Compare Marantz Higher-End UD9004, Middleman BD7004 and Entry-Level bD5004
The Marantz BD7004 is the middleman in Marantz’s most up-to-date Blu- ray line- up, sandwiched amid the reference- class Marantz UD9004 and entry- level Marantz BD5004. Having a sale price pushing$ 800 it’s clearly targeted at consumers who take home cinema seriously, and that’s reflected in the elegant build quality and high- grade electronics lurking inside it.
Yet somehow with numerous much cheaper players on the market, packed with all sorts of cutting- edge presents and extraordinary picture tech, the Marantz BD7004 should develop something unique to justify the extra expense.
You without doubt seem you’re getting$ 800 worth of player when you first haul it from the box. Thanks to an extra metal plate fixed to the top cover, the thick aluminium front panel and all- metal chassis, it tips the scales at a substantial 4. 9kg. Heaviness doesn’t automatically translate into top- notch performance but it is usually a reassuring sign, and rigid construction like this aids lessen judders that can contain a damaging impact on performance.
Fortunately Marantz has also made its chunky bodywork look delectable and eye-catching. The front panel is curved and adorned with neat rows of buttons down each side of the centrally- placed di
sc tray, which doesn’t rattle forward like most budget decks but slides out with a artistically smooth action. The silver embossed Blu- ray logo and disc tray detailing add an additional touch of glamour.
As you’d imagine from a deck made for demanding home cinema systems, there’s lots of action on the back panel. There are Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio decoders on board also, the 7. 1- channel analogue outputs let you enjoy hi- res soundtracks even if your amp lacks HDMI sockets. A separate set of stereo audio connections, isolated from the multichannel sockets, is best used for straight- up CD playback, while the coaxial digital output passes the 5. 1 audio stream to a receiver.
On the video side, the HDMI v1. 3 port fires out 1080/24p pictures from Blu- ray discs, Dolby TrueHD/DTS HD Master Audio bitstreams and upscaled DVD video signals(at 720p, 1080i or 1080p) . Component outputs produce hi- def video up to 1080i and benefit from a 297MHz/12- bit video DAC(the BD5004 features a 150MHz version) . For extra information on the higher- end Marantz UD9004 also, the entry- level Marantz BD5004, you need to check out the links above.
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