TWO NEW MARANTZ “REFERENCE SERIES” AUDIO COMPONENTS BRING ASTOUNDING LEVELS OF MUSICALITY AND REALISM, WITH NEW INTRODUCTORY PRICE POINTS

– PM-15S2 Amplifier and SA-15S2 SACD Player Deliver Marantz High-Level Audio Excellence at Prices That Let More Discerning Consumers Enjoy the Unique “Reference Series” Experience –

Mahwah, NJ, November 3, 2011 – Marantz America, a world leader of advanced home entertainment solutions, has brought all of its expertise in high-end audio to bear in the creation of two new state-of-the-art Reference Series components, the PM-15S2 Limited Integrated Amplifier (SRP: $2,499.99) (http://us.marantz.com/US/PM15S2) and the SA-15S2 Limited Super Audio CD/CD Player (SRP: $1,999.99) (http://us.marantz.com/US/SA15S2) with their luxurious black anodized aluminum cosmetics and leading-edge audiophile-grade circuitry, both products reflect Marantz’ decades-long tradition of musicality and sonic excellence. And thanks to their new introductory price points, more music lovers and audio enthusiasts can now afford to experience the elevated listening experience of Marantz’ acclaimed Reference Series.

Jim Ludoviconi, Brand and Product Manager for Marantz America, noted: “The Marantz Reference Series is renowned for its sheer musicality, with a soundscape that reveals all the details and subtle nuances of music, from the lowest bass to the highest frequencies, all with keen attention to dynamics and true-to-life music reproduction. Both these new additions to the series feature a sleek new design, with seamless, rock-solid construction and no visible screw heads, making them ideal for integration into high-end home entertainment systems. Importantly, both utilize advanced sonic technologies, unique engineering traits and features found in our higher priced, top-of-the-line flagship models, at new introductory prices that will appeal to first-time Reference Series purchasers. With these new components, we are looking forward to bringing the elevated Marantz audio experience to more appreciating customers than ever before.”

PM-15S2 Limited Integrated Amplifier: Best Sound, From Both Digital Music and Vinyl
The Marantz PM-15S2 is designed from the ground up to deliver a powerful, rich and luxurious music listening experience. It features a host of innovative design attributes, some first introduced in Marantz’ award-winning MA-9S2 monoblock amplifier. The unit features a Marantz engineered HDAM-SA3 module for high slew rate, with low noise and a highly resolved sonic character. The custom-wound torrodial power transformer anchors a high current, regulated power supply newly tuned for quick response, and twin 20,000 micofarad filter capacitors custom made for Marantz provide huge current reserves for enhanced bass control. The PM-15S2 delivers 90 watts per channel into 8 ohms, with DC servo for superior low frequency response.

For vinyl enthusiasts, the PM-15S2 features a moving magnet phono stage that delivers the very best sound possible from a connected turntable, and the vivid audio imaging afforded by a digitally controlled analog volume stage boosts channel to channel accuracy within .5 dB. In addition, the unit’s HDAM-SA2 modules are deployed in a buffer configuration at the CD input for enhanced linearity. A special B-mode setting makes it possible to operate two PM-15S2 amps and mono-integrated amplifiers for total left-right channel isolation while a power amp direct input allows for compete integration with a home theater processor at the touch of a button. The PM-15S2 is ideal for pairing with Marantz’ critically acclaimed TT-15S1 high-performance turntable.

SA-15S2 Reference Series Super Audio CD/CD Player
Ever since it announced the world’s first CD player, Marantz has led the way in offering advanced digital playback with an unwavering focus on sound quality. With its Marantz custom SACDM 10-disc mechanism, the SA-15S2 Limited Super Audio CD/CD Player reflects this tradition, outperforming virtually all players in its class. Capable of playing CDs, CD-Rs, CR-RWs, and stereo SACDs, the SA-15S2 combines several significant technical accomplishments to enhance musical enjoyment. The audiophile-grade components have been re-voiced for greater speed and harmonic balance, and the Marantz designed linear power supply anchors an outsized torroidal transformer to provide the voltage stability and freedom from noise necessary for best audio performance. The advanced transport mechanism employs resonance-resistant composite Xyron and is mounted to a heavyweight aluminum billet base for virtually vibration free response. Additionally, the SA-15S2 boasts a superb Cirrus Logic CS4398 high-current DAC with 24-bit/192 kHz resolution for music reproduction with the speed and immediacy of a live performance. Selectable interpolation filters allow for a slight tailoring of the response to suit individual systems, while an optical input allows for the use of external digital sources.

Special audiophile grade decoupling capacitors help deliver crisp, clean power to the all-important DAC stages for enhanced audio transparency and a noise-free background, while HDAM SA2 modules are utilized throughout the analog output stage for wide dynamic range and the best possible fidelity. Finally, audiophile-grade foil film capacitors and metallic film resistors are employed at critical points in the topology to further enhance performance.

About Marantz
Marantz America, LLC is committed to upholding the tradition of technological superiority initiated by founder Saul Marantz. In keeping with this emphasis on quality, Marantz audio and video components are carried only by the nation’s premier audio/video specialty retailers. Additional information is available at www.us.marantz.com and www.facebook.com/marantzamerica. Marantz America, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of D&M Holdings Inc.

About D&M Holdings Inc.
D&M Holdings Inc. is a global operating company providing worldwide management and distribution platforms for premium consumer, automotive, commercial and professional audio and video businesses including Denon®, Marantz®, McIntosh® Laboratory, Boston Acoustics®, Snell Acoustics, Escient?, Calrec Audio, Denon DJ, Allen & Heath, D&M Professional and D&M Premium Sound Solutions. Our technologies improve the quality of any audio and visual experience. iPod is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. All other product and brand names with a trademark symbol are trademarks or registered trademarks of D&M Holdings, Inc. or its subsidiaries. For more information visit www.dm-holdings.com.

DISCLAIMER
Statements in this news release that are not statements of historical fact include forward looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of the company. We wish to caution you that such statements are just predictions and that actual events or results may differ materially. Forward looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties surrounding competitive and industry conditions, market acceptance for the company’s products, risks of litigation, technological changes, developing industry standards and other factors related to the company’s businesses. The Company reserves all of its rights.

Advanced Sonic Technologies Derived from Marantz Flagship Reference Series; Special Features for Flexibility and Convenience with iPod®/iTunes® and Digital Music

Mahwah, NJ, October 17, 2011 – Marantz America, a world leader of advanced home entertainment solutions, today set a new bar for the performance/value proposition with the introduction of its PM6004 Integrated Amplifier (SRP: $599.99) and CD6004 Compact Disc Player (SRP: $499.99). Marantz engineers incorporated advanced sonic technologies from the critically-acclaimed Marantz Reference Series into both new products, guaranteeing an unprecedented level of realistic music reproduction for the price point.

Jim Ludoviconi, Brand and Product Manager for Marantz America, noted: “With our new accessibly priced PM6004 Amplifier and CD6004 CD Player, we are making it possible for more audio and music enthusiasts than ever to afford the signature Marantz music experience. Everything about these units has been engineered to provide luxurious, breathtakingly realistic music reproduction. At the same time, our engineers made sure to include all the convenience and flexibility features suited for all today’s digital music listening solutions. As a company that was founded with a mission to provide the very best music listening experience possible, these two products make us very proud.”

PM6004 Integrated Amplifier: Rich Musical Detail and Harmonic Balance

The PM6004 Integrated Amplifier (http://us.marantz.com/PM6004) delivers a remarkable combination of power and capability in a stylish package that matches sheer audio luxury with total user convenience. Offering all of the detail and harmonic balance Marantz is famous for; the PM6004 adds control options that ensure smooth and easy integration with today’s music systems. As with Marantz’ top-of-the-line Reference Series amplifiers, it features a Torroidal transformer that anchors an all-new power supply feeding a Current Feedback Amplifier. Five line inputs and two line outputs ensure connectivity with all today’s musical sources. Notably, to meet the growing demand of consumers who enjoy the vinyl LP experience, it also features an all-discrete moving magnet phono stage that maximizes audio performance from turntables. The rich, pure and noise-free sound quality of the PM6004 is made possible by the use of built-in HDAM-SA2 circuitr.

CD6004 Compact Disc Player: Featuring Front-Panel USB Input for digital music!

The CD6004 Compact Disc Player (http://us.marantz.com/us/Products/CD6004) is a state-ofthe art solution for enjoying the very best musical performance from CDs, as well as iTunes music and other digital sources. The CD6004 features a front panel USB input, which allows users to enjoy all their favorite digital music tracks – a first for a Marantz unit in this price range.

The CD6004 delivers digital speed and musical clarity tempered by a fresh approach to sonic engineering from the Marantz team. Among the leading-edge audio technologies included are Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Modules (HDAM’s), a Marantz proprietary technology also derived from the company’s flagship Reference Series. The utilization of HDAM technology allows the CD6004 to reproduce music with an ideal balance of bass, midrange and treble for a digital listening experience that could easily be mistaken for “analog.” Other features that position the CD6004 as an ideal source component for today’s most advanced home entertainment system include Flasher Input, premium (wide pitch) L/R output jacks, as well as optical and coaxial digital outputs. Additional Marantz touches include a double layered bottom plate to ensure vibration free listening and a precision clock system. Adding total flexibility and expandability, the CD6004 features two iPod operation modes

About Marantz
Marantz America, LLC is committed to upholding the tradition of technological superiority initiated by founder Saul Marantz. In keeping with this emphasis on quality, Marantz audio
and video components are carried only by the nation’s premier audio/video specialty retailers. Additional information is available at www.us.marantz.com and www.facebook.com/marantzamerica. Marantz America, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of

D&M Holdings Inc.
About D&M Holdings Inc.
D&M Holdings Inc. is a global operating company providing worldwide management and distribution platforms for premium consumer, automotive, commercial and professional audio and video businesses including Denon
®
, Marantz
®
, McIntosh
®
Laboratory, Boston Acoustics
®
,
Snell Acoustics, Escient

, Calrec Audio, Denon DJ, Allen & Heath, D&M Professional and
D&M Premium Sound Solutions. Our technologies improve the quality of any audio and
visual experience. iPod and iTunes are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. All other product
and brand names with a trademark symbol are trademarks or registered trademarks of D&M
Holdings, Inc. or its subsidiaries. For more information, visit www.dm-holdings.com.
DISCLAIMER
Statements in this news release that are not statements of historical fact include forward
looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of the
company. We wish to caution you that such statements are just predictions and that actual
events or results may differ materially. Forward looking statements involve a number of risks
and uncertainties surrounding competitive and industry conditions, market acceptance for the
company’s products, risks of litigation, technological changes, developing industry standards
and other factors related to the company’s businesses. The Company reserves all of its
rights.

www.trendsaudio.com

Summary

Overall we’d absolutely recommend the T-10.2 amplifier. Assuming you only needed a single input and could pair it with musical and smooth sounding gear.  One gets a stunning amount of performance from the $189 T-10.2. Detailed sound with touch of warmth, hints at a real body and musical presence, and pure enjoyment. Trends has a winner here. Though we’d love to see a version with a few more inputs, a higher quality volume control and a dimmer blue light. Though it sounds like that might be in the works…

Page 2 – The Sound

ProLogue Premium Review

If you have watched Jeremy Clarkson rant about the roar and wild aggression of a Lamborghinis you’ll know that raw power can more than simulate this man. But he constantly speaks better of sports cars with more technology, smoother rides, stereos, and a sense of class. So obviously power isn’t everything.  The PrimaLuna ProLogue Premium would fall into Clarkson’s more recommend class. Read on to find out why.

Kevin Deal, the U.S. PrimaLuna importer, is quick to point out that when he was asked by Herman van der Dugen to be involved in the PrimaLuna project he was initially apprehensive. Point of fact, he even said a polite no to the first request. But, after a prototype landed on his doorstep he quickly changed his mind as clearly Herman was on to something. And Kevin was seeing the light.

Having sold tubes and hi-fi audio gear for longer than he would care to admit, Kevin has dealt with all kinds of issues. One of his better stories involves an elderly couple who nearly electrocuted themselves when sticking a screw driver into the circuit board area of an amplifier while it was on. Kevin realized that even though many tube amplifiers sound fantastic it wasn’t obvious to everyone that they lacked some basic design fail safes and consideration. Accordingly, when he came aboard the PrimaLuna project he wanted those issues addressed and his concerns were met with enthusiasm and action. So now, as Kevin is fond of saying, PrimaLuna is like a BMW which to me means it has the excitement of a sports car, the gadgets and feature set of a town car, and the computer controlled safety features that keep one from over steering off the street and into a tree. What, however, does that mean in terms of the amplifier?

Page 2 Features/Specs | Page 3 The Sound | Page 4 Final Thoughts – Notes

If you had two thousand dollars, and you wanted to be a somewhat responsible audiophile, (is that an oxymoron?) you might want to spend said two grand on a new integrated tube amp. Because right now there are several really amazing integrated tube amplifiers on the market. The Melody MK88, a Class A, KT88 integrated tube amplifier with a clean and no nonsense physical appearance is one of them. Priced at $1995, you’d have enough left over for a couple bottles of Two-Buck-Chuck. To sauce you up as you thoroughly enjoyed your new toy.

Melody

Melody components are designed in the land down under and are manufactured in their very own facilities overseas in the land of noodles and tigers. I first heard of Melody through an AudioReview forum member. And at the 2010 RMAF, I quickly peeked into their room where I noted that the sound was good, but I was more focused on covering bookshelf speakers and integrated solid state amplifiers. But as life typically works, I was knocked off my current review path of integrated solid state amplifiers. The opportunity to review the Melody MK88, PrimaLuna ProLogue Premium, and Mystere ia11 tube integrated amplifiers, all materialized at roughly same time, so I jumped on it. All three are nearly the same price, all offer great craftsmanship but each amplifier’s sound is different. Plus these tubes saved me from a few months of solid state purgatory. (I’m just kidding, I like SS amplifiers – see my review of the Electrocompaniet Prelude PI-1)

A few months ago I picked up the very first MK88 brought into the US . The distributor had put a couple hours of break in time on it, but it was up to me to do the rest. I was excited to be the 2nd person ever in the US to hear it. My wife and I noticed while putting the amplifier in the car, that had it been shipped to our home, it would have come in a very securely packaged box. Doubled up thick cardboard boxes and thick impact foam would surely have saved the amp from any minor fender bender along its travel. It even has white cloth gloves, so you can feel like a butler as you unpack it. The gloss piano black finish does show every smudge, and smudges are very un-butler like. But I warn you now, be careful. This amplifier could be a back breaker. It weighs in at nearly 60 lbs. I had to conjure up some ‘anything you say, sir’ might to remove this beast from its cage. Once removed, all I had to do to get it going up was to take the foam off the tubes and plug it in.

My Love of Tubes

I must admit that my last experience with a tube amplifier (at my home anyways) was when I was packing up the soon-to-not-be-mine, Golden Tube SE-40, to ship to an AudioReview forum member in Canada. Both my wife and I hoped we’d never see it. And though this isn’t how all audiophiles feel about tubes, it is how a good portion of them do. But I’d hope they would at least give the MK88 a listen. Maybe there is something that offers the cleanliness of a solid state with the musicality of tubes.
The Groom Now Kiss the Bride

During the review period of all three amplifiers the source components would consist of Electrocompaniet PC-1 CDP ($2400) and the Rega P3/24 with Sumiko Evo III Blue Point Special cartridge with a Moon LP3 phono amplifier ($2500 all together). At this time I was lucky to have on hand a set of Supra Sword speaker cables (~$1000) and interconnect cables ($800). Let me quickly say I was sad to have to send these back. (Supra Cables review to come on Dagogo.com) I had in 6 different monitor speakers to pair the amplifier with during the review period but the predominate amount of time the MK88 would be paired with the PMC TB2i ($2400). Though I also hooked it up to the Brodmann FS stand mount monitors ($4995), Axiom M3v3 bookshelf speakers ($348), Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1 monitors ($800), Electrocompaniet PSB-1 monitors ($1200) and a few random others. Basically I wanted to play this amplifier on a variety of speakers to learn what could be considered to be its basic and general characteristics.

They Designed it How?

I’ll be forthright in letting you all know that I’m not a super tech type of audiophile. I listen for the enjoyment of hearing great music played on a great sounding system. What I’m really after is an emotional engagement to the equipment and music. I’m not always overly concerned with the latest and greatest amplifier design, slue rates, voltage gains, diodes, and quiet frankly 100% perfect reproduction of the source material. I’m not a technophile in the audio world. But I will do my best to explain how the MK88 works.

The MK88 is a KT88 tube amplifier with 32W per channel operating in Class A.  It uses point to point wiring, limiting the derogation of the sound as it passes through the amplifier. The volume control is linear. There is an easy to use remote volume control. The system on the MK88 is the same as the rest of the new Melody gear. That being a motorized discrete resistor ladder attenuator. I almost never had the amplifier turned up more than half way. It could play very loud, very quickly. But the audio signal never showed signs of breaking up at high volumes. The sound signal hits the 6Ak5 tubes, than 6SN7 and passes a auto biasing stage to the KT88 tubes and out to your speakers. Comparing the Melody to the Mystere and PrimaLuna amplifiers I’ve been able to review, the MK88 design is more along the lines of the Mystere. The Mystere is more like a Ferrari. If you don’t need it to go fast it probably isn’t in the car. The Melody one could argue might be like a Lamborghini. Even more exiting.

Over the three months I had the MK88 in my system there were no signs of problems. I also asked the Hugh Nguyen of Angle City Audio, the US distributor for Melody, what would be the repair route if something were to go wrong. He reported that in all likely hood repairs would take place state side.

Continue to Page 2 – How it Sounds & Conclusion

Featured Article from

Reviewer:  Adam LaBarge

It isn’t often one gets to review a nearly complete system and I jumped at the opportunity to do so, and there is good reason. Reviewing a single component, a speaker, a CD Player, an amplifier, etc. involves certain guess work, and that magic touch it brings to one system might not appear in another. But with a complete system, where the synergy of the components has been worked out by a single manufacturer, basically all that is left is the room and the sound. A complete system takes so many variables out of the equation, narrowing the reviewer/consumer equipment gap, that there is really a good argument to be made for only purchasing a complete system. Especially if you love great music but don’t have the time to test out 20 or 30 different components and all the combinations that could possibly be created out of them. Sometimes easy street is just perfect place to go.

The Prelude Line from Electrocompaniet consists of the PSB-1 bookshelf speakers, the PSF-1 Floorstanding speakers, the PI-1 50-watt amplifier, the PI-2 100-watt amplifier, the PC-1 CD player and the Maestro integrated home entertainment system. System provided for this review included the PC-1 CD Player, the PI-2 amplifier and the PSB-1 bookshelf speakers.

In this review of the PC-1, PI-2 and PSB-1 components of the Prelude Line, I plan to give you a general overview of my impression of the system as a whole, and then each component individually integrated with other components from different manufactures I’ve had access to during the duration of this review. Firstly though I’ll give you a bit of information about the listening space the Prelude Line was reviewed in and the music styles I exposed it to. After that I’ll get into the sound of the system and individual components.

If you are unfamiliar with Electrocompaniet, it is a Norwegian company that has been around since the earlier 70’s. Their first breakthrough component was “The 2 Channel Audio Amplifier” that was transient intermodulation distortion free. Based on a 1973 paper by Dr. Matti Otala, Electrocompaniet’s first 2×25 was hailed as “the world’s best sounding amplifier” by the Audio Critic in 1976. I have to admit, I wasn’t even born yet. But it is nice to know my ears are in capable hands.

Room/Music Style:

I set up the Prelude system in my living room which, with the wife’s approval, has been converted to our listening room and my office. The room is roughly 22 feet long and 15 feet wide with 8.5 feet ceiling. There are four large windows, two along the right 22 feet length and one on each 15 feet width. There is a large opening in one wall that leads to the kitchen. The home is classic California Bungalow style that has been rehabbed. There is a raised stone foundation with recently redone framing, floors and drywall. I set up the speakers on a tipped over Ikea Lack shelving unit with 3-inch raised feet. The left and right internals shelves are packed with many of my heaviest books to give the stand weight and vibration resistant stability. And to give the appearance I read books, went to school, and have a functional brain in this cavity above my neck. The center internal shelf is left open for component placement.

The PSB-1 speakers, themselves a hefty weight, were set on the top of the tipped over Lack about 3 inches in from each end and at the most forward position to be flush with the Lack’s face. I sat on a large leather couch at about the same distance away as the speakers are apart, about 64 inches. So a fairly near-field listening experience, which is how I tend to like it. The speakers were about 34 inches from the back wall and 30 inches from the side walls. I experimented with some placement a few inches back or in closer together, but that either led to muddy bass or a compressed soundstage.

Both side walls have first reflection dampening material from floor to ceiling spanning about 6 feet in width. 3 feet in front and back of the first reflection point is found with a mirror. There is also material on the rear wall with sound abortion material in the corners directly rear of the speakers to their left and right. The room isn’t sonically neutral; it is a living, working, changing room. I’ve done the best I can to reduce sonic interference when one is sitting in the best listening position.

I listen to a wide variety of music ranging from trance, trip-hop, metal, classic rock, jazz, blues, classical and even some country. Variety is the spice of my life, and I think that helps give you, the reader, a more rounded impression of the speakers as well. If I think a system does significantly well with a particular style of music, I’ll let you know. Conversely, if it can’t muster the needs of other styles, I’ll point that out. But really, you should know, finding a system that fits your needs is your job. Reviews can only point you in directions, but your ears, brain, and time spent auditioning different systems is how you learn what you like. So I urge you, even if you aren’t ever sure about something, never pass up a chance to listen to any system out there. But I believe you should actually find the time to audition the Prelude Line from Electrocompaniet, there is something special going on here.