Upgrade from Marantz pm6004

[Gaz100]

Looking to upgrade my pm6004 which I've had since around 2012. Budget up to £1k MAX. Speakers are MA Bronze BX2s which I may also upgrade at some point if need be. Usually stream my music so I've bought a Bluesound Node 2i on a 30 day trial.

Looking at the Audiolab 6000A or Marantz PM 8006. Will either of these two be a big jump in performance?

Open to any other suggestions though.

 

[Deleted member 108165]

Personally, I like to keep streaming and amp duties separate, but you could always ditch the streamer and look at a PM7000N; it gets rave reviews. Are you happy with the Marantz sound or do you fancy a change?

I had the PM6004 some years ago with the same speakers, it's a fine amp for the money. I upgraded to the Pearl Lite, (basically a PM8004), and was initially quite underwhelmed by it, especially as it was 3x the cost of the PM6004... don't get me wrong as it was a solid performer, I just expected there to be a bigger difference. Biggest change for me was speakers, I went from MA to PMC DB1's, again 3x price, and never looked back.

Some years on I'm still a Marantz fanboy and have finally found my end-game system.

 

[Gaz100]

Personally, I like to keep streaming and amp duties separate, but you could always ditch the streamer and look at a PM7000N; it gets rave reviews. Are you happy with the Marantz sound or do you fancy a change?

I had the PM6004 some years ago with the same speakers, it's a fine amp for the money. I upgraded to the Pearl Lite, (basically a PM8004), and was initially quite underwhelmed by it, especially as it was 3x the cost of the PM6004... don't get me wrong as it was a solid performer, I just expected there to be a bigger difference. Biggest change for me was speakers, I went from MA to PMC DB1's, again 3x price, and never looked back.

Some years on I'm still a Marantz fanboy and have finally found my end-game system.

Thanks for the reply.

Personally I prefer to keep things separate.

I just fancy a change to be honest, especially now that I'm in a position to do so.

 

[Deleted member 108165]

Thanks for the reply.

Personally I prefer to keep things separate.

I just fancy a change to be honest, especially now that I'm in a position to do so.

Never heard an Audiolab so can't help you much there. I know price is no way to compare amps but the Audiolab isn't in the same price bracket as the Marantz. There's a used PM14SE on the bay, cracking amp if you don't mind used... otherwise a nice new shiny PM8006. Whatever amp you choose just be prepared to factor in a speaker upgrade at some stage.

 

[plastic penguin]

It's strange, but when I heard budget Marantz amps they sounded more open than the midrange versions. Okay, this was years ago but I had the 7001 on home demo and tonally the 8003 sounded warmer to my ears.

Yamaha have the same effect. I like Marantz stuff but it's whether the OP could live those tonal differences. Perhaps @DougK could clarify this.

If you like Marantz then nothing comes close. If you want to move to another brand, makes such as Creek Evo 50 or even a Leema Pulse MKIII are a must consider. They both work well with Monitor Audio but they will give you a slightly different flavour.

I've had my MK1 Pulse for 10 years and love it. That said, they won't be to everyone's pallet.

 

[rainsoothe]

Hi. Fwiw, I'd do a change of speakers first - something like Dali Oberon 5, but audition anything you're considering anyway.

 

[nopiano]

Hi. Fwiw, I'd do a change of speakers first - something like Dali Oberon 5, but audition anything you're considering anyway.

Yes, I’d try to hear some speakers first, then choose an amp to work well with them. I’m a big fan of Marantz too, so you can’t go wrong with most models.

 

[gasolin]

Not really with the PM8006

 

[plastic penguin]

I'm of the opposite view. Those BX2s will improve with a better amplifier. I remember hearing the older BR5 floorstanders on the end of a Primare amp at Sevenoaks Sound and Vision years ago and they sounded stunning.

Also with a 45 watt amp, they could struggle to control the LFs, especially on a 6 ohm speaker. I had the same with the Arcam A65 (40 watts per channel) and RS6s, which were also 6 ohms. Okay up to a certain volume level but after that they could clip.

I would investigate both options and see which one gives the better flexibility and sound for the money.