Anyone have any idea what the Marantz SR8500 might cost in Europe?

[Paul Adams]

This looks like a very tasty gadget, an A/V amp with 2xDVI inputs and 1xDVI output, due out early next year:
http://www.avland.co.uk/marantz/sr8500/sr8500.htm

It's slated for a January 2005 release in the US for about $1,600, but I can't find any info on when it might be available in Europe and what the estimated cost might be.

I tried the UK Marantz website and there is no mention of this model, and the US website doesn't work in Firefox or IE for me! (Some plugin it requires but can't download I think.)


Originally I was looking at the Denon AVC-A1Xv, but at £4,000 that's a tad expensive and it's one hell of a big bugger!
http://www.avland.co.uk/denon/avca1xv/avca1xv.htm


If I'm going to get a new home cinema setup, a matching silver setup with DVI and coaxial digital sound is a must - and with 2 DVI inputs I could use an LCD TV from one of my PCs too

[Jiff Lemon]

Holy monkey!!

Thats is a BEAST! In terms of inputs:
4 x optical ins, 5 x composite in, 5x S-video in, 2 x DVI-D, 8 x line in, 3 x Coaxial

Makes my 18 month yamaha look like Noah had it on the ark!

[unrealrocks]

Its SRP in the US is $1,599 so at a guess probably around £1300 - £1600.

[Paul Adams]

Current feedback I have had so far estimates £999 for the UK and 15,000kr for Sweden (~£1,150) which is pretty damn tempting

Sadly no official brochure yet, and a release date which fluctuates between this month and January next year.
Me want!

[Alex]

I seriously wouldn't spend that kind of money on a hi-fi if i couldm't go and listen to it first thoug, so you'd need to find a local supplier... will you compare it to the Denon 3805 as well?

[Paul Adams]

Oh that's a given - if possible I want to find a home theatre cente in Stockholm and get a DVD, amp and LCD TV solution all in one, and have it demo'd with some of my favourite DD & DTS discs.

I've been holding off upgrading my amp for one with digital video in/out, so the only alternative currently on the horizon is the Denon AVC-A1XV at 4 grand.

Want to get a DVD player with DVI & coaxial out, an amp with 2 DVI in, at least 1 coaxial in and 1 DVI out, and an LCD TV with DVI in.
All silver, with top-notch connectors.

Then I'll look around for a nice set of speakers, ideally a light wood finish.
Maybe the Wharfdale Diamond 9 series.

Current thoughts are this Marantz amp, a Philips 32" LCD TV (32PF 9986), and I've not made my mind up about a DVD player yet - maybe some decent DVD/RW or a DVD-PVR will be available with good specs soon.

[unrealrocks]

Can I ask why you want to spend £4k on an amp, then buy what is budget range speakers (Wharfedale 9 series). A £4k amp is going to want decent speakers (B&W, ProAc or similar).

[Paul Adams]

I don't want to spend £4k on an amp, that's why I am looking at the Marantz rather than the Denon.

I've not even started to look for a set of speakers in earnest yet, still very much in the planning stages for the DVD player, amp & LCD TV.

Current thoughts are the Denon DVD-3910 with region-hacked firmware, the Marantz SR8500 amp (connected via coaxial and DVI), and the Philips 32PF 9986 (connected via DVI).

Then I hook the following sources up to the amp as other sources:
Shuttle PC - optical & DVI
X-Box - optical & s-video
Digital TV STB - analogue & s-video

(STB is only terrestrial and I rarely watch it, and I want the convenience of a single switched source into the TV rather than start connecting SCARTs into it directly.)