Sorry about the essay?
HI All
As there have been forum members helping me with my long running ?R10k? question, I thought I would feedback on my purchase and first impressions.
So first off, a big thank you Vaughan from www.smartlifestyle.co.za . He provided both great service and a great price.
On the topic of price, as all of you know, setting yourself a budget in this hobby of ours is just about irrelevant. It gets blown in out of the water pretty quickly.
Most concerned about: Stereo listening
Still want: Reasonable H/T sound
Trying: To find a happy medium?.
Current equipment
? Few years old Samsung series 7, 40inch LED/LCD
? Samsung Bluray player of same age
? Marantz SR5400
? Cambridge Audio DAC Magic
? Apple TV Gen 1 (primary source for stereo music, all in Apple Lossless)
? Xbox360
? Inherited Pioneer PL200 turntable (I enjoy vinyl, but do not feel the urge to invest heavily in it.)
? DSTV Explorer
? Project Phonstage
Speakers
? Mains: Paradigm Studio Ref Series 40 V4
? Centre: B&W LCR 600 S3
? Rears: B&W 602 S2?s
? Subwoofer: Yamaha YST-315
Background
So the mission was to replace my Marantz SR5400, its getting on in age (2003/4) vintage if memory serves. If I?m honest it?s been a real hero, and I got a lot of pleasure out of it. When I bought it I was looking at Marantz, Yamaha, HK. My previous pro-logic receiver was a Yamaha.
After research and some auditioning ? Yamaha/Onkyo/Marantz - (auditioning is so difficult these days, unless you?re going to buy a turnkey stereo or H/T solution,) I settled on the Marantz SR6008, what swung it (from the 5008) in the end were the dual HDMI outputs and the built in phono stage.
Receiver was waiting for me when I got home last night, so there was no watching TV for the wife?
Setup
Ok ? seriously, I know it?s been a while since I setup one of these, but setting this machine up with the excellent UI and the Audessy configuration was crazy simple. I?m sure these setup routines are pretty similar on most modern receivers, but I was very pleased with the simplicity of the setup, and how easy it was to rename and reconfigure the inputs. While the SR5400 wasn?t very challenging, I can imagine that someone not to technical would have a bit of a trial getting it thoroughly setup and configured.
Configuring the ?Media Player? input to receive video input from the Apple TV?s HDMI output, and sound from the DacMagic?s analogue input was simplicity in itself.
I also had no handshake issues with any of the HDMI devices, I was a little nervous about that. My concerns turned out to be utterly misplaced.
With all that in mind, bear in mind that running the Audessy setup in the house with a sleeping 3.5 month old doesn?t gain you any points?
Comparison
Physically they?re quite similar, the 6008 and is a little more compact (shorter) and they appear to weigh much the same. I have to admit, the finish on the 5400 is a little better (just about all metal), but I have no issue really with that of 6008.
Sonically there are definitely differences.
From an H/T perspective, it?s a massive improvement over the SR5400. Masses of detail, authority and sound placement improvements. Played snippets from Blu-ray?s of Bruce Springsteen?s London Calling, Leonard Cohen Live in London, Adele Live at the Royal Albert Hall. Then I tried out Blu-ray?s of Avatar and Startrek: Into Darkness. I think the HD audio mixes (from a layman?s point of view) are brilliantly portrayed by this amp.
Stereo wise, difference wasn?t quite as big as H/T. However, considerably more authority and detail. Spent some time using the receiver?s DAC for my AppleTV, I was immediately struck by what seemed like a bit of a lose woolly base. Brining the DACMagic back into the mix there was an instant improvements. The SR6008 combined with the DACMagic is a notable improvement over the SR5400 with the DACMagic in detail, authority and sound stage.
Conclusion
Ok - it hasn?t even been 24 hours yet and I?m waxing lyrical about how happy I am. But honestly I was a little nervous about how much I would be gaining from my system through this upgrade, and right now I?m very happy. In time, when the ?halo effect? wears off, I might take a more pragmatic view, but as its stands I?m well pleased with my purchase.
HI All
As there have been forum members helping me with my long running ?R10k? question, I thought I would feedback on my purchase and first impressions.
So first off, a big thank you Vaughan from www.smartlifestyle.co.za . He provided both great service and a great price.
On the topic of price, as all of you know, setting yourself a budget in this hobby of ours is just about irrelevant. It gets blown in out of the water pretty quickly.
Most concerned about: Stereo listening
Still want: Reasonable H/T sound
Trying: To find a happy medium?.
Current equipment
? Few years old Samsung series 7, 40inch LED/LCD
? Samsung Bluray player of same age
? Marantz SR5400
? Cambridge Audio DAC Magic
? Apple TV Gen 1 (primary source for stereo music, all in Apple Lossless)
? Xbox360
? Inherited Pioneer PL200 turntable (I enjoy vinyl, but do not feel the urge to invest heavily in it.)
? DSTV Explorer
? Project Phonstage
Speakers
? Mains: Paradigm Studio Ref Series 40 V4
? Centre: B&W LCR 600 S3
? Rears: B&W 602 S2?s
? Subwoofer: Yamaha YST-315
Background
So the mission was to replace my Marantz SR5400, its getting on in age (2003/4) vintage if memory serves. If I?m honest it?s been a real hero, and I got a lot of pleasure out of it. When I bought it I was looking at Marantz, Yamaha, HK. My previous pro-logic receiver was a Yamaha.
After research and some auditioning ? Yamaha/Onkyo/Marantz - (auditioning is so difficult these days, unless you?re going to buy a turnkey stereo or H/T solution,) I settled on the Marantz SR6008, what swung it (from the 5008) in the end were the dual HDMI outputs and the built in phono stage.
Receiver was waiting for me when I got home last night, so there was no watching TV for the wife?
Setup
Ok ? seriously, I know it?s been a while since I setup one of these, but setting this machine up with the excellent UI and the Audessy configuration was crazy simple. I?m sure these setup routines are pretty similar on most modern receivers, but I was very pleased with the simplicity of the setup, and how easy it was to rename and reconfigure the inputs. While the SR5400 wasn?t very challenging, I can imagine that someone not to technical would have a bit of a trial getting it thoroughly setup and configured.
Configuring the ?Media Player? input to receive video input from the Apple TV?s HDMI output, and sound from the DacMagic?s analogue input was simplicity in itself.
I also had no handshake issues with any of the HDMI devices, I was a little nervous about that. My concerns turned out to be utterly misplaced.
With all that in mind, bear in mind that running the Audessy setup in the house with a sleeping 3.5 month old doesn?t gain you any points?
Comparison
Physically they?re quite similar, the 6008 and is a little more compact (shorter) and they appear to weigh much the same. I have to admit, the finish on the 5400 is a little better (just about all metal), but I have no issue really with that of 6008.
Sonically there are definitely differences.
From an H/T perspective, it?s a massive improvement over the SR5400. Masses of detail, authority and sound placement improvements. Played snippets from Blu-ray?s of Bruce Springsteen?s London Calling, Leonard Cohen Live in London, Adele Live at the Royal Albert Hall. Then I tried out Blu-ray?s of Avatar and Startrek: Into Darkness. I think the HD audio mixes (from a layman?s point of view) are brilliantly portrayed by this amp.
Stereo wise, difference wasn?t quite as big as H/T. However, considerably more authority and detail. Spent some time using the receiver?s DAC for my AppleTV, I was immediately struck by what seemed like a bit of a lose woolly base. Brining the DACMagic back into the mix there was an instant improvements. The SR6008 combined with the DACMagic is a notable improvement over the SR5400 with the DACMagic in detail, authority and sound stage.
Conclusion
Ok - it hasn?t even been 24 hours yet and I?m waxing lyrical about how happy I am. But honestly I was a little nervous about how much I would be gaining from my system through this upgrade, and right now I?m very happy. In time, when the ?halo effect? wears off, I might take a more pragmatic view, but as its stands I?m well pleased with my purchase.
