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Marantz PM8003: Capable of 2.0 through 5.1 ?


Radmanna

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Hello, I'm Steve and I'm ... home theater challenged. Wait a minute ... this is the home theater anonymous meeting, isn't it?

I've been planning a simple stereo setup that can also suffice as a two channel home theater (HT) setup. So, I knew I would not have to be very nitpicky when choosing an integrated amplifier, as long as it could play two channels for a pair of L/R speakers.

I now see the music & HT setup morphing soon to a L/C/R (3.0) ... with a pair of Cornwall 3's and one Heresy 3. Quite possibly in the not too distant future, I may want to expand to a 5.0 ... with a pair of Cornwall 3's and three Heresy 3's.

When targeting for an integrated amplifier, I only had two channel playback in mind. The Marantz PM8003 looks very promising, to be married up with the Marantz SA8003 SACD player, for two channel stereo music.

My question is, if I buy the Marantz PM8003 for two channel today ... and decide to engage a center channel for my HT ... would the PM8003 be able to accommodate 3.0 HT setups?

For that matter, can the PM8003 handle all the following HT setups: 2.0, 2.1, 3.0, 3.1, 5.0, 5.1?

If the PM8003 can handle all the above six HT setups (2.0 thru 5.1), how can you tell that it can handle all these, when reading the PM8003 literature at the following link? < http://us.marantz.com/Products/2570.asp >

Steve

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Thanks Olorin.

To give an idea of the price range for sound systems, following are the Marantz components that I originally targeted for my living room's hi fi stereo. I chose them from the Marantz "Hi Fi Components" page :

(1) SA8003 SA-CD player.

(2) PM8003 Integrated amplifier.

(3) ST7001 AM/FM Stereo Tuner.

Would any of the above three components accommodate 3.0 through 5.1 HT?

Here is a link to the Marantz products: < http://us.marantz.com/762.asp >. The Marantz website has one page for hi fi ... and two pages for AV components: (a) AV Receivers and (B) AV Separates. What is the purpose of advertising the AV Separates page ... separate from ... the AV Receivers page?

If I buy only Heritage speakers (Cornwall and Heresy), which require relatively low watts per channel due to efficiency, then should I only be looking at the Marantz AV Receivers page and disregard the Marantz AV Separates page?

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Steve,

Got this from the Marantz website:

"In the PM8003, even the pre-out/main-in terminals serve an additional purpose. A convenient front panel switch optimizes the main-in terminals for use with a separate surround processor and disables the PM8003’s front panel controls (input selection, volume, balance, etc.). Another three-second push on the Power Amp Direct button restores the PM8003 to normal stereo operation."

You could still get the PM8003 and find an outboard surround processor to matrix from 2 channel to multichannel. Just a thought if your heart is dead set on the PM8003.

http://us.marantz.com/Products/2570.asp

You might just want to purchase the Marantz SR5004(or any other up the line) receiver which has 90w/channel and is capable from the start to grow with your systems growth. The Marantz home theater receivers have very good preamp sections for 2 channel playback. In the long run this way will be lighter on the wallet.

Bill

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You might just want to purchase the Marantz SR5004(or any other up the line) receiver which has 90w/channel and is capable from the start to grow with your systems growth. The Marantz home theater receivers have very good preamp sections for 2 channel playback. In the long run this way will be lighter on the wallet.

Bill

Thanks Bill. I want to remember reading somewhere that the Klipsch company (or Mr. Klipsch) recommended not exceeding 100 watts per channel. Did I read correctly about keeping under 100 watts/channel for Heritage speakers ... and why the 100 waltts threshold?

I haven't purchased anything yet for my living room music and HT. So, are the two following points correct?

(1) If I got the PM8003 to accommodate SA-CD music ... it will only play two channel SA-CD music ... and will only play 2.0 Home Theater (HT). If I wanted to use the PM8003 fo have 3.0 through 5.1 HT playback, I would have hook the PM8003 to a surround processor. And if I were sticking to Marantz components (oranges to oranges), then to use the PM8003 for surround sound, I would have to buy the only AV processor that Marantz sells: The AV8003 pricetag is $2,600.

(2) If I did not buy the PM8003, and bought the SR5004 instead ... I would not need to hook the SR5004 to a surround processor. I could use the SR5004 to play SA-CD music in both 2-channel stereo or multi-channel. And I could watch movies in 3.0 through 5.1 HT playback.

If both of the above points are correct, then the savings by going with the SR5004 would be significant, if you want to play both SA-CD music and also 3.0 through 5.1 HT. I guess I would have to ask: What's the catch? Meaning, would there be a significant difference in SA-CD music sound quality ... between the PM8003 two-channel system ... and the SR5004 multi-channel system?

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Thanks again, Bill. I'll check out the SR5004/6004 receivers.

Any comment about the two THX AV receivers that Marantz offers? Are the names of these two THX AV receivers indicative of their being the only Marantz AV receivers that can play THX recorded movies?

For that matter, I don't recollect ever seeing THX movies being offered for sale or for rentals. How much "in vogue" are THX recorded movies for use at home? Is it worth considering THX receivers for HT playback, or would money be better spent on getting upgraded DVD players?

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The 6004 is the lowest priced Marantz receiver I would recommend for two channel listening, unless one is only considering a receiver on a very limited budget. View the "Compare models" lists and you'll see why. Checkout accessories4less.

THX is merely a rating system; it is not a playback system. Non-THX players play the same discs as THX rated discs. In my opinion, most home environments do not "need" the power standards of THX, especially with Klipsch speakers.

The 6004 is a very "Klipsch friendly" receiver.

SSH

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