Marantz Pearl Lite for LS50, or..

Butt, thanks for your take on the pairing of the KEF LS50 and the Marantz as I'm considering a move to a different speaker and the KEF R900 or R700 is on my radar. From what I can recall from the last Newport Audio show, the KEFs sounded really nice.

All the best,
Nonoise

"Also, as I'm totally new in this thing, will a pure Class A tube amp with 18 Watt sufficient for my room?"

Good quality small speakers with extended bass, like these KEFs, tend to have very low efficiency and all like power and current, the more the merrier, for best performance. 18 watts is minimal to drive most any speakers except those that are upper echelon in regards to efficiency. High efficiency speakers with good bass extension will tend to be larger. That's basically how it always works based on teh laws of physics.

I've heard teh KEFs off my 180 w/ch and 500w/ch amps. THey sounded excellent with the 500 watts in my smaller 12X12 sunroom. They did not impress at all off 180w/ch in my larger family room area.

So I would not expect much out of the KEFs with 18 watts no matter how they are boiled.

Marantz PM-KI Pearl Lite is one hell of a good amplifier. I believe also value of new one is worth its price. I have to say that I had 5 times more expensive amps at home on trial and at the end I opted for this fine Marantz PM-KI Pearl Lite amplifier. Whatever Marantz did it did excellent and this gear is producing music. Here is my review that I did when I bought it and a revisit of review after almost a year of living with it. Click.

best, d.

Hi d,

I've read that even before I'm buying the Pearl Lite, and just to let you know that the review is one of the driving factor for me to buy the Pearl Lite.. :)

Thanks and best regards.
-butt

I know this thread is old but for anyone researching this subject, I have the LS50s ad well as a pair of XQ1s. The pearl lite is almost identical to the amp I just purchased for these speakers, the Marantz PM8005. I totally agree with the other rave reviews of this series of Marantz amps. It is fantastic in every way, period. Easily worth twice the price. I've been a lifelong vintage tube amp devotee and bought the Marantz for a second system. I was so impressed with it I thought I would compare it to my restored Scott 299 in my main system which has been my go to for years. The Marantz is the first solid state amp I have heard that meets and even betters the Scott in some respects. It has become my main amp, for me that is saying a lot and was hard to admit but it is simply a more balanced and enjoyable listen. Definitely consider the Marantz amps if you are shopping for a new amp in this or any price category.