Marantz SA8005 and PM8005 Any good?

[AntAxon]

I have recently bought Tannoy DC6 SE bookshelf speakers and a Project Debut Carbon turntable and I'm looking to upgrade the amp and CD player this month. I've seen both the Marantz amp and CD player advertised for £645 are they any good? Or are there beter options available for a similar price? I would also like to connect an iPod to the system.

Any help is much appreciated!

 

[Lukam01]

You can`t go wrong with Marantz PM/SA8005 for £645 each.

It is bargain at that price.Build quality is super,both units made in Japan.

 

[ID.]

Recently got to listen to the PM8005 and I was quite impressed. It'd definitely be on my shortlist if I was looking for amps around that price. I heard it with the NA8005 rather than the SA8005. Definitely try to listen to them first. My impression was that the combination was smooth and well balanced with decent body to the sound. Makes it sound like a wine, but in the past I've found the 7005 and 7004 to sound surprisingly thin.

I couldn't comment on how they would fare with your speakers and turntable though.

 

[AntAxon]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I thought it would be okay but I value your opinions. I was using Tannoy Mercury II speakers before upgrading to the Tannoy DC6 SE and they were a big improvement. I was fortunate to get some good advice on these too.

Looks like I will have to get my wallet out!

 

[Covenanter]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I thought it would be okay but I value your opinions. I was using Tannoy Mercury II speakers before upgrading to the Tannoy DC6 SE and they were a big improvement. I was fortunate to get some good advice on these too.

Looks like I will have to get my wallet out!

As others have said I am head over heels about this kit with my Kefs. I mainly use of for classical music but it is excellent for all vocal music. I can't comment about much contempory music I'm afraid.

Certainly you should have a listen.

Chris

 

[Deleted member 108165]

In a word Yes. Chris "Covenanter" has this set-up and raves about it. I've got it's predecessors the Pearl Lite's and I rave about mine too. But it's all down to what sounds good to your ears, so best advice is to audition as much as you can then make a decision.

As a note the biggest improvement for me was speaker selection. I currently use PMC DB1's, I believe Chris has paired his with floorstanding Kef's. But this Marantz pairing could equally work very well with your Tannoys.

 

[AntAxon]

I decided to go ahead and buy the Marantz system. It certainly is much more solidly built than my old Marantz PM67 and CD52MKII and looks like a quality product.

The sound is very different too, the biggest difference is there is no loudness button. When using my old system at low volume I always used it because the sound was lacking somehow even when the bass and and treble were adjusted. The new amplifier has in addition to the bass and treble a mid adjustment. I have found that ths really brings out the vocals. It is now possible to adjust the amp to get a really good sound even a low volumes, but it has less bass than before with the loudness function.

Its not a bad thing because the clarity of the music is a big improvement over the old system. The biggest improvement I think is with the iPod there is much more depth to the sound.

Does anyone ever use the source direct function? I know its how the music is supposed to sound but i can't say I like it much.

I believe the SA8005 can play FLAC files, I am looking forward to giving them a go!

 

[MeanandGreen]

I decided to go ahead and buy the Marantz system. It certainly is much more solidly built than my old Marantz PM67 and CD52MKII and looks like a quality product.

The sound is very different too, the biggest difference is there is no loudness button. When using my old system at low volume I always used it because the sound was lacking somehow even when the bass and and treble were adjusted. The new amplifier has in addition to the bass and treble a mid adjustment. I have found that ths really brings out the vocals. It is now possible to adjust the amp to get a really good sound even a low volumes, but it has less bass than before with the loudness function.

Its not a bad thing because the clarity of the music is a big improvement over the old system. The biggest improvement I think is with the iPod there is much more depth to the sound.

Does anyone ever use the source direct function? I know its how the music is supposed to sound but i can't say I like it much.

I believe the SA8005 can play FLAC files, I am looking forward to giving them a go!

I think your ears are just accustomed to the added perceived warmth of the loudness feature you are used to using. I've personally never felt the need to engage loudness even on my amps that have had it. I certainly think that going from a sound boosted at the extremes with loudness and then to source direct will be a shock to your sences and may well sound a touch flat.

Give it a little time and you'll acclimatise to the more natural presentation. So much so that if you engaged the loudness on an amp again you will find it crude.

 

[Covenanter]

I always use "Source Direct" as I don't believe you need to muck around with a good recording. I try not to buy poor recordings!

The DAC in the SA8005 seems very good to me but I say that without making any comparisons. I've been watching the DVDs of "Suspects" today playing the sound through the SA8005 and it is fabulous.

Chris

PS If readers of this CB don't know "Suspects" it is a fantastic British crime series which is made without a script with the actors improvising to a known story line. It is 200% better than the Nordic noir that people rave about and a million times better than anything that ever came out of the US. Episode 1 in series 1 will make your spine tingle. Easily the best thing on British tv for maybe 10 years.

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_664715932]

Marantz sa8005 is a great cd player, I got this a month or so ago to replace cd6005 and the improvement is vast and now the reduced price tag makes it a very affordable 1 too.

I have always been a big fan of marantz cdp but never been quite as impressed about their amplifier. For me it has always been British amplifiers, I started with MF and a proud owner of a creek evo 50a.

Enjoy your new hifi.

 

[sound10]

Hi everyone, I have this set up with the B&W CM9 S2's and Rega RP6/Rega Exact Cartridge and absolutely love the sound. With the recent drop in price, both the amp and cd are fantastic value at the moment. The amp, cd player and speakers were bought from and installed by Superfi Leeds. From what I've read on the web, the PM8005 has a superb built in phono stage, perfect for vinyl lovers. Hope this helps