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Marantz vs Musical Fidelity

Hello if anyone's out there. This is my first time posting so I'm not totally sure if I've done this right. I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with Marantz and Musical Fidelity to be able to compare the two. I currently have both the PM8005 and the PM14-S1 and I find them to both be very enjoyable yet both have quite different characteristics. I've gone through I think 4 different pairs of speakers and this has always been the case. I've kept all other components and accessories consistent so it's not like I've been changing everything up and then I'm curious why there's no consistency or something.

The PM14-S1 is super attractive with unbelievable build quality and a very velvety wonderful sound and I love it very much. However, I feel like it lacks balls for some reason. I currently have Sonus Faber Sonetto II speakers which are 4ohm, so I know I'm drawing the full current from the amp. 

The issue is that the pm8005 is much more lively and responsive to volume changes. I can tap the volume on the remote or just slightly turn it on the unit and the volume increases very noticeably. The 14-S1 takes much more changes in the volume to be noticeable and I feel as if it doesn't play as loud or won't get as loud. This could be the volume number on the front of the 14-S1 getting into my head and me being scared of the number when I really just need to crank it up. I know the two volume styles have different circuitry and I shouldn't expect the same performance, however considering how much the pm8005 is outclassed by this big brother I guess I'm just expecting more? When I listen to a record for example, I have to turn the volume up into the -30's and that's not necessarily rocking the house or anyting either. Am I wrong to think that this is an issue? Should I be worried to turn the volume up regardless of what number is on the front?

I even shipped off the 14-S1 to be looked at and the technician contacted me and said that all of the inputs and outputs were above-average and there is absolutely nothing wrong with the amp. Maybe I need to change something else that I'm not thinking about. I'm not going to go buy thousand-dollar speaker cables but maybe I should change them. I'm using Audioquest Mackenzie interconnects to hook up my SA8005. I also have the Marantz TT-15 turntable and it's output is even worse. CDs don't necessarily come through weak, I guess I just I'm expecting more gain or presence, to use those terms.

The bottom line is that I feel like the weaker amp is stronger but there has to be a reason for this. I refuse to believe that this reference series Marantz product is out performed by a non reference series product of the same company. Because of all of this I'm considering selling the PM14-S1 and buying the Musical Fidelity M5si to see what happens. Everything I'm reading about Musical Fidelity products sounds fantastic and it seems that I would not be disappointed. But I've thought that before. If anyone has any experience with this stuff please let me know because I'm hesitant to get rid of this reference integrated if there is something else that I just simply need to tweak. If anyone knows about the difference in volume styles on my twoamps please explain those as well. Thank you for reading.
jawillia
auxinput
2,920 posts
 
Is the m6si really that much better than the m5si?  I would say somewhat.  It will have the same general sonic signature.  And you are not buying the M6si to use all 220 watts.  You buy the larger amp because a larger power supply will generally have more "oomph" in the bass/midbass area and also usually be smoother and fuller in the midrange (even at lower volumes).  If you can afford it, go for it.  Otherwise, buy what your budget will allow.

The Parasound Halo integrated is nice.  Think of it as a swiss army knife type of device with every feature you could imagine.  However, the individual features (DAC, phono stage, etc.) are just average/mediocore.  If you need all the features, great.  Otherwise, there are better external DACs/phono/etc.  The Parasound are voiced just slightly to the warm side of neutral.  Very smooth, but the high frequencies are slightly rolled off and softened (maybe closer to the Marantz 8005 sound, but I can't be sure because I have never heard the 8005 directly).  The Music Fidelity will probably have a lot more attack than either.
jndean
132 posts
 
I have a Marantz 14 S1 and love it with my Triangle Celia’s speakers, which are easy to drive. A volume of -40 plays plenty loud for me using the Marantz SA 8005. A volume of -35 is enough for my low output MC  Denon 103 cartridge with the VPI Scout for records. The Triangles can be somewhat bright in the treble, but they do so many things well. With the PM 14S1/Triangle combination, the sound is lovely and only slightly warm. I also have a Marantz PM 8005 which sounds good in its own right, but the PM14S1 sounds better. Both are made in the Marantz Reference factory in Japan.
If I were looking to replace the Marantz, I would want to hear the Rogue Pharaoh, the Musical Fidelity M6si, or the Hegel H200, presently on sale for a reasonable price here on Audiogon. However, the Marantz integrated amps are overbuilt and a keeper for me. Hifi News measured the PM14S1 at 115 watts in 8 ohms and 185 watts into 4 ohms...certainly enough to drive the Triangles.
Good luck on your search. As always, speaker matching is important and probably should be your main goal.
John Dean
sentinel05
5 posts
 
Hello!

I just subscribed to the forum because I found this conversation while looking for some reviews of the Marantz pm 8006 (Haven’t found enough reliable information out there). I was planning to replace my amp with the Marantz pm 8006, but I recently read some good reviews of the Musical Fidelity M3si, which is more expensive, not much, but I have to stretch even more my budget.

Currently I am amplifying with Marantz pm 5005 (which I like). Is it worth to go for the pm8006 (noticeable improvement in the sound)? Or better go for the M3si to notice improvement? How would you describe the sound of the pm8006?
Thanks In advance for your kind attention.

verdantaudio's avatar
verdantaudio
1,470 posts
 
Marantz is going to be a hair warm of neutral while Musical Fidelity is going to be a hair bright vs. neutral.  Which sounds better is strictly a matter of taste.  The MF also has a bit more power than both the Marantz units so if the speaker is harder to drive, this will help them open up a bit.
jawillia OP
11 posts
 
I’d say if you don’t listen to vinyl then without a doubt go with the MF. Unless you have bright speakers. I don’t really have much to go on to speak of for the phono stage of my M5si because I never have my record player hooked up. Long story, but I’ve had bad luck with a buzz. Never had any issues with Marantz. I’m not at all making a claim on MF photo stages in general, I’ve just had an isolated scenario I’m sure. If you do CD or use a DAC then there’s no question.
Only downfall on the MF is I’d rather not have a DAC built in unless you can plug and play from a phone or something. I don’t have a computer to hook up so the DAC is worthless to me. I’d rather they put that extra money into a bigger transformer or something. The M5si is definitely more powerful then the 8006 and it’s not a small difference. It’s also dual mono. The Marantz is not, I don’t think the M3si is dual mono though, so that doesn’t matter. 
If I could sell a couple of things to get the Hegel I want, I’d sell you my M5si For less than the M3si, but the timing is off.
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