Promotion Feature
An Even Stronger Marantz In 2008
Following on from the huge critical and commercial success of last year’s product introductions, Marantz, amazingly, is set to unveil an even stronger line-up for the forthcoming twelve months. 2008 will see a veritable deluge of new designs, each aiming to set new standards at their respective price points, with many implementing technology first developed for the company’s revered and recently introduced flagship Legendary system.
And, as with last year, Marantz has one aim in mind. The company’s UK managing director, Jason Dear, says, “Driving business to the retailer is our absolute priority for the future - they must come first. Our sole objective with our new introductions is to deliver the consumer to the store. We then aim to make sure the dealer has all the tools needed to make the sale.”
Heading the new product charge is the magnificent SA-11S2 Super Audio CD player. Fundamental to the SA11-S2’s engineering philosophy was a desire to incorporate as much of the acclaimed technology of the iconic SA-7S1 flagship disc spinner as possible and maintain its high standards of sonic ability. Moreover, the R&D team has implemented a plethora of new features and internal components for exceptional sound quality. The SA-11S2 hopes to rewrite the rules for £2500 machines.
To compliment the SA-11S2 is the first mid-priced pre/power amplifier combination from Marantz in nearly twenty-five years. And the SC-11S1 and SM-11S1 are well worth the wait. The new models - £5000 for the pair - will amply fill the quite significant gap between Marantz’s flagship amplifier set-up – the £15,000 Legendary trio – and the next model down – the more modestly priced £2000 PM-11S1 integrated design. And again, as much as cost considerations would allow, the SC-11S1 and SM-11S1 implement technology found in Marantz’s flagship Legendary models.
The trio of components hope to continue the good form shown by other recently introduced Marantz hi-fi electronics, which have been receiving rapturous reviews. Products such as the modestly priced CD6002 CD player show that you don’t need to spend a fortune to enjoy the acclaimed Marantz sound. The former picked up the coveted Best CD Player Under £300 prize at the recent What Hi-fi? Sound and Vision Awards. Just as impressively, together with the matching PM6002, it recently won What Hi-fi? Sound and Vision’s Best System Under £1000 award. Unsurprisingly this has made the budget combo something of a hot potato.
The pairing has become hugely successful, with incredibly strong sales. And as Jason Dear states, “The really important thing for us about the 6002 system is not that it has been selling into stores in such large numbers but, more significantly, it is that it has been selling out just as strongly.”
Critical success is one reason the brand’s retailer partners are very positive about the recent strategy and products. As Dave Spears, a senior manager at Practical Hi-Fi, says: ”The Award for the CD6002 is great news. You always get extra interest from consumers after such an accolade and its great to see such a strong product getting the respect it deserves.” He continues: “I have nothing but praise for the company at the moment. They don’t sell on the Internet, which is great because, providing the sale goes right, the customer buys from us directly. I really wish other manufacturers would do the same thing.”
This view is reinforced by Amit Patel, from Unilet Sound and Vision, “Reviews are important; they do generate interest, although it does not mean that people will automatically buy: that is up to us. But positive reviews help to keep the brand awareness on the up.” That said, Amit feels there is another strong factor behind Marantz’s recent success, “The great thing is that the company has decided that it is quality that matters. Whether you are talking about a product like the CD6002 or the SA-7S1, it has listened to the dealers and given us strong products that deliver value for money.”
The SA-11S2 system
Using the same pair of powerful mono DACs as found in the flagship SA7-S1 for both DSD and 24-bit PCM audio playback, the SA-11S2 employs a fully balanced dual-differential audio circuit, again identical to the SA-7S1, which provides superb stereo image by ensuring perfect symmetry between the right and left channels.
To achieve the best possible sonic performance circuit topology is short and direct. It is packed with high precision metal-film resistors, chip mica capacitors and Marantz’s proprietary HDAMs - Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Module.
Another feature central to the SA-11S1’s class-leading sound is the SACDM-1 mechanism module. Developed for SA-7S1 it features a 10mm case of extruded aluminium for rock-solid, vibration-free build. It guarantees only a supreme, pure digital signal will feed the digital filters and the D/A converters.
Internal wiring is channelled into separate circuits eliminating interference between circuits, while the high-capacity Super Ring toroidal transformer is entirely shielded by an aluminium shorting ring and a copper-plated case to keep unwanted magnetic radiation away from internal parts. This is the same solution as found in the SA-7S1.
This orgy of engineering is housed on a full-metal chassis that employs a double-layer bottom plate, a 5mm thick aluminium cover, and substantial shock-absorbing feet to virtually eliminate sound-degrading vibration. The case is even completely copper-plated to guard against electrical interference and, thanks to unique engineering, no screws are visible. The result is a model delivering clean, minimalist lines to match its pure sound.
The SM-11S1 is a fully balanced stereo power amplifier capable of producing a very conservatively estimated 200W into 8 Ohms. As the amp adheres to Marantz’s intelligent parallel layout topology, it doesn’t suffer from any left/right channel interference, resulting in a separation equal to that of mono designs. As an upgrade path the SM-11S1 can also switch to mono operation, doubling its power output in the process.
Obviously, the quality of the power supply in a power amp is extremely important. The SM-11S1 follows the design concept of the flagship MA-9S2, using an identical massive toroidal transformer with double core, acoustic isolation plates, coring of silicon steel sheets, housed in an aluminium case.
Class-leading components include Schottky diodes, customised Marantz block capacitors and Blue Star cap film capacitors, while the display can be turned off to improve performance further. Two pairs of low impedance WBT speaker terminals only add to the already impressive quality.
Meanwhile, the £2000 SC-11S1 is a fully balanced, two-channel control amp. Unparalleled attention to detail in the design and development of the input/output, volume and power supply circuits means the SC-11S1 leads the field in sound quality.
Completing the package on both designs is the usual Marantz tank-like build quality, with a double-layer bottom plate and substantial shock-absorbing feet to virtually eliminate sound-degrading vibration, while a 5mm thick copper-coated aluminium lid tops off the casework.
For more information please visit Marantz' website.