SR7002 Listening Tests

Two-Channel Performance

I chose to review the system with Audyssey disengaged. If you enjoy the EQ results and choose to utilize it then you can only make it better. I utilized a series of discs to test the system, including some staples of mine along with some different titles. I focused a bit on stereo sound because I was very interested to see how much power could emanate from the SR7002 in terms of how well it controlled the minutia of classical and other detailed musical pieces. When reviewing in stereo, I connected up several speakers and really paid attention to how well the SR7002 could control the music through the system.

CD: The Man From Snowy River Soundtrack
I particularly love track 3 "The Chase" which goes from a deep, full, driving orchestral movement to detailed guitar work that simply floats in the air before the listener. Strings quickly join this break and the entire piece launches back briefly until it drops into a cello and bass-driven intermezzo. The lower midrange during this brief section was presented by the SR7002 as absolutely "controlled thunder" as if the system were containing all the power of the piece and biding its time. The track launches back into its roots after 2 minutes and the underlying brass and strings really popped. The brass was nice and edgy (real "blatty" the way it should be) and the strings, including the interspersed fingering and strumming of guitar, were vivid and clean.

CD: The Music of Apollo/Saturn V Center
I happen to have a connection to this particular CD, having worked on other aspects of the Kennedy Space Center for which it was composed. My job included storyboarding and editing the content for the 9-panel video walls of the Visitor's Center, however my boss at the time could always be heard in a neighboring room composing away at what would eventually become one of the finest pieces of music I've ever heard in a themed attraction. Recorded at L.A. East Studios in Salt Lake City, Utah and mixed at Signet Sound, I'd call this CD "barely mastered" in that it has so much dynamic range it's wonderfully raw. The first track contains a sort of leitmotif for the entire CD, recurring again and again in various forms throughout the piece. Track 5 is dark, with sound effects mixed into the gently, but ominously pulsating piece which allowed the Marantz to really help my speakers show off their ability to image. As the main theme came back in, bringing with it the hope associated with astronauts venturing into space, a percussive break and introduction of wind instruments into the mix gave my reference system plenty to chew on. The dynamics of this entire CD constantly pushed the SR7002 to insane levels and back again, causing it to really jump back and forth between sheer power and finesse. It never once seemed to have difficulty with either and I felt the clarity, control and consistency of the music was truly impressive.

Listening Tests: Multi-Channel Performance

For multi-channel performance, I'm "loaded for bear," as they say in those places where bear meat makes for a yummy dinner. AIX Records has been kind enough to send us some of their extraordinary recordings, all of which are made without the use of compression or outboard effects processors. The resulting tracks have an immense dynamic range and suffer none of the symptoms common with today's compressed iPod-destined tracks. In addition to this, some of the high resolution audio tracks on the new high definition movies makes for additional opportunities to test out a new AV receiver. This is truly the "fun" part of the review and I was looking forward to it.

DVD-Audio: Jonathan McEuen - One Step Ahead
Jonathan McEuen is fast becoming one of my favorite artists. He's got an incredible family history and his music is filled with some of the most heartfelt, raw music you will hear. In track 1, "Two of Us," the 12-string guitar making up the thick body of the track and the subwoofer - which is pumped through the Right Surround speaker was thick and had a nice upper mid bite to it thanks to the Marantz' seemingly endless supply of peak amplifier reserves. At the very beginning of the song there is a subtle but present percussion element that I have no description for, but which Chester Cooley interjects to open the piece. McEuen's vocals were simply smooth and clean with no hint of distortion from the speakers, even with the slide form falsetto to normal voice during the chorus. The second track begins with a strong lyric from Jonathan that is accompanied by a more melodic bass line. The 12-string, which mimics the lead acoustic, provides a truly thick bed for the vocals. Harmonies sounded clean and open. The more popular fifth track titled "Ocean" gave me a pristine vocal track. I cranked it and pushed the envelop of the system to see if I could get the Marantz SR7002 to break up at higher output levels. It took everything I could give it, including the opening harmonics which announced the verse. I quickly wanted to listen to some tracks which took position on either side of this style - some with even cleaner tracks and less instrumentation, and some with a more electric feel. I found the former with track 6 "Seven Shades of Blue" which brought out a stronger lyric in addition to electric guitar, electric bass and a more pronounced drum and percussion track. It really brought the life out of my speakers and I enjoyed hearing the SR7002 do such a fantastic job with these tracks.

DVD-Audio: Lowen & Navarro Carry On Together
Lowen & Navarro are kind of like the Barry Manilow of folksy pop music - they simply can't write anything that isn't catchy. It's not exactly a curse, but it does make for a difficult time turning off the disc until it plays all the way through. It's equally hard to pick a song for a review. I decided, as I frequently do, to start at the top - with track 1. "Compass Point," the title track, features a great beat, perfect (and I mean perfect) harmonies, as well as an REM-style guitar sound that had me tapping my foot as I listened intently to the intricacies of the music. The SR7002 had the stereo-miked mandolin poking through the mix like no other stringed instrument can and really made the upper midrange sing. The drums were mixed to the right side of the room and that brushed snare was tight and thick while the poignant guitar belted from the front left of the multi-channel "in-the-mix" soundstage. An accordion played a subtle accompanying part until it was brought well into the mix during choruses, then it became a nice full-bodied partner that really contributed well to the tune. Of course, my favorite track "Cold Outside" demonstrated beautiful vocal harmonies along with a smooth acoustic bass that slipped underneath the melody and provided a nice lower-mid flavor that seasoned the entire track. The drums once again proved to be well-miked, delivering a tight snare snare kick combo that drove the track forward. Cymbals were subtle and not compressed while a lead acoustic guitar solo displayed unmistakable finger noises and slides that came through like it was in the room.

DVD-Audio: The Beatles' Love (from the Vegas Cirque de Soleil show)
Having actually heard this show in Vegas, it's nice to realize how it's supposed to be presented. The 3D soundstage presented by the opening track "Because" is awe-inspiring, especially to those who haven't heard this type of mix before. The album flows from one track to another smoothly for the most part, so my listening test was a bit linear. "Get Back" put McCartney right where I wanted him - in the front of my living room, along with exceptional bass and a killer lead guitar. "Eleanor Rigby" being a transitional track, needed to be longer, but the exceptional strings (violins, violas and cellos) were simply perfect. The positioning of instruments went from low to high, across the soundstage from the left to right - an impressive effect. George Harrison nailed the backing vocals and the song put forth an ethereal, powerful place in the room. "Something" really showed off Harrison's vocals and gave a full song that included poignant guitar, bass and drums which challenged (but couldn't overcome) the Marantz SR7002's ability to take a thicker, complex song and push it hard to the speakers with out muddying it up in the process.

HD DVD: 300
The most subtle things in this movie are rendered as over-the-top sound effects. A spear dropping to the ground. A spray of dirt from the hooves of a horse. The jingle of arrows filling the quiver of a Persian soldier. The doors of the King of Sparta's home. Every single sound is pushed to its limits - and it makes for an incredibly thriving soundtrack. There is some excellent rainfall in the scene following the first sighting of the Persians. The queen speaks to an ally and droplets pitter patter in the surrounds, crickets chirping all around. In the first major battle sequence, the clash of metal on bone and metal spread across the front soundstage, while an ambient track filled in the surrounds. Sounds of children and blacksmith work dominated the intermittent scenes of Sparta which broke up the incessant sounds of battlefield blood spray and metal. When the Persian Warrior elite "immortals" attack the Spartans, the ring of metal and swipe of spears grew more pronounced and deliberate, and the score truly filled all of the speakers in a symphony of sound. Later, a rhinoceros attacks the Spartans, the resulting subwoofer hit when the beast is felled rocked the listening room.

HD DVD: Batman Begins
I began this disc during the ninja training sequence. The foley leather creaks were so realistically textured it was like you could reach out and touch the screen. The bat-flashbacks hit the subwoofer and bass drivers with a strong thump that set me back in my chair, while their high-frequency of the fluttering bat wings pushed the tweeters, yet held together. The dialogue which jumped around the room was very realistic and moved from the front to the surrounds seamlessly. I loved the subtleties this receiver was capable of producing. Dynamics were not a problem and, as the soundtrack went from dense to subtle, I listened for the SR7002 to fail to gracefully travel from one extreme to the other. It never faltered and seemed to enjoy the nonlinear surround audio track. In a later track, as Batman races through Gotham City in the Tumbler, helicopter blades fly through the surrounds as vehicle destruction comes through all speakers - mimicking the position of the carnage on the screen. The bird-like tweets of the helicopter rotors rang through the dipole surrounds and the enveloping sound field filled the theater room while the camera followed the action. At one point, out of control police cruisers, run off the road, launch into the air and crash back into the street. This entire scene was like being inside of a food processor after someone inserted a coat hanger. The finale explosion of the elevated train into the parking garage was awesome and activated the entire 5.1 system in a frenzy of low-end and mid-bass energy.