Kazman
Well-known Member
The original purpose of upgrading from the outstanding SR4300 to the SR7400 was to improve stereo sound, and make use of the extra flexibility, well, I got what I wanted......and a whole lot more 
.
After the rave reviews/opinions on the net and on these very forums I decided to take the plunge and go for this amp.
Ordered it for a very reasonable £489 from AVLand, which included delivery. The service was great and they communicated well.
The amp arrived on time and was packed in two boxes. Apparently the models packed in two boxes are the ones that have received the fix for the over heating issues and sound drop outs that plagued the first generation models sold in the US. I can report no such issues with my unit, it runs a little hotter than the SR4300 used to, but not overly so.
Set up was quite simple, almost exactly like the SR4300 save for the added features on the SR7400 and the bass management.
First thing I tried were a few music CD's. My jaw dropped, but not to the floor. There was added transparency, you could hear the background instruments in tracks like Bitter Sweet Symphony clearer, where with the SR4300 you had to struggle slightly to hear such background niceties. Impressive for an AV amp, but still not stereo nirvana. I guess I really have to invest in a good stereo amp like the PM7200 to get the most out of my music.
Timing on fast rock and R&B tunes has improved a great deal, foot tappingly so. So foot tapping that my two ginger tomcats (the ginger ninjas) were watching my feet with glee as the laces slowly undid themselves with my funktastic moves............ahem.
Satisfied with the stereo presentation I thought I would try the DPL IIx Music and DTS NEO 6 music modes. Couldn't hear any difference in the quality of the SR4300 and SR7400 for DTS Neo 6, but DPL IIx is fantastic. I feel that DPL IIx gives a much weightier sound than the DTS equivalent, in both music and movies. The accuracy of the virtual surround steering is fantastic.
Next test, DPL IIx and stereo television sources. At first I was very dissappointed, where was my bass? Where was the sub interaction?!? It wasn't there, I had heard that others suffered the same experiences as me. Got round it though, for the Marantz to send signals to the sub, the Front L/R speakers have to be set to small in the setup menu. Once this change was made, the sub came alive. I was in awe at how much more enveloping DPL IIx seemed over standard DPL II. The sixth and seventh channel really opens things up. I think tested blind, there would be some who would find it difficult to tell the difference between DPL IIx and a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, that is how good DPL IIx is!!! In my opinion of course
The remote is great, haven't used the learning functionality yet, but it is very functional and a much better design compared to Marantz's previous efforts. The blue backlit display is lovely, and it feels solid. The light buttons are a bit awkwardly placed though, and the need to press the 'amp' button on a regular basis gets a little tiresome, but these are minor niggles.
This amp is impressing me a great deal so far..........will it continue to do so with movies I thought?
Off I went, grabbing all the test DVDs I could find: Minority Report (the sonic gun scene is fantastic), The Matrix Reloaded (numerous fight scenes and that car chase scene), Gladiator, Pirates Of The Caribbean, Bad Boys 2 (Car chase scene), Attack Of The Clones (the obligatory Asteroid chase scene), Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, Panic Room (great to test the delicate levels of soft voices and whispers), Notting Hill Special Edition (great to see if the sound improves the goosebumps experienced by the wife ).
Switched the front speakers back to their large setting, and began.
Now, the biggest difference I noticed straight away was the extra control in the bass, the terms boom and bang have never been so more apparent when trying to explain the difference between the SR4300 and SR7400 with regard to their bass control. You can hear the variations of low frequency signals, and you don't only hear the explosions, you hear the explosions and the rest of the soundtrack. The SR4300 tended to smother the listener with so much bass that at times it was difficult to make out what else was going on. The SR7400 has no such problems. There is still a little boom, but that is due to the Sub being only an Eltax Sub-10, I need a new sub, it is on my list of things to do along with the PM7200.
The next thing to hit me was the improvement in the steering of the sound, was fantastic. I felt myself duck several times during the 100 man Agent Smith fight in Matrix Reloaded, power oozes from this system, but not at the sacrifice of the more delicate needs of home cinema. Panic Room sounded sublime, the terror in the voices more easily heard, increasing the tension felt throughout. The opening battle scene in Gladiator, using DTS:ES was jaw droppingly good, this time, my jaw hit the floor!! Thump, bang, cries of pain coming from behind me, roars and tears of war searing through my lviing room, you felt as if you were there. The rear channels were used so well. The SR4300, although great for the money, simply cannot command the same authority and accuracy of sound steering that the SR7400 can.
Bad Boys 2, the car chase scene and the big bad machine gun. One of the Rasta gunmen has a huge machine gun which delivered lots of boom with the SR4300, so much so, that it really detracted from what else was going on in that scene. The SR7400 was so much more controlled and transparent, you could still feel the gun being shot, but you also found yourself ducking the various cars and boats (yes boats) flying all over the place, moving side to side on the sofa with the car. Was a hilarious sight and the ginger ninjas were watching me thinking I had gone insane!!
Every DVD I played sounded better, involved me more, and justified the upgrade.....now..........the final, and to some one of the most important tests............The Asteroid Chase Scene from Attack of the Clones.
I put the disc in, quickly sped to the chapter, started the scene, and increased the volume in anticipation of the depth charges. First one goes off, I fall back onto the sofa (narrowly missing one of the ginger ninjas), gobsmacked. The power and depth demonstrated was awesome!! Then the second depth charge went off and I had a HUGE grin on my face, fantastic!!!!!!!!
I love this amp, the SR4300 was great, I honestly initially thought that there is no need to upgrade it, but I am glad I did. This amp is a great buy, with an RRP of £699, the discounts to be had are amazing. Proven by my purchase of it at a bargain £489!! Unbeatable do the amp cheaper, but charge more for delivery.
Make sure it fits your rack though, the unit is a lot longer than the SR4300, so had to place the SR7400 on the top of my rack rather than one of the shelves.
If you are in the market for a new amp, give this one a try, it should at the very least be on the shortlist for everyone willing to spend up to £700 on an AV amplifier. In fact, from what I remember of the Denon 3805 at the Bristol Sound and Vision show, the SR7400 is a better buy considering the costs, and that is some recommendation.
The only thing missing from the spec sheet is THX, but, a little birdy tells me that the Marantz SR7400 can process to THX standards using its own algorithms, but decided against the THX certification logo as the price of doing so would have pushed it over cost. And on listening to the SR7400 after listening to a Yamaha RXV1400, I tend to agree, as to my ears I couldn't tell much difference between the Yamaha and the Marantz aside from their own style of sound.
Try and buy with confidence.
Kazman
.After the rave reviews/opinions on the net and on these very forums I decided to take the plunge and go for this amp.
Ordered it for a very reasonable £489 from AVLand, which included delivery. The service was great and they communicated well.
The amp arrived on time and was packed in two boxes. Apparently the models packed in two boxes are the ones that have received the fix for the over heating issues and sound drop outs that plagued the first generation models sold in the US. I can report no such issues with my unit, it runs a little hotter than the SR4300 used to, but not overly so.
Set up was quite simple, almost exactly like the SR4300 save for the added features on the SR7400 and the bass management.
First thing I tried were a few music CD's. My jaw dropped, but not to the floor. There was added transparency, you could hear the background instruments in tracks like Bitter Sweet Symphony clearer, where with the SR4300 you had to struggle slightly to hear such background niceties. Impressive for an AV amp, but still not stereo nirvana. I guess I really have to invest in a good stereo amp like the PM7200 to get the most out of my music.
Timing on fast rock and R&B tunes has improved a great deal, foot tappingly so. So foot tapping that my two ginger tomcats (the ginger ninjas) were watching my feet with glee as the laces slowly undid themselves with my funktastic moves............ahem.
Satisfied with the stereo presentation I thought I would try the DPL IIx Music and DTS NEO 6 music modes. Couldn't hear any difference in the quality of the SR4300 and SR7400 for DTS Neo 6, but DPL IIx is fantastic. I feel that DPL IIx gives a much weightier sound than the DTS equivalent, in both music and movies. The accuracy of the virtual surround steering is fantastic.
Next test, DPL IIx and stereo television sources. At first I was very dissappointed, where was my bass? Where was the sub interaction?!? It wasn't there, I had heard that others suffered the same experiences as me. Got round it though, for the Marantz to send signals to the sub, the Front L/R speakers have to be set to small in the setup menu. Once this change was made, the sub came alive. I was in awe at how much more enveloping DPL IIx seemed over standard DPL II. The sixth and seventh channel really opens things up. I think tested blind, there would be some who would find it difficult to tell the difference between DPL IIx and a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, that is how good DPL IIx is!!! In my opinion of course
The remote is great, haven't used the learning functionality yet, but it is very functional and a much better design compared to Marantz's previous efforts. The blue backlit display is lovely, and it feels solid. The light buttons are a bit awkwardly placed though, and the need to press the 'amp' button on a regular basis gets a little tiresome, but these are minor niggles.
This amp is impressing me a great deal so far..........will it continue to do so with movies I thought?
Off I went, grabbing all the test DVDs I could find: Minority Report (the sonic gun scene is fantastic), The Matrix Reloaded (numerous fight scenes and that car chase scene), Gladiator, Pirates Of The Caribbean, Bad Boys 2 (Car chase scene), Attack Of The Clones (the obligatory Asteroid chase scene), Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, Panic Room (great to test the delicate levels of soft voices and whispers), Notting Hill Special Edition (great to see if the sound improves the goosebumps experienced by the wife
).Switched the front speakers back to their large setting, and began.
Now, the biggest difference I noticed straight away was the extra control in the bass, the terms boom and bang have never been so more apparent when trying to explain the difference between the SR4300 and SR7400 with regard to their bass control. You can hear the variations of low frequency signals, and you don't only hear the explosions, you hear the explosions and the rest of the soundtrack. The SR4300 tended to smother the listener with so much bass that at times it was difficult to make out what else was going on. The SR7400 has no such problems. There is still a little boom, but that is due to the Sub being only an Eltax Sub-10, I need a new sub, it is on my list of things to do along with the PM7200.
The next thing to hit me was the improvement in the steering of the sound, was fantastic. I felt myself duck several times during the 100 man Agent Smith fight in Matrix Reloaded, power oozes from this system, but not at the sacrifice of the more delicate needs of home cinema. Panic Room sounded sublime, the terror in the voices more easily heard, increasing the tension felt throughout. The opening battle scene in Gladiator, using DTS:ES was jaw droppingly good, this time, my jaw hit the floor!! Thump, bang, cries of pain coming from behind me, roars and tears of war searing through my lviing room, you felt as if you were there. The rear channels were used so well. The SR4300, although great for the money, simply cannot command the same authority and accuracy of sound steering that the SR7400 can.
Bad Boys 2, the car chase scene and the big bad machine gun. One of the Rasta gunmen has a huge machine gun which delivered lots of boom with the SR4300, so much so, that it really detracted from what else was going on in that scene. The SR7400 was so much more controlled and transparent, you could still feel the gun being shot, but you also found yourself ducking the various cars and boats (yes boats) flying all over the place, moving side to side on the sofa with the car. Was a hilarious sight and the ginger ninjas were watching me thinking I had gone insane!!
Every DVD I played sounded better, involved me more, and justified the upgrade.....now..........the final, and to some one of the most important tests............The Asteroid Chase Scene from Attack of the Clones.
I put the disc in, quickly sped to the chapter, started the scene, and increased the volume in anticipation of the depth charges. First one goes off, I fall back onto the sofa (narrowly missing one of the ginger ninjas), gobsmacked. The power and depth demonstrated was awesome!! Then the second depth charge went off and I had a HUGE grin on my face, fantastic!!!!!!!!
I love this amp, the SR4300 was great, I honestly initially thought that there is no need to upgrade it, but I am glad I did. This amp is a great buy, with an RRP of £699, the discounts to be had are amazing. Proven by my purchase of it at a bargain £489!! Unbeatable do the amp cheaper, but charge more for delivery.
Make sure it fits your rack though, the unit is a lot longer than the SR4300, so had to place the SR7400 on the top of my rack rather than one of the shelves.
If you are in the market for a new amp, give this one a try, it should at the very least be on the shortlist for everyone willing to spend up to £700 on an AV amplifier. In fact, from what I remember of the Denon 3805 at the Bristol Sound and Vision show, the SR7400 is a better buy considering the costs, and that is some recommendation.
The only thing missing from the spec sheet is THX, but, a little birdy tells me that the Marantz SR7400 can process to THX standards using its own algorithms, but decided against the THX certification logo as the price of doing so would have pushed it over cost. And on listening to the SR7400 after listening to a Yamaha RXV1400, I tend to agree, as to my ears I couldn't tell much difference between the Yamaha and the Marantz aside from their own style of sound.
Try and buy with confidence.
Kazman
