Marantz PM Ki Ruby vs Musical Fidelity M6si


I have narrowed down the options to drive my Dali Rubicon 5s. 
I’ve heard that unlike most marantz reference series gear, the ruby is not as warm. Also, uses a Class D instead of the usual Class A or A/B.

interestingly enough, I tried the musical fidelity m5si and it sounded quite good with my speakers.  It wasn’t as bright as I expected. It was lively yet warm. My budget allows me to go for the next level, so I’m wondering if I should go for the warmer Marantz Ruby or the MF m6si instead. 
If you own either of these amps, plz could you share your thoughts? There aren’t many reviews and really need your help. thanks!

prashanth13485

Showing 1 response by lcfpimentel

I actually have a PM Ki Ruby playing a pair of Revel F208 and had a MF M6si for 3-4 years playing the same speakers and a pair of Monitor Audio Gx300 before them.

I upgraded the M6si to a Pass Labs x250.5 and then I moved it for a second system so I needed a new amplifier and got the PM Ki Ruby.

I need to say both are excelent, the most important difference is the presence of a very good DAC in the M6si.

I never did a direct comparisson but I remember clearly the sound signature of the M6si.

The Marantz has more bass impact and a little warmer sound. The M6si is flatter with more resolution and shows more mids presence. Again the soundstage o the Ruby is three dimensional and shows a lot of depth and is the first thing you will note. Both are very engaging not analytical in anyway.
The cons of the Ruby I would only quote for a little hi frequency sparkle that bothers me in some recordings. The M6si is less engaging but easy on long listening sessions.

I would like to say that a I struggle with the M6si until I discover the impact of speaker cable on it. I am not a snake oil head but in this amplifier the speaker cable has a lot of contribution for the results.
If I could choose now maybe I would prefer the M6si over the PM Ki Ruby but here in Brazil we have limited availability of eletronics and sometimes the prices got a lot higher than the international prices.
Another point is the aesthetics. The PM Ki Ruby is a wonderful piece of equipment and gives a lot of proud of ownership.