Marantz Model 10 integrated amplifier

[Matias]

Just released for cool US$15,000, €14,500 or £12,000.

MODEL 10 - Reference Integrated Amplifier with 250W and All-New Marantz SMPS | Marantz - UK

Reference Integrated Amplifier with 250W and All-New Marantz SMPS

www.marantz.com

When I saw the 3D render video, I thought I knew those power modules from somewhere.... Isn't that a Purifi 1ET9040BA??

Then I read the article below that confirms Purifi.

Marantz unveils Model 10 ‘Reference Integrated Amplifier’ | Darko.Audio

The first of three new 'Reference' components for 2024.

darko.audio

 

[im_gumby]

Just released for cool US$15,000, €14,500 or £12,000.

MODEL 10 - Reference Integrated Amplifier with 250W and All-New Marantz SMPS | Marantz - UK

Reference Integrated Amplifier with 250W and All-New Marantz SMPS

www.marantz.com

When I saw the 3D render video, I thought I knew those power modules from somewhere.... Isn't that a Purifi 1ET9040BA??

View attachment 389204

Then I read the article below that confirms Purifi.

Marantz unveils Model 10 ‘Reference Integrated Amplifier’ | Darko.Audio

The first of three new 'Reference' components for 2024.

darko.audio

FYI... I had trouble w your link... but went to his main page and then clicked on his link.
The article said that their amp was a collaboration between themselves and Purifi.
This leads me to think that they modified the amp boards a bit.

It looks nice, but ... what about Orchard's stuff? Yes its a fraction of the price, and doesn't have all the bells and whistles.
I sort of like the bang for buck proposition.

 

[Matias]

It looks nice, but ... what about Orchard's stuff? Yes its a fraction of the price, and doesn't have all the bells and whistles.
I sort of like the bang for buck proposition.

There are tons of other manufacturers with better value proposition like boXem, March, Apollon, Buckeye, etc. But some people want to spend on jewelry audio and this Model 10 is very nice.

 

[welwynnick]

The very same.
Marantz keep banging on about all the things that don't matter - the structure of the chassis, the copper plating, the SMPS and their blasted HDAM modules - which will undoubtedly ruin the whole amplifier.
They've got a nerve.

 

[GXAlan]

Crazy pricing, but as I showed with the PM-10, they added a lot of speaker protection features to the HypeX designs and the balanced design meant that the high frequency rise in distortion of the HypeX was pushed out further up the chain.

It will measure well and be reliable. This is a good choice if you want audio jewelry.

 

[Timmy]

Woa ...! Size and weight are quite impressive too ...

Seems to be 945 grams per litre of the cabinet volume, which is even more than the 923 grams/litre of my Denon PMA1600NE

 

[GXAlan]

Post in thread 'Hypex NCx500 Class D Amplifier Review'
https://audiosciencereview.com/foru...0-class-d-amplifier-review.41007/post-1450480

This was my measurement of the PM-10 which shows you how their bridged NC500 performed relative to basic NC500’s (this was on the NCx thread).

 

[VintageFlanker]

Simply gorgeous. Astonishing industrial design.

 

[GXAlan]

Simply gorgeous.

Definitely. If I won the lottery, I would *want* one!

But this is an example of audiophile gear that is “ASR approved.” If their PM-10 with the HypeX NC500 is a preview of the Model 10 with Purifi modules, you are going to have something that measures near SOTA, be reliable, have great customer service, and a great remote control.

I loved my PM-10, and it measured as the best NC500OEM implementation. They bridged NC500OEM modules (4 in a box) not for silly levels of power but to run fully balanced to decrease noise and distortion.

It’s easy to add room correction in your sources. I didn’t see if there is a preout which would be great for subwoofers.

 

[DSJR]

Top notch male jewellery methinks. Still, it's Accuphase price and not sure the audio salons here in the UK sell this brand now. I suspect it'll be sold (possibly) via the chains given time.

 

[amper42]

Waste of space and money. If this is where Marantz is headed let me show them the door. Audiophoolville.

In this day and age who can publish this sales script with a straight face:
"MODEL10 retains the sonic Marantz signatures of warmth, spaciousness, and resolution. However, advances in design and precise tuning by the Sound Master result in the purest expression of the Marantz sound ever. As a result, the listener experiences more detail, lower distortion, and higher dynamic range than ever before."

It's like someone took a Tesla Model 3 and wrapped it up in a fancy body and raised the price by a factor of 10. Poor uninformed customer thinks he is getting "Sound Master" results that aren't available elsewhere for $2300 as two mono amps? Prey on the uninformed?

 

[GXAlan]

Top notch male jewellery methinks. Still, it's Accuphase price and not sure the audio salons here in the UK sell this brand now. I suspect it'll be sold (possibly) via the chains given time.

With Marantz, discount pricing is more common than Accuphase. Personally this looks better than Accuphase.

A lot of this is also marketing to make the lower level products attractive.

Waste of space and money. If this is where Marantz is headed let me show you the door. Audiophoolville.

I reserve audiophoolville for things like crystals and weights on top of electronics and speakers.

By audible standards, no one has needed to upgrade their electronics since the 1960s

 

[VintageFlanker]

In this day and age who can publish this sales script with a straight face:
"MODEL10 retains the sonic Marantz signatures of warmth, spaciousness, and resolution. However, advances in design and precise tuning by the Sound Master result in the purest expression of the Marantz sound ever. As a result, the listener experiences more detail, lower distortion, and higher dynamic range than ever before."

Who ? Pretty much 90% of the Hi-Fi industry...

 

[TankTop]

I’ll buy it open box for $8,000 in 6 months.

Looks like there’s a streaming pre amp coming soon too but no stand alone amp? If it’s digital streaming can you for the love of god include Audessey/Dirac?

Marantz Link 10n

 

[Descartes]

Beautiful work of Art and priced as such!!!!
I wish I had that much disposable income!

 

[restorer-john]

It's a lovely looking amplifier and a nice statement amplifier for the era we live in. Marantz has always done TOTL amplifiers better than just about anyone else.

Marantz's claim about it being their most powerful, highest performance amplifier ever, however...LOL.

They seem to have conveniently forgotten about the SM-1000 from 1984. 43kg and 400wpc@8ohms. Makes the new amplifier look underpowered.

SM-1000:

Model 10:

A little over half the power and over 3 times the distortion of the SM-1000 at rated output.

And they had the 2600 receiver from 1978. Conservatively rated at 300wpc@8R with less inherent THD than this at full rated power.

 

[Koeitje]

It's a lovely looking amplifier and a nice statement amplifier for the era we live in. Marantz has always done TOTL amplifiers better than just about anyone else.

Marantz's claim about it being their most powerful, highest performance amplifier ever, however...LOL.

They seem to have conveniently forgotten about the SM-1000 from 1984. 43kg and 400wpc@8ohms. Makes the new amplifier look underpowered.

SM-1000:
View attachment 389290

Model 10:
View attachment 389285

A little over half the power and over 3 times the distortion of the SM-1000 at rated output.

And they had the 2600 receiver from 1978. Conservatively rated at 300wpc@8R with less inherent THD than this at full rated power.

Interesting, didn't know there were 40 year old amplifiers that outperform Purifi modules in terms of THD performance. Do you have some measurements for these amplifiers?

 

[restorer-john]

Interesting, didn't know there were 40 year old amplifiers that outperform Purifi modules in terms of THD performance. Do you have some measurements for these amplifiers?

It was actually 1979/80 when it first came out. In production for at least 6 years IIRC.

Marantz Sm 1000 on thevintageknob.org

vintage Marantz ESOTEC power-amplifier - the very last of the USA Marantz

www.thevintageknob.org

Marantz SM-1000 Specifications Marantz

I've only ever seen one and that was ~15 years ago. It was a writeoff due to a bad technician. The owner wanted to give it to me for free at the time I picked up a Sansui receiver for parts and I foolishly said no thanks. It was too badly destroyed internally and I knew it would end up in my storeroom forever. With hindsight, I should have taken it.

 

[GXAlan]

powerful, highest performance amplifier ever, however...LOL.

I wonder what the SM-1000 achieved in practice. I believe that the Model 10 will beat the PM-10 and the PM-10 was rated at 200W into 8, which is half of the rated SM-1000, but third party measurements put it north of 600W

So the Model 10 may follow that same “280 horsepower” polite Japanese underrating of performance. There may also be the rated power for a given bandwidth…

 

[restorer-john]

So the Model 10 may follow that same “280 horsepower” polite Japanese underrating of performance. There may also be the rated power for a given bandwidth…

Most likely they are rating close to, or in line with FTC requirements for continuous for the new Model 10. I expect it will exceed its rated power and likely better THD specs.

I have no review of the SM-1000 AFAIK. All I can tell you was it was a beast. I couldn't lift it up off the floor in the corner of a dusty room at the time (43kg)- it was just too awkward. Figured I had enough projects, even if it was free. Both power amp boards had been badly toasted, tracks vaporized and components blown off. Lots of missing screws and brackets. It'd been at a workshop for 5 years until the owner retrieved it. I think it was all caused by the tunnel heatsink fan seizing up and everything else was collateral damage. Then the repair "technician" botched everything he touched. It was beautiful though.