Video Asylum

Posted by BradR (A) on December 15, 2002 at 21:48:38

In Reply to: Re: Help Choosing Pre-amp/Receiver posted by excelis on December 14, 2002 at 13:58:55:

I finally chose the Sony STR-DA4-ES as a pre-amp for my system. I ended up choosing it over the Marantz because of price. I found the Sony from a authorized dealer for a total of $687 where my local Marantz dealer wouldn't budge from $899. I could find the Marantz online from reputable websites for under $700, but as they were not authorized dealers, there would be no warranty. Without a warranty, I was worried about the Marantz having some troubles as it is a brand new model. I know some of the early SR-7200's had some problems.

I thought the Marantz sounded pretty good and probably had the best amplifier section of any receiver I tested. It was solidly built and had a nice look to it. I was disappointed in the remote which is not near as good as the RC1200 that was included with the 7200 last year. I was also disappointed with the lack of a detachable power cord. I only listed to the Marantz once though as price became more and more of an issue. The Marantz seemed like a good unit and price not being a factor, may have been my pick (especially if I planned on using it as a receiver instead of a pre-amp-although the amp on the Sony isn't that bad)
The Sony is well built and was the heaviest unit that I looked at. It looks nice and seems fairly easy to use. The remote looks great but is taking some time getting used to. Also - the remote is not learning which to me is inexcusable at this price point. I have heard that it is actually a pretty good remote and gets easier to use with practice. (We'll see) It may just be a good excuse to buy a pronto. The new Denon models 3803 and the soon to be released 2803 are also worth looking into.