I've had the PM-17 for about 5 months now and I absolutely love it. The bass is extremely tight and the treble is light and controled. It powers my Martin-Logan SL3 without any trouble (4 ohms). I was looking at a Krell 300 and a Classe integrated, but for the money this is the best solid state you can buy. If you have the extra cash, move up to the Conrad Johnson integrated.The sound is quite warm for a solid state amp. I love the overall design of the unit-especially the temp. display and the remote control. Oddly enough, the remote controls the Arcam cd player as well! I only wish the light bulb for the temp window was a cooler looking tone (blue, purple, etc.) and the power cord was different.
If you are looking for a sweet integrated, you can't go wrong with the PM-17! Highly recommended.

Other components: Arcam MCD changer, Audio Quest interconnects, Martin Logan SL3 electrostat speakers (bi-wired), Audio quest speaker wire.

When I bought this amplifier I actually only listened to this one. I got so overwhelmed that I just had to have it. When I got home I almost ripped out the cables out of my Harman/Kardon (which sounds like sh** compared to the Marantz). I've fallen in love with this hi-fi component. It has everything: Power, detail, a dead-on placing of instruments and voices, a clear and open soundstage, that never sounds stressed no matter at what sound level I play at. It sound utterly fantastic with any music, but it's by far best with live music, acoustic music, voice reproduktion, and of course when it comes to opera it has no peer (at least not with in this price range). I you want to find any integrated amplifier that out-playes this one, you'll have to add $500-1000.
I'm playing my Marantz PM-17 with a pair of KEF Reference Model One, Straight Wire Waveguide 4 speaker cables, Audioquest Emerald interlink, and Marantz CD-62 cd-player. I'm planning on uppgrading my cd-player to the Marantz CD-17.

I have been using the Marantz PM-17 for more than a year now and I am perfectly happy with it. I have compared this amplifier with some Arcam products but none of the get even near the Marantz.I listen mostly to strings and vocals and the the Marantz is doing the job very nicely, bringing out the details and the imaging to new stages.
I'm using CD 63MK2 KI-Sig
Bi-Wired Rogers LS3/5A on Atacama SE24 stands
Nordost flat line 4
MIT Interconnects

Simply fantastic! I can hardly believe my ears. The sound is so clear, and powerful. Every image and every nuance in any recording is perfectly delivered. The bass is tight, powerful and athorative. The mid is calm and smoth. And the highs are as detailed as one can wish. This is a delicate surgical instrument with the capacity to be rough when needed. If you want better sound than this you'll have to cough up $500-1000. I love this component. Suave and uniform in delivering power you never knew was possible from a 60W amplifier. And this is before it's fully warmed up to ideal working temperature, which the temperature indicator on the front will make sure you don't miss. May the sound be with you. (A tip: Listen to any Quincy Jones or George Benson recording through it. You'll be swept of your feet!)

I had a PM-17 for just under a year - that makes it the shortest lived hi-fi component I have ever owned.
I originally bought this to go in a system comprising additionally of a CD-17 and B&W CDM1SEs. Whilst the sound of the amp was encouraging in demos, after living with it for a while I came to the conclusion that I just could not do so anymore.

Why? Because the Marantz likes to be played loud! Whilst the sound of the system was good when the volume was turned right up, I could not leave it that way for an extended period of time.

At any volume level below that, the sound quickly lost control, and most disconcertingly, stereo imaging/balance.

As far as I am concerned, this amp should only be auditioned if you only ever play your music loud.

What an amp! It is rare to find an amp of this quality with the features that it posseses. the most interesting of all, of course, is the temperature dial. Gadget or actually useful? I myself find it useful, preferring to switch it on and warm it up to temperature instead of leaving it on all the time (which I hope makes a difference to my electricity bill, although I have not actually tried to determine this).
The sound is sweet, and the use of tone controls does not produce any of the nasty side effects usually associated with using these controls on a lesser amp because these controls usually involve a degredation of the sound signal because it has to pass through more circuitry.

I've paired this amp with speakers that would normally be put outside it's class (Dynaudio monitors) but the Pm-17 does the speakers justice. Paired with cabletalk 3.1 cables or Monster M1 cables seems to do my system good, although I might change over again later....you know an enthusiast is never happy!

I love this amp. I personally think it is destined to be a classic. It is beautiful to look at, delicious to listen to. It offers sound quality beyond the price it commands. I would reccommend it to anyone.

The first time I heard this amp, I must say I was impressed. Not only was it aesthetically appealing (it is finished in a superb gold) but the sound was unsurpassed in the near price range. The bass was controlled and deep without being too flabby. The midrange was as sweet as we have come to expect from Marantz and the treble was pleasing to the ears. The sounstaging was deep and wide and the imaging was exceptional. I was listening to this through a cd-17 KI signature player and a beautifully crafted pair of VAF I-66 speakers (made in South Australia). I started out with classical and progressed through to heavy rock and the Marantz handled all genres with ease and precision, the music was lively and controlled which made it very easy to forget that I was critically evaluating an amp rather than being taken away by the beautiful music emanating from the the VAF's. A must listen for any serious enthusiast looking to set up a reasonably priced system.

It took me more then a year to built a system around B&W CDM1-SE that let me listen to music and not equipment. I've found following components working flawlesly together: Arcam Alpha 8 CD, Cable Talk Studio Reference 2 interconect, MIT Terminator 4 bi-wire speaker cable and Marantz PM17 which proved reliable, confortable and higly musical. It has neutral, open and dynamic presentation and is well suited to any kind of music. My family and I listen to everything from Ornette Coleman to Mariah Carey including Wagner and Palestrina and this system is capable to drive you into different musical modes without a problem! Remote is essential for proper volume setting from listenig position and it work with Arcam too, so I eliminated CD's remote.
I've compared PM17 with Golden Tube SI 50, Arcam Alpha 9, MF A1, Luxman.., but neither of them suited my omni music tastes so well. Highly recomended!

Sweet, detailed treble.

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Reviews on AR are extremely subjective and it is said to see ratings of 2 and below on a product like this.

I have both the AudioLab 8000A and the 8000S and the PM17 out performs them both in all areas.

I have found the phono input to be not that good compared to my Lehman Black Cube. It is about in the same class as the 8000A.

For the rest the PM17 is excellent. Without going into all details like good rhythm bass and sweet but detailed treble, all I can say is that the PM17 is the best I have had and I will have to spend huge sums of money to improve on it.

I tested the MKI for a week and ended up buying the MKII. Both are good. Better on the latter model is the speaker connectors.

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Very good sound, very nice design.

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Very good amplifier. I have a Cd-17MKII to so sound very good on my B&W P6 loudspeakers.