Receivers
Marantz AV8003 SSP and MM8003 8-Channel Power Amplifier
- Written by Chris Heinonen
- Published on 19 October 2009
- Marantz AV8003 SSP and MM8003 8-Channel Power Amplifier
- Page 2: Design of the Marantz AV8003 A/V Processor and MM8003 Power Amplifier
- Page 3: Setup of the Marantz AV8003 A/V Processor and MM8003 Power Amplifier
- Page 4: The Marantz AV8003 A/V Processor and MM8003 Power Amplifier In Use
- Page 5: The Marantz AV8003 A/V Processor and MM8003 Power Amplifier On the Bench
- Page 6: Conclusions About the Marantz AV8003 A/V Processor and MM8003 Power Amplifier
- All Pages
Design
I was given the chance to review the pinnacle of Marantz's home theater audio lineup, the AV8003 Processor and the matching MM8003 8-channel amplifier. The AV8003 includes all of the features that you would expect in a reference class preamp with 4 HDMI 1.3 inputs, Audyssey MultiEQ room correction, unbalanced and balanced 8 channel outputs with each channel having a 24-bit/192kHz DAC of its own, a balanced stereo input, and an Ethernet jack with DLNA support to allow streaming audio and video from a DLNA server on your home network. Despite the lack of any amplifiers inside the chassis, the AV8003 still weighs more than many receivers due to a heavy copper-plated steel chassis to help shield it from external noise.
The MM8003 shares the impressive construction of its sibling, with all 8 channels offering 140 WPC at 8 ohms. Each channel has a balanced and unbalanced input with a switch to select between the two, and the binding posts accept banana plugs and bare wire, but do not accept spade lugs. The MM8003 also features both a 12V trigger for most preamps and a remote control jack that matches an output on the AV8003 to automatically trigger the power. While the MM8003 is only rated for 6-16ohm loads, I was told that it will handle 4 ohm loads with no problems, and many amps only are certified for 6-16 ohms for UL Labs certification reasons.
Receivers
