Marantz Flagship AV8801 A/V Preamp & MM8077 Amp Preview

Marantz is beefing up their lineup with the release of two new flagship products, the AV8801 11.2ch preamp and MM8077 7ch amp. Like with other Marantz products, these two are made to complement each other, and from the specs alone they look pretty solid.

AV8801 A/V Processor

The AV8801 retails for $3,599 and sits at the top of Marantz’s non-reference line. It supports everything that you would expect from a modern preamp/processor, such as 3D ,4K, video upconvsersion, and network connectivity. It also has a number of features that take it from a run-of-the-mill product to a top performer. The AV8801 is equipped with Audyssey’s best calibration system, MultEQ XT32 (upgradable to Pro). It also supports Audyssey Sub EQ HT, a feature we are really excited to see. Sub EQ HT integrates two subwoofers into a system by adjusting level, delay, and EQ independently for each sub. Of Course, careful subwoofer placement is still critical to best performance.

The AV8801 isn’t light on connections either. It has both balanced and unbalanced outputs for all 11.2 channels, and supports DSX and DTS Neo:X so you can actually use all 11 channels.  It also supports 3 additional zones of audio and video. A phono input should make many audiophiles happy and a 192Khz/32-bit DAC should keep audio coming in from any digital signal sounding pristine. There are a total of 7 HDMI inputs and 3 outputs. Two of the HDMI outputs are mirrored but the 3^rd is fully independent and supports instapreview for convenient source selection. We are glad to finally start to see multi-zone support for HDMI as this can make video distribution much cheaper and easier than before. The AV8801 can be controlled via an iPhone app and a 4 port switch allows you to connect three additional devices to the internet via Ethernet. A wide variety of network features, including AirPlay, DLNA, SiriusXM, Spotify, and Pandora round out the AV8801’s network connectivity.

Marantz AV8801 Rear View

MM8077 Seven Channel Power Amplifier

The MM8077 retails for $2,399 and is marketed as the perfect companion for the AV8801. That seems a little odd to us because it is only a 7 channel amp and the AV8801 supports 11 channels. If you want to have an 11 channel system and still keep all the gear Marantz you would need to purchase the MM7055 5 channel amp or two MM7025 2 channel amps in addition to the MM8077. The MM8077 is rated at 150W (20Hz - 20kHz, 0.08%) into 8 ohms and 180W into 6 ohms. The total capacitance is a respectable 100,000µF. The unit is cooled by heat sinks arranged in a tunnel design and a quite fan that automatically kicks in when needed.  The MM8077 features both unbalanced and balanced inputs and 5-way binding posts accept bare speaker wire, spade lugs, or banana plugs. Finally, the chassis is copper-plated and part of a multi-layer bottom panel and triple-layer top cover for isolation.

 Marantz MM8077 Rear View

Conclusion

We have liked Marantz Reference Series products for quite some time so it is nice to see some of the design features trickle down to more affordable product. Then again, we say “affordable” in comparison to some of the other products we have recently reviewed, such as the Pass Labs X350 stereo amp for $11,000. The feature list of the AV8801 is impressive, but now many receivers for half the price offer similar features. The same goes for the MM8077, similar equipment can be had for less. But, that isn’t really the point with these two products; they are not designed for budget consumers. The AV8801 and MM8077 are made for people who want the performance of extremely high-end gear without the price tag, and we think these products fit that niche nicely.

For more information visit Marantz.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.