• Welcome to ASR. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Marantz MODEL M1 Wireless Streaming Amplifier

It looks very good.
However I see a few flaws.
It is quite large (deep - over 38 cm) - space on desk is limited.
No dedicated subwoofer output.
Quite low power (45 W at 8 Ohm)
And the main one - completely unavailable in Poland. Strange.
I’ve had the SMsL ao200 and it was decent for a small room nearfield setup. I believe they have a ao300 with a HP out. It was as good as my quad vena 2 at a fraction of the cost and a smaller size. I would say get a separate dac for the 200.
I got a Ragnarok 2 now and it’s fantastic, especially for fine tuning volume but I guess that’s too big?
 
Is there a good detailed review about this amp on this forum?
 
Yeah i want to know if the M1 sounds better then the NAD M10 V3.

Marantz Model M1 - 1000€
NAD M10 V3 - 2500€

They both have: 100W@8ohm, Sub crossover, HDMI EARC, streaming platform,
Pure about sound the M1 has a better value because it is 1500€ cheaper.

It all depends wich options you want in the end.
 
No.
The M10 has Dirac Live, ...
Some people dont use Dirac like me. 1500€ extra for Dirac? The M1 has a H/L crossover, Tone controls, Sound modes, and more.
 
I don't know of any setup that hasn't benefited from DL. And you asked about the better sound...
Hey i am not hating on NAD or Dirac. I am just curious how both amps sound out of the box.
I want the NAD M10 V3 to buy. The NAD also have 5 years waranty in our country.

1728813102901.png
 
Yeah i want to know if the M1 sounds better then the NAD M10 V3.

Marantz Model M1 - 1000€
NAD M10 V3 - 2500€

They both have: 100W@8ohm, Sub crossover, HDMI EARC, streaming platform,
Pure about sound the M1 has a better value because it is 1500€ cheaper.

It all depends wich options you want in the end.

Hi Mike
when we are talking about good amps, with low parameters of distortion and low dependency of load, which seems to be the case (remember: we don’t have M1 measurements yet), all amps will sound the same. So, the answer for you is: No, M1 will not sound better than M10 and will not sound worse either.

If you not planing to use Dirac, you can save 1500
 
Hi Mike
when we are talking about good amps, with low parameters of distortion and low dependency of load, which seems to be the case (remember: we don’t have M1 measurements yet), all amps will sound the same. So, the answer for you is: No, M1 will not sound better than M10 and will not sound worse either.

If you not planing to use Dirac, you can save 1500
Bravo Caio Ferrari, I was about to write the same world. I would also add "ALL the amps should sound the same way".
 
Bravo Caio Ferrari, I was about to write the same world. I would also add "ALL the amps should sound the same way".
Interesting. So you mean all amps sound the same or only amps without a DAC inside?
My SMSL AO300 did not sound the same like the Marantz 60n with the same speakers.
 
Interesting. So you mean all amps sound the same or only amps without a DAC inside?
My SMSL AO300 did not sound the same like the Marantz 60n with the same speakers.

Mike, I can’t speak much about DACs, only about amps.

I might be somewhat blind to audio measurements, but, as far as I know, we can hear tonal differences and distortion. Low-quality amps tend to produce different frequency responses depending on the speakers they’re paired with. That’s why some people focus on matching their speakers with the right amps. Another issue is distortion, which creates signals that don’t exist in the original source. Typically, distortion sounds unpleasant to our ears. A few years ago, I bought an Arylic A50 amp based on internet reviews. It sounded terrible to me, and I ended up selling it just a few weeks later. When you check the data, you can see it has obscene levels of distortion.


As for DACs, I can’t say much. I think there might be some performance metrics that explain why your amps sound different, assuming it’s not just a placebo effect influenced by what you’ve read online.
 
Interesting. So you mean all amps sound the same or only amps without a DAC inside?
My SMSL AO300 did not sound the same like the Marantz 60n with the same speakers.

Electronics in general. If it doesn't have moving parts (like speakers, headphones , turntable cartridges...i.e. transducers) and it has been competently engineered and chosen for the task at hand (no clipping mainly), differences will be exceedingly hard to identify. That is assuming a controlled comparison, not the typical casual switching back and forth, which will almost always lead to hearing differences.
 
I see that the M1 has an “Flasher IR IN”. I assume this is for a remote? If so, what kind of remote would one get to be compatible with the M1? I am seriously considering the M1, but I would really like to be able to use a remote.
 
 
Can you connect the M1 as an amplifier to a pc with an optical connection? And is this optical connection max 24bit/192khz?
 
Back
Top Bottom