Marantz THX AV Preamplifier Tuner with Remote AV600

The AV600 A/V tuner/preamplifier is Marantz’s second Home THX component, following the compact and versatile MA500 single channel power amp. Besides full Home THX enhancement of Dolby Pro Logic processing, an AM/FM tuner, and considerable A/V switching capability, the AV600 has a few features that set it apart in usability and convenience from most other Home THX controllers.

The AV600’s most unusual feature is its provision of two subwoofer outputs, selectable via a rear-panel switch to operate in monaural (parallel) or stereo. Although the actual usefulness of stereo subwoofers – particularly those operating only below 80 Hz, as they do in Home THX systems – is still controversial, the AV600 at least will let you decide for yourself. Separate low-pass filtering is provided for each subwoofer output, and 80-Hz high-pass filtering is switched into all channels when the subwoofer outputs are turned on.

Also unusual is the front-panel input-level control, which operates in conjunction with a set of flashing indicator lights. This knob, located along with quite a few other controls behind a front-panel fold-down door, is best considered an input-overload prevention knob. You adjust it so that a red peak-indicator light “only flashes briefly during the very loudest passages.” This adjustment helps ensure that the peak outputs of your signal source are not overloading the Dolby Pro Logic decoder chip. There has been a de facto standard output level from home CD and laserdisc players for quite some time, however, so when you’re playing the digital soundtracks of a laserdisc or using a home CD player you should not have to turn the input-level control more than a couple of “dots” away from its center detent to get the indicators to light up properly. If you do, there is something amiss with the player’s output level or its connection to the AV600.

Marantz hasn’t forgotten the “standard” A/V tuner/preamp features either. For example, you can separately select audio and video sources to get the FM-tuner audio to go along with broadcast video for that rare stereo simulcast. You can also select the source to be recorded on any attached audio or video deck independently of what is being heard or watched. The tuner comes with more preset memories than you’ll probably ever need: thirty, distributable in any fashion over the AM and FM bands.

Besides Home THX processing, several other surround-sound modes are provided. These include straight Dolby Pro Logic, Movie (which allows a very long surround-channel delay time), and Hall and Matrix (for music enhancement). A mono mode feeds everything through the center speaker. The processing mode is selected with a front-panel button that’s duplicated on the remote control.

Convenience features include bass and treble controls and a front-panel quarter-inch headphone jack. The front panel also has buttons for activating the useful on-screen display, for turning off the even more useful front-panel fluorescent display, and for setting the preamp’s sleep timer, which will also turn off whatever’s plugged into the two switched rear-panel AC outlets. The AV600’s mute control is available on both the front panel and the remote, which is vastly more convenient than just on the remote.

The handset itself has lots of non-AV600 buttons suitable for programming with the commands used by other infrared handsets. It also has a full complement of speaker-balancing controls, including a test signal that, for once, is manually switched between speakers – and switches without interruption or muting. You’re also free to alter the speaker balances, including the levels of any subwoofers, separately for the soundtrack modes (THX, Dolby Pro Logic, Movie) and the others (Hall, Matrix, Monaural). The only typical feature lacking in the AV600 is a phono-preamp section. If you’re looking to include a turntable to your Surround system, you could always add a separate Phono Pre-Amp to the mix.

Connections and switching are provided for eight external sources, three audio only (CD, tape, DCC) and five audio/video with both composite- and S-video connectors (TV, laserdisc, two VCR’s, and aux). The auxiliary input is located behind the front-panel door.

Several outputs are available. First, there’s the video-monitor output, either composite or S-video. Next there’s a line output that feeds out a duplicate of the selected input. Then there are the main preamp outputs, eight phono jacks: a pair each for left and right front, center (in parallel), left and right surround, and left and right subwoofer. A 25-pin D-connector is available for feeding these outputs to a similarly equipped multichannel Home THX power amplifier via a single multi conductor cable. Additional rear-panel connections include one for a remote-control relay that hooks up to other Marantz equipment, a screw-on F-connector FM antenna terminal, and thumb screw connections for an AM antenna. Back-panel switches that must be properly set during initial setup, or possibly if you change speakers, control the subwoofer status (none, mono, or stereo) and the center-channel bandwidth – “none” (corresponding to the Phantom mode in the more usual Pro Logic nomenclature), “large/ THX” (corresponding to Wide, delivering the same bandwidth to all three front speakers), and “small” (corresponding to Normal, splitting low frequencies in the center channel out to the front left and right outputs).

Specifications:

Frequency response: 10Hz to 30kHz

Total harmonic distortion: 0.006%

Input sensitivity: 168mV (line)

Signal to noise ratio: 90dB (line)

Output: 1V (Pre out)

Video Connections: composite, SVHS

Dimensions: 426 x 112.5 x 366.6mm, Weight: 5.4kg

Includes Marantz remote and soft copy of manual in PDF. Retailed new for $1395 USD. ~$2100 CND with HST. Asking just $395 for this high quality Marantz AV Preamplifier Tuner.