Marantz SR8012 AV receiver 140 W 11.2 channels Surround 3D Black SR8012, 140 W, 11.2 channels, Surround, 205 W, Wired & Wireless, 780 W

Marantz's Japan-made 2018 flagship SR8012 home cinema amplifier, available in black or a much more luxurious-looking silver, is a larger than usual 440mm wide, 460 mm deep and 185mm high, and weighs in at a hefty 17.4kg. It ships with a generous mains cable, a calibration microphone, a handy set of multi-coloured cable labels and a weighty, backlit remote that can quickly and easily learn the commands of your TV, Blu-ray, cable and satellite zappers. The booklet that comes with it is just a basic installation guide,, but Marantz has published a comprehensive instruction manual online.In classic Marantz style, the front panel is elegantly clutter-free, presenting just a power button, a volume knob, an input selector and a blue-rimmed, two-line porthole display. Lowering a drawbridge reveals a more detailed display, a plethora of switches, a microphone socket, a quarter-inch headphone jack, a composite video input, a pair of analogue audio inputs,, a USB port and an auxiliary HDMI input. Seven further HDMI inputs are available on the rear of the amplifier, as well as three HDMI outputs, all compatible with 4K , 60p HDCP2.2. The Monitor-1 output is equipped with ARC (audio return channel), which Marantz promises to upgrade to enhanced eARC via a firmware update delivered either by the SR8012's Ethernet socket or its wi-fi. Other inputs include an MM phono stage, a pair of tuner sockets, six pairs of assignable analogue audio sockets, two coaxial digital audio sockets, two optical audio sockets, 7.1-channel audio sockets, four assignable composite video sockets, three sets of assignable component video sockets, an IR flasher input, a remote control input and an RS-232C port. Other output sockets include 11-channel pre-out sockets, two subwoofer sockets, eleven pairs of high-quality loudspeakers sockets (all suitable for banana plugs), two composite video outputs, one set of component video outputs, a remote control output and two 12V DC outputs. LAN and wi-fi are supplemented by Bluetooth.Features include Denon's HEOS multiroom audio, Dolby Atmos, Auro-3D, DTS:X (with promotion to DTS Virtual:X promised) and support for Apple AirPlay, Spotify, Deezer, Tidal and TuneIn internet radio. Marantz's Remote app is available if you would like to operate the SR8012 with your mobile, with Alexa control due to be introduced in due course. Equalization is implemented by Audyssey MultEQ XT32, with Audyssey's Editor app available if desired. Audio support caters for 192kHz/24-bit FLAC, WAV and ALAC and DSD 5.6MHz. All video inputs are upscaled to 4K UltraHD, and the SR8012 is happy to deal with HDR video in Dolby Vision as well as in HDR10 and in broadcast HLG. REC.2020 colour is accommodated up to 4:4:4 colour resolution. The SR8012 is also geared for ISF calibration. Setting up the SR8012 is guided by a straightforward, glitch-free installation wizard that leads you through the process via instructions on your TV.I chose the SR8012 after exhaustive research in specialist magazines and websites, seeking the best quality audio available on my budget. An expert reviewer promised "Marantz's much-loved smooth, detailed and sophisticated sound", and that is what the SR8012 has delivered. Employing a colossal transformer and the same Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Modules that Marantz uses in its Reference Series stereo amplifiers, the SR8012 is an audiophile's dream come true. I use mine with a Pioneer UDP-LX500 4K UltraHD Blu-ray player and ATC SCM11 and SCM7 loudspeakers, and I couldn't be happier with the results. There's not even a hint of the fatiguing aggression that cheap home cinema amplifiers are often guilty of. A Mozart opera sounds as crystalline and beautiful as though I was sitting in the best seat in Covent Garden, and a blockbuster superhero movie is as thrilling as it would be in my local multiplex. I can still remember the first thing that I heard through my SR8012 - a TV broadcast of Schwarzenegger's "Predator" that I listened to via the SR8012's ARC input. It was just as though I was in the jungle by Arnie's side, so clear and lifelike was every chirp and rustle. The SR8012 is a wonderful marriage of purist hi-fi perfectionism and home cinema expertise that stretches back to the days of VHS and Laserdisc. The only negative thing that I can think of to say about it is what a strain unboxing it put on my 62-year-old back!