Pm8003 integrated amplifier review
Integrated amplifiers Looking back at the signal chain music must pass through, the next area to consider is the pre-amplifier. A stereo integrated amplifier is essentially a pre-amp and power amp in one box. A dedicated stereo amplifier will give a cleaner sound, due to it containing fewer electronics that can cause interference. It will have its own power supply, again giving better performance.
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Funny brand, Marantz. A bit schizofrenic, as befits an American-born Japanese daughter of a Dutch multinational with a lot of foundation in Belgium. On the one hand, and often oblivious to the US market, Marantz make such unashamed - and darn good - super high-end products as there are the legendary CD two-box CD, the Project T-1 tube amp, and the cute yet so desirable Music Line series of small-size affordable esoterica.
On the other hand they splash out - just as unashamedly - budget electronics with a decidedly commercial sound and with the obligate designer label, such as the CDSE and PMKI. And in the middle they have a line that merges both worlds, resulting in products like the wonderful PM, an integrated amplifier that I find about the most desirable I've ever encountered and a hot tip for all ya Krell KAVi wannahaves! Almost a decade ago, Marantz had two excellent components that represented then somewhat of a milestone in affordable audio luxury.
The other was the PM, at ECU or so, a matching W class AB integrated amp that could be switched to pure class A output, in which case it delivered 20 of the finest sounding little Watts one could get for the money. Alas, the mighty CD was discontinued long time ago.
But the PM has been with us ever since. And now, now we have the PM which allegedly continues the bloodline. At only ECU Switched to class A, the output is 25W into 8Ohms. No figure into lower loads is given, but I'd expect that the power doubles cleanly into 4Ohms. OK, what more? Remote control. Record out selector. You know, ten years ago I paid ECU for a Cyrus One: no facilities, no remote control, and 30W of what-the-mags-called-audiophile-quality but which wasn't.
Add in the inflation, and the '78 comes out as a bargain. If it delivers sonically, of course Aesthetically the PM is a run-of-the-mill Japanese midprice amplifier. This to say that it looks boring. It is a gigantically big black box why-why-why when Cyrus, Quad, Audio Analogue manage small and beautiful boxes with great sound???
Luckily the build quality is OK, and the Marantz sure is darn heavy with its 12kg on the scales! There are a lot of separate circuit boards, often with functions not even I can fathom in my dictionary amplifiers are simple circuits , and for instance the all-important layout of the ground tracks looks as if it has been routed by someone from Cnossos. The only items of hope are a big power supply with blue Elna-for-Audio reservoir capacitors, and a surprisingly compact and neat power amp section.
This final stage uses just one HDAM - Marantz' discrete opamp circuit in a copper box - per channel for voltage gain, followed by the driver and power transistors.
This is the same successful architecture as seen in the PM, 17, and The power amp is fed from a chaotic board crammed with cohorts of cheap opamps, the tone control board. Luckily this one can be bypassed via the Source Direct switch, so that our precious music only has to run through the relay-switched input selection boards and the motor-controlled volume attenuator pot. A version that only runs in class AB is also available, tagged the PM, costing the price of a good MM cartridge less And then the listening began.
It sounded sweet, but also rather slow and with a plodding bass that made the music sound, well, just boring. Instruments that formerly had their very own character in the soundscape, like Lisa Gerrard's yang ch'in, were now reduced to Xerox copies at best.
It also worked as an equalizer, making all source material sound alike. Players' virtuosity was diminished which in the case of Ruben Gonzalez playing the piano is a crime , while their mistakes and lack of skill was glossed of nevertheless the PM could not change my girlfriend's rather explicit opinion on MF's AM as a clarinettist , whereas with my Quads we often can perceive the music's emotions even when listening from the kitchen!
Now don't get me wrong: the PM wasn't exactly sounding bad , me knowing much more expensive amplifiers having done far worse on my difficult old Quad ESL speakers, but it was as if the musicians didn't feel like playing, and we certainly didn't feel like listening! But we had to go on, and endure. Luckily there were some good things to say, too. The Marantz sounded fairly neutral, never ever harsh or bright, with only sometimes a strange artificial edge around voices which, incidentally, reminded me of the CDSE CD-player.
The size of the sound stage was just as large as with my regular amplification, only now more blurred, in soft-focus, and far less open. And even with the puny 25W of class A, the Marantz always sounded controlled, as if going louder would never be a problem.
Switching to class AB yielded almost no differences, perhaps a bit less wide staging, perhaps a mite less open and detailed. But comparison was difficult as I obeyed fairly long waiting times between switching, so that the output stages could properly get accustomed to their new operating conditions.
If you think I was rather disappointed by now then you are right. So far the Marantz hadn't done any single thing beyond being a rather uninspiring standard Japanese mid-class amplifier. Innocuous, yes. But also boring. I decided on the spot that my next review project would be a Naim.
That's how I felt. Moreover, I was going to slam a product. A product that already was approved of by people whose ears I trust. A product with a darn pedigree. You know, someone once told me that the old PM sounded "almost like a Krell" when used with the Martin Logan Aerius speakers. And now this happens Such things never make me happy. But I wasn't finished yet For the assessment of the phonostage I intended to use my 0.
Sometimes it does, really. Well, this time it didn't. There was not sufficient gain. Let's just say that I got the idea that the phono preamp seems quite allright, being neutral and without any obvious vices.
And so I went back to the bulging equipment racks to disconnect the turntable. But hey, what's that there? I had been listening all the time with the dreaded tone control crap board in-circuit!!! Me, the most supreme hifi expert in small stupid Belgium!!!!!! OK, so I swallowed my pride, pushed that button, and started all over again. Maybe just by a whisker, but it bettered them. Now the bass was deeper and at least as controlled as the reference, while the midrange was most certainly a bit more refined and detailed, which was easily heard on e.
Staging was as good as the Quads, and treble was only a little bit brighter. For the first time now I felt like listening to the music, the whole CD long, rather than just taking snatches, zapping from track A to track B and then to track X, wanting to be somewhere else. No, I think the PM can drive just about anything, and I can imagine it would mate wonderfully with for instance the small Magnepan speakers, if you're in for some budget esoterica.
I say "possibly", because actually testing the PM with my own Magnepans-in-storage would have stretched our logistics a bit too much I must consider the Marantz PM quite a success: it sounds pretty wonderful with source direct engaged and pretty crappy when that condition isn't met, it doesn't cost a lot of money, and yet it offers a mass of features to boot!
More, if you're not interested in the utmost transparency, then the almost-equal but classless PM, at ECU, may even be a better buy. Still, for the sake of hifi pride Marantz should make a simpler version of this amp, a 25W class A or perhaps 50W class AB, without tone controls and remote control, without phono stage, perhaps even without switching relays.
But housed in a much smaller and sexier-looking casing. They should name it 'PM' or somesuchthing. They should sell it at ECU and keep it in their program for a year or ten.
It would be a killer.
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Comparison of Cambridge Audio Azur 840a V2 vs Marantz PM8003
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Marantz PM8006 Integrated Amplifier Made In Japan
Funny brand, Marantz. A bit schizofrenic, as befits an American-born Japanese daughter of a Dutch multinational with a lot of foundation in Belgium. On the one hand, and often oblivious to the US market, Marantz make such unashamed - and darn good - super high-end products as there are the legendary CD two-box CD, the Project T-1 tube amp, and the cute yet so desirable Music Line series of small-size affordable esoterica. On the other hand they splash out - just as unashamedly - budget electronics with a decidedly commercial sound and with the obligate designer label, such as the CDSE and PMKI.
Marantz Pm7200 Amplifier Manual Pdf
This amp quoted 80 watts but the actual power is defintely more than Marantz 95 watts and Yamaha 90 watts , so amazing! The remote control is very nice but easy to leave more finger prints on it, anyway it is not a big issue. Our Virginia-based experts can help you find the best gear. Get FREE 2-day shipping and free lifetime tech support with your order. All Rights Reserved. Site Map; Contact Us; Privacy Policy Terms The Viso 5 breaks with NAD s tradition of making functional-looking kit with a sleek, classy approach to its new home cinema in a box system It s full of punchiness and power, but this more than capable NAD is let down by its lack of subtleties.
Marantz PM8003
This is my first post so be kind.. There's a second hand one at 2ndhandhifi. Does anyone have any experience with this amp or Esoteric in general? I've only read a couple of reviews online - 6moons and Dagogo. I read that it's very neutral, clinical which I don't mind but when it comes to 'Hi-fi' I actually like a bit of coloration. Not masses of it but for example from my experience some Marantz amps tend to have a mid frequency push. I don't know the science but I love it for music playback. I say this because when I'm at my brothers recording studio - his pro audio set-up is built for neutrality - a crucial aspect when in comes to mixing music but it's not really that emotional when I stick my albums on..
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For the integrated amplifier connoisseur, the PM delivers the power you expect from a Marantz. Not only does it deliver the controlled power that audiophiles demand, it creates the warm musical sound you expect from Marantz. Current Feedback amplification is a well-known, Marantz-original circuit technology, thoughtfully designed to match the requirements of Super Audio hi-res music for wide-bandwidth, high-speed reproduction. The impedance at the Current Feedback point is limited, generating a very low phase shift. This simplifies the signal path and results in a high through-rate, excellent transient response and superb sonic transparency across the full bandwidth. Unlike conventional Voltage Feedback topology, Current Feedback also makes the power amplifier insensitive to difficult loudspeaker loads.
Likeable and meritorious, the Marantz is up against stellar competition and is found slightly wanting. We all know interminable waiting for a hot date is a recipe for disappointment. Take this amplifier, for instance: it's Marantz 's latest, the PM, and it proved as elusive as Nessie for months, until at last we secured a model to review. And now that our chance has come at last, we're strangely anxious. Sure, the Marantz looks as good today as when we first saw it, but the reality can't match our fevered imaginings
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Thanks for an explanation, I too consider, that the easier, the better...