A long time ago, in a galaxy far away, Marantz took the whole THX concept to heart.

The technology has since been widely implemented on its AV amplifiers and receivers down the years, even as some other AVR brands appeared to lose interest in the philosophy, with the SR8002 the latest to boast certification, this time in the form of THX Select2. ÂŁ1,300 is, at first glance, quite a high price for what is the 'budget' iteration of THX post processing.

But given that even Marantz's rebel alliance partner Denon now offers a range largely bereft of THX movie modes, its inclusion should be viewed as a welcome bonus.

Identical amplifiers

The downsized sibling to THX Ultra2, THX Select2 is specifically-aimed at improving surround sound in small-to-medium-sized home cinema rooms.

The SR8002 is a subtle evolution of last years' SR8001. Very subtle. So subtle, in fact, I initially reviewed the wrong model by mistake and didn't notice until the photographer spotted the badge...!

Still, this genteel evolution is no bad thing, because the older model had sophisticated charms with films and a maestro's touch with music - and the SR8002 follows hot in those foot-tapping steps.

Powerful receiver

Like its predecessor, this rather attractively-apportioned receiver is easy on the eye, with a copper-plated chassis finished in a light, brushed aluminium colour.

It offers seven channels of 100W+ in current-feedback configuration, which Marantz claims results in very low phase shift, fast transient response and greater transparency over the full bandwidth up to 100kHz. You get a whopping torroidal power supply, 32bit DSPs and 192kHz/24bit DACs for all channels (despite what it says on Marantz's own website).

Sadly, several less than buff features also remain. The block-text onscreen menus are about an aeon away from the competition's fancy GUIs and the level of control you have over the 8002's operation, sound and video is minimal.

It's lack of information is painful for a modern receiver with a four-figure price tag - particularly its refusal to show you what sound format it is auto-decoding either in the menus or on the display.

The whole operation is somewhat saved by a swanky new remote control, the RC101. While this light-grey plastic stick with blue buttons might look a little like its predecessor, the RC101 is a fully-programmable device with multiroom ability.

Loaded with features

What else does the new all-singing, all-dancing SR8002 bring to the table?

Well, the HDMI ports are now v1.3a spec, allowing DeepColor and auto lip-sync with suitably-equipped source and display components, and there is, of course, decoding for Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. There's also a compressed music enhancer should you want to hook up your iPod. And then there is... no, hang on, that's it.

Strange, then, that the error that lead to me ushering the SR8001 back into my listening room before auditioning the SR8002 in fairly quick succession revealed such startling sonic differences...

Measured sound

We commended the SR8001 for its robust sound, gizzard-wobbling bass and high-volume entertainment - although it wasn't the subtlest or most detailed performer. Engage its Audyssey system and its radical EQ curves ensured the balance did a complete about face.

Suddenly you got stunning top-end detail, fabulous projection and sparkling high-frequency effects - that got rather bright at high volume. Not so the SR8002. While the basic, rock-solid sound is still there, the Audyssey system produces a completely different EQ pattern.

No longer does it apply wholesale bass attenuation and overt treble boost, but instead adds ever-so-subtle tweaks, rarely adjusting any frequency by more than 1dB or 2dB in any direction.