Marantz SR-880 (1997–1998)
The Marantz SR-880 was a Dolby Digital A/V receiver that showed up just as home theater was moving from Pro Logic to discrete multi-channel sound. HiFi-Stereo (May 1997, p.27) announced it as a new product with a then-substantial $1,500 price tag. It packed onboard Dolby Digital and Dolby Pro Logic decoding, plus a full set of digital inputs - RF for laserdiscs and optical or coaxial for other sources.
The amplifier section was rated for 110 watts to each of the front channels and 60 watts to each surround speaker, a sensible split for the era. A later issue of HiFi-Stereo (April 1998, p.72) ran a short review and found the SR-880 "maintained channel balance very well over a broad master-volume range." It called the amplifier performance impressive in both stereo and full five-channel surround.
Inputs were plentiful for a mid-to-late-90s flagship: four additional audio inputs, five video inputs, and multiroom outputs. The receiver shipped with the RC2000 universal home-theater remote. The SR-880 also appeared in Audio magazine's "Design & Engineering Showcase" across several 1997 issues (July through October), though those pages were advertising rather than editorial reviews.
Beyond what the periodicals recorded, documentation on the SR-880 is thin.
- Type: Dolby Digital A/V receiver
- Power: 110 W front channels, 60 W surround channels
- Decoding: Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic, dual DSP processors
- Digital inputs: RF (laserdisc), optical, coaxial
- Analog/video inputs: 4 audio, 5 video
- Multiroom: Yes
- Remote: RC2000 universal home-theater remote
- Price new: $1,500 (1997)
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