Originally announced in July and shown this week in Atlanta at CEDIA Expo, Marantz has a new flagship home theater receiver in the SR7005. Packing 125 watts of amplification (@ 8 ohms) for each of its seven channels, the SR7005 is a three-zone Audio/Video Receiver (AVR) with three-source audio distribution capabilities and six 3D-ready HDMI v1.4a digital inputs.
With the endless stream of 3D-related news coming out of this year's Expo, AVR shoppers are on the lookout for receivers and switching stations capable of handling the increased bandwidth and signal requirements of Blu-ray 3D and HDMI 1.4. The SR7005 has you covered in this department thanks to its six HDMI 1.4a inputs.
Thanks to its incorporation of HDMI inputs and on-board high end audio decoders and digital audio converters, the SR7005 is able to extract lossless soundtracks such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio from Blu-ray Discs for decoding and playback while it passes 3D-encoded HD video over to your 3D-capable display device. On the HDMI output front, it's worth noting that the SR7005 features two rear HDMI outputs, which is useful if you're trying to drive both a flat panel display and a projector. One of these is designated with the "ARC" acronym, indicating the SR7005's support for the Audio Return Channel, a new feature of the HDMI 1.4 specification.
In addition to providing the now-commonplace decoding for high definition audio formats mentioned earlier, the SR7005 is one of a growing number of AVRs that also includes several options from Audyssey's calibration and processing suite, including MultEQ XT room correction and calibration, Dynamic Volume, Dynamic EQ and Audyssey DSX decoding. With seven channels of available amplification, the SR7005 can be configured for either DSX "heights" or "wides" (but not both) thereby creating a more expansive sound field. (You can read more about Audyssey DSX decoding at the Audyssey Laboratories website). Also, unlike many earlier Marantz receivers, this generation supports lossless decoding while Audyssey's MultEQ XT speaker calibration/correction circuitry is active.
Considering the always-increasing popularity of portable devices such as Apple's iPhone and iPad, it's no surprise that Marantz has given the SR7005 significant I/O connectivity options, including Bluetooth. With a Bluetooth-enabled device, consumers can listen to music and content from these devices using the SR7005 and its connected speakers. What's more, the SR7005 gives a boost to the audio quality of digital files by decoding digital signals using its internal D/A converters while allowing for dual operation of the iPod using the iPod itself or the SR7005's remote.
The SR7005 is also considered a network AVR, thanks to its integrated network port and media networking capabilities. Network features include DLNA v1.5 support, built-in internet radio, Control4 certification plus compatibility with the new "Play To" feature of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system. Other networking features include built-in Rhapsody, Napster, and Pandora music streaming plus photo sharing via Flickr.
Based on conversations with Marantz product managers at CEDIA Expo, we also expect to see Apple's new AirPlay feature available on this and other network-capable Marantz receivers in the very near future. No surprise, really since D&M Holding (parent company of Marantz) also owns Denon and Denon receivers are already confirmed to be adding AirPlay support in the very near future via a firmware update.
The SR7005 should be available within a matter of weeks for a suggested retail price of $1,599.
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