When new technologies that are related to home entertainment evolve, all of the devices within the home theater system need to be updated so they can use these technologies together. One example occurred when the new 3D HDTV displays were launched back in early 2010 so consumers can finally enjoy 3D visuals from home. In addition to the 3D TV requirement, other devices need to be updated as well. With Blu-ray formats being the primary high-definition format, special 3D Blu-ray movies are required to witness the effect and these titles need to be placed in 3D Blu-ray players. Then an updated AV receiver like the Marantz SR5005 is needed to connect these 3D devices together while providing audio enhancements. In fact, the SR5005 is a decent model to work with for high-end configurations.
Marantz SR5005
Design
The Marantz SR5005 is large and very attractive because most of the functions are hidden giving it that minimalistic appearance. Like most AV receivers, the input selector and volume controls take the form of large knobs on the opposite ends of the receiver. In between these knobs is the large display. Below the display is a large panel that can be opened to reveal the various other buttons and ports. There is nothing particularly out of the ordinary with the layout and the directional buttons surrounding the “Enter” button look good for quick interaction when up close. Overall, this receiver is solidly built and should match other black home theater components nicely.
Below is the back panel layout. Click on image to enlarge for a clearer view.
Marantz SR5005 Back Panel
Features
The SR5005 is one of the several new models that feature HDMI 1.4a capabilities. This new version is necessary to connect any components like HDTVs and Blu-ray players with 3D features. Many devices are shifting to 3D making it more important to upgrade the older AV receivers. This specification also adds an Audio Return Channel so there is no longer a need to connect separate cable between the receiver and display. It also has the Auto Lip Sync feature which corrects those delays that occur when characters on the TV start talking.
Ordinary HDMI cables can still be plugged into any of the 4 available HDMI inputs allowing any standard home theater system to be set up. Although each input has a label, any device that has the HDMI interface can be hooked up to get the benefits of the receiver. A USB port is found in the front where iPod and iPhone devices can be hooked up. No other connections are necessary once the USB cable is hooked up and the M-DAX2 circuit will take care of the rest by improving the overall quality of any compressed formats like MP3 files.
The SR5005 has 7 discrete component amplifiers that each generates 100 continuous watts so it takes good advantage of those sophisticated 7.1 surround sound systems and loudspeaker setups. The Audyssey MultEQ feature makes the setup and calibration easier by sounding out a series of test tones that help determine the optimal settings of every speaker in the room. It also uses Dynamic Volume to keep these speakers in appropriate sound levels to handle sudden changes of volume.
The on-screen display makes it even easier to make these adjustments. As long as the AV receiver is hooked up to the display using an HDMI cable, users will be presented with a text-based interface so each of the inputs can be properly labeled and other critical settings can be adjusted quickly.
The Marantz SR5005 is ready to handle all sorts of configurations as it comes with full support for Dolby TrueHD, Pro Logic IIz and IIx, DTS HD Master, ES Discrete, and even some obscure ones like Neural Surround. It also houses a video processor, which can transcode any analog signals to digitals so they can be passed on via HDMI for near HD quality.
It is equipped with a few extras as well including Bluetooth support if the RX101 module is hooked up. Second Zone Capability is a go with the Marantz SR5005 for multi-room configurations and Sirius subscribers can instantly access their favorite channels from the receiver.
Conclusion
The Marantz SR5005 may not be intended for the larger home theater systems since it only offers four HDMI ports but it has a price below $900, which is reasonable considering the new 3D features and other enhancements that it brings. The strong support for various formats also makes this better than the older competing models.
Update: There is a newer model > Marantz SR5012