Marantz SR6007 – Operation

Another benefit of the SR6007’s network connection is that it allows you to control the unit from an iOS or Android device running the Marantz Remote app, which was revamped in 2012 with a bunch of new features for faster browsing and control. It’s uniformly excellent, using funky icons and fast-scrolling, intuitive screens for browsing through network content (with album art) and internet radio, or controlling the unit’s many functions. The Home screen is customisable and you can even control a Blu-ray deck.

The real remote has been revamped too, with a cleaner and less cluttered layout than the 2011 version. There’s plenty of space around the crucial menu controls and the buttons are larger and therefore the lettering is larger. Frequently-used keys like volume, inputs and sound modes are flagged up clearly and the brushed finish is a nice touch. It’s a terrific effort, achieving a level of simplicity you wouldn’t normally expect from a receiver remote, although the lack of a backlight is a shame.

Setup is easy too. The SR6007 is equipped with Audyssey MultEQ XT, which automatically sets the levels, polarity, crossovers and delay for every channel, according to the information it receives from the supplied microphone. It takes readings from eight positions and even corrects the EQ to suit the acoustic properties of your room. Clever stuff. Not everyone likes leaving such matter in the hands of their receiver, but for those who hate faffing about in the setup menu it’s a godsend.

Once it’s completed it’s worth having a look in the setup menu and checking you’re happy with Audyssey’s settings. Everything appeared fine for our speakers but as with any auto setup mode there’s always room for error and you may be able to fine tune performance further with a few manual tweaks.

The onscreen design is almost as attractive as the unit itself. Again it’s been newly designed for this range and has a gentle, friendly look – a far cry from the utilitarian receiver menus of old. It’s also more consistent than the fragmented 2011 design, using  the same fonts and colour schemes across all menus – which in this case is gold to match Marantz’s brand colours.

The setup menu is superimposed over the left hand side of the picture, using white text and simple icons. It’s broken down into sensible categories (video, audio, inputs and so on) and every submenu is logically laid out. Some of the screens even use coloured graphics to illustrate your tweaks. The manual speaker setup menu is suitably detailed, while on the video side you can adjust individual elements of the picture and fiddle with the HDMI output settings. There’s no ISF or THX endorsement which may put off enthusiasts, but there’s more than enough here to satisfy more casual users.

Marantz SR6007 – Performance

In action the SR6007 is a class act, offering that distinctive Marantz sound – smooth and refined but with plenty of power in the tank. With Avengers Assemble in the Blu-ray deck, the SR6007 fills the room during the movie’s epic action scenes while peppering the soundstage with exquisite high frequency effects.

Whether it’s tinkling glass, the whoosh of wind as Thor spins his hammer or the little ‘fwip’ of lasers being fired, the SR6007 makes everything sound remarkably lucid. It results in an open, airy sound where everything has room to breathe – and not just the front channels. The rears also enjoy exceptional clarity, drawing out even the faintest surround sounds and adding a greater sense of background texture than many receivers can muster.

But the SR6007 isn’t all about poise and subtlety – it achieves a decent sense of scale too and conveys the feistier aspects of the soundtrack with force and intensity. As Hulk pounds from building to building the explosions and crashes make an impact without making your ears hurt – plus loud volumes don’t phase the SR6007 at all.

Each channel is cleanly separated and effects are steered between them with seamless fluidity. Bass is punchy and human voices sound authoritative yet realistic thanks to the levels of depth and detail.

We would say however that it doesn’t attack the soundtrack with quite as much aggression as similarly-priced Yamaha or Onkyo receivers. The SR6007 is a more laid back customer, but what you miss in brutality you gain in poise and insight.

This also makes the Marantz a wonderful performer with music in two-channel mode, offering a rich, velvety and detail-packed sound. With stripped down, mellifluous material from artists like Lianne La Havas and Corinne Bailey Rae, the SR6007 picks out tonal nuances that lesser receivers might pass over, backing it up with terrific vocal clarity. But more energetic dance and rock tunes show off the unit’s outstanding drive and dynamics. It’s this ability to handle different genres with equal aplomb that makes the SR6007 a top choice for those who love music as much as they do movies.

Verdict

A gifted and versatile performer with music and movies, the Marantz SR6007 is a classy customer. Its sound is detailed and refined, yet action scenes are conveyed with punch, scale and vigour. You don’t get the same sense of flat-out aggression as some rivals but the Marantz’ smoother presentation is no less pleasing.

It’s also packed with features, including AirPlay, 4K upscaling, DLNA streaming and newly-added access to Spotify, not to mention an enviable spec and unusually elegant looks for an AV receiver. If that’s not enough to earn a place on your shopping list, we don’t know what is.

Trusted Score