Price Paid:  $1120.00 from Audio Design

Summary:
very good quality amplifier, i owned for almost 1 years, excellent quality sound with good boxes like Linn Nexus or Tannoy Revoluition R1, this amplifier has only 60 watts but of the best quality, a real Marantz.

Strengths:
strong chassis, heavy metal made, little resonance.

Weaknesses:
not so much capacity, little watts but has not so many weakness, i thinks for the price quality is an excellent amplifier !

Sticks

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.86 of 5, 7.00 votes

Price Paid:  $600.00 from Reviewer Sample

Summary:
I was lucky to have input from several well known audio reviewers (friends) to make my purchase decision. I listened to several amps in the $500 - $1500 range and really liked a few of them ( Creek, Adcom and NAD come to mind ). I had Vandersteen 1B's (w/ the wonderful Ariston Q-Deck Turntable/Sumiko Blue Point Cartridge) at the time, and the Creek and the Marantz were a great matches. I ultimately made the decision based upon my prior experience as a Marantz owner & the price (I was able to purchase via a reviewer who is a long time friend @ 50% off list). There had been some bad press about the amp, but I will attest that with my current Speakers (Alon Mark 2's modified by Carl Marchiotto the designer) that this system has impressed my audiophile friends. Also, I admit I am lucky to have a music room that is the envy of many (concrete floor, rectangular, wood walls, not cheap paneling...very warm sound). Is this the best amp ever made, of course not...but for my current set-up and budget it satisfyingly musical... Remember to support live music! Cheers

Strengths:
Does a lot of things with musical sincerity.

Weaknesses:
Phono stage is adequate.

Similar Products Used:
Nakamichi Amps

Price Paid:  $1500.00 from dealer

Summary:
I was looking for an affordable intergrated amp to drive my nautilus 804. When I first heared the PM17mkII M I was amazed. The soundstage is big, stable and precise, the tonal balance is very natural and vocals sound just superb. On other amp's I've heard the 804's treble becoming a bit harsh, but driven by the PM17 the treble is very smooth, detailed and airy. The bass is full,very well defined and extended in my room. The amp just sings with every kind of music from classic to rock, from easy listening to hardcore! The PM17 seems to be a perfect match for the Nautilus 804 (and in my opinion out performs the PM17 KI-signature by miles!)

Strengths:
Soundstage,tonal balance,build quality,affordable and very musical!

Weaknesses:
none

Similar Products Used:
Marantz PM17 MKII M KI-signature, Van Medevoort MA 230, NADC160/C270, Arcam A75+

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Every time I visit this site, I enjoy reading a review from another PM17 owner. I have found the ultimate system and are enjoying it for more than two years now, the PM17 being part of that system. I have reviewed the PM17 before and are still so excited with it that I felt talking a second time. My main source is a vinyl front end. Previously I mentioned that the phono stage is not that good, well currently I only use the PM17 phono stage....less trouble and it is capable, especially with a MM input. EVERY time I switch on the amp, prepare an LP and drop the needle, I am totally surprised with just how good and capable this amp is, when you close your eyes the musicians are just there in front of you. Maybe not the ultimate in detail, maybe not the coldest most accurate amp out there, but when one hear the hammer hit the string on a piano or the pletrum sliding over the guitar string, the detail is enough for me. What makes the PM17 something really special is putting together everything just so perfect, in such a realistic way that exploring stereo and what the musicians and recording engineers tried when making some of the excellent recording, is awesome. I made friends with a very interesting "older" salesman in the the audio game and enjoy visiting him, chatting about this amazing hobby and testing older turntables and toys. Well I am at the point of actually removing my PM17 from my set-up, put it in my car, and go and let him hear what something real good sounds like together with vinyl. CD is also exceptional and I still enjoy my CD63 KI with the PM17, also an outstanding product IMHO.

Strengths:
Looks, musicality, culture

Weaknesses:
None

Similar Products Used:
AudioLab 8000S, not completely in the same class

Price Paid:  $800.00

Summary:
This review is for Marantz PM17 mk2 : As for many reviewers in this website, I too auditionned many integrated amplifiers in order to find the radical if not definitive upgrade. This came to mind 2 years ago, after replacing my ageing speakers with a pair of ATC A7 which are stunning but demanding mini monitors . I too read many reviews of the PM17 both in french and english magazines and found very opposite statements and too much inconsistency; this, IMHO, simply highlighted the limited reliability & trust we should keep in mind while reading our favourite litterature. With a bellow 1500 $ budget targeted, I auditionned and compared Nait 5, Thule 150B, Roksan Caspian, Densen Beat mk2 and Electrocompaniet ECi2 with my familiar CD’s. For the fun, I even listened to megabuck valve amps of the SE 300B genre, but just felt frustrated by the low powered and highly distorted results, eventhough paired with more sensitive speakers. I found the Nait 5 to be very good if a bit pricey for the wattage, but anyway 30W was simply too short to give my ATC’s (83db) it’s full justice . I then separetely auditionned the PM17 mk2 with great success and found an incredible clearance price offer . I immediatly brought it at home and since then, it’s a love affair. Describing in details the more than subtle improvements over my previous amp is not an easy task: too many areas to mention. Eventhough the PM17 mk2 slightly verges on the warm side of neutral, it really delivers more musical experience and pleasure; a better tonal accuracy, a correct “timbre” which, allied with a metronomic precision, brings a sense of scale and most importantly the life, the” being there” factor; this provided, of course, the source material is good enough. For the design & finishing, the W.A.F., the sturdy construction and the excellent overall sound quality , I’ve nothing special to add: The PM17 mk2 is simply gorgeous. My setup: Pm17mk2 Integrated amplifier / CD 850mk2 + Audio Alchemy Dac In the Box digital source / Thorens TD 160 mk2 turntable + Shure M97 XE and Ortofon MC10 S cartridges / Revox A77 tape recorder, ATC A7 speakers, all cables by QED.

Strengths:
- Built to last with high quality components. - Sound quality (see above) - Gorgeous look an feel. - built-in phone stage. - Very refined tone controls which might help with less than perfect source materials. This is anyway a better cost effective solution than desesperately trying to equalise the equipment sound with outrageously priced cables. - Upgradability with one or two SM17 matching amp for passive bi-amping.

Weaknesses:
none, but two pairs of speakers binding post would have made bi-wiring easier.

Similar Products Used:
Naim Nait 5, Thule 150B, Electrocompanier ECi2, Densen Beat mk2, Roksan Caspian, Philips FA 960, Audion Silver Knight and other valve equipments.