Marantz AV8003, Vivaldi and Indiana Jones

ABOUT THX

• The AV8003 is a superb exponent of the musical purity Marantz has upheld through thick and thin since its beginnings

• Price: €2,800

• Specialists' rating: 5

• Text: Luis LLANA

The extraordinary rate of obsolescence inherent in digital technology can consign a superb high-end, high-priced A/V integrated amplifier to the memory chest faster than one would like, which is why many enthusiasts opt for separate preamp-processors and power amplifiers, without going here and now into the greater operational flexibility of such setups. When the inevitable happens, only the preamp-processor goes to the storeroom, while the prized power amplifiers are saved from the bonfire.

My dear Marantz caters to this group of enthusiasts with two new pieces of electronics: the AV8003 7.1-channel A/V preamp-processor with AM and FM tuner, the star of the lines that follow, and its perfect complement, the MM8003 eight-channel power amplifier, delivering 140 W per channel into 8 ohms across the full frequency range. Marantz has placed them in its more popular Range series, to which it devotes its greatest attention in the key areas of each product, applying economies of scale in others that do not call into question the company's commitment to the music-loving tradition inherited from its founder, New Yorker Saul Bernard Marantz, whose spirit is kept alive by the brilliant Ken Ishiwata.

Inside the AV8003, densely populated for what is "only" a preamplifier, Marantz has spared no expense and designed a modular solution, with the circuits arranged on parallel boards separated by function and interconnected by very neatly arranged cable looms. In other words, the ideal solution to prevent different circuits from interacting and causing mutual interference. In the power supply we see an encapsulated toroidal transformer mounted on a sub-chassis to isolate vibrations, and a filtering and regulation section mounted vertically, assisted by an aluminum heat sink. The whole assembly is housed in a sheet steel chassis, copper-plated to keep electromagnetic interference at bay. In short, an uncompromising construction (its almost 12 kg, a respectable weight for a preamplifier, bear witness to this) in the crucial areas which, in return, makes some concessions in less important ones so that the final price does not suffer. Such as the front panel, made of aluminum only in the upper central section, the flip-down door and the outside of the two knobs, while the rest is plastic that is not especially thick.

The rear panel shows a complement of HDMI connectors on a clear par with those for the other video formats, although this may still prove insufficient now that HDMI connection is gaining ground day by day for transferring video and multichannel audio over a single cable. Be that as it may, the AV8003 has four HDMI inputs and two outputs in version 1.3a, which supports, among other things, the xvYCC color space, 30/36-bit color depth, 1080p/24Hz resolution, double refresh rate (100/120 Hz) and the Lip Auto-Sync function with automatic adjustment of the offset between video and audio. It offers the same number of inputs and outputs for component video, S-Video and composite video, with an extra S-Video monitor output. Unusually for a product in the Range series, there are XLR connectors for balanced signals on one analog audio input and on the eight-channel preamp outputs, duplicated in both cases by their unbalanced counterparts on RCA connectors, all of very good quality and firmly fixed to the chassis. Otherwise, it offers six line inputs for analog audio (none for phono), four recording outputs and two for multi-zone, 7.1-channel inputs, and six digital audio inputs with one output, in S/PDIF electrical and EIAJ-TosLink optical formats.

For the video section, Marantz has chosen an Anchor Bay Technologies (ABT) processor with 10-bit precision, which can convert analog video signals in component, S-Video and composite formats and send them to one of the two HDMI outputs with HDCP-encrypted content protection. But Marantz, probably driven by its purism in respecting the signal, has chosen to limit the AV8003's processing capability, leaving other functions to a more specialized processor in the video chain. This is not a position exclusive to Marantz, since THX recommends disabling conversion in an audiovisual processor for the sake of optimum video performance. Be that as it may, it is not possible to convert 720p signals to 1080i or 1080p, or 1080i to 1080p, nor does it allow luminance or chroma adjustments or noise reduction tasks ("mosquito", edge, block, etc.).

For the HDMI output, the 480p/576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p and AUTO resolutions can be configured. Only if the last of these is specified will the processor determine exactly the right resolution to match the native resolution of the output display pixel for pixel, except that, with the AUTO setting only, if the connection is made via an HDMI-to-DVI cable conversion, the output will be limited to 480p/576p. Finally, since digital video input signals via HDMI can only be sent to an HDMI output, if the connection to the display is made through an output other than HDMI, they will not be displayed.

On the audio side, in addition to decoding each and every digital audio signal supported by the bandwidth of the coaxial and optical interfaces, the AV8003 is able to decode Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD and DTS HD Master Audio data streams, which it accepts on any of the HDMI inputs, including multichannel PCM audio. All of this is handled by a 32-bit processor (DSP) and one 24-bit/192 kHz DAC for each of the eight channels for digital-to-analog conversion. It is THX Ultra 2 certified, including THX Neural, chosen by satellite radio stations as their surround sound standard. It supports SRS Circle Surround II and Dolby Headphone via the headphone output. And although it has no USB port, the D-MAX function makes it possible to recover some of the high-frequency information lost in compressed audio formats such as MP3 and its close relatives.

No less interesting is our guest's ability to act as a media player when its Ethernet port is connected to a LAN (local area network), allowing music, images and video to be shared from DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) servers, for which it comes with a dedicated manual. And speaking of manuals, the only concession to Spanish is the leaflet about battery recycling, because reading the three manuals requires a knowledge of Italian, Dutch, German, French or English. Very regrettable in a unit as complex as the AV8003, which cries out for manuals even in Latin, if need be.

Initial setup and subsequent adjustments are carried out through a spartan text-mode interface, but navigating its very logical hierarchical structure of menus and options, in English only, is easy, with the menus shown on the display connected to either of the Monitor Out (S-Video) or HDMI outputs, or both at once. Setup can be done from the unit's controls or using an excellent universal learning remote control based on a non-touch multifunction LCD screen, whose controls are not very intuitive and initially leave you puzzled, although the manual will clear up any doubts. It offers soft, adequate backlighting at the press of a key strategically placed on one side. It runs its own Wizz.it 3 environment, programmable (there is a manual) from a personal computer running one of Microsoft's latest Windows operating systems. The AV8003 can control up to three zones, including the main one, using a second remote control optimized for this function, which sends independent codes to each zone. It also has learning capability.

I won't bore you with the long list of menus and options, but it is all so evident to anyone even slightly familiar with this type of unit that setup can be completed successfully without resorting to the manual, or only on rare occasions to resolve doubts. The AV8003 offers Audyssey's channel calibration and equalization protocols, only in its MultEQ version, which adapts the frequency response of all the loudspeakers to create the best possible listening environment according to the characteristics of the listening room. The once tedious initial channel setup, which required a sound level meter to do things properly, is now child's play with Audyssey and its distinctive microphone. Our friend measured speaker distances to the listening position, their time delays, checked electrical phase, adjusted sound pressure and captured the data for Audyssey equalization in about 40 minutes. Just the right amount of time to mix a good cocktail as a reward for the hard work, while the unit does its calculations between microphone moves.

Mounted on a tripod, I moved the microphone around the six positions in the room that the MultEQ version allows at most: first at the listening position, with enough "air" around it for the channel setup, and the rest at strategic points in the room to capture the data for equalization. The subsequent check showed each speaker at exactly the right distance and correct balance between channels (according to my sound level meter), including the tricky subwoofer that other automatic calibrators get in a muddle with. However, I was not convinced that it considered all the speakers to be Large, nor by the 60 Hz crossover point of the low-pass filter for the subwoofer, very low for my surround speakers. I repeated the operation and got practically the same results, so I entered the appropriate corrections manually, and that was that.

INTO BATTLE

Courtesy of Marantz's distributor for Spain, Sarte Audio, I took the measure of the AV8003 at leisure, which allows me to state without any doubt that I was dealing with a formidable machine in terms of sheer performance. I used a Pioneer BDP-LX70A Blu-ray player, whose firmware I updated to the latest version 3.35, connected via HDMI with Supra HF100 cable, and a Marantz SA-11S1 SA-CD player connected unbalanced with Van den Hul Integration cable. I could not use the balanced connection because the SA11-S1 player's XLR outputs have pins 2 and 3 reversed (they do not follow AES standards) compared with the standards-compliant XLRs of the AV8003, and I did not have the right cable. This incompatibility is incomprehensible between two machines from the same manufacturer.

To the preamp output of the main channels I connected a Rotel Michi RHB10 2x200-watt power amplifier, to the center and surround channels a Rotel RB993 3x200-watt power amplifier, and to the surround back channels two Marantz MA500 140-watt monoblocks. These were paired, respectively, with two 802 S3s, an HTM and two SCM8-THX dipoles, all from B&W's 800 Matrix series, and two Sonus Faber Wall speakers. To round things off, a THX-certified 800ASW subwoofer, also from B&W's 800 Matrix series. For image display, a Mitsubishi HC2000 projector connected to one of the AV8003's HDMI outputs with a Supra HF100 HDMI-DVI cable.

With Pure Direct engaged for a direct audio signal path to the output, which is more effective than Source Direct (also available), its performance with stereo music is hats-off stuff, as if it were a preamplifier of the purest two-channel pedigree. I devoted a good part of the time to stereo (forgive me for not listing the recordings used, for lack of space) because it was an excellent reference for what would follow, unless the digital multichannel audio processing circuits played some nasty trick on me, highly unlikely given the state of the art this technology has reached.

Indeed, our friend demonstrated its musical excellence in multichannel with the delightful soundtrack of the brilliant Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, whose music and songs by Danny Elfman, mixed in Dolby TrueHD in English, the AV8003 renders with clear, perfectly placed voices; the music flows smoothly across the stage, while the sparse ambient effects come across clear and crisp, very realistic. With weightier fare, the soundtrack of Iron Man, with Dolby TrueHD audio in English and Spanish, is spectacular and utterly overwhelming because of its hard-hitting low-frequency effects and the abundant information in the surround channels, creating a three-dimensional sound space that immerses the viewer in the scene with incredible realism. The room seemed to shake (I couldn't stop thinking about my neighbors) with the brutal footsteps and blows of the two supermen in their fight at the end of the film.

I should underline in capital letters the absence of aggressiveness, with no outbursts or harshness, which makes it possible to watch an entire movie like Iron Man at high sound pressure levels without the dreaded listening fatigue making an appearance. Less brutal, but equally effective, is the soundtrack of the Lucasfilm installment Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, whose dialogue in the English version with Dolby TrueHD has exceptional weight, focus and presence, superior to the Spanish dub in Dolby Digital, although the rest of the soundtrack has little to envy that of the superior Dolby TrueHD, or at most there are small differences of nuance. But Audyssey, as an active equalization method that tries to make up for a room's poor acoustics, does not quite convince me, fashionable though it may be. With all the subjectivity you like, it is true that some stray room resonances in the bass region disappear, but some of the body and weight in those frequencies is lost, and it causes a certain attenuation of the highs.

In view of the results, it is clear that the electrical matching (voltages and impedances... and a bit of magic) between the AV8003 and the power electronics was perfect, which is not always possible with components from different sources. Power amplification and loudspeakers are of paramount importance in an ambitious system, but it is the preamplifier, as the earlier link in the audio chain, that makes the difference between good and exceptional. And the AV8003 is an excellent heir to the musical purity Marantz has upheld through thick and thin since its beginnings. It will not disappoint those who seek to lift their spirits toward Nirvana listening to a Monteverdi madrigal or one of Vivaldi's seasons in pure stereo, nor those looking for the strongest emotions in multichannel with pure action movies such as Iron Man.

Juan Rubio, Managing Director.



I would just like to thank the magazine and Luis Llana for the precision and detail with which the article has been written. The problem with the Spanish manuals will be remedied shortly.



Best regards.

ABOUT THX

Originally designed for the professional cinema sector, THX is a program of specifications and technical requirements that a THX-certified movie theater must meet as a guarantee of the best sound and picture quality. Before certification is issued, key points such as external noise and noise from the theater itself are reviewed and corrected: air conditioning equipment, projector noise, distorted, poor or reverberant sound, low-quality images, etc. In addition, SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture Television Engineers) standard 202M sets out the criteria for sound mixing and dubbing studios to ensure that all soundtracks are produced to the same standards, notably including the standardization of frequency response.

Studios mix with a high-frequency equalization called the X-Curve, suited to large movie theaters, but when it is transferred to a smaller domestic room, the result is unbalanced, colored sound. To correct these deficiencies, THX developed the THX Home specification program for home theater systems. THX Ltd. was founded in 1983 as a division of Lucasfilm, based in San Rafael, California, but since 2002 THX Ltd. has been an independent company in which Lucasfilm is a shareholder.

In order to extend certification to a wider range of products, THX later defined groups identified by a specific logo (THX Select, THX Ultra, etc.) based solely on the size of the listening and viewing rooms. A small room will require less amplifier power, but the THX signal processing circuits (which we obviously will not go into) will be identical to those of a processor with more generous amplifier power from a higher THX group. To counter a great deal of urban legend, and to give our readers a clearer idea, we will offer a few clarifications in response to certain opinions often voiced about THX.



-THX is not a sound encoding and/or decoding standard. It is additional processing applied to the data resulting from decoding Dolby Laboratories and DTS codecs, for which the A/V processor includes a series of complementary electronic circuits.



-THX certification only guarantees that the certified product strictly meets the technical requirements for that type of unit within its group, and its suitability for a home theater environment, but its musical qualities will depend solely on the care taken in its design and construction.



-A THX-certified power amplifier has no added electronic circuits; its certification is no benchmark of sound quality, nor does it take into account whether it is an honest mid-range unit or reference-grade. Certification only guarantees that it is capable (which is no small thing) of competently driving the difficult THX-certified loudspeakers of its own group.



-Listening to a movie soundtrack with a good-quality THX-certified processor and loudspeakers in a well-treated domestic room is a superb experience. But it will be less so when only one of the parts, the processor or the speakers, is certified. In the first case the THX post-processing circuits will be missing, and in the second, the speakers' special sound radiation properties. Precisely because of the latter, music lovers are not short of criticism of THX-certified speakers for strictly musical listening.

Marantz AV8003, Vivaldi and Indiana Jones

Specifications

AM SECTION Frequency range 531-1602 kHz, usable sensitivity 400 uV, distortion 400Hz, 30% Mod. 0.5%, selectivity 70 dB ± 20 kHz. FM SECTION Frequency range 87.5-108.0 MHz, usable sensitivity IHF1.8 uV/16.4 dBf, signal-to-noise ratio mono/stereo 75/70 dB, distortion mono/stereo 0.2/0.3%, stereo separation 1 kHz 45 dB. PREAMPLIFIER SECTION Signal-to-noise ratio (analog input/Pure Direct) 105 dB (20Hz–20kHz). Frequency response (analog input/Pure Direct) 8 Hz -100 kHz ± 3 dB (digital input/96 kHz PCM) 8Hz-45kHz +3dB. Input sensitivity/impedance (unbalanced) 200 mV 47 k ohms (balanced) 400 mV/ 30 k ohms. Output sensitivity (unbalanced) 1 V 470 ohms (balanced) 2 V 470 ohms. GENERAL Power consumption 85 W, standby 1 W (normal), 0.7 W (eco), dimensions not specified, weight 11.6 kg. DISTRIBUTOR Sarte Audio Elite (963510798).

Price: €2,800