Technical information

TECHNICAL GLOSSARY & ICONS 39TECHNICAL GLOSSARY & ICONS38
TECHNICAL GLOSSARY & ICONS
AUDIO TECHNOLOGY
3-STAGE AMPLIFICATION
The 3-stage amplification concept offers an extremely wide frequency range needed
for the high resolution formats like SA-CD and DVD-A. In addition it influences the
overall performance in relation to speed and accuracy. The first amplification stage is
built into the pre amplifier followed by a voltage amplification and the third and final is
the power output stage to guarantee high current output driving speakers more vividly
and dynamically.
AUDYSSEY
Audyssey is an acoustic measurement technology which equalizes the acoustic
distortion caused by the acoustic behaviour of a room. When you experience
Audyssey equalization, a cloudy layer is lifted away, leaving only clear, accurate, natural
sound. Voices and dialog become focused and intelligible. Musical balance is restored.
Musical instruments and sound effects become precisely localized. Surround
soundstage is made seamless and enveloping. And the best at least, all the
measurements and parameter settings will be done fully automatically with a high
quality microphone and a sophisticated audio processing technology started via the
setup menu of the AV-Receiver.
CHOKE INPUT TOPOLOGY
In the power supply section, the choke input topology is adopted to drastically reduce
rectifier harmonic noise and to reduce the influence of distortion from the mains
power network. This system is especially suitable for a control amplifier in which very
small signal amplification occurs.
COPPER PLATED CHASSIS
A copper plated chassis provides the best shielding against noise or electromagnetic
distortion radiating from other components in the equipment. It prevents this noise
from being amplified together with the audio signal. And even more important, it gives
equal low impedance ground level to every point of the chassis, keeping the ground
potential as clean as possible.
COPPER SHIELDING
Some section of a player or amplifier might produce high frequency distortion or
electromagnetic radiation. To eliminate this negative effect causing signal distortion
we add in certain products additional copper shielding to protect the sensitive areas or
parts, improving the overall sound quality.
CURRENT FEEDBACK
Current Feedback amplification is a well known, Marantz’ original circuit technology.
The Current Feedback amplifier technology fits perfectly with the high requirements
set for Super Audio software providing wide-bandwidth, high-speed reproduction.
The impedance at the Current Feedback point is limited resulting in a very low phase
shift. Marantz receivers and amplifiers equipped with Current Feedback can keep the
phase compensation via Negative FeedBack (NFB) to a minimum, resulting in high
through-rate, excellent transient response and superb sonic transparency for the full
bandwidth. Unlike conventional Voltage Feedback amplification, the Current Feedback
amplification makes the power amplifier insensitive to difficult loudspeaker loads.
CUSTOMIZED COMPONENTS
On paper an electrical component might look excellent but the result may fall short of
the combined design expectations. Marantz selects the appropriate components for
the specific design application. In some cases it's simply not possible to use standard
components that meet the high Marantz standards. These components will then be
specially made for Marantz in close cooperation with the Marantz engineers.
DIGITAL AUDIO BROADCASTING (DAB)
DAB is a digital radio system. It offers near CD-quality sound, more stations, additional
radio and data services and therefore wider choice of programs, the ease of tuning
and interference-free reception for the listener, plus the information potential of data,
graphics and text. DAB is broadcast on terrestrial networks, and you are able to
receive it using solely a tiny nondirectional stub antenna.
DVD-AUDIO
DVD-Audio is a music format that takes advantage of the high storage capacity of
the DVD to present high quality audio up to six channels. For six channel amplification,
DVD-Audio provides the possibility to have 24-bit-96 kHz audio information for all six
channels, which results in an increased dynamic range (144 dB) and an increased
frequency range (0-96 kHz). In stereo mode DVD-Audio expands the limit of the
sampling rate to 192 kHz. The higher the bit-rate and the sampling frequency the more
accurate the reproduction of the original recorded piece of music can be done.
GMR - GIANT MAGNETIC RESISTOR
The Giant Magnetic Resistor is a technology comparable with an optical coupler, that
makes it possible to separate two section of a product galvanic. The GMR
outperforms the optical coupler when it comes to high frequencies. This big benefit is
used in this player to separate the digital section from the analogue one and this even
on the ground level. No high frequency distortion to the sensitive audio signal; no
influence to the power for the audio stages.
HYPER DYNAMIC AMPLIFIER MODULES (HDAM)
Marantz developed its own discrete circuit boards to replace the IC's. These HDAMs
consist of discrete surface mount components with short mirror image L/R signal
paths. Those devices are doing exactly the same thing as the Op-Amps, but out-
perform the regular IC Op-amps dramatically in terms of the Slew Rate and reduced
noise level, resulting in a much more dynamic, accurate and detailed sound. Over the
years Marantz developed different types of the HDAM to improve quality which can be
found back in the different versions.
LINEAR VOLUME CONTROL
Linear volume control offers minimal cross talk with a very precise volume adjustment
over a range from 0 dB to 100 dB with a gang error less than +/- 0.5 dB.
MARANTZ ROOM ACOUSTIC CALIBRATION (MRAC)
Based on our room acoustics knowledge and expertise already shown in previous
products the Marantz Room Acoustic Calibration (MRAC) was developed. Taking into
account reflections from walls, ceiling and floor and our knowledge about psycho-
acoustics, MRAC optimizes the sound for the room acoustics. With a supplied
microphone placed on your listening position, a powerful DSP analyzes accurately and
sets the sound configuration for your listening room fully automatically. MRAC can
test and control speaker configuration, speaker size, trim and distance/delay. All for
best sound and easy set-up.
SUPER AUDIO CD
Super Audio CD (SA-CD) is a next generation of music format that provides a more
natural, ultra-high quality sound. It offers a smooth migration path to a higher quality
sound, as all existing CDs can be played on the SA-CD player. SA-CD is based on the
Direct Stream Digital (DSD) technology, which uses 1 bit delta-sigma modulation and
a sampling frequency that is 64 times higher than that of the CD. This enables the
SA-CD to offer a frequency range up to 100 KHz and a dynamic range of 120 dB.
SYMMETRICAL CIRCUIT LAYOUT
To achieve the best possible sonic performance, signal paths need to be short, direct
and mirror imaged. The construction of our circuitry provides improved stereo imaging
by ensuring close to perfect symmetry between right and left channel layout.
TOROIDAL TRANSFORMER
Toroidal transformer has several advantages over a normal EI core transformer. It is
very efficient and therefore delivers more power compared to the same size of an EI
core transformer. In addition, due to its shape, the electromagnetic radiation and the
mechanical vibration are extremely low all ending in a better sound quality.
ZERO IMPEDANCE MATCHING JOINT
Improves the signal to noise ratio significantly by adding a copper plated bracket
across the output terminals of the player providing the best ground contact possible.
VIDEO TECHNOLOGY
DCDi
The DCDi (Directional Correlation De-interlacing) technology by Faroudja improves the
video image by using new motion adaptive de-interlacing without introducing motion
artifacts and jagged edges. This circuit provides edge and detail enhancement without
the deleterious side effects.
Deep Color™
Deep Color™ lets HDTVs and other displays go from millions of colors to billions of
colors allowing consumers to enjoy unprecedented vividness and accuracy of color on
their displays. Deep Color™ eliminates on-screen color banding, for smooth tonal
transitions and subtle gradations between colors. It enables increased contrast ratio,
and can represent many times more shades of gray between black and white.
DVB-T
This product is equipped with a DVB-T tuner. Digital Video Broadcast - Terrestrial is
transmission of digital video information through the air. The video signals can be
compressed by MPEG1 or MPEG2 codec. Benefits of DVB-T are video quality up to
DVD level and audio quality up to CD level. Further nice and useful features are subtitle
and EPG. EPG is the electronic program guide offering full information on the current
broadcasting and even for one week in advance not to miss any important movie,
sport event or the latest news. In the area where distributed a small antenna is even
enough to receive the broadcasting. No need of a satellite dish or a large antenna.
DivX
DivX is a video compression tool developed to exchange film content via the internet.
With a DivX certified DVD player it is easy to take digital video from the computer and
play it back on the normal TV at almost DVD quality. Thanks to DivX technology’s
superior compression, hours of DVD-quality video can be saved on a single CD. The
latest improved version is called DivX 6.0. The new DivX offers enhanced multimedia
and interactive features such as subtitling, DVD-esque video menus and chapter
points. Video files created in the new format are handily identified by a new file
extension, divx. Please check capability per product in the specification section.
DUAL IRIS SYSTEM
The Dual Iris system incorporates an electronic iris in the projection lens and an
electronic iris in the illumination optics, which is a unique feature. Regarding the
electric iris in the projection lens, two positions are available: a mode emphasizing
contrast by reducing the aperture (F6.0) and a mode emphasizing brightness (F3.0) by
opening the aperture wider. A similar makeup has been added to the light engine.
Both systems together offer a wide variety on application. In the real cinema set up
the first choice of course will F6.0 for the lens and the illumination optics. However in
certain circumstances it might need a higher light output, for example if the room isn’t
completely dark or the walls are painted white and reflecting the light of the screen.
This smart technique guarantees best picture performance with Marantz projectors in
any circumstances.
HDMI CONVERSION WITH IP PROCESSING
Video conversion from analogue level to the digital level for output via HDMI offers
ease of use and best digital picture quality for each source material. A one to one
analogue to digital conversion might cause some problems in daily use, because
interlace video signals like 576i will be outputted as 576i digital, but some today's TV
sets can't understand this signal. To avoid problems an IP-processing is applied,
changing the signal from interlace to progressive - 576i will be processed into 576p.
This signal will be easily understand by each TV set.
HDTV ready
HDTV ready products ensure that they are capable of handling HD (high definition)
content with the full resolution. Therefore the requirements are a native resolution of
at least 720 lines, a 16:9 aspect ratio, component video input with 720p & 1080i (50
Hz/60 Hz) handling and DVI or HDMI digital input with HDCP (high definition content
protection). HDTV ready guarantees full enjoyment of high-definition video.
HIGH-DEFINITION MULTIMEDIA INTERFACE (HDMI)
HDMI combines high-definition video and superb audio in a single digital interface
with a bandwidth of up to 10 Gigabits/ second. HDMI complies with High-bandwidth
Digital Content Protection (HDCP) technology protecting high-value content from
unauthorized reproduction and distribution. HDMI is the only interface in consumer
electronics that can carry both high-definition video and multi-channel audio e.g. Dolby
Digital and DTS) in all HD formats, including 720p, 1080i and even the upcoming
1080p. With only a single cable connection all information can be digitally transmitted.
The HDMI1.1 is able to transport the high resolution DVD-A data as well. With
HDMI1.2 the transmission of high resolution stereo and multichannel information of
SA-CD completes the portfolio. And the latest HDMI1.3 supports higher resolution
audio formats as Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD - offers a higher
bandwith for higher framerates and extended degradation in colour space.
LIP SYNC
The digital processing and scaling of video displays can create a slight delay in the
video signal. This delay makes audio tracks appear out of synch. Using sound delay (Lip
Sync) you can slow the sound presentation to match the presentation of the video.
NOISE SHAPING VIDEO (NSV)
Provides the most accurate video signal representation and enhances the picture
quality by shifting unwanted noise in a non-visible area.
TRUE HD 1080p
1080p is the short name for a category of video modes. The number 1080 stands for
1080 lines of vertical resolution, while the letter p stands for progressive scan or non-
interlaced. 1080p is the resolution possible for HDTV. The term usually assumes a
widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a horizontal (display) resolution of 1920 lines
and a frame resolution of 1920 x 1080 or over two million pixels. 1080p is the digital
standard for filming digital motion pictures. Directors such as George Lucas (in Star
Wars: Episode III) shoot their digital films in this high definition mode to be shown in
theaters equipped with 1080p digital projectors. With products carrying this icon you
can enjoy any single pixel of the movie.
PROGRESSIVE SCAN
Compared to a conventional interlaced picture, progressive scanning creates a picture
signal with double the scan lines, resulting in a noticeably sharper image.
The progressive image offers higher picture resolution and eliminates virtually all
motion artifacts. Even on large screens, the progressive scan lines are barely
noticeable and picture flickering is greatly reduced, so you can enjoy extended viewing
without eye fatigue.
VIDEO CONVERSION
Analogue video signals feed to the AV-Receiver in Composite, S-Video or Component
format will be up- or down-converted to the monitor video output of another format.
This feature allows you to connect any source via a single AV-Receiver and run one
cable to the TV set. Please check specification area for details on conversion direction.
For perfect synchronization the high quality video converter is equipped with digital
video processing consisting of for example; 4 H line memory, time based corrector, a
triple 10-bit DAC, filed locking, VCR detection and anti aliasing filtering. This will be
indicated by the "line memory" beneath the icon.
VISUAL EXCELLENCE PROCESSING
Gennum’s VXP offers stunning image quality by applying the most advanced image
processing techniques to all SD, HD and graphics signals including content adaptive
de-interlacing of HDTV 1080i signals. The internal adaptive de-interlacer sets a new
standard for motion processing, film mode detection and dynamic directional edge
processing. The four key technologies are:
TruMotionHD
De-interlacing technology that makes input signals progressive, converting them from
interlaced to non-interlaced sequentially. TruMotionHD also reduces chroma
upsampling errors caused by MPEG decoders of DVD players.
FineEdge
FineEdge refers to edge enhancement (correction and emphasis) and adaptive
processing. This processing smoothes image edges extremely well, especially lines
running diagonally. In combination with the TruMotionHD the picture will be of an
extraordinary sharpness and stability.
RealityExpansion
The GF9351 uses 10-bit processing for all signal processing, a technique called
RealityExpansion. 10-bit processing produces exceptionally better gradation than
typical 8-bit processing, raising the number of colours to a higher order of magnitude
from 16.77 million to more than a billion. With the increased number of possible colors
the reproduced pictures appear much more natural.
FidelityEngine
Detail emphasis and noise reduction are provided by what is called the FidelityEngine.
This technology cuts noise without reducing the sense of picture resolution. For low-
resolution images that are not sharp, the FidelityEngine adds emphasis to details,
producing clarity.
SOUND FORMATS
DOLBY DIGITAL EX
Dolby Digital EX brings a dimension of depth, spacious ambience and sound
localization to home theater environment. The benefits of DD-EX include more realistic
fly-over and fly-around effects from an additional rear center speaker (6.1), providing a
more stable image for atmospheres and music and a more consistent surround effect
throughout the auditorium or home viewing area.
DOLBY HEADPHONE
Dolby Headphone technology allows users to listen to music, watch movies, or play
video games with the dramatic surround effects of a 5.1-channel soundtrack through
any set of stereo headphones. Best of all, "listener fatigue," a phenomenon commonly
associated with headphone playback, is replaced by a spacious, natural sound field
that listeners can enjoy for hours.
DOLBY PRO LOGIC IIx
Dolby Pro Logic IIx is a complete surround sound solution that maximizes the
entertainment experience from stereo as well as 5.1-channel encoded sources. Dolby
Pro Logic IIx technology features Movie and Music modes that function with 5.1 as
well as stereo sources, including 24-bit/192 kHz and 24-bit/96 kHz sources. Dolby Pro
Logic IIx technology delivers a natural and immersing 7.1-channel listening experience
to the home theater environment.
DTS ES 96/24 Neo:6
The DTS-ES surround system offers a superb sound quality and a range of formats.
The Discrete 6.1 offers the ultimate quality of surround field creation, while the Matrix
6.1 provides compatibility for the existing DTS 5.1 software. And the Neo:6 is to create
6.1 surround stage from any two channel source. DTS 96/24 allows for 5.1 channel
sound track encoding at a rate of 96 kHz/24-bits on DVD-Video titles. Higher sampling
rates provide greater bit depth and allow a wider frequency response. In conjunction
with the use of anti-alias and reconstruction filters DTS 94/24, this results in a more
transparent sound quality equivalent to the original soundtrack and is fully backwards
compatible at the same time.
HD - 7.1 PCM MULTICHANNEL
HD - 7.1 PCM Multichannel offers the full high definition / high resolution sound from
Blu-ray Disc™ or HD-DVD even if the decoders for the HD Audio formats Dolby Digital
Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD aren't built into the receiver. How? The player has the
option to convert the HD Audio signal into a up to 7.1 PCM Multichannel 24-bit / 96 kHz
signal, which will be transmitted via the HDMI cable. The conversion is lossless so you
will enjoy every single bit of high definition sound. In the Marantz receiver high quality
24-bit / 96 kHz digital to analogue converter will take care of the signal. This is
compareable to the DTS-HD transmitted signal.
HD AUDIO DECODERS
HD-Audio Decoders covers the new sound formats coming with the emerge of the
high definition (HD) video player Blu-ray Disc™ and HD DVD. For detailed information
on the new formats please see below. Marantz has optimised its receiver to handle
this sensible signal with highest accuracy not to lose any detail on information to give
you the full experience of the new HD Audio.
Dolby Tr ueHD
Dolby TrueHD is Dolby’s next-generation lossless technology developed for high-
definition disc-based media. Dolby TrueHD supports up to eight full-range channels,
allowing the audio engineer to position sounds for a more realistic effect than ever
before. Dolby TrueHD has been selected by the DVD Forum as a standard for HD DVD,
and is also available for use in Blu-ray Disc™ players and media. Dolby TrueHD is
supported by HDMI™, the new single-cable digital connection for high-definition audio
and video that eliminates the confusion of multiple connectors. Dolby TrueHD will be
transportable over version 1.3 of HDMI and is compatible with version 1.1 as an output
HD 7.1 PCM multichannel signal for AV receivers.
Dolby Digital Plus
Dolby Digital Plus offers new levels of enhanced audio resolution and fidelity, further
complementing the superior video performance of Blu-ray Disc™ and HD DVD. These
extensions to the existing Dolby Digital format extend the peak 640 kbps data rate to
3 Mbps and beyond. Dolby Digital Plus is also designed with the flexibility to permit
future channel expansion beyond the traditional 5.1-channel model, to 7.1 discrete
channels or more.
DTS-HD
DTS-HD is an optional format for all Blu-ray Disc™ and HD DVD products.
The unique DTS-HD core extension design allows for DTS-HD to deliver incredible
performance and flexibility. DTS-HD High Resolution Audio delivers audio at high
constant bit rates superior to standard DVDs---6.0 Mbps on Blu-ray Discs™ and 3.0
Mbps on HD-DVD to produce outstanding sound quality. It is capable of delivering up
to 7.1 channels at 96k sampling frequency/24-bit depth resolution.
SRS CIRCLE SURROUND II
Circle Surround II is a powerful and versatile multi-channel technology designed to
enable up to 6.1 multi-channel surround-sound playback from mono, stereo, CS
encoded sources and other matrix encoded sources. CS-II places the listener "inside"
the music performances and dramatically improves the separation and image
positioning of both hi-fi audio conventional surround-encoded video material, adding a
heightened sense of realism.
SRS WOW
SRS WOW™ improves the dynamic audio performance of compressed audio,
expands the size of the audio image and improves the perception of low frequency
sound. These improvements provide the listener with an engaging and powerful
representation of the audio performance.
THX Select2
When you see the THX logo, you are selecting superior performance for exceptional
entertainment experiences. THX Select2 incorporates two additional processing
technologies: Advanced Speaker Array (A.S.A.) and Boundary Gain Compensation
(B.G.C). ASA is a proprietary of THX technology which processes the sound fed into 2
surround and 2 surround back speakers to provide the optimum in enveloping
surround sound reproduction. When placing the 2 surround back speakers close to
each other and build your home theater setup using 8 speakers, ASA will create the
largest possible sweet spot in your surround sound field. Boundary Gain
Compensation provides an optimized bass balance in case the listening room layout
results in most of the listeners being seated close to the rear wall. This technology
prevents a 'boomy' bass yet processes the appropriate bass reinforcement.
CI FRIENDLY INSTALLATION
CI-Ready
CI-Ready indicates that the products is equipped with connection like RS-232, Flasher
Out, IR Receiver in, DC-Trigger and similar used especially in the Custom Installation
area. The RS232 for example is a communication port direct to the micro processor of
the device. It is possible to control the component and get status feedback via this
connection without any visual contact and even offers a way to update the system
software if needed. Marantz products have dedicated remote codes and RS232 codes
for any function including discrete power on / off.
D-BUS
To optimize equipment in terms of ease of use, Marantz has designed the D-Bus
system. Received remote control commands are communicated via this bus. This
enables equipment without IR-receiver like tuners or hidden system together with an
external IR eye to be controlled via the bypacked Marantz System Remote Controller.
DC-TRIGGER
A DC trigger is an assignable voltage output which can automatically control for
example an electrical projection screen, lowering it when the DVD input is choosen on
the receiver.
IR-FLASHER
The IR-Flasher In is a standardized connection to control the AV system by external IR
receivers independent of the infra red control format used. On the IR-Flasher out a IR-
Emitter can be connected to control third brand components. The third connection link
to this is the IR-Receiver input which is similar to the IR-Flasher In, but it outputs a
voltage to feed an external IR-Receiver eye. Please check capability per product in the
specification section.
MULTI ROOM / MULTI SOURCE
With the Marantz AV system placed in the main room of the house, a second or even
a third loudspeaker set can be placed in two separate rooms. In those rooms an audio
and even a video source can be selected independently from the main room at a
different sound level and with full remote control functionality. For example in the main
room a DVD can be played back with multichannel surround, while in a second room
music can be enjoyed from a CD-Player connect and a third room can have audio and
video coming from the connected satellite set-top box - all at the same time - all
independently. Please check specification section for number of zones.
RF TRANSMISSION
The RF transmission of control commands makes it possible to control the equipment
like amplifier, CD / DVD-Player or similar, even if there is no direct visual contact. It
might be that the equipment is set up in the next room or hidden in a cupboard. The
remote will sent out radio frequency (RF) like a radio station and this signal will be
received by a small box converting it back into infra red (IR) signals to control the
equipment.
2-WAY Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi, also called IEEE802.11, is a RF transmission (please see explanation above) as
well, but it is opens much more possibilities. As RF is working on a frequency of 433
MHz it is 2.4 GHz with Wi-Fi. This means a much wider bandwidth is available for
transmitting the signals and it can be used in both directions. The remote can send
signals to control the equipment, but also can receive information from the equipment
when available. The communication is bi-directional or 2-way. The Wi-Fi technology is
also used for wireless computer networks. For the use with RC9001 for example this
means direct playback from WMA files stored on a PC which is linked to the Wi-Fi
network or browsing the contents of a music server and several other application
possibilities: lighting-, climat-, security control, etc.
WEAVE
WEAVE is a new way of Marantz making multi room / multi source function of our
receiver accessible. It is easy Plug & Play - without running additional wires through
the house, because it is using the mains network to distribute the audio and control
signals. WEAVE is standing for Wired Entertainment Accessible Via Electricity. The
technology applied is also know under PLC - power line communication. All sources
connected to the main setup can be listened to via the clients in the other rooms of
the house as well. And of course it can be controlled as well. The sound quality is on
CD level, because everything is digital.
GMR
HD1080p