Two Marantz MA-700 amplifers are used to drive a pair of Spendor S3/5se's in my living room. Joined with a BMW ASW650 sub, the speakers have finally be allowed to sing as they were intended: smooth, easy, and with enough verve and panache to get my toes tapping for hours on end. At first blush, my impressions were not so positive: there was just no there, there. However, freed of the need to push the bottom end into the Spendors, the amplifiers have opened up quite nicely. The Matantz MA's are a quiet pair, imparting little hiss into the mix. Not the most dynamic amplifiers I have heard or owned, the MA's perform with a laid back ease that belies their terrior-like readiness.

1.Bags Of Volume 2.Very Tight Bass Control 3.Crisp Highs 4.THX Certified (a bonus) 5.Sounds Comparable To Valve Amps When Warmed Up Well 6.Performs Superb In 2 Channel Application

The Rear Volume Control is a tad too hard to fiddle around with when it's installed.

G'day All : ) To begin with, YES I am a Marantz freak and in all fairness, I must also add that it does not mean that I'm just gonna sing praises when it's not earned. But here's where the MA700's are yet another Winner (with my ears being the judge, not the Brand). I bought these off a friend and my oh my, aren't they lovely!! As I am constantly moving my gear around and giving all my new purchases for my new home (which is under construction) a test run, these Blocs are really bringing out the best in all the media that goes thru them. And this includes, the badly engineered jobs as well. They have a fresh and open sound coz they are well broken in, are tight and in full control in the Bass region as well as crisp in the Highs. Admittedly, they can get a little bright on some material, but then again, I think that's coz the material is recorded that way. To keep this short, do have a listen to them if you ever get an opportunity to get them.

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The Mono Blocs normally drive my Front L+R Floorstanders and is hooked up to : 1. Marantz SR4300 AV Receiver 2. Marantz DV4300 DVD Player 3. Accusound ES 55 HT Speaker System (An Australian Speaker

This is a comment on the review posted earlier by Muljadi Budiman. It is not fair to compare the background level noise generated by a 200 W amplifier (think of the gain in the signal as it passes through the amp) with that from a DVD player or pre-amp (which is used more as an attenuation rather than a gain stage nowadays).

In addition, if Budiman reports that the perceived noise from the MA-700 actually decreased when he set the input level potentiometer to 10/11'o clock, it means that the signal upstream of the level control (i.e. DVD and pre-amp) was the culprit. If the MA-700 electronics were generating noise, any change in the input level setting would have no effect on that noise. The only way to determine the intrinsic noise generated by an amplifier is to leave the input open and then listen to the speaker. Any noise evident after the addition of other components upstream of the amplifier is due to badly shielded interconnects, ground loops, or noisy source components.

My review stays the same - 5 stars in both departments (sorry for biasing the total score because of this post, but a clarification was necessary)

Great bass and value

only accepts bare wire speaker connections

These amps are used to power the front speakers of my home theater system (Paradigm MkIII 11SE), they replaced a $6,500 CODA class A amp as I decided to seperate my audio only system from my home theater equipment. I didn't expect much but boy was I surprised at the sound. The music from movies soundtracks really came alive and the bass was deep and controlled. My wife even noticed the difference. I have since ordered 3 MA500's for the center and surround channels to replace the Carver AV405. I bought the MA700's without ever listening to it, I made my decision based on the review in Stereophile guide to home theater, the value and the flexibility of the monoblock. I am very happy with my purchase and recommend that you consider these amps in your home theater.

Similar Products Used:

Carver AV405 and CODA system 100

at $500, there are good stereo amps that can put out 2 ohms or 4 ohms bridged for HUGE power(well over 600w)

not enough power for a subwoofer( other than wimpy ones!)

This amp is ok. But before purchasing, try out a crest Vs-900. It has dual 38000uf filter caps and 1100w bridge to 4 ohms. I've seen these amps burst 1000w 18" subs with excursions over an inch and a half! They can be found for a hundred fifty more than the Marantz and are worth the extra cash. Watch out- only speakers like Legacy Focus(600wrms at 4 ohms) can be cranked on the vs-900. It's a pro sound amp and NO wimpy home amp has the muscle to out-bass it. Don't plug in those Magneplaners or other non-subass speakers- their mids will fry and their woofers will pop. Use with huge subs (15-18" monsters) or Legacy Focus/whisper. As for the Marantz, try Marantz recievers instead. Who needs 300w of mids and highs. Most would burn out at that kind of power. Marantz, Denon, and Onkyo recievers will cost a little more but still sound phenomenal. Use a deserving amp for dedicated bass. If you don't want a 140db blast of 30Hz, use a powered 12"-18" from velodyne. Thats still 120db of solid bass. Stay away from Klipsh, JBL, CS, CV, AR, or other weak subs. Compared to that junk, the Marantz MA-700 is an excellent choice. As for prissy audiophiles who might hate pro sound amps because they are a better value, GET A LIFE.

oustanding power and sound quality

Rear speaker teminals

These amps sound great. Very warm and comfortable sound without sacrificing details. I drive KEF 105/3 4ohm speakers. The only gripe is the rear speaker terminals. They don't allow spades or banana's and it was little difficult to hook up my audioquest bi-wire argent cables. Other than that, these amps ROCK. Sound way better than the top of the line Denon I had, but in Denon's defense I had a receiver not seperates.

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Denon, Nakamichi

Power, Musical sound, Detail, Quality, and Flexibility (can be bridged and have remotely turned on by various input (video signal, DC, and Marantz hook up, also the next MA-700 can be turned on by small gap of time)

None so far except very small noise from the transformer (not audible from the listening postion)

This was amazing upgrade from PA5800. The sound got much more musical and powerful. With MA-700, it is more like listening to music rather than just sound.
Using 2 channel of PA5800 and bi-wiring could make PA5800 performance close to MA-700 but it could not become as musical as one MA-700.
As many said here, I think this amp can really drive full range speaker in its full strength.

About the speaker terminal, you can use banana plug.
You just need to pull out the round black cap at the tip of the binding post.
Maybe small nife or paper cutter can easily do the work.
Hometheater Magazine wrote about it too.

http://hometheatermag.com/htn2/ht199809/t2b1.htm

Similar Products Used:

Harman Kardon PA5800

Cheap price for the power it has

Noisy

First, I should say that I'm a rather finicky person. I like to have the best in EVERYTHING. And perfection is what I crave. That being said, I bought the amps because just about any other standalone amps are too damn expensive and I cannot afford to buy the speakers AND buy the amps I want at the same time. No, I don't have a receiver - so don't ask me about 'why don't you use your receiver to power your speaker'. On to the review.

This amp is CHEAP, actually it's the CHEAPEST amp I can find in Stereophile's list of Recommended components. Well, let me rephrase that; it's the CHEAPEST power/dollar ratio within that list. There is NO OTHER WAY you can get 300 watt (into 4 ohm) of power at $1 per watt unless you buy this puppy (no, we're talking amps here, so receivers do not count). It has a solid build feel to it, it's HEAVY for it's size - I like heavy things I should say - and mine is made in Japan.

The amp is rather bulky - the length makes it a bit strange - most of the time you are used to equipments that are long and deep, and about maybe a handspan's high at most. This puppy is deeper than most components, and the front is actually rather squarish (handspan's width/height), and it makes it all the more like a log. You can 'attach' another amp beside it, and actually 3 or them side by side makes it look more like an audio component.

The auto-on feature based on video signal (or any +5V signal I believe) is very nifty, and one I really appreciate. Not to mention you can pass the signal on to the other amps in series. It also has an electric socket on the amp, but no ground plug which is a shame. You can bridge 2 amps to provide 600 watts (into 8 ohms - they don't say if you can do it to 4 ohms; maybe you could, but at high level of volume I don't dare try) - which is nice, but I haven't had any chance to try that bridging feature yet. The amp is THX rated as well - doesn't mean all that much since for amps, THX means the power supply can endure quite well on heavy current usage.

The cables that are given inside the box are a disappointment though. The RCA cables are VERY THIN, my Playstation RCA cables are thicker than that, and it costs a third as much. The level control at the back of the amp is rather disappointing. It has min to max and a dot to signify THX rated level. The problem is you have to eyeball the control notch to the THX dot, there is no 'grooves' or 'clicks' when you are actually adjusting the level. Minute complaints, but they should have at least a way for the user to easily set it to the THX level without imprecise feel-and-dial knob.

The sound coming out is - in a word - OK. Can it be better? Definitely. Is it better than your average receiver? Yes. Can it be loud? Yes. It doesn't convey a feeling of 'Wow' as more expensive amps, it has its power, and more than enough to drive my 3.3 NHTs. It can drive loud, but to a point where it will distort (not clipping) the music. I should say it managed to stay not too warm, but then again I am putting them on the floor, with nothing on top of it to prevent the heat of dissipating quickly. Response is good - dynamic musics sound dynamic, the base seems to be rather slow, but overall it's OK - and this is compared to the price.

Now about the weakness I've mentioned, which is Noisy. If you don't believe me, try this: Play a CD, then pause the CD (don't push stop - stop will cut all output, pause will still output some signal), then turn your preamp to max volume, and hear the hiss from the speaker. Then, stop the CD (push stop), and compare the hiss again. If you have a good CD player, the hiss will be about as loud (maybe a little softer - but audible nonetheless). That hiss is the amp's noise. If you think it's your preamp that makes the noise - do the same test again, but use the level knob on the amp for the volume level and connect the output of your CD player directly to the amp. I've tried both setups, and I can say out of the link test that I had that time (Sony DVP-S7700 DVD player -> Chiro preamp -> Marantz MA700 -> NHT 3.3), the marantz is the noisiest of them all. As a tip, (and some of the reviewers I've read here ignores this fact) set the level knob on the amp to about 10 or 11 o'clock if you have a good preamp. I've found this in my setup to produce the least noise, and still manages to sound loud enough if I dialed the preamp's volume.

If money were no object, this would be a 3 star product. Unfortunately money IS an object we're too dearly attach ourselves to, and that makes this product a winner in terms of best bang of buck. I'll give it 4 stars overall, since 5 will only be reserved for those that really is PERFECT. It's an expensive hobby - and for now these amps are all I got for me.

Sound quality, power, build quality, monoblock flexibility, bang for buck.

Binding posts, input level pot.

Let me put it this way. At US$ 650 for a pair (this price is routinely available for brand new units on ebay) of these beauties, you cannot do better in the satisfaction per dollar department. Period. The first thing one notices about the MA-700 is its weight - they threw in a beefy power transformer and heatsink. Its build quality and finish are superb for its price. My only minor crib would be that the binding posts do not accept spades and that the input level dial at the back of the unit 'looks' flimsy. I hope that the actual potentiometer within the unit is of good quality. This may be easy to bypass if necessary. Marantz provided this pot in order to allow setting the levels in a THX system (which I don't have and don't care about). I run the amps with the level turned fully clockwise.

I have listened to these amps for both music and HT. If you are looking for prodigious amounts of controlled visceral bass, the MA-700 will not disappoint. When driving a pair of PSB-500 speakers (my mains), the sound is open, well defined, very clean at high volumes, and has TONS of slam. Imaging is rock solid as one would expect with monoblocks (I use a Denon AVR3300 as a pre-pro). There is absolutely no need for a subwoofer if you have a pair of good full- range speakers. Midrange and high frequency definition are detailed and smooth (the PSB-500s are warm sounding and might be a factor too). Vocals are rich and easy to listen to. I mainly listen to jazz/blues/rock and it's hard to stop listening to the music and get to sleep.

For home-theatre, these amps effortlessly handle all the nasty and complex high volume transients in action scenes. My current favourite is the lobby shooting spree in the Matrix and the consequent machine-gun and explosion sequences with the helicopter. A truly gripping experience. Another good check is the diva's performance in the Fifth Element. The MA-700's did full justice to that soundtrack.

I highly recommend that you give these amps a listen if you are looking for no-nonsense value for your dollar. Five stars in both the value and overall rating departments.

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None

Flexibility, build quality,value per dollar spent,SOUND!!!!!

None

What can I say that already hasn't been said?They sound terrific I bought 1 pair I have them driving the front channels on my Dennon3300.Wow what a difference and these amps are FAR from broken in I have only had them a couple days.Money well spent really opened up this Dennon I will be adding at 3 more VERY soon.Gotta go enjoy the music!!!!