = expensive, too many flaws, incomplete set of features, no volume indicator on the front panel display, not great bench tests on the MM8003. (Too many people disatisfied.)

Emotiva (all amps) = much better deal than the Marantz MM8003.

That's my very personal opinion.

But in your case, I approve the mix and match of the SC6003 with the XPA-3.

One last thing, my speakers are extremely smooth, so the Marantz is not a good match for me. But the Onkyo with it's neutral sound and clarity is the best match. And Yamaha sound is also a good match for my speakers, better than Denon.

In the end, it's all about the perfect marriage, same for married couples.
Everybody is good but better with some type of people. Same for speakers vs receivers or separates.

Regards,

Bob

Yeah the AV8003 is not for everyone, like i said it has its drawbacks. But i find it to be a pretty slick unit.

We all have different tastes, so you liking the Onkyo's is just another example of that. But i will agree the Onkyos have an AWESOME feature set that is incredibly hard to compete with at their price points That 885 for the 549 was an awesome deal. They went pretty fast though (obviously lol).

Also i definately don't recommend the MM8003 either. Like you said it didn't bench test that great, and you can get WAAAY better amps for that similar price point. But for those who like to match its not the worst choice in the world lol.

I definately love my Emotiva amps. I use the XPA-3 to drive my center and rears and i actually use the RPA-1 to drive my mains. I really prefer the RPA-1 for musical performance.

P.S- i like your comparison of perfect marriage to ones perfect speaker/eletronics choice, its soooo true!

-Steve

 

[chas_w]

Hi Steve - just wanted to check in and see if you're still enjoying the Marantz.

Have you missed the Audyssey Volume/Dynamic EQ of the Denon at all since switching?

 

[bigred7078]

Hi Steve - just wanted to check in and see if you're still enjoying the Marantz.

Have you missed the Audyssey Volume/Dynamic EQ of the Denon at all since switching?

Hey chas,

Im definately still enjoying my Marantz, and no i don't miss the Dynamic EQ and volume. I was never a big fan of them to begin with though as it to noticeably compressed the sound for me, although Dyanmic EQ was pretty good for some things.

Bottom line was the Denon was to sterile for me. I won't have the 6003 much longer though as i never planned to keep it. I will be getting the Emotiva UMC-1 and then evetually the XMC-1. But for those wanting an excellent recevier or pre, the 6003 is something i definately recommend.

-Steve

 

[q123we]

Some help for a poor soul por favor

I just replaced my old Kenwood amp with a Marantz 6003 I also have purchased the SVS STS-01 system with a PB12-NSD sub. I have all the speakers except for the STS towers which will ship in July. So I am using my BOSE 301 for fronts for now. My need of help is in the speaker setup on the 6003. I run the MultiEQ and it sets everything up and then I store that. But when I check the speakers in manual mode they show up as Large whereas the SVS people want them to be small. Can I just change them in manual mode and all the other MutiEQ stuff remains? There is no store function when doing manual changing. Or when I make a change in manual mode all the other stuff goes away?

 

[Lordoftherings]

Actually, it is excellent that you manually select Small in this case.

I just replaced my old Kenwood amp with a Marantz 6003 I also have purchased the SVS STS-01 system with a PB12-NSD sub. I have all the speakers except for the STS towers which will ship in July. So I am using my BOSE 301 for fronts for now. My need of help is in the speaker setup on the 6003. I run the MultiEQ and it sets everything up and then I store that. But when I check the speakers in manual mode they show up as Large whereas the SVS people want them to be small. Can I just change them in manual mode and all the other MutiEQ stuff remains? There is no store function when doing manual changing. Or when I make a change in manual mode all the other stuff goes away?

Hi,

It is perfectly fine to change the setting of your speakers from Large to Small (just pick the appropriate x-over frequency); so do it with perfect confidence and with an even better audio integration in your case, from your speakers.
It will not affect your Audyssey MultEQ settings and they will all remain.

When you make a manual setting for your speakers, it will remain there.
And nothing else will go away.

Bob

 

[q123we]

Thanks, just what I need to know..........If you remember Bob you were the reccommmender of the 6003 to me. Seems to work great I just need to get the STS-01 towers so I can rest for another 17 years.

 

[q123we]

Another question if I may be so bold..........would you recommend any other manual changes after the MultiEQ has done it's thing?

 

[bigred7078]

Hi,

It is perfectly fine to change the setting of your speakers from Large to Small (just pick the appropriate x-over frequency); so do it with perfect confidence and with an even better audio integration in your case, from your speakers.
It will not affect your Audyssey MultEQ settings and they will all remain.

When you make a manual setting for your speakers, it will remain there.
And nothing else will go away.

Bob

Yup good ole Bob is correct

 

[bigred7078]

Another question if I may be so bold..........would you recommend any other manual changes after the MultiEQ has done it's thing?

Well it just depends on what you like. I use the Audyssey Flat setting wheras some don't. I actually have my speakers set to large, and obviously many others do not. Its just all about the synergy of a setup and what sounds best to your ears. I suggest just doing small tweaks and see what it does to the sound. The best way to understand things is to play around with it and see the effect it creates or takes away

 

[Lordoftherings]

Hi q123we.

Thanks, just what I need to know..........If you remember Bob you were the reccommmender of the 6003 to me. Seems to work great I just need to get the STS-01 towers so I can rest for another 17 years.

Another question if I may be so bold..........would you recommend any other manual changes after the MultiEQ has done it's thing?

No, I did not remember that. I hope that you're happy with it. Stupid comment, of course you're happy with it, I know that already. And I like that, "reccommmender"; sounds like "Master and Commander - The Far Side of the World".
Anyway I'm glad that you remind me, because it reminds me that I recommended you one of the great receiver for pure audio pleasure with a very sexy look as a bonus.

You may be bold, no sweat. What other manual changes are you thinking about? None in particular? So, why being bold and ask me in the first place?
Just kidding.
There are many setup recommendations all around, the very best is from Audyssey Setup Guide.
Here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=14456895#post14456895
And as for your speaker's size, it is not Audyssey that decide that, but it is your own SR6003 receiver that decided that. Don't put too much attention to this, and set it manually to Small.
Here: http://www.audyssey.com/faq/index.html#largesmall
And for more FAQ, just scroll up at the top of the page where you'll find several questions with their answers while scrolling down.

Here's my quick recap:

* On your SR6003, set all your speakers to Small with a x-over of 80hz.
* On your subwoofer itself (from the rear settings), set the Phase control at 0 degree.
* On sub itself, set the Low Pass Filter to "Bypass" (if avail) or to it's maximum position.
* On sub itself, set the High Pass Filter (if avail) to it's minimum position.
* On sub itself, set the Gain (volume level) at about 1/3rd of it's rotation knob.
* After all these selections are made, run Audyssey Automatic Room EQ.
* On your SR6003, with Audyssey MultEQ, use the full 6 microphone positions.
* Oh, and don't be shy to rerun Audyssey anytime that you feel like it, it does normally improves the measurements with a few reruns anyway. And you don't have to adjust the main volume level control, Audyssey will take care of that automatically when you run it's automatic room EQ.

Hmm... Let me think now. I think that's about it. Just read the Audyssey Setup Guide for excellent information and recommendation for the perfect setup.

And anytime that you have some specific questions on anything related to your surround speaker setup, don't hesitate.
Are you happy with the sound of your Marantz SR6003?

Best regards,

Bob

 

[q123we]

"Are you happy with the sound of your Marantz SR6003?"

I am not the guy that can tell the difference between a 1985 quarter hitting the floor or a 1988 quarter hitting the floor as some of the fellows on this forum obviously can. I can tell you that the Marantz is a considrable upgrade from the Kenwood amp that I had and the SVS sub is room shaking. So bottom line I am very happy with the sound but I have also upgraded the speaker system so where do I put the lion share of "very happy" I don't know.

I will implement your suggestions.

What the heck...........an off the board question for you......any thoughts on a universal remote?