I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised how good a Marantz 125 wpc receiver sounded on some B&W DM 14's I sold a guy.
Are marantz power amps any good?
I want to step up to a power amp and was wondering g if the marantz power amps are worth it? I love the sound of their avr's , but the power amps seem low on specs , is there more too it than wattage ? Do they provide tons of current , and if so what makes a 300 watt per channel amp better than this one ?
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Why not look at tube amps? These jumped out as a very good deal: https://app.audiogon.com/listings/tube-klimo-kent-tube-monoblock-amplifiers-2015-12-20-amplifiers-10990-warwick-ny No affiliation with the seller just a big EL34 fan and 35 tube watts should drive your speakers nicely, with lots of warmth and tons of detail. |
Nesto, you would connect your front AVR preouts to the HT bypass input of an integrated. When you watch movies, the integrated then acts as a power amp for the front speakers. You would connect all your music sources to the other integrated inputs and you would not use the AVR for stereo listening. Make sense? |
Marantz seemed to have returned to its roots a decade ago by offering true HiFi made in Japan. When my arcam alpha 8 bi-amp setup gave up on me, I shopped for an integrated and finally settled on the PM8004 by Marantz. Balanced, polite, exceptional imaging, built like a tank, in short a major step up from Arcam in every way. It is 4-5 years old now, stays on 98% of the time, and it's working great. The pre-amp section however is the weak point as it degrades the sound greatly when it is engaged (less dynamic, weaker imaging). Their CD/SACD players are also top notch based on customers feedback. |
I definitely don’t want to over buy , I prefer a warm rich sound with plenty of detail still , and was told to buy an older b&k 200. , lexicon lx model . I have tried emotiva and felt it was too bright , which was a bummer because they are priced really nice . I really prefer something newer unless those amps suggested to me are the real deal . Marantz 7702mkii or 8802 will be the pre amp because I was told they have a great two Channel analog system , plus I can still get all the benefits of muti channel audio too . I really love the looks of tubes , but have no idea where to go . Parasound and anthem stuff looks good but was told they are not entirely on the warmest side . |
Just for lindisfarne...........whatcha gon be drivin wit dis amp nesto? Seriously what speakers are you using? 300 watts is a ton and there are many good amps both tube and ss in the 30-100 watt range that are very affordable. And as always it's not just about watts! Power supply, overall design, are factors that are just if not more important. |
In the mid to late 90s, I had the pleasure of owning 4ea of the MA-22 class AB mono power amps. They were awesome. I liked them so much, I later upgraded them to 4ea of the MA-24 which were 30w class A units. These sounded very good but truth be told, while I loved the physical design the MA-22 units actually sounded somewhat better driving my bi-amped Martin Logan Quests. |
In my opinion Marantz power only amps fall in 2 categories. Their inexpensive AV "power only" amps, mono or otherwise, both past & present, are not for someone who appreciates high quality audio but may satisfy the average video enthusiast. Their high end Reference Series mono amps have lots of current to handle anything, are fairly priced, & provide a quality listening experience for the average audio enthusiast. |