mpache

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 5.00 votes

Price Paid:  $2000.00 from Factory

Summary:
I was an early adopter of this amplifier following a glowing review in The Absolute Sound. The bottom line is that this is a great amp for moderately efficient speakers and reasonably sized room, but it is not a great amp for huge rooms or difficult loads. In the right system the amp sounds great, with a little bit of a tubey forgiveness even. I would not hesitate to buy this amp for moderate loads. Pricing is reasonable.

Strengths:
Ease of listening
No hard edges

Weaknesses:
In spite of delivering 200 watts into 8 ohms, it will not deliver huge amounts of current into difficcult loads.

Similar Products Used:
Edge NL-12
Parasound JC-1

Price Paid:  $1100.00 from audiogon

Summary:
The Marsh amp is truly a wonderful sounding amp. Very smooth and without grain. More detail than I've ever heard and bass that seems to reach lower than the monster Parasound Hca3500 that it replaced. Vocals are rich, smooth and coherent. This amplifier amazed me with it's overal sound quality. I'd read the magazine reviews and the descriptions of others but usually figure they are off the mark by at least a little bit or exagerating. In this case they positive reviews were very accurate and I'm afraid I'd have to agree. I had no idea a solid state amp could sound like this. It's worth a listen to anyone looking in the price range. Easily outclassing my Parasound from top to bottom.

Strengths:
Smoothness, detail, neutrality and imaging.

Weaknesses:
It's a little bright and may be a touch reticent in the upper midrange(perfect match for my speakers though)

Similar Products Used:
Various Haflers, Denon, Carver, Parasound.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
This is a great sounding solid state amp. You really get everything you expect from solid state: Plenty of power XLR and RCA inputs, excellent bass control, low noise, 2 sets of speaker binding posts, and a IEC. In addition to that is an amp that provides very good imaging, soundstaging, and detail. No harshness-2 D sound with this amp. It also runs fairly cool. If you are looking for a solid state amp in this price range give the Marsh a listen. I wasn't a big fan of their preamp (P2000) but this amp is Real Good.

Strengths:
Nice looks to go along with it's sonic qualities

Weaknesses:
Contruction is good but not excellent

Similar Products Used:
Pass Labs, CJ, Muse, Krell, Plinius, Monarchy, Coda, Classe, Belles

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
nice amp, delicate, sweet, fast

Strengths:
smooth mids and highs, nice tonal balance, light, articulate, and fast.

Weaknesses:
reticent low frequency reproduction (subjective as to whether or not this is a "weakness")

Similar Products Used:
most everything else

Price Paid:  $2295.00 from Chelsea

Summary:
Just to update and offset the 2 negative reviews left by the same person, I have gotten the B&W 802's and the Marsh a400s amp sounds great. The clean pure detailed sound is just fantastic. It still amazes me that they are able to sell this for the price they do, it an awesome value.

Strengths:
Clean natural detailed sound

Weaknesses:
NONE!