Size,power,protection features,price,looks

No spade connection

I think for the not so anal retentive listener there isn't a better amp out there. These little gems can rock hard or softly display emotion all in the same note. Whatever your listening preference is I'm sure you will be pleased with the wonderful dynamic range and rich attention to detail you get for a small price. I have a pair of the very power thirsty NHT 2.9's and the MA700's make these speakers behave their best no matter what material i throw their way.
My system:

NHT 2.9
NHT A/C-2
2 NHT A/C-1 for rears
Definitive Tech PF15
Denon AVR 5600
3 Marantz MA700
Audiosource Amp Three (Bi-Amp NHT's)
Marantz CD-67
MSB Link DAC III
Toshiba 3107
MIT Terminator2 speaker cable
Monster m550i interconnects

Similar Products Used:

Parasound, Rotel,B&K

Plenty of details in sound. Monoblock allows greater flexibility and upgradability. You can buy exactly the number of amps you need. For example, you can buy 5 now, and buy 1 or 2 more in the future to upgrade to THX Surround EX or DTS ES.

Too bright for my speakers.

I sampled the Marantz MA700 monoblock amplifiers for about 2 weeks. They had good bass performance and plenty of detail. For example, pianos sounded very detailed. Unfortunately, they were too bright for my Paradigm Reference Studio 100 (version 1) speakers. I found them to be too "fatiguing" when listening at loud levels. Also, sibilance was a problem. As compared to Rotel amps (RB-1080 and RMB-1095), I found the Marantz too bright, and could not listen to them for an extended period of time at the same (moderately loud) volume levels as the Rotel amps.
It's possible that the combination of the Paradigms and Marantz resulted in too bright a sound. These amps may be more appropriate for other speakers that are not on the bright side. I was hoping that the Marantz MA700s would work out, since I liked the idea of using monoblocks for future expandability (for example, if I wanted to upgrade to THX Surround EX in the future).

Similar Products Used:

Denon receiver, Rotel amps

noticable improvement in bass from magnepans

I'm not gonna get into the details but I thought I'd throw another positive review on here just in case it helps others with their amp choice. This is the site I 1st learned about
the ma-700 so I read everything I could about em & demo's them several times before I finally bought them. The 1st few days I didn't notice much of a difference from the power in my marantz 780 receiver. But I also didn't really listen critically because everyone said don't expect them to be at their best until they are really broken in. Just as everyone else said these are great amps...I always knew I wasn't getting the best sound I could out of my magnepan mmg's because I was only feeding them about 120 watts & these guys but out 300 watts at 4 ohms. I switched back & forth between Kimber pbj cables & some monsters(I can't remember the model but they are about $50 a pair) & I wanted to add I liked these amps much more with the Kimbers.

BASS, flexibility, price, overall power

none yet

After reading all the good review of these amps I went and bought them without even listening to them. It was a good choice. They are incredible. The difference in between this and my Denon receiver is huge. My speakers now really sound full-range without a sub, and without affecting the mids and highs. I paid $700 for a pair (new) and considering they list for $500 each i was lucky. After the long 2 week torture i gave them to break them in i grew to love them. I can't find one fault. Mine do run warm, but not hot, and that is perfectly good and expected from even the best of amplifiers.

It seems as though this review for the AV-550 has turned into a comparision between the 550 and the 600. Well what do they expect when the 600 has no review location. I agree with most of you. I Own a 600 and have auditioned the 550 several times. I convinced my friend to buy the 550 since the 600 is no longer available and he and I trade frequently to experiment. We both prefer the sonic performance of the 600 in-fact, he has offered to trade + $200 but I will not budge. The 550 retails for $1000 and the 600 retailed for $1200 but in my mind, the 600 is well worth twice the 550. I enjoy the 550 for what it is and it is a great deal but, there is nothing like the 600 anymore. It is a shame too bacause people seem to love the 600. Marantz should have come out with the 600 but add AC-3 and call it the AV-700. Not the opposite and downgrade a great receiver. Either way, both are great, but I prefer the 600

After sampling many other amps, both mono and multi channel, less expensive and more expensive, I have found the one for me in any price range. The MA-700 clearly has the most thunderous presentation of the lows while also presenting warmth and lacking resonate boominess. The highs of a females voice seem to reach effortlessly toward 20,000Hz with no distortion. I was actually very amazed that a single amp could make Independance day and Jurassic Park seem more freightening than ever, while also rendering Tuck and Patti with so much clarity that you had to wonder if they might be miniturized and placed inside of these little amps.
I use the Marantz AV-550 with Tara Labs prism cables and a Marantz cd player which you can read my reviews on as well. You can see that I rave about most of these pieces but that is because I searched for two years and auditioned virtually every piece until I found something that pleased me enough to rave. I have to distinguish the MA-700's from all of my other raves though, if my house were on fire and I could only take one armfull of things with me, If I could carry them, I would take my MA-700's.

INCREDIBLE!!!! best for the $$$ any day.

I use my MA-700's for home theater and for stereo presentations at parties. I use tube amps for personal listening. The 700's are sonically superior to any solid state amp I have heard yet!! They are definately not tubes, but It took me a long time to find a solid state piece of gear that inpressed me this much

These amps are just plain great!!! There acuracy and power at this price is just astoinding. Imaging is much better than most solid state gear I have heard. The actuall power never fails, slight clips at high volums do occur, but that is expected in any amp. Great Great Great...

Marantz MA700. Great buy considering the clarity and true power output. Sexy sleak design with the no-frills approach, while offering incredible low frequency rendition and razor sharp high frequency reproduction. I have heard slightly better amps for stereo but for a little more money. I have heard no better amp for home theater, even at slightly higher prices.