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New Japanese details on the latest Marantz and Denon gear

GXAlan

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You will need to translate, although Google translate is good.

https://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/review/review/1227126.html

The new Marantz flagships and Model 30 have "Marantz Musical Mastering." This is a discrete DAC based off a DSP which does the digital filter, noise shaper, and resonator by Marantz's original algorithm. It performs digital audio processing such as dither. They actually name drop dCS, Mola Mola, and MSB as the handful of companies that don't use off the shelf DAC ICs.

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https://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/review/review/1283585.html

Some innards of the Model 30 with the Hypex NC500's

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https://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/review/review/1275929.html

PMA-A110 and DCD-A110
1604067645138.png
 

Blumlein 88

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Hate to be cynical, but these companies have pushed what wonderful DAC chips reside within their gear for years. But produced rather pedestrian results. Maybe now that Amir has uncovered their performance, they need to come up with some new stuff. And in the screenshot does TBD stand for To Be Determined. As in a theoretical result yet to be actually measured in a real device.

I'll believe it when Amir or someone tests a unit and gets these results.
 
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GXAlan

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I'll believe it when Amir or someone tests a unit and gets these results.

I agree. Amir is pretty backlogged still. But hopefully someone is interested enough in working with Amir to get it tested. Value Electronics is where I got my UB9000 and they're a Denon/Marantz dealer.
 

Matthew J Poes

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I can probably request one of these for review. I wasn’t really paying attention to this announcement and didn’t realize they made this change. Im in the midst of a move but planned to restart measuring once Im settled.

I can’t do all the measurments Amir does, but enough to settle if there are issues or not.
 

amirm

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https://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/review/review/1227126.html

The new Marantz flagships and Model 30 have "Marantz Musical Mastering." This is a discrete DAC based off a DSP which does the digital filter, noise shaper, and resonator by Marantz's original algorithm. It performs digital audio processing such as dither. They actually name drop dCS, Mola Mola, and MSB as the handful of companies that don't use off the shelf DAC ICs.
These are $3K to $7K optical players. I doubt that our typical membership is interested in them even if they perform well.
 
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GXAlan

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These are $3K to $7K optical players. I doubt that our typical membership is interested in them even if they perform well.

It’s also in the $2500 SACD 30n which is HEOS (Tidal, Amazon, Spotify), Airplay2, USB DAC and disc player which seems somewhat reasonably priced *if* there was some benefit to the customized DAC. Marantz has yet to have an impressive product measured here (in contrast to Denon)
 

Matthew J Poes

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It’s also in the $2500 SACD 30n which is HEOS (Tidal, Amazon, Spotify), Airplay2, USB DAC and disc player which seems somewhat reasonably priced *if* there was some benefit to the customized DAC. Marantz has yet to have an impressive product measured here (in contrast to Denon)
They have a specific design approach that is always going to cause a compromise in measurements. The HDAM discrete buffer and the slow rolloff reconstruction filter in the D/A. It may measure with very low distortion and noise figures, but it will always be seen as badly engineered based in the standards applied here. They have something they are going for and that is what they deliver.

the product is probably fine for what it is but if you are looking for SOTA engineering and pristine measurements, probably Marantz isn’t where you should be looking.
 

NTomokawa

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At some point, audio gear stops being audio gear, and starts being show pieces instead...
 
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GXAlan

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and the slow rolloff reconstruction filter in the D/A.

Agreed for the AVRs. These newer generation products allow user selectable reconstruction filters, which reflects a shift from the previous options.

“These filters - one providing a slow roll-off and very short impulse response, the other offering the option of a medium roll-off with short pre-ringing and longer post-ringing”

Anyway, just thought the discussion was interesting but clearly Marantz has left people with a bad taste given the poor performance of all of the Marantz gear tested here so far.
 

Flak

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