Should i buy pearl lite is the question, I bought an old pioneer 656 second hand to my wharfedales 155s and now i want a bigger sound experiance planning buying a sub as well (yamaha ns sw300). Now will Marantz pearl lite lift my system or should i keep my pioneer or even buy a marantz sr6008 receiver for all nice features :? .
Amp upgrade Marantz pearl lite?
- Thread starter Zax89swe
- Start date
I've been using an older sr6003 for about a year now and it sounds good with some music (jazz, ambient, acoustic, female vocals) but i don't find it very good with rock or complex detailed stuff with many layers. But as AV amps go Marantz are supposed to be more musical than most in their price range.
A little while back I was looking at adding a pearl lite amp too as at todays prices they look an absolute bargain, and should also be good for my MA speakers. But as i listen to a lot of indie, post-rock, hip hop & electronica as well as the more laid back stuff marantz is good for, i'm looking for something that's a better all rounder.
If you like mostly jazz, classical, ambient and female vocalists it's probably the one to go for and is certainly a solid quality piece of kit. But if you mostly listen to more rock and dance stuff look around first and demo
A little while back I was looking at adding a pearl lite amp too as at todays prices they look an absolute bargain, and should also be good for my MA speakers. But as i listen to a lot of indie, post-rock, hip hop & electronica as well as the more laid back stuff marantz is good for, i'm looking for something that's a better all rounder.
If you like mostly jazz, classical, ambient and female vocalists it's probably the one to go for and is certainly a solid quality piece of kit. But if you mostly listen to more rock and dance stuff look around first and demo
I'm sure the pearl lite is a great powerful sounding amp and i don't know the characteristics of your speakers, but marantz is generally a warmer sound that excels with music which might not be your cup of tea. I can't say for sure about the pearl lite but if you went down the marantz AV amp route you might be disappointed with how rock and dance sounds (like i am) compared to a stereo amp, and its worth comparing the pearl lite with something like NAD, Rotel or Roksan Kandy which might sound better with the music you listen to most
You mentioned you wanted a sub too, so you probably will be looking for an AV amp - probably in the same boat i am - I started with the AV amp as the basis of the system but i knew i would be comprimising the music side of things - now i'm almost ready to improve the stereo by adding an integrated amp which will be used as a power amp when watching tv, bluray, ps3 etc.
You mentioned you wanted a sub too, so you probably will be looking for an AV amp - probably in the same boat i am - I started with the AV amp as the basis of the system but i knew i would be comprimising the music side of things - now i'm almost ready to improve the stereo by adding an integrated amp which will be used as a power amp when watching tv, bluray, ps3 etc.
I highly recommend you have a listen to the pearl lite before parting with cash. I went to the dealer with cash in hand for a pearl lite, but when i compared it to my approx 10 year old pm7000 i prefered the pm7000.
my pm7000 is about 200 on ebay whereas a pearl lite will set you back 650 new (was 900 when i was demoing). I thought the pearl lite sounded quite bright and not warm as per my pm7000. Even the demo guy was happy to have my pm7000 plugged in! 8)
Im a big fan of marantz products but i think there are better amps out there than the pearl lite. You will read conflicting views on the forums of how an amplifier sounds so the only way to decide for sure is to have a listen.
All the best.
my pm7000 is about 200 on ebay whereas a pearl lite will set you back 650 new (was 900 when i was demoing). I thought the pearl lite sounded quite bright and not warm as per my pm7000. Even the demo guy was happy to have my pm7000 plugged in! 8)
Im a big fan of marantz products but i think there are better amps out there than the pearl lite. You will read conflicting views on the forums of how an amplifier sounds so the only way to decide for sure is to have a listen.
All the best.
By all means get a new amp, but is there no way you can demo some amps first? if your buying new you may as well make the dealer work for your money 
I have a other amplifier in sight, but it only has two speaker outputs, If i connect the speaker like this to a subwoofer http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=15o9zli&s=5#.UmRQEt1vlfx would it affect the sound quality negatively?
Zax89swe said:
I wouldn't be suprised. They are certainly popular on eBay, I've been watching them (and pm7200) to replace my 6010KI as its got a fault, and they do shift. The 7001KI amp and SACD players in particular are both still very highly rated and probably give 'as good as' performance as a lot of the newer stuff. Look good too, timeless kind of design and nicely finished.
If you're spending £680 on an amp it's worth comparing it against others cause there's such strong competition but you could safely spend £200-£250 on one of those older 7001 (and a little more for the KI version) in great condition and be satisfied.
glowing review here: http://www.avhub.com.au/index.php/Product-Reviews/Hi-Fi/marantz-pm7001-ki-integrated-amplifier/Page-1.html
the pm7000 / pm7200 are the same lenendary amp. The pm7000 doesnt have the class A mode though. The pm7001 is a different amp and not as powerful.
When and IF my pm7000 ever dies i'll be buying another without hesitation.
When and IF my pm7000 ever dies i'll be buying another without hesitation.
I've had some experience with the Marantz pearl Lite amp.
Great amp but you have to like the Marantz sound. It sounds detailed with a great soundstage. To me the sound was very warm, maybe a bit too warm.
At the time I also had a Marantz PM6003 and the pearl lite amp was better but not that much. So I decided to keep the PM6003.
But I think it's a great buy if you can get it cheap............it will be replaced soon by the PM8005.
Great amp but you have to like the Marantz sound. It sounds detailed with a great soundstage. To me the sound was very warm, maybe a bit too warm.
At the time I also had a Marantz PM6003 and the pearl lite amp was better but not that much. So I decided to keep the PM6003.
But I think it's a great buy if you can get it cheap............it will be replaced soon by the PM8005.
Thanks for the input Delfinius, Well i actually had a marantz pm6004 but i found it lacking a little bass and control when pushed, maybe I should go for the marantz pm6005, the pearl lite cost 58% more.
Hiya,
Yes, nature of the overall music presenation highly depends on the associated equipment and personal comprehension and taste. I found Marantz KI Pearl Lite on a warm side of neutral. This mean just a tad warm and not too much. I like presentation like that as I hate lean, sibilant and spitting sound. It does not make me relaxed and I'm constatnly listening to the sound insted of music. I don't want that to be tired while listening. Marantz KI Pearl Lite is on the other side of that with my speakers and my equipment. So it is a gem which I will keep for years.
I believe that Marantz KI Pearl Lite start to shine with good speakers and good source eaither this is good CDP or DAC. It will show really what it is capable of. Before Marantz I was for years owener of Musical Fidelity A308 Dual Mono integrated and I can without hesitation say that Marantz KI Pearl Lite is outclassing it in regards to the sonic quality. It is not so powerful but in terms of music presentation Marantz leads by rank or two.
Try and give Marantz KI Pearl Lite good speakers, good source and good cables and invite your fellows at your home and watch their jaw dropping. Best is also to cover an amp so they do not know what they listen and then give them a surpise with this little Marantz. I think they will rethink hard on buying expensive amps.
best, d.
Yes, nature of the overall music presenation highly depends on the associated equipment and personal comprehension and taste. I found Marantz KI Pearl Lite on a warm side of neutral. This mean just a tad warm and not too much. I like presentation like that as I hate lean, sibilant and spitting sound. It does not make me relaxed and I'm constatnly listening to the sound insted of music. I don't want that to be tired while listening. Marantz KI Pearl Lite is on the other side of that with my speakers and my equipment. So it is a gem which I will keep for years.
I believe that Marantz KI Pearl Lite start to shine with good speakers and good source eaither this is good CDP or DAC. It will show really what it is capable of. Before Marantz I was for years owener of Musical Fidelity A308 Dual Mono integrated and I can without hesitation say that Marantz KI Pearl Lite is outclassing it in regards to the sonic quality. It is not so powerful but in terms of music presentation Marantz leads by rank or two.
Try and give Marantz KI Pearl Lite good speakers, good source and good cables and invite your fellows at your home and watch their jaw dropping. Best is also to cover an amp so they do not know what they listen and then give them a surpise with this little Marantz. I think they will rethink hard on buying expensive amps.
best, d.
Hiya
You can try of course, but I do not know how much difference you can expect from upgrading to PM6005. I strongly believe that Marantz KI Pearl Lite is in a different league and a component which you can keep also if you buy really, really good and expensive speakers.
I believe that Marantz KI Pearl Lite will bring tight bass but besides that it will improve also overall music presentation, detail, sound stage, fluidity. You will be able to see very deep into music and utterly enjoy. Marantz KI Pearl Lite is soniclly close to its big brother KI Pearl. Please read this review here: http://www.stereophile.com/integratedamps/marantz_pm-ki-pearl_integrated_amplifier
I came to very similar observations and conclusions in my case with KI Pearl Lite.
best, d.
You can try of course, but I do not know how much difference you can expect from upgrading to PM6005. I strongly believe that Marantz KI Pearl Lite is in a different league and a component which you can keep also if you buy really, really good and expensive speakers.
I believe that Marantz KI Pearl Lite will bring tight bass but besides that it will improve also overall music presentation, detail, sound stage, fluidity. You will be able to see very deep into music and utterly enjoy. Marantz KI Pearl Lite is soniclly close to its big brother KI Pearl. Please read this review here: http://www.stereophile.com/integratedamps/marantz_pm-ki-pearl_integrated_amplifier
I came to very similar observations and conclusions in my case with KI Pearl Lite.
best, d.
Zax89swe said:
What about the PM7004 ? If it's still available............I don't know.
If you don't like the PM6004 I would not go for the PM6005. I think there's little difference between the two.
Hi Delfinus, great reviews - i remember reading them when i started considering the 2channel amp upgrade. It's made me put the pearl lite back on my audition list after reading them and the other reviews again. I need to hear it against the creek 50a and arcam a19 - if there's not much in it i'd probably go for marantz on price, features, looks and system matching.
Like you i also have the SR6003 which is currently being used as my main amp, and i find it varies from sounding very good to disapointing (never exceptional or terrible) depending on what's playing. Marantz characteristically adds warmth as you say in your review, which is good for my speakers, but more complex music always disappoints me, it doesn't excite me when i play interesting guitar or electronic bands like tv on the radio, radiohead, mogwai, explosions in the sky etc. i know an AV amp is never going to compete with a stereo amp at that price range, but i was concerned the pearl lite would have the same characteristics (albeit much much better)... Fantastic with jazz, classical, female vocals etc but not as impressive with dynamics, precision timing and revealing details to best appreciate the heavily textured kinds of music i listen to most?
Do you think adding to the pearl lite a revealing cd player like the audiolab 8200 along with my brightish RS6 speakers would add up to the kind of system that suits rock & electronica well and would give a revealing, dynamic presentation with a large soundstage - but with warmth, so not at all fatiguing? On paper it seems to be a good match up and the price of pearl lites certainly attracts me
Like you i also have the SR6003 which is currently being used as my main amp, and i find it varies from sounding very good to disapointing (never exceptional or terrible) depending on what's playing. Marantz characteristically adds warmth as you say in your review, which is good for my speakers, but more complex music always disappoints me, it doesn't excite me when i play interesting guitar or electronic bands like tv on the radio, radiohead, mogwai, explosions in the sky etc. i know an AV amp is never going to compete with a stereo amp at that price range, but i was concerned the pearl lite would have the same characteristics (albeit much much better)... Fantastic with jazz, classical, female vocals etc but not as impressive with dynamics, precision timing and revealing details to best appreciate the heavily textured kinds of music i listen to most?
Do you think adding to the pearl lite a revealing cd player like the audiolab 8200 along with my brightish RS6 speakers would add up to the kind of system that suits rock & electronica well and would give a revealing, dynamic presentation with a large soundstage - but with warmth, so not at all fatiguing? On paper it seems to be a good match up and the price of pearl lites certainly attracts me
Just an info if it is of any value? PM6004 and PM7004 are made in China and Pearl series is made in Japan and also better components and shielding is used in the constrution of Pearls. If I would need to decide what to go for I would go all the way for Pearl once again.
best, d.
best, d.
Hi cannibal,
these are quite difficult questions as I did not heard all the equipment you are mentioning. I only heard your speakers independently in different system so I know a little about their character. So my tips will be mostly a strategy how I would approach it if I have a system like that and want to upgrade. This also derives from the experiences I had and testing of the equipment before settling down with the current system I have.
I can say that Marantz is a consumer electronic brand with well developed distribution network and they sell it all around the world. Expenses for production of Marantz units are therefore much lower than for some more boutique audio brands. Some audiophiles just coz of this want to avoid Marantz brand and they say that is not too good for them as it is available practically for everybody and it is not exotic enough name to present it on their shelves. But I can say that with Pearls they are very much wrong. On my experience I can say that PM KI Pearl Lite is great unit and if same electronic would be packed in even more exotic housing from some boutique audio brand it would be priced 3 to 5 times more as recommended price was at the beginning for this Marantz unit. No doubt there is a good quality components present in Pearls it is of simple design and offers also good connection options and settings. I like the construction of it, very good quality connectors, its finish and sound what is also the most important for me.
As far as A/V receiver Marantz SR6003 is concerned I used it for some time when I sell my Musical Fidelity A308 and I was searching for my next stereo amp to buy. At that point I was also prepared to go deep inside my pocket to get new integrated stereo amp and i searched and visited many dealers also had some trials with stereo amps at home. Back to Marantz SR 6003 A/V receiver... it is very decent for music and very good for not so critical listeners. But in comparison to Pearl it lacks finesse, fluidity, positioning of instruments, dimensionality, stage and musical coherence that PM KI Pearl Lite delivers.
PM KI Pearl Lite has an excellent price you can start with it and use it with any speakers at least those who have average to high sensitivity. But don’t be fooled. This amp you can use also with speakers that on paper no audiophile would use. Please read a review on Stereophile that I post earlier and connection of its bigger brother PM KI Pearl and also conclusions and comparisons with some horrendously expensive audio equipment. Pearl was there connected and reviewed together with Wilson Audio MAXX 3 speakers.
I can say from my practice that the better the source you give it, the better the speakers you will give, interconnects and speaker cables the better presentation you will get from Pearl. PM KI Pearl Lite maybe lacks a bit of that super bass attack you receive from Gryphon but it is also logical, Gryphon should deliver this for its price. But I also had Gryphon Tabu on trial but at the end in the highs and mids I found Marantz KI Pearl Lite more pleasing to my ears. I solved a deep bass attack differently as I already in the past had REL B2 active subs so I don’t miss anything in the basement compartment.
As far source it is concerned it is very important one. Everything springs from there and if source is not good then you can not correct later in a chain as you will just add colorations to the sound. If I would to decide for which CD I would go I would definitely consider also Marantz SA KI Pearl Lite SACD player. I did not heard it but I read very good things about it also on this forum. I believe this player can establish great synergy together. I have Musical Fidelity NuVista which is a valve CDP and I love it. It is from year 2002, I exchanged transport just recently and I will just enjoy it for next 10 years. I found that valves somewhere in the chain just give music more pleasing presentation so also for future if I will buy some good quality DAC I would search for valves.
Pay a close attention also to the interconnects, speaker cables and also power cords. I constructed power cords myself from some good quality wire from Tempoelectric and added good quality Oyaide plugs on them also some years back. This works very well and you will loose that last trails of grain in sound and receive better dimensionality. Also interconnects and speaker cables are very much important. This is in particular true if you use good quality source and very revealing speakers that offers deep insights into music. I found Cardas best suited for my system. I have all the way Cardas Golden Cross now as I exactly know what they bring and what I want from my system. They are not cheap but they are the only cables that really brings big quality difference in comparison to other brands I tried in my system and some of them were even more expensive.
Ok, someone would say cheap amp and so expensive wires. Don't be folled by the price of PM KI Pearl Lite. It is an amp that delivers great quality comparable with top brand amps where price is no limit. Good quality cables are just a plus. At which point you want to add them is just your decission and associated equipment you have. You don't need to add all at the same time. Build your system slow, have a lot of trials and try to borrow many things if you can and then you will recognize changes and your desires where you want to go. Anyway cables can be bought also second hand so you can save big amount of money.
I beleive you will be surprised how far you can go with Marantz PM KI Pearl Lite. You will just discover that amp is not a weak link in your audio chain when you upgrade some other component for a better quality.
Happy hunting,
Best, d.
these are quite difficult questions as I did not heard all the equipment you are mentioning. I only heard your speakers independently in different system so I know a little about their character. So my tips will be mostly a strategy how I would approach it if I have a system like that and want to upgrade. This also derives from the experiences I had and testing of the equipment before settling down with the current system I have.
I can say that Marantz is a consumer electronic brand with well developed distribution network and they sell it all around the world. Expenses for production of Marantz units are therefore much lower than for some more boutique audio brands. Some audiophiles just coz of this want to avoid Marantz brand and they say that is not too good for them as it is available practically for everybody and it is not exotic enough name to present it on their shelves. But I can say that with Pearls they are very much wrong. On my experience I can say that PM KI Pearl Lite is great unit and if same electronic would be packed in even more exotic housing from some boutique audio brand it would be priced 3 to 5 times more as recommended price was at the beginning for this Marantz unit. No doubt there is a good quality components present in Pearls it is of simple design and offers also good connection options and settings. I like the construction of it, very good quality connectors, its finish and sound what is also the most important for me.
As far as A/V receiver Marantz SR6003 is concerned I used it for some time when I sell my Musical Fidelity A308 and I was searching for my next stereo amp to buy. At that point I was also prepared to go deep inside my pocket to get new integrated stereo amp and i searched and visited many dealers also had some trials with stereo amps at home. Back to Marantz SR 6003 A/V receiver... it is very decent for music and very good for not so critical listeners. But in comparison to Pearl it lacks finesse, fluidity, positioning of instruments, dimensionality, stage and musical coherence that PM KI Pearl Lite delivers.
PM KI Pearl Lite has an excellent price you can start with it and use it with any speakers at least those who have average to high sensitivity. But don’t be fooled. This amp you can use also with speakers that on paper no audiophile would use. Please read a review on Stereophile that I post earlier and connection of its bigger brother PM KI Pearl and also conclusions and comparisons with some horrendously expensive audio equipment. Pearl was there connected and reviewed together with Wilson Audio MAXX 3 speakers.
I can say from my practice that the better the source you give it, the better the speakers you will give, interconnects and speaker cables the better presentation you will get from Pearl. PM KI Pearl Lite maybe lacks a bit of that super bass attack you receive from Gryphon but it is also logical, Gryphon should deliver this for its price. But I also had Gryphon Tabu on trial but at the end in the highs and mids I found Marantz KI Pearl Lite more pleasing to my ears. I solved a deep bass attack differently as I already in the past had REL B2 active subs so I don’t miss anything in the basement compartment.
As far source it is concerned it is very important one. Everything springs from there and if source is not good then you can not correct later in a chain as you will just add colorations to the sound. If I would to decide for which CD I would go I would definitely consider also Marantz SA KI Pearl Lite SACD player. I did not heard it but I read very good things about it also on this forum. I believe this player can establish great synergy together. I have Musical Fidelity NuVista which is a valve CDP and I love it. It is from year 2002, I exchanged transport just recently and I will just enjoy it for next 10 years. I found that valves somewhere in the chain just give music more pleasing presentation so also for future if I will buy some good quality DAC I would search for valves.
Pay a close attention also to the interconnects, speaker cables and also power cords. I constructed power cords myself from some good quality wire from Tempoelectric and added good quality Oyaide plugs on them also some years back. This works very well and you will loose that last trails of grain in sound and receive better dimensionality. Also interconnects and speaker cables are very much important. This is in particular true if you use good quality source and very revealing speakers that offers deep insights into music. I found Cardas best suited for my system. I have all the way Cardas Golden Cross now as I exactly know what they bring and what I want from my system. They are not cheap but they are the only cables that really brings big quality difference in comparison to other brands I tried in my system and some of them were even more expensive.
Ok, someone would say cheap amp and so expensive wires. Don't be folled by the price of PM KI Pearl Lite. It is an amp that delivers great quality comparable with top brand amps where price is no limit. Good quality cables are just a plus. At which point you want to add them is just your decission and associated equipment you have. You don't need to add all at the same time. Build your system slow, have a lot of trials and try to borrow many things if you can and then you will recognize changes and your desires where you want to go. Anyway cables can be bought also second hand so you can save big amount of money.
I beleive you will be surprised how far you can go with Marantz PM KI Pearl Lite. You will just discover that amp is not a weak link in your audio chain when you upgrade some other component for a better quality.
Happy hunting,
Best, d.
Thanks for that delfinus, you've clearly done your homework and spent a lot of time in the company of some high end gear. I have no problem buying Marantz instead of more 'exotic' brands. I had lower end marantz set up as my first foray into a proper system with eltax liberty floorstanders and its still in use in my office and i've never felt the need to upgrade it as it still sounds good - even the really cheap eltax bookshelf speakers i downsized to. Always liked the look and feel of marantz stuff. I don't think i'd be disappointed with the sound of the pearl lite if i just went and got one, finding time to demo equipment is not going to be easy until christmas at least, and i'm not planning to wait that long! If i do get chance i will demo arcam a19, creek 50a and the pearl lite. The only concern i had was pearl lite would be too laid back to really excite me with rock and electronic music. At the same time fatigue is the last thing i want. I'm not the most critical listener anyway - my ears aren't sensitive enough. I did notice subtle improvements when i upgraded interconnects (better highs and more clarity) and bi-amped the speakers (better bass definition and extension) but not huge differences. I'm just a music lover who wants more excitement from certain kinds of music i'm not getting at the moment, which is probably going to improve whatever £300+ stereo amp i get. But i'm looking to the next level in terms of fluidity and musical coherence, the two qualities that i want to improve most. I've heard the pearl lites before through kef ls50 and it sounded fantastic, very detailed and wide open soundstage. It was with the same kind of music my current set up does well, but is was much cleaner sounding. There's going to be a big difference in character between the ls50s and RS6s to take into account though. I'll follow up with a review of whatever i get, but you're doing a damn good job promoting the pearl lite! You don't work for marantz do you? only joking
only jokingHehehe, no I do not work for Marantz but I would not mind if there is a chance to test new equipment with them . I just want to share my observation that I discovered while searching for my amp last year and I was surprised what I got for very fair price.
As far as the nature of the amp it is concerned. Marantz PM KI Pearl Lite is not laid back amp. It is far away from that. I practically listen to all kind of music, also house music with some deep bass. There is enough of that there. No need to adjust any tone controls for that. Here it only depends what kind of speakers you have that it will be shown properly. Besides my Anthony Gallo 3.5 who are very transparent speakers with very fast and accurate bass (34Hz +-3dB) I use also 2 x REL B2 subs (16Hz -6dB) for the lowest octave and bass is perfect.
I also listen a lot of internet radio. Specially Radio Paradise station where it is a lot of rock and indie. I can enjoy it with Marantz much better that with my previous integrated Musical Fidelity A308.
I can mention also tone controls on Marantz. In 90% of the cases I do not use them as I recognized that Source direct performed much better, offering more sparkle, better transients and space information. I use tone controls only with some bad internet radio stations where I have mid and highs turned at app. 11 o'clock. This feature is great and offers me listening also the sources that I did not dare to listen before as I heard too much digital glare.
best,
d.
. I just want to share my observation that I discovered while searching for my amp last year and I was surprised what I got for very fair price.As far as the nature of the amp it is concerned. Marantz PM KI Pearl Lite is not laid back amp. It is far away from that. I practically listen to all kind of music, also house music with some deep bass. There is enough of that there. No need to adjust any tone controls for that. Here it only depends what kind of speakers you have that it will be shown properly. Besides my Anthony Gallo 3.5 who are very transparent speakers with very fast and accurate bass (34Hz +-3dB) I use also 2 x REL B2 subs (16Hz -6dB) for the lowest octave and bass is perfect.
I also listen a lot of internet radio. Specially Radio Paradise station where it is a lot of rock and indie. I can enjoy it with Marantz much better that with my previous integrated Musical Fidelity A308.
I can mention also tone controls on Marantz. In 90% of the cases I do not use them as I recognized that Source direct performed much better, offering more sparkle, better transients and space information. I use tone controls only with some bad internet radio stations where I have mid and highs turned at app. 11 o'clock. This feature is great and offers me listening also the sources that I did not dare to listen before as I heard too much digital glare.
best,
d.
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