Marantz DV6600 ¦ $699 ¦ ¦ www.marantz.com.au
For: Superb performance; sensible features
Against: HDMI 1.1 rather than 1.2, some DiVX playback issues
Verdict: A great player for the price.
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Marantz, now part of DSM holdings with the equally prestigious Denon, has a place in the heart of many an old audiophile. Most of the somewhat-expensive stereo amps, tuners and receivers it produced between the 1950s and 1970s have acquired cult status. Marantz has, however, moved with the times, and today produces not only two-channel kit but a respected range of AV gear. Although frequently a bit more expensive than equivalent products from other manufacturers – the company presumably feels that its audio heritage is worth paying extra for – Marantz kit is, like that of its closest competitors, far cheaper in real terms than it used to be.

The DV6600 currently occupies the mid-range slot in its DVD player range. It's a universal player with upscaling HDMIand DivX playback that sells for around $699. Sure, you can buy cheaper (universals with similar capabilities seel for less). So what, if anything, justifies the additional outlay?

Low in profile, the DV6600 is quite a handsome beast. It's surprisingly lightweight, although the build quality seems solid enough. The front-panel controls cover the essential transport functions – no menu access from here! – While the display is similarly minimal.

That said, the DV6600's fascia does present two ‘unusual' controls to the outside world. One turns on the HDMI output and selects between its 480p/576p, 720p and 1080i display modes. The other, ‘audio ex (clusive)', disengages the analogue video circuitry while leaving the HDMI output active. The result, Marantz claims, is ‘higher-quality' audio; one of the nice touches that can be expected from a manufacturer with its foundations in hi-fi. Yet with this in mind, it seems odd that no headphone output has been fitted. In other words, you'll have to rely on the one on your amplifier for personal listening. Poor connectivity is certainly not a comment that can be levelled at the primarily gold-plated rear socketry. In addition to HDMI are composite, S-video and component video outputs. No RGB Scart, though.

The component video outputs can be switched between interlaced and progressive, but there's no upscaling here. As far as audio is concerned, the DV6600 offers both two-channel and 5.1-channel analogue outputs (which will deliver the goods from DTS-encoded software, as well as Dolby Digital and high-res audio discs). There are also both optical and coaxial digital outputs, should you prefer to use your AV amp's own surround decoder.

A delve into the DV6600's neatlyarranged internals reveals that a Genesis FL2301 takes care of deinterlacing and scaling. This complex chip, which employs Faroudja's DCDi technology, is also found in more expensive players. Other componentry includes a Sony DSD decoder, Burr-Brown 24-bit/192 kHz multichannel audio digital-to-analogue converter, Silicon Image HDMI interface and Analog Devices 11-bit/216MHz analogue video encoder. As the ‘midrange Marantz', though, you won't find any of the high-end audio circuitry (like Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Modules – HDAMs) that defines the.company's costliest players. The menus that configure all of this hardware are surprisingly simple, and resemble those of an inexpensive player. There's a ‘quick' mode for the settings (language, display aspect ratio and digital audio output mode) that Marantz reckons are required most often, and a ‘custom' mode that accesses everything.

From here, you can also change the video output, deinterlacing mode, HDMI RGB contrast range and parental control settings. A video-on-demand code is also available for registration on the DivX website. Audio matters, meanwhile, include dynamic-range compression, downsampling, HDMI audio modes and 5.1 output configuration (Levels, channels in use, delay times, distances and speaker sizes – to help you, a test-tone generator is present).

This is a friendly player to use, too. Once again, simplicity is responsible; like many other products from audio companies, the DV6600 is remarkably gimmick-free. Adding to what we've already covered are repeat/A-B/random playback, MP3/WMA support, a 3D virtual surround function, JPEG photo slideshows, Super Audio CD soundtrack/layer selection, resume playback, three slow-motion speeds and three search speeds.

Performance

So has Marantz preferred to concentrate on the performance? If our experiences are anything to go by, this is indeed the case. A spin of The Fifth Element on our HDMI'd Hitachi projector yields outstanding colour fidelity, coupled with depth and unexaggerated clarity. The player seems remarkably resilient as far as source material is concerned, with only self-recorded low-bitrate DVDs suffering from blocking or feathering.

The upscaling modes also prove worthwhile; the 720p mode best-suited to our projector not contributing any noticeable artefacts. Analogue video through the RGB Scart and component outputs is okay, but HDMI definitely has the edge – so use this if you possibly can.

Our only significant criticism is levelled at DivX playback. Some encoders were spoilt by ‘jerky' movement, while others were played without sound. The DV6600 fares very well in the subjective audio stakes with a tonally-rich, full-bodied and detailed sound that's apparent even without the audio-exclusive mode. CDs impress, although a good SACD or DVD-A will really make it sing.

Conclusion

There's much to like about the DV6600. You can buy cheaper universal players, but none get close to the potential of this unpretentious Marantz. To improve on it, you would probably need to spend considerably more.