Marantz made the best tube based receivers on the market back in the 1960's! How do I know! I owned one! Warmth , clarity, staging! High end in the 60's was absolutely Marantz! Problem was they began to offer more basic priced equipment and lost the prestigous name with Audiophile appeal! Reference series from my knowledge is excellent! But dealers of Marantz tend to offer the basic line! 5000.00 units seem outrages to anybody but the Hardcore audiophile! When spending that type of amount, people tend to lean to a higher prestigous name! Why, well Marantz basic line! I'm a phile dating back to 1960! Not sure the thread contributors date that far back!
Marantz and Stereophile?
First post here, so hello all!
So I just made what I would call a real "audiophile" addition to my system, a Marantz PM-11s3 Integrated. It is funny that when you hear of a large purchase from people my age (47 ouch) and so many call it a "mid life crisis"
Funny thing is that whether it’s a sports car or a nice Hi-Fi component it takes years of financial building to afford such a piece. Not so much a crisis but a purchase that is soooo well deserved after years of wanting but not being in reach.
I have always enjoyed, followed, and owned 2-Channel systems... I’m a 2-channel guy and always will be! I remember that very first time 30 years ago that Mark Levinson and Wilson Audio changed my perception of recorded music forever! The love of music and the appreciation of components that deliver it to me that is sonically pleasing has had a grip on me ever since.
Mark Levinson and the likes were never attainable in my younger years but the like of Adcom, Rotel, Creek, Paradigm were. Thanks to these companies I have, for many years, enjoyed terrific music that was affordable and more than that... Really enjoyable!
Several years back I found myself without anything to listen to or even a simple dvd or bluray player to watch! Break-ups suck!
As soon as I could afford it again I went back out into the market and listened to a ton of components that I could afford and was really impressed with Marantz. I ended up with a Marantz PM8004 Integrated Amp and a Marantz UD7007 Universal Disc Player. I added Paradigm Monitor 7s with Kimber speaker cables and AudioQuest interconnects for a 2-Channel system I have quite enjoyed for the past three years.
This year I finally was able to take a jump up and add to the system.
I have really loved the Marantz sound, detailed yet warm as I would describe it... So I made a plunge and replaced the PM8004 with a Reference Series PM-11s3 and replaced the Paradigm 7s with Monitor Audio’s Silver 8s.
The PM8004 is a really sweet little integrated! I really enjoyed it as did everyone who listened to it. It was and still is a very nice piece that WAY outperforms its price point.... Having said that the difference between it and the PM-11s3 is not only night and day but virtually on different planets! The PM-11s3 from build quality to sound is just in every single way in not only a different class but in a different state completely.
Now, thanks for hanging in with me here... When one looks to replace a $1000 Integrated with a $5000 Integrated they look to the ones they trust for evaluations and trusted insight on a component. So naturally I looked to Stereophile and I found nothing? Not only did I find nothing on the PM-11s3 but nothing on any Reference Series Marantz? None of the Integrates, none of the SACDs, and none of the high-end mono-blocks that cost 20K with the pre?
Now this is IN NO WAY a flame of Stereophile! I just can’t understand that in the last 15 years why they haven’t reviewed or even mentioned Reference Series Marantz? Is there a misunderstanding between the two?
So I just made what I would call a real "audiophile" addition to my system, a Marantz PM-11s3 Integrated. It is funny that when you hear of a large purchase from people my age (47 ouch) and so many call it a "mid life crisis"
Funny thing is that whether it’s a sports car or a nice Hi-Fi component it takes years of financial building to afford such a piece. Not so much a crisis but a purchase that is soooo well deserved after years of wanting but not being in reach.
I have always enjoyed, followed, and owned 2-Channel systems... I’m a 2-channel guy and always will be! I remember that very first time 30 years ago that Mark Levinson and Wilson Audio changed my perception of recorded music forever! The love of music and the appreciation of components that deliver it to me that is sonically pleasing has had a grip on me ever since.
Mark Levinson and the likes were never attainable in my younger years but the like of Adcom, Rotel, Creek, Paradigm were. Thanks to these companies I have, for many years, enjoyed terrific music that was affordable and more than that... Really enjoyable!
Several years back I found myself without anything to listen to or even a simple dvd or bluray player to watch! Break-ups suck!
As soon as I could afford it again I went back out into the market and listened to a ton of components that I could afford and was really impressed with Marantz. I ended up with a Marantz PM8004 Integrated Amp and a Marantz UD7007 Universal Disc Player. I added Paradigm Monitor 7s with Kimber speaker cables and AudioQuest interconnects for a 2-Channel system I have quite enjoyed for the past three years.
This year I finally was able to take a jump up and add to the system.
I have really loved the Marantz sound, detailed yet warm as I would describe it... So I made a plunge and replaced the PM8004 with a Reference Series PM-11s3 and replaced the Paradigm 7s with Monitor Audio’s Silver 8s.
The PM8004 is a really sweet little integrated! I really enjoyed it as did everyone who listened to it. It was and still is a very nice piece that WAY outperforms its price point.... Having said that the difference between it and the PM-11s3 is not only night and day but virtually on different planets! The PM-11s3 from build quality to sound is just in every single way in not only a different class but in a different state completely.
Now, thanks for hanging in with me here... When one looks to replace a $1000 Integrated with a $5000 Integrated they look to the ones they trust for evaluations and trusted insight on a component. So naturally I looked to Stereophile and I found nothing? Not only did I find nothing on the PM-11s3 but nothing on any Reference Series Marantz? None of the Integrates, none of the SACDs, and none of the high-end mono-blocks that cost 20K with the pre?
Now this is IN NO WAY a flame of Stereophile! I just can’t understand that in the last 15 years why they haven’t reviewed or even mentioned Reference Series Marantz? Is there a misunderstanding between the two?
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- 49 posts total
- 49 posts total