INSPIRED RETRO VIBES WITH A POWERFUL DIGITAL HEART - MARANTZ MODEL 30
/In the new Marantz Model 30 series there are two models - an Integrated Amplifier which is the focus of this blog entry and the matching SACD30N CD player, which offers SACD and CD playback as well as access to to a very capable DAC and integrated networking with the inclusion of the HEOS streaming platform.
For these two new models, the Marantz design team have have taken a fairly radical departure from the familiar family casework, delving deep into the Marantz archive for design cues that draw upon an incredible history dating back to the 1950s. On first sight I was honestly smitten with this new aesthetic and the perfectly balanced mix of retro and contemporary, that is sure to make this range future objects of desire; with design cues from the original Model 25 and 28. The clean front panel has clearly been carefully considered and the fit and finish is exactly as you would expect from Marantz at this price point, absolutely exemplary. In fact every element has an air of quality about it, from the crystal clear porthole display through to the carefully weighted controls on the front panel. The volume pot offers just enough resistance and the input selector feeds back with each turn, not only by an audible indication that another input has been selected, but by a very precise step that you can clearly feel; and this attention to detail communicates a sense of the special. There is no doubt that this is a premium product.
While features are slim, there is no internal DAC, only five line level inputs, a pre-amp out and power amp in, there is a comprehensive specified Phono Stage with separate Moving Magnet and Moving Coil circuits. The latter offers three settings to accommodate the variable output levels of MC cartridges.
The Pre-amp is powered by a traditional toroidal power supply but the power amplifiers are digital and while I haven't been able to officially confirm, rumour has it that they may well be Hypex modules that the design team have worked a little Marantz magic with to deliver the sound desired. Although I can't definitively confirm that to be the case, despite assurances from my source, I can be more sure of the specs that these digital amplifiers bring to bear, outputting 100w into 8 Ohms and absolutely doubling to 200w into 4 Ohms.
For any in store demonstration, I always think it's best for our customers to be armed with their absolute favourite tracks to really help mark the differences between systems as they refine their choices. Likewise, I started with a few of my favourites and heard much of what I would expect, a familiar percussive rhythm pattern and the sweet, smoothly delivered vocal on Emiliana Torrini's Tookah. The crisp and precise triangle that marks the shift from chorus to verse in Tori Amos' Trouble's Lament, very much as expected, a full-bodied rendition of both tracks. But what was apparent, even minutes in to this listen session is just how engaging the Model 30 integrated amplifier is.
Starting a proper assessment of any component requires a patient listening ear, especially with a Blog post, but I found I was almost immediately distracted by the engaging delivery and was just far more interested in listening; and this is honestly how I spent a very enjoyable weekend.
As a good example, the piano on Trouble's Lament is a beautifully recorded and realised piece that is not lost in the many elements that make up this track. With the Model 30 in play the vocal performance was crystal clear, full of inflection and further forward in the mix than I can recall hearing recently. So, rather than listening to my go-to tracks and looking to analyse a performance I found myself ploughing through Tidal's catalogue and not just listening to the selected track but invariably a whole album. The more time I spent joyfully listening to the Model 30 amp the more apparent its strengths became.
Clearly this is a powerful amplifier but it has the capacity to get the emotional nub of a track, it conveys the delicacy, the subtlety of Barber's Adagio and hammers out Squarepusher's Numbers Lucent with all of the texture intact and absolutely no loss of pace. There's also detail aplenty and this amp is very adept at drawing it out, even when faintly recorded and residing in the background, but it never does so at the expense of the presentation, the delivery is always coherent, dynamic and full of emotion. This amp digs deep with bass realised in spades when its present in the recording, and if your speakers are similarly talented, you are in for a fine time. This is a fantastic amplifier, powerful and controlled and able to delve in to the heart of a song and offer up the emotional core.
I would wholeheartedly recommended an audition of the Model 30 if you are in the market for a new amplifier. Both items are available for demo, just be sure to call your closest branch to arrange a genuinely rewarding experience.
Andrew, Jon, Luke and Adrian - Audio T Oxford
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