This receiver offers superb performance and connectivity and gives you a remarkable amount for your money
The Marantz SR6001 has plenty in common with the high-end Marantz SR7001 receiver we reviewed in our July . The design team may have spent less on connectivity, but from the front, it looks identical to its bigger brother (apart from the missing THX logo). The model’s power output is
a respectable 100W to each of its seven channels, and Audyssey’s automated Room Acoustic Calibration/MultEQ facility tunes the amp to your speaker system and room acoustic for the optimum performance in up to six different seating positions.
Twilight zone
Its multi-room capabilities aren’t quite as impressive as its bigger brother’s, but a second zone facility is available so long as you’re happy to redirect the additional rear speaker channels and stick to 5.1 surround in your main listening area. And a multi-room pre-output enables you to redirect audio and video signals to other rooms, too. Elsewhere, connectivity is very good, with assignable digital audio inputs and two HDMI input jacks.
The video upconverters upgrade picture signals to the best quality available and even route analogue picture inputs via the HDMI jack. The onscreen menu system is unremarkable, but it does the job. There are plenty of options for fi ne tuning the Marantz to your specific requirements once you’ve been through the lengthy setup procedure. Basic analogue signal upconversion and HDMI loop-through signals are expertly handled, with no signifi cant degradation. Analogue video signals converted to HDMI digital don’t look quite as good, however. Audio-wise, the SR6001 performs just as brilliantly as the SR7001. Side by side, there’s little to distinguish between the two, and despite the slightly lower total power output, the SR6001 has lots of drive and energy. Audyssey’s setup procedure really does help make the surround sound performance as immersive as possible across a wide seating area, and in Casino Royale’s high-octane action sequences, gunshots and explosive debris fl y all around the room with tremendous clarity. The HT-EQ mode tempers higher frequencies in the event that a soundtrack becomes too strident.
Pure and easy
Music is handled with similar fi nesse. Select the Pure Direct mode and the amp switches off all unnecessary internal circuitry, including the front-panel display, for the cleanest audio signal possible. The SR6001 offers remarkably similar performance to that of the pricier SR7001 and is only marginally less fl exible for those who want extensive multi-room capabilities.
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Marantz SR6001 A/V Receiver Short Specifications
Product type: AV receiver
Sound output mode: Surround Sound
Built-in decoders: DTS 96/24, DTS Neo:6, DTS decoder, DTS-ES decoder, DTS-ES Matrix 6.1, Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS-ES Discrete 6.1, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, Dolby Digital Surround EX
Remote control type: Universal remote control (Infrared)
Dimensions (WxDxH): 17.3 in x 15.6 in x 7.2 in
Weight: 33.1 lbs
Marantz SR6001 A/V Receiver Full Specifications
Input Resolution: 1080i
Output Resolution: 1080p, 720p
Accessories: FM/AM Antenna
Remote Control: Yes
DTS-ES: Yes
DTS-HD: No
Dolby Digital EX: Yes
Dolby Digital Plus: Yes
Dolby Pro Logic II: Yes
Dolby TrueHD: No
External Audio Outputs: Yes
HDMI Ports: 2
Speaker Channels: 7.1
THX Surround: Yes
Watts Per Channel: 100
Connectivity: Speaker Outputs, 7.1 Surround Output, Coaxial, Component Video, S-video, 3.5mm Headphone Jack, Composite Video, D-Bus Input, D-Bus Output, DVI-D, IR Flasher In, IR Input, Multiroom D-Bus Input, Multiroom D-Bus Output, Optical Audio, RS-232
No of Analogue Audio Inputs: 6
No of Analogue Audio Outputs: 4
No of Component Inputs: 4
No of Component Outputs: 1
No of Composite Inputs: 4
No of Composite Outputs: 2
No of Digital Coaxial Inputs: 2
No of Digital Coaxial Outputs: 1
No of Digital Optical Audio Inputs: 3
No of Digital Optical Audio Outputs: 1
No of HDMI Connectors: 2
No of HDMI Outputs: 1
No of S-video Inputs: 4
No of S-video Outputs: 2
Sound Output Mode: Stereo
Price at Launch: 700 GBP
Tuner Details: FM/AM RDS tuner
Audio D/A Converter: 192kHz/24Bit
Audio Decoding: Dolby Digital EX, DTS Surround, DTS ES Matrix and Discrete, DTS 96/24
Audio Features: Pure Direct Sound Enhancement, Variable Crossover, Real Full Channel Power Drive, Lipsync Control, EI Transformer, Audyssey MRAC
Impedance (Ohm): 8 Ohms
Max Frequency Response: 100 KHz
Min Frequency Response: 5 Hz
Power Output: 100 Watts per channel
Signal-To-Noise Ratio: 105 dB
Sound Output Modes: DTS, Dolby Pro Logic II, Dolby Pro Logic, Dolby Digital-Ex, Dolby Digital, Circle Surround II, DTS 96/24, DTS-ES 6.1, HDCD Decoder
Colour: Silver
Dimensions: 440 x 396 x 184 mm (w x h x d)
Weight (kg): 15 kg
Additional Features: Metal front panel
