AV Magazines

Marantz has relayed news of its totally revamped mainstream 'Range' series of hi-fi kit with the flagship SA8003 Super Audio CD spinner and PM8003 integrated amplifier.

The SA8003 benefits from 'lessons learnt' during the construction of the £5,000 SA-7S1, and thus is bestowed with the new Marantz solid metal, reference-standard chassis and new front panel design. It's certainly meaty and claims to virtually eliminate mechanical vibration and significantly reduce electromagnetic radiation that buggers up the signal.

Inside there's a Zylon loading mechanism, a 24-bit/192kHz CS4398 DAC with DSD support from Cirrus Logic. Also in there are bespoke film capacitors, Shottky diodes and the proprietary Feedback Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Modules.

All components are housed in a symmetrical circuit with short, direct and mirror imaged signal paths for precise stereo imaging. Gold-plated connections complete the quality, while a USB port allows audiophiles to connect lossless digital files directly to the player's DAC for the best quality playback.

The SA8003 is available in October for £700.

Next up is the Marantz PM8003 integrated amplifier, 'sitting pretty' in the new MI chassis. Capable of delivering over 200 watts across its two channels and has a bespoke toroidal transformer as its beating heart. The low-impedance, wide-bandwidth power supply ensures huge energy reserves with instantaneous current delivery to drive massive speaker loads 'with absolute ease'.

A new dual-mono circuit topology as in the SA8003 provides improved stereo imaging, and features Current Feedback amplification for handling any speaker demands. The PM8003's feedback impedance is so low it means excellent frequency response and range and the 'best possible sound'. Componentry and build mirrors the SACD spinner above in quality, with a current feedback MM phono stage directly plucked from Marantz's £2,500 SC-11S1 Premium range pre-amp.

The PM8003 goes on sale in November for £630.

marantz.co.uk