2. amps-preamps
  3. 149741-132019

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
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,838 posts
 
I have a Marantz PM15S2b and it "sounds" a bit on the warm side when paired with the usual suspects of speakers. If I hadn’t heard different, I would have thought it was a given. It’s not.

My Kinki EX-M1 is a direct, open, clear and highly resolving integrated. I just love the sound. With my JBL 4319 monitors, it’s a joy to behold. With my Marantz, it’s got that warmed over sound that obscures details and sounds a bit dull by comparison. Now, back to that speaker I alluded to.

With the Tonian G6 (that I wrote about on another thread) and the Marantz, it’s almost like listening to the Kinki with my JBLs. It doesn’t have the bass of them but it’s extremely open and resolving without any grit or harshness. Every single bit of detail, nuance and air that I get with my Kinki, I get with my Marantz and the G6. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

That speaker uses off the shelf (but sometimes hard to source) drivers and I was told that it’s all in the crossover design and not to dwell too much on the amp and source, by the designer of the speaker. You can go either way, with your amp flavoring your sound or with your speaker revealing the sound.

All the best,
Nonoise
sentinel05
5 posts
 
Thank you all for your comments, I really appreciate it! I needed comments from experience and not from paid reviews. I just decide to go for the Marantz. I like warm sound more than bright sound and I really don’t need much power. Point for the Marantz. My next step will be to get the turntable, because I just received as a gift almost 70 vintage vinyl records (Forties through sixties) of classical music in mint conditions. Point for the Marantz. If 8006 is a completely different ball game... point for the Marantz. And finally, my speakers are monitor audio bronze 2, which I feel are on the bright side but with a very open and detailed sound (for its category), I expect the Marantz to give me the warm flavor and the speakers to reveal the sound (detail). Thanks again. 
sentinel05
5 posts
 
By the way, thank you very much Jawillia for the offer. 
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,838 posts
 
@sentinel05,
For the record, I'm back to using my Marantz with my JBLs and one thing that brought the detail level up significantly was with the use of Isoacoustic Orea footers. I use them for the integrated as well as the SACD player (Marantz SA15S2b) and it's closer to the detail retrieval, air and nuance of the Kinki integrated and yet, still retains that organic warmth that the Marantz excels at.

It seems that by going that extra mile, I found more to extract from the Marantz that was being held back by not using those footers. That, and there was a filter selection on the SACD player that I forgot I had and changing it really opened things up. And, having a great power conditioner like a Niagara 1200 lowered the noise floor.
You're gonna have fun with your set up. Enjoy.

All the best,
Nonoise
sentinel05
5 posts
 
Thanks Nonoise! And also thanks for the tip!! What you said about the footers is something that I have to consider, because I was planning to put the speakers on the same furniture (6ft long) as the amp and the sources. It never crossed my mind how that was going to affect the sound ; and now that I see, I say: how was I going to do that!! haha!
Kindest regards.




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