Quite versatile, though I don't care for Remote! Currently using Harmony 768 for overall control; still need basic settings w/Marantz but otherwise Harmony much easier - RC1400 seems counter-intuitive to me.
Same here! Have had mine for 2 weeks now and it is great. not experienceing the heat issues others have spoken about and use the reciever for hours at a time.
I've had mine for two weeks and love it. Am using all digital optical input for audio. Componenet outs to my SONY plasma. It's driving three ADS 250 speakers across the front, a Carver Sunfire True Sub Jr and (tiny) BOSE Acoustimass series 5 speakers for the rear channels. Our goal was hidden when not on. The Marantz gets hot but not unbearable if you leave vent space around it. I would not park another component on top of it! The audio drop out problem is limited to a range of serial numbers (I have one that is being replaced) and occurs ONLY when you use optical input. Marantz is facing up to it and replacing the units. I'm happy with the product and happy with the company's responsiveness.
PS It took a while to get used to the RC1400 remote control. But after using it and programming the macros for TV or Movie on/off even my wife is using it now. Had to sharpen the contrast to full contrast on the display and have to use the light buttons at night for my elderly eyes. Looking forward to eventually replacing it with one of the newer programmable handheld controllers.
Does anyone know what serial numbers have the SR 7400 audio drop out problem? I've experienced periodic drop out from DVD sources. Please post the range of serial numbers, if known and any contact person at Marantz for a replacement unit. Thanks.
I don't have a copy of the Tech Bulletin. I got the information from my firend that works at the Dealer. Anyone have the tech bulletin that could post the range of serial numbers?
Anony- Are you using digital optical inputs?
Anonymous
Posted on
To Anthony- Yes- I am using digital optical inputs. I asked my dealer today to search for the tech bulletin, but haven't heard anything yet. I would appreciate any information anyone might have on the range of serial numbers for the units that have the problem. Thanks again.
Jason Hall
Unregistered guest
Posted on
I am interested as well - I am probably going to buy a new SR 7400 by the end of the week and would like to make sure I will not have a problem.
I too decided on the 7400 to accompany my Monitor Audio Silvers thanks to advice from Hawk, Elitefan, and others. I recieved the first set from Cambridge Soundworks and the thing just wouldn't work. It didn't have any problems with audio dropouts or overheating, at least not that I know of. I couldn't get the thing to work at all. I sent it back about a month ago and finally got my new one last week. WOW! It rocks! It was easy to set up and I put it through a battery of tests with different DVDs listening to each sound mode for a while to look for the dropout issues. Nothing. Overheating? It's not that bad. Overall, I love my 7400. It's a HUGE upgrade over the Sony STR-DE975 I was using. Next is the TV: been leaning towards the DLP, but those Sony WE610 RPLCDs are sweet. Later.
Although I don't have the Marantz 7400, I am runninig the Marantz 7300ose with PSB 5Ts. They are 6 ohm speakers and the receiver has no problem driving them.
The 7300ose is supposed to be a suped up version of the 7300 but I'm not sure that that would make too much difference.
I listen to music and watch movies at pretty high volumes and the receiver does fine.
thearthurclone
Unregistered guest
Posted on
kev5...thanks for the feedback. the 7400 is one of the models i'm considering (along with the nad t763). my speakers are currently 8ohm but i'll more than likely be upgrading in the next year to speakers that happen to be 6.
i've also been wondering about the 7400's bass mgmt options. i'm assuming that the 7400 doesn't have any bass mgmt options for the analog ins...is this a safe assumption? the manual also seems to read that the only sub/sat crossover options are 80, 100, and 120...is that correct?
thearthurclone, my 7400 is powering 5 NHT L5's 9all 6 ohm) with absolutely no problem. Actually have not even gotten the volume above -20db without my wife yelling No overheating issues, no audio drop out, etc. This is a great piece of eqpt IMO.
Hey, with some people having problems with the 7400 overheating, are you all keeping it in an enclosed AV Cabinet, or an open shelf system? I'm trying to decide whether to buy an enclosed glass front cabinet or open shelves to store my new 7400 and do not want to buy one and find out later I need the other.
Jason, I read the many complaints about the overheating etc prior to purchsing so i did in fact buy a salamander open shelf system. plenty of room with all shelves adjustable and very sturdy.
My Rantz
Unregistered guest
Posted on
Jason
I have an SR-7300. It does get hot especially in very hot weather (no air-con). I do not recommend an enclosed or partially enclosed cabinet. The Marantz does runs hotter with higher volume settings and increased surround effects. Nethertheless, it's a great receiver as I'm sure the 7400 is!
I've got the 7400 now for 3 weeks. And thought that the, at random audio drop out for a small second had something to do with my speakers in combo with the 7400. I'm glad to hear that it's not. But the funny thing is i've got my dvd-player and the 7400 connected with a digital coaxial cable not optical?? So how do you know that it happens only with te optical inpunts?
My Marantz 7400 was just replaced. The new unit runs cooler by a lot. Two other things seem to have been fixed. 1) The audio "drop outs" completely disappeared. 2)The switched outlet now actually switches on and off with the receiver. Don't get me wrong, the 7400 is a dynamite system. I love it. It really gives you control over most of the system. You can specify all of the inputs settings and mix and match. For example TV video to Comp 1, TV audio from digital 3, etc. Some of the other questions: I'm using 8 ohm speakers all around. The Dealer said that the technical bulletin he received said the "drop outs" only happen using digital optical connections. Having seen the temperature difference in the 'upgraded' model I would not be surprised if drop outs occured due to the excess heat of the unit on other inputs. I think the sub woofer setting applies to the sub woofer out terminal in the set up menu. You do have a choice of 80/100/120. So if you are not using that terminal, you are not getting the cross over. Oh yeah, the fixed unit boxes are marked. One of the white labels should have a green dot on it, that is the QA dot. Next to one of those dots will be a red dot with a blue smaller dot placed in it. That means all of the repairs were done. Dealer wouldn't give me a copy of the technical bulletin so I couldn't get the serial number range.
thanks for your reaction. I'will contact my dealer and find out what he has to say. The 7400 does get very warm but it never shut down, and the drop outs (only with DVD) also happen when the marantz is just a couple minutes on. I do hope they will fix mine. For the rest I agree the marantz 7400 is a great reciever.
bmoc
Unregistered guest
Posted on
I just spoke with my dealer about the 7400. He said that Marantz admitted there was a problem with the bias in the power supply and that was causing the extreme heat, which as I felt on the dealer's demo was enough to burn your hand. He said that all units shipped since sometime in January have the issue fixed. I'm still a little wary about buying this model and am considering the Denon 3803 instead.
Anonymous
Posted on
I spoke with my dealer and provided him with my serial number. If I'm part of the problem series (likley since my unit runs hot and has the occasional drop out)then Marantz will replace with new 7400. Has anyone got a fix on the serial number range or is that a Marantz state secret?
bmoc- Don't change your mind the 'corrected' Marantz 7400s are dynamite receivers. Mine now runs cool. The flexibility for selecting inputs is great, the sound is great. Even the RC1400 remote is pretty good. Anonymous- I couldn't get the serial number range from my friend. It's easy to tell, turn it on. If it gets so hot that it isn't comfortable to put your hand on, it needs to be returned. The difference with the 'fixed' unit I got is dramatic. The sound is great and the unit works super. If anyone missed it Marantz is coding the boxes. On one of the white shipping labels there should be a green dot that shows that QA was performed. Next to one of the green dots should be a red dot with a blue dot stuck in the middle (I think that was the right sequence), this signifies it was tested and repaired. This applies to any units that were faulty.
I just bought a 7400 2 weeks ago - could it have the problem? I do not have anything hooked up to test the cut out (I am really only using it for a radio temporarily). While it does not get scalding hot, it does get very warm on top (much warmer than expected) considering I am only driving 2 speakers and not very hard at that.
If it is running hot you will know it. It gets distinctly uncomfortable to put your hand on the top. Does the outside box have the green dot on the lable? If it does look for the two dots on top of each other next to one of the green dots.
I can rest my hand on it, but I would not want to leave it there for a long period of time. It definitely runs hotter than I would have expected. I'll have to try and find the box. I did ask my retailer about this problem before I purchased and they had no idea what I was talking about.
Ok, I went home and looked at the boxes. I have two 7400s (one I picked up on behalf of my brother and he has not set it up yet). Both of the boxes have two basically identical labels on two different sides.
On my box, one label has a blue dot, and one label has a yellow dot (no green dot).
On my brothers, one label has no dots and the other has a blue dot above a yellow dot (no green).
As for my room temp, it is around 70 degrees F. I have not set up any entertainment unit yet so it is on top of a dresser with nothing above or around it.
I am only using it for radio right now, and it gets pretty warm on top even though I am only using 2 speakers and not taking it above -20db. I put one of those indoor/outdoor thermometers on top of it and the air coming out was about 110 F (running 2 speakers playing an FM radio station at -45 db). However, the top does not feel as warm as I have felt it before.
As I said before, my retailer did not know anything about the problem. Could I call Marantz and ask if my serial numbers are in the range or will they not respond?
MyRantz - I like your fan idea alot and if I have to go to it I will. I am just worried that if I am only using 2 of the 7 amps, it is not in any entertainment unit, my room is cool, and it is this warm, what happens when I attach the rest of the surrounds and sub?
With your room temp at only 70F and you're not running above -20db I would consider contacting Marantz.
My 7300 would get hot both in stereo and 5.1 surround, the latter depending effects. But our room temps are much higher.
If your dealer is Marantz authorised then he should look into the faulty batch issue. Saying he knows nothing about it sounds a bit dodgy - if he's legit, he should at least look into it. If not try Marantz. These are wonderful units but you want peace of mind as well as quality sound.
I agree completely with you. The dealer is certified, I will just have to call back and push a little harder for them to look into it for me (they know I'm setting up the rest of my system so that should be some incentive to help). Also, as I am the one that convinced my brother to purchase the same receiver, I would like to make sure he has one that does not have any problems.
I will try to contact my dealer and/or Marantz with our serial numbers. Thank you for the information My Rantz!
Anonymous
Posted on
Re: the dots issue. I have only a yellow (more like creamy orange) dot on my box. My dealer says my 7400 was part of the "bad run." Waiting for my replacement to arrive. Otherwise, I think the 7400 is a dynamite unit.
Update - My dealer gave me a number and a few contacts at Marantz to talk to. Unfortuneately none are in the office today. I will continue to try and contact them and will let everyone know if I get any relevant information.
I was able to get ahold of the Marantz rep this afternoon and found out that neither of my 2 SR7400s has the problem.
I was not able to get a range of serial numbers, but they said the problem was only on the earlier versions and they recently released a lot of over 10,000 units that had the problem fixed. As I said I don't have a range, but the last 4 digits of my serial # are just after 2050 and they said I am definitely in the range of the fixed units. Apparently only a few of the early ones had the problem.
Also, the tech said that the 7400 is designed to run at about 118 F with no load (i.e. just having the receiver on and not driving any speakers). So, my 120 F lightly driving 2 speakers was normal. He said they often see the boxes radiating air out of the top at about 140 F.
The tech said they recommend 10 inches of clearance above the receiver for ventilation. I asked about My Rantz's fan idea (in case I want to put this in some sort of entertainment unit), and he said that they do not have any fan designs, but that any aftermarket fan that moves air would work.
So, looks like mine do not have the problem. I hope the little bit of information I was able to get are a help to some of you.
Dennis
Unregistered guest
Posted on
Hi Guys,
I have a marantz SR7400S/1G but it doesn't show the country of origin neither at the back nor at the bottom but the remote do shows made in Indonesia. I think my unit were made in China or South East Aisa, how about your unit?
I've been told before that these units are designed to run hot - and they do. With heat sink and fins running along the top of the unit, at-risk components may not be troubled. I don't know.
But, at least you now have peace of mind and if you find your receiver getting quite hot, I still recommend a small 12v fan over the vents - this really does the job. I have one with a voltage adaptor which can be switched from 4 to 12volts to suit cooling and noise.
Our 7300 is excellent and apart from the heat issue, there are absolutely no problems, noises, hums, clicks etc. Just great sound in music and movies. You've gone to a lot of trouble to be sure of your purchase. Now sit back and enjoy the experience. Good Luck!
My replacement 7400 is also a U1B. Even when running a 5.1 setup the new unit doesn't get very hot at all. I could have fried eggs on the old one. The HD cable box needed replacing after two weeks on the shelf on top of the previous 'hot' unit. And that's with 6 inches of clearance and a fan. The new 7400 runs so cool I moved the fan to the shelf where the HD cable box is.
Just so I know how you set yours up, I have vents on the bottom, over most of the top, and on both sides. Where did you place your fan, and did you use it as an exhaust (suck the warm air out of the unit), or did you blow cool air into the unit?
My 7300 has vents on top and bottom only. I placed the fan on top to push air down into the unit. the 7300 has two rows of vents - each is on either side of where the cooling fins/heat sinks run from front to back. The fan is placed a little forward from center and positioned to blow air into both sections divided by the sinks/fins.
I had placed small self adhesive felt pads on each corner of the fan frame but I have now raised the fan about 3/4 inch by glueing as small plastic cylinder to center of the fan (the non moving outside of the fan motor) this spreads more air over the top of the unit and works well. There is about 1 inch clearance between the fan and top shelf pf my cabinet (which is open at the rear). It's almost unnoticable
Thanks for the info My Rantz! I'll keep this in mind as I set up my entertainment unit!
Kay
Unregistered guest
Posted on
Getting slightly off-topic, but does anyone who has a US market SR-7400 know whether the unit is dual voltage capable, as I live in a 220V country? I checked the manual, and there doesnt seem to be a voltage switch.
Dennis
Unregistered guest
Posted on
Hi Kay,
I think your local dealer will have the right voltage unit for your country. The SR7400 isn't come with dual voltage.
