I have this Marantz now for some weeks, and have had the chance to try it in a number of different configurations.
Digital input and output, DTS, 5.1, PCM, etc all just works. Plug it in and away you go. I've tried it with various different sources (including various computer sound cards) and the Marantz always picks the right signal and makes the best of it, even if the original source is low bitrate 128Kb (or worse!) MP3 (ie, converted to PCM by the source), Internet radio this unit manages to make it sound better than any other I've tried. However It ramps all the way up to the 24bit/192Khz for SACD and DVDA.
Here in the Netherlands Digital TV which can be connected from the UPC mediabox via it’s "electrical out", and despite the inherent low quality of the source, it manages to sound quite good though the Marantz.
For analog input, the peak indicator and attenuation option are handy for un-tweakable inputs.
Marantz warn that the audio may skip a little when fast-forwarding or rewinding DVD's but I have not noticed this behavior - probably due to my DVD player. This would be a very minor annoyance at best.
This is an AV receiver with "just" 80 watts @ 8 Ohm. This means it's slightly underpowered for heavy duty use. Even so, I'm sure it's up to the task of annoying the neighbors if you share a wall. Personally I recommend making use of the SW out and using an Active subwoofer for the bassy stuff instead of using beefy front speakers - however that's just a matter of taste. The bass cutoff can be adjusted with ease. The only downside to this approach is of course that on "pure direct" mode the sub will obviously not be used. Since I have a reasonably low-power subwoofer without auto-sensing, it’s great that I can plug (its power input) it into the Marantz and save individually switching it on and off. Same trick could apply to DVD players or other devices.
Configuration is easy, the menus are clear and most of the options are self explanatory. Each of the sources defaults to analog, but you can manually assign any one of the digital inputs in either "auto" or manual mode. Two sources cannot share an input. It's not possible to (re)name sources, which is a shame because you might end up having to call your laserdisc player a DVD player, and your computer soundcard a “cd player” or sumsuch.
I did need to delve into the manual in a few places, and other than the typos and germanesque grammar (English version I'm referring to here..) it's clear and concise.
I've not made much use of the video processing on this unit - but I have the feeling it's more of a switching unit than anything. Luckily, it’s possible to turn off the whole video circuit. More expensive units are required if audio-resysncing (to compensate for processing delays) is needed. Personally - I didn't notice a problem. One notable thing for this unit is no DPMI – so forget HD.
The analog 7.1 Input assumes that all surround processing is already done, so it's not convenient if you want to switch between 2.0 surround and 7.1 (or 5.1) inputs via the 7.1 connections. In fact, the 7.1 Input is treated differently by the Receiver, and bypasses most processing (it is also activated by a button rather than the input selector) All in all, the upshot is you'll need to run another set of cables for the 2.0 stuff even if it’s from the same source. Fine with me - I avoid analog anyway; however for those stuck with analog (eg from computer sound cards that cannot encode better than 2-channel PCM on the digital lines for anything other than pass-through) this may be an annoyance. (Tip: use an nforce2 based motherboard!)
Even though multiroom isn't listed as a feature of this device it's possible to make the Surround-rear speakers mirror the front speakers (this option marked ‘multispeaker’ on the front control panel), and these can then be placed in another room. Nice trick, however it should have been done with the surround side speakers instead because if you use this feature you lose 5.1. (Or did I miss something?). Personally I'm not doing this so it's elementary.
The power supply input is fixed so if you plan on shifting the unit between 120v and 240v countries or regions that may pose a problem. The guarantee is regionalized but is a respectable 2 years (at least in Europe).
In warm ambient temperature the unit gets quite hot. Best to follow the extensive breathing space advice in the manual!
I like the look and ergonomics of the SR4600. Once set up, you need just the power, volume, and input selector to get the business done. Easy and elegant, the way it should be. The volume knob takes quite some cranking to actually make a difference, which is nice for fine adjustments but was a little surprising at first. It does add to the "big" feel though :-)
If you only have the Receiver unit from Marantz like I do, the remote is overkill - Way too many buttons. I would have preferred something that caters only to the device at hand. It uses a coded system for matching to other equipment, but it falls short. One annoyance I have is that the remote automatically sets the TV to channel 1 (Philips Cineos) when I press the TV button. Thoughtful, but my digital TV is on a different input... With the TV, DVD, Computer, Computer sound card, SACD, VCR, video camera, and digital TV set-top-widget, I think it's time I finally invested in a decent learning remote). I don’t know why but for me, it’s not possible to put the unit on standby via the remote even though there is a button for it. A last note on remotes, If you do have other Marantz equipment you can daisy-chain RC5.
The built-in tuner is simple and fully featured. I just did an auto-scan and forgot it. It has RDS and you can name channels manually should you feel the need.
Bass and treble can be adjusted for your particular environment/tastes. That's all the equalizer tweaking you'll get or indeed, need. Further, Speakers can be adjusted for "small" medium" and "large" and/or can be level adjusted (centre, front, center surround, rear surround, LFE) so it should be possible to model your listening environment. There is no 'loudness' or Dolby NR. There is an option for dynamic range compression when playing from a DVD source however, handy if it's not done on the DVD master and your DVD player does not have this feature.
About audio quality, my speakers are letting me down a smidge right now, but despite this, the sound is crisp, clear and quite pleasant. Without adjustment tonal balance seems to match the original recordings well, and dynamic range appears spot-on. As you would expect from equipment of this grade, there is absolutely no hiss or hum even at high volume (ie, assuming it's not in the source). Although previously mentioned, I am impressed with the way this unit handles lower quality source (in particular, digital) inputs, able to recreate the high tones with minimal ringing. Since many of us are still forced to listen to 128Kbit Mp3s now and then, this is a big plus.
There are a plethora of surround modes for up-scaling stereo inputs. For music, at the risk of sounding like a musical peasant I was surprised to find that when I wasn't intensely listening I did prefer the neo6M or the CSIIM modes simply because they filled the room a little better. This is nice for lower volumes, when you have guests with fine wine, food, or just coffee and a cookie. J
Just as an experiment I tried outputting a DVD via stereo and encoding it with PrologicII to see how well it worked. The unit did not auto-recognize the signal as PLII, and when forced to PLII, the result was disappointing. Might be the DVD player, Might be the Unit. I don’t know.
I haven’t tried listening with headphones yet.
For me, the deciding factor for this purchase was quality for the price. This is an excellent quality unit, which is not particularly expensive (shop around mileage varies). Moving up the range does provide benefits but in my opinion not on par with the increased outlay. For example, the 5600 offers very few extra features and only 10 watts more. Incidentally, this unit has a slightly better signal-to-noise ratio than the bigger Marantz units. Since there are a lot on the market right now, and it is an aging unit - I expect Marantz will launch a new line soon. Hence the excellent pricing.
I do not regret this purchase in the slightest and can recommend the SR4600 to anyone wanting a pristine receiver on a budget.
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