Marantz: TERRIBLE Customer Service
 

The short of it: I will never buy a Marantz product in my life again.

The long: My SR-5005 receiver started to act up after less than a year or so of being in use. A faint hissing sound could be heard from the left channel when using any of the surround codecs, but at first it was very subtle, so I didn't obsess over it. Lately, the problem got severely worse. The noise was unbearable and impossible to ignore, and some other glitches started to make themselves known. The unit went in for service at my local authorized Marantz service repair center in Pompano Beach, FL.

About 10 days later I get a call saying that my unit had a defective HDMI board and that they no longer have any replacement parts for this particular model. Big red flag right there. A model that is less than 3 years old, and something as basic and vital as an HDMI board is no longer available... Unbelievable.

However, the folks at the repair center (not the friendliest nor most helpful, to make matters worse) tell me that I will be getting "a new unit, an SR5007 instead"). Great. Or so I thought...

As you folks know, when it comes to receivers, newer is not always better. Case in point: the 5007 is lacking two features that, at least to me, are CRUCIAL:
- no backlit remote (try making sense of the new remote and its trillion tiny buttons in the dark...)
- no full frontal display (a small, rounded "port" that Marantz calls "classic" and I call "useless" is there instead, forcing one to use a TV or monitor to set up and calibrate the unit, or to be able to read any other type of information, for that matter)...

Another big problem:
- I was never given a choice! I was told I could not get my 5005 back, and that it wasn't my call. This in itself was extremely frustrating. Basically, they made a decision for me and never consulted me. By the time I was informed of this and requested my unit back, it was too late.

It doesn't end there.

By the time I drive (one hour) to the repair center to pick up my supposedly "new unit", I am instead informed that I will be getting a "refurbished" unit. No brand new model, after all. I make it very clear that that is not was I was promised nor what any sane person would expect out of a supposedly premium brand, but, on the one hand, I realize this is not the repair center's call nor fault, and that they are simply following Marantz (objectionable) rules.

I inspect the unit, and I see it has some cosmetic blemishes. There's even a red sticker/warning saying so, but other than that "the unit is in working condition". "Oh, by the way, you are not getting a box, either", they tell me.

In other words, I no longer can get my own unit back, I got a new model that is, however, much worse than the one I left there to be serviced, AND it's a refurbished unit that has been through who knows how many hands before...

This was about a week ago. I spent the entire week wasting my time with Marantz' pathetic excuse for costumer service. They first promised me a REALLY "new" unit, and then, after ignoring my e-mails and calls, ended telling me that I would need to pay $200 + SHIPPING (!) if I wanted a new 5007... The nerve!

Boggles the mind!

Marantz charges premium prices for poorly designed and built units, and offers subpar (or worse!) service.

Never again.

Sorry to hear of your predicament.

I thought the 5007 was a good move by them, but as I read on, i could feel your torture.

You think it's just Marantz or do you think Denon would be as problematic too?

Had a negative experience: I shared with a good friend how good the UD7006 was. He bought it, but both our units performed very differently.

My unit had simultaneous output, both hdmi and analog. His unit only had one output. When switched from digital to analog, no sound. When analog is set and switched to hdmi, no sound. This is on different inputs of the 5005 receiver.

So we got an exchange for a new unit. Same problem.

I emailed Marantz, and followed up with a couple more in a span of 2 weeks. I got a reply on acknowledging my email. And it was cricket town on my following reply, and follow ups.

Good thing my SR7005 is a Made In Japan unit. It's never broken down or given me problems at all, and I was fortunate to get a good working UD7006.

In the end, my good friend went for an oppo, while I'm still enjoying my 7006.

Sent from my iPhone using A.Aficionado

I had an even worse experience with a "new" Marantz TT15. I opened it up to discover that it was used and parts were broken. It took a couple of months to resolve. Never again will I buy a Marantz product!

Unfortunately, Denon is also pretty bad for discontinuing parts on recent products. Many years ago, I had a top of the line receiver that was only a few years old and couldn't get it repaired because parts were no longer available.

I have been using my SR7005 for some time now. It is a fine piece and meets all of my requirements. I have no desire to swap it out at this time. If it fails I would just get their latest unit especially at the current prices. (less than a power cord)

A good sticky thread would be repair horror stories. I have one from Sony.

Conversly, another good sticky thread would be positive repair stories. I also have one from Shunyata.

Hard to find good help/service these days. :(

Enit.... I've owned two flagship Denon AV surround pre-amps & amps including the S10s monoblocks. The AVP-A1HD & POA-A1HD are currently in commission.

When it comes to their flagship reference products of which there is usually a release every 7-8 years, there is no disputing the build quality & reliability of the models built for the European & Japanese markets.

Look at the build quality of the DCD-SX1. People who are quick to bash Denon for not being "high-end" or not "musical" have no idea because they have not experienced limited release flagships like the S1, SA1, & now SX1.

I would still choose the Denon AVP-A1HD over the McIntosh MX151 for its versatility, consistency & reliability. Already 5 years old, the upgraded AVP-A1HD with its POA-A1HD partner remains relevant & can still hold its own against other current AV pre-amps out there.

http://ascii.jp/elem/000/000/818/818...ab_800x600.jpg

As for D&M Holdings managing their product network outside of Euope & Asia/Pacific, it's a totally different beast & the North American market are probably getting the short end of the stick.

Thanks for sharing. Hope is not lost. Only for the low end stuff in their category I guess.

Sent from my iPhone using A.Aficionado

It sounds like the receiver your referring to is fairly inexpensive. If you've exhausted yourself trying to speak to the correct authority at Marantz, I'd take that receiver back to the place that's bothering you, run over it with your car a couple of times, and stick a short note on it with your name on it and leave it there. Then never buy a piece of their stuff again. :)

Then I'd be sure and take some pics for this thread.

I appreciate the sarcasm, Mike. Trust me, I thought of worse things myself. But an $800 receiver is, to me, not "fairly inexpensive". It's a product that becomes obsolete in no time, and $800 every 2 or 3 years adds up. I specifically purchased the Marantz thinking the quality, reliability and service would be on a higher, more premium level, and that I would be able to keep the unit for a while. Should have bought a $300 Yamaha or Onkyo instead. At least if one of those goes bad I wouldn't feel this frustrated...