Denon PMA-600NE Integrated Amplifier Review

[Golf]

Is he referring to the sub-out or the recorder output?

Good question. I’d guess that the »PRE OUT SUBWOOFER« output can’t be used for a proper DAC evaluation. It does not even deliver a 2-ch/left-right signal.

 

[Schlippwhip68]

Hi
@amirm and other users
May I ask since Denon and Marantz are the same company these days, and there's plenty of parts in common , how does it sound Marantz PM6007 ?
does the marantz score almost the same?
Denon uses a 'frame' transformer, and the Marantz uses a toroid
thanks

Both quite different sounding amps. If Big bottom end, fair middle presence, smooth highs and more of a reserved projection then choose the PMA600ne. The PM6007 has more of a balanced presentation with no emphasis on any particular frequency, very even sound and fills the room a little better. I have the PM6007 currently and I have to admit I enjoy it more than I thought I would. I also had the previous PM6006 UK Edition which I did not like much at all, the PM6007 has much more punch and a far better dac than both the PM6006 and the Denon PMA600ne. From memory I think the PMA600NE may also have a slightly warmer tone than the PM6007 which some prefer. Personally I find the extra detail and finer balance in the PM6007 is a little more to my taste these days. I can and do run an optical from the PC Windows 11 23H2 with an Asus Zonar SE soundcard straight to the DAC in the PM6007 and stream Apple/Spotify with no sound quality issue, a nice, clean and dynamic sound. No messing about with external dacs and so on just nice simple entry level set up that delivers the goods. Might be trying the Creative Audigy FX V2 with DBPro add on soundcard later in the year but that's another story.

 

[Mantra]

Both quite different sounding amps. Big bottom end, fair middle presence, smooth highs and more of a reserved projection then the PMA600ne. PM6007 has more of a balanced presentation with no emphasis on any particular frequency, very even sound and fills the room a little better. I have the PM6007 currently and I have to admit I enjoy it more than I thought I would. I also had the previous PM6006 UK Edition which I did not like much at all, the PM6007 has much more punch and a far better dac than both the PM6006 and the Denon PMA600ne. From memory I think the PMA600NE may also have a slightly warmer tone than the PM6007 which some prefer. Personally I find the extra detail and finer balance in the PM6007 is a little more to my taste these days. I can and do run an optical from the PC Windows 11 23H2 with an Asus Zonar SE soundcard straight to the DAC in the PM6007 and stream Apple/Spotify with no sound quality issue, a nice, clean and dynamic sound. No messing about with external dacs and so on just nice simple entry level set up that delivers the goods. Might be trying the Creative Audigy FX V2 with DBPro add on soundcard later in the year but that's another story.

Hi

Big bottom end, fair middle presence, smooth highs and more of a reserved projection then the PMA600ne. PM6007 has more of a balanced presentation with no emphasis on any particular frequency, very even sound and fills the room a little better. I have the PM6007 currently and I have to admit I enjoy it more than I thought I would

do you mean the marants PM6007 has "Big bottom end" -> plenty bass ?

the PM6007 has much more punch and a far better dac than both the PM6006 and the Denon PMA600ne

and do you mean the marants PM6007 is more powerfull than the Denon PMA600ne ?
just because sadly english is not my native language
thanks , appreciate your feedback a lot

 

[DanielT]

Both quite different sounding amps. Big bottom end, fair middle presence, smooth highs and more of a reserved projection then the PMA600ne. PM6007 has more of a balanced presentation with no emphasis on any particular frequency, very even sound and fills the room a little better. I have the PM6007 currently and I have to admit I enjoy it more than I thought I would. I also had the previous PM6006 UK Edition which I did not like much at all, the PM6007 has much more punch and a far better dac than both the PM6006 and the Denon PMA600ne. From memory I think the PMA600NE may also have a slightly warmer tone than the PM6007 which some prefer. Personally I find the extra detail and finer balance in the PM6007 is a little more to my taste these days. I can and do run an optical from the PC Windows 11 23H2 with an Asus Zonar SE soundcard straight to the DAC in the PM6007 and stream Apple/Spotify with no sound quality issue, a nice, clean and dynamic sound. No messing about with external dacs and so on just nice simple entry level set up that delivers the goods. Might be trying the Creative Audigy FX V2 with DBPro add on soundcard later in the year but that's another story.

You've got to be kidding, right?

 

[Schlippwhip68]

Hi


do you mean the marants PM6007 has "Big bottom end" -> plenty bass ?

and do you mean the marants PM6007 is more powerfull than the Denon PMA600ne ?
just because sadly english is not my native language
thanks , appreciate your feedback a lot

Denon has a fuller low end presence. A more pronounced low end frequency. It sounds more powerful as Denon usually does. There are some technical comparisons on You Tube bewteen the PM6007 and PMA600NE and how the bass has been tuned. Denon tends to focus a more pronounced signal around 50hrz while the Marantz focuses more around the 100hrz area apparently.

 

[Deleted member 21219]

Both quite different sounding amps. Big bottom end, fair middle presence, smooth highs and more of a reserved projection then the PMA600ne. PM6007 has more of a balanced presentation with no emphasis on any particular frequency, very even sound and fills the room a little better. I have the PM6007 currently and I have to admit I enjoy it more than I thought I would. I also had the previous PM6006 UK Edition which I did not like much at all, the PM6007 has much more punch and a far better dac than both the PM6006 and the Denon PMA600ne. From memory I think the PMA600NE may also have a slightly warmer tone than the PM6007 which some prefer. Personally I find the extra detail and finer balance in the PM6007 is a little more to my taste these days. I can and do run an optical from the PC Windows 11 23H2 with an Asus Zonar SE soundcard straight to the DAC in the PM6007 and stream Apple/Spotify with no sound quality issue, a nice, clean and dynamic sound. No messing about with external dacs and so on just nice simple entry level set up that delivers the goods. Might be trying the Creative Audigy FX V2 with DBPro add on soundcard later in the year but that's another story.

Denon has a fuller low end presence. A more pronounced low end frequency. It sounds more powerful as Denon usually does. There are some technical comparisons on You Tube bewteen the PM6007 and PMA600NE and how the bass has been tuned. Denon tends to focus a more pronounced signal around 50hrz while the Marantz focuses more around the 100hrz area apparently.

1) Competently designed amps have no "sound". They provide gain and nothing else.
2) Auditory memory is fleeting .. on the order of a fraction of a second to possibly a few seconds.
3) Subjective descriptions are basically meaningless, especially without correlation or reference.
4) Some words, such as "focus", "reserved projection" and "extra detail", have no meaning in audio.
5) There is a way to validate your impressions. It's a controlled blind test ... like this:

Audio Blind Testing - You Are Doing It Wrong! (Video)

Just uploaded a video on the basics of performing controlled tests in audio. It was motivated by saving myself text in having to write all of this down when telling someone who to do these tests right. And as a counter to a few online personalities to keep saying they do "blind" tests yet when...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Science is a method of discovering the nature of the universe around us. The informational block of science is data. Data is provided by tests and measurements; they are its language, bridging time and location, allowing equal access to all peoples.

Impressions and opinions, OTOH, are the language of bias, not science. Here is a list of biases; pay attention to "experimenter's bias".

List of cognitive biases - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Jim

 

[Deleted member 21114]

Hi


do you mean the marants PM6007 has "Big bottom end" -> plenty bass ?

and do you mean the marants PM6007 is more powerfull than the Denon PMA600ne ?
just because sadly english is not my native language
thanks , appreciate your feedback a lot

@Schlippwhip68 is imagining these differences. See @Jim Taylor 's post above this one.

 

[Schlippwhip68]

Yeah, so anyway, best thing is if you can get to a listening position on both amps then let you own ears and wallet decide. I did and am happy with the PM6007.

 

[DanielT]

1) Competently designed amps have no "sound". They provide gain and nothing else.
2) Auditory memory is fleeting .. on the order of a fraction of a second to possibly a few seconds.
3) Subjective descriptions are basically meaningless, especially without correlation or reference.
4) Some words, such as "focus", "reserved projection" and "extra detail", have no meaning in audio.
5) There is a way to validate your impressions. It's a controlled blind test ... like this:

Audio Blind Testing - You Are Doing It Wrong! (Video)

Just uploaded a video on the basics of performing controlled tests in audio. It was motivated by saving myself text in having to write all of this down when telling someone who to do these tests right. And as a counter to a few online personalities to keep saying they do "blind" tests yet when...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Science is a method of discovering the nature of the universe around us. The informational block of science is data. Data is provided by tests and measurements; they are its language, bridging time and location, allowing equal access to all peoples.

Impressions and opinions, OTOH, are the language of bias, not science. Here is a list of biases; pay attention to "experimenter's bias".

List of cognitive biases - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Jim

In addition, they basically have the same power, so we can more or less discount the clipping factor.

 

[popej]

best thing is if you can get to a listening position on both amps then let you own ears and wallet decide.

Unfortunately not enough to publish an useful opinion. Proper condition is to equalize volume with error less than 0.3dB and do a blind comparison. Quick switching helps too.

 

[Deleted member 21219]

I did and am happy with the PM6007

Excellent! That's what everyone strives for ... personal satisfaction. It makes no difference whether you like vinyl or digital, tubes or solid state, dynamic or electrostatic. Everyone searches for their own Shangri-La. I can testify that finding it produces enormous satisfaction.

The problem arises in offering opinions not based on scientific rigor to other people, as if they had meaning for them.

Jim

 

[HarmonicTHD]

Denon has a fuller low end presence. A more pronounced low end frequency. It sounds more powerful as Denon usually does. There are some technical comparisons on You Tube bewteen the PM6007 and PMA600NE and how the bass has been tuned. Denon tends to focus a more pronounced signal around 50hrz while the Marantz focuses more around the 100hrz area apparently.

Nonsense, but the previous posters already told you that.

Plus an audible difference between 50 and 100Hz would easily show up in the respective FR measurements of the amps. But it doesn’t. So that claim is simply wrong as well.

I don’t know what you heard. But it is not useful to post subjective impressions.

 

[Mantra]

@Schlippwhip68
Hi
on youtube about PM6007 and PMA600NE , i have found only 1 review "Denon PMA-600NE and Marantz PM6007 - a short comparative review." , others are on Denon PMA800NE
since the review about PMA600NE is between poor and not terrible , i would like to know what's about the marantz
thanks
@DanielT
Hi

You've got to be kidding, right?

may I know why?
thanks
@Jim Taylor
Hi
seeing this unit recevied good reviews , I 'm just wondering what could be a review about the marantz ,that's all
thanks

 

[Deleted member 21114]

WhatHiFi has done such damage to the UK hifi scene.

 

[DanielT]

Excellent! That's what everyone strives for ... personal satisfaction. It makes no difference whether you like vinyl or digital, tubes or solid state, dynamic or electrostatic. Everyone searches for their own Shangri-La. I can testify that finding it produces enormous satisfaction.

The problem arises in offering opinions not based on scientific rigor to other people, as if they had meaning for them.

Jim

Well and kindly written. I like that.

 

[Golf]

Competently designed amps have no "sound".

Hmm ... So the Denon PMA-600NE for instance is »suddenly« a competently designed amp?

 

[HarmonicTHD]

Hmm ... So the Denon PMA-600NE for instance is »suddenly« a competently designed amp?

No the amp sucks technically. But has a flat FR. Okayish SN, certainly not SOTA, but at least not audible. Bad THD, but that doesn’t explain the claimed differences in bass at all plus you can check if you can hear ca 65dB THD (you just might).

Edit. Typo.

 

[DanielT]

@DanielT
Hi

may I know why?

For the reason what those who then posted and post below my comment say.I thought you knew that and were joking.

I like Jim Taylor's #371. It contains a lot of insight when it comes to HiFi.

Blind testing is smart to carry out, check here:

Matrix HiFi --> Blind testing high end full equipments

 

[pogo]

Plus an audible difference between 50 and 100Hz would easily show up in the respective FR measurements of the amps. But it doesn’t.

Evidence?

 

[HarmonicTHD]

Evidence?

Look at the beginning of the thread into Amir’s measurements