Looking for your opinion on Marantz PM8000 integrated (1 Viewer)

[Cagri]

I have been trying to find an integrated amp to improve my 2 channel listening. I have received some recommendations by some of you guys and I also found an amp on the net which is Marantz PM8000, but strangely there is almost no information about this amp either here or in audioreview. It is 95 W p/c and 25 W p/c in Class A. Looks looks like similar to Marantz PM7000 with Class A extra. Does anyone have any experience with this model or the PM 7000 ? Thanks

 

[John Garcia]

I have the PM7000. Very nice integrated for the price. Pretty straight forward - 2ch, analog only, no display, no processing of any kind (aside from tone controls, which can be bypassed by source direct). The 95W feels like a very honest rating, as this thing has plenty of reserve power. At just 1/4 dial, I am getting my typical listening level, and at 50%, it is nearly unbearable, and still undistorted. If you have a Marantz receiver, the 7000 has a remote link for controlling the unit from the main system, or can be dealt with manually via it's remote.

 

[Cagri]

Great, thanks John that helps a lot. I was tempted to order the unit but was looking for some feedback from an owner before doing that It does not have HT bypass though right?

 

[John Garcia]

Explain what you mean by HT bypass? If that is what I think you mean, then no, I don't think it has this.

 

[Cagri]

As far as I understand from what I'd read here in the forum, amps with HT bypass or unity gain are more convenient when watching movies. Adjusting the SPL for the mains and the rest of the speakers seems to be easier.

Do you control the volume by setting the PM7000 at a fixed point and afterwards on the receiver? I play with the volume settings a lot when watching movies, I couldn't figure how this can be done in such a configuration without messing with the channel SPL levels otherwise.

 

[John Garcia]

That is what I thought you meant. My way of thinking, is to match very close with the volume on the 7000, then tweak with the receiver's settings. This IS a problem, as there is no display to tell you what volume level you are at for calibration, so you will not know what your ref cal volume is. I will check the manual and see what I can find, because I know there was something about this, but I don't remember what it said.

I don't actually have the 7000 running in my main system, it is in a separate 2ch system.