📌Looking for the M1? Find it here → bit.ly/4cUbiii or bit.ly/3VZYzDL 🔌Watch the full M1 REVIEW here ua-cam.com/video/Eb0XZzmhGK0/v-deo.html 🔌Catch up on all the latest UNPLUGGED episodes on the Unplugged Playlist bit.ly/43NnDkT 😀Thanks for watching! Hitting 👍and Subscribe is a great way to keep up with the channel! 🙏 Please stay on topic and be respectful. 🚫No links, self-promotion, or personal info.
Hello Andrew , Hello Kristi Hope this post finds you well. I have a comment and question. I don't like it when people use the term " Audiophile " when they talk about things for their experience(s) When it comes to Music Listeners I was Always someone that broke these groups Down in Several Classes. 1) Music Listener ( Anyone who Listens to music ) 2) Music enthusiast ( Someone who Listens to a wide range of Music and Appreciates it ) 3) Music Lover ( Someone that takes their Music Listening to the Next level with Products ) 4) Then what I always Felt the term " AUDIOPHILE " really is and that is someone that can hear tones and Notes in music that no one else is capable of hearing because their Ears are just not Capable. So I really dis-like it when people use the term when and If They aren't Actually one. So I am Wondering Andrew, I don't Know But I would listen to your advice in a heart Beat, But where would you put yourself in the List of Examples??? Lastly, I have a pair of Polk XT 60's I would have loved to get the next step up but I am someone that likes Listening to All music ( Not Country ) at present I am using a Onkyo TS-SR 605 ( Music Via CD + a powered Sub ) AV, I am on a Budget, is there anything else you could recommend that I would get better sound out of these Speakers Because I am in an apt and the walls aren't ideally positioned I have my Polks Slightly Toed In to my listening position which when Seated I am Approx. 9' away Thank You for any advice you can suggest and I will continue to watch your channel, Cheers, Robert ( Music Enthusiast )
@@andrewrobinsonreviews It was told to me by a veterinarian named Allen Schoen. His peers call him “The Veterinarian of Last Resort and is quite famous. He has toured around the world lecturing at veterinary schools and has done a PBS three hour special. Allen uses this line but he does not take credit for it. He told me that another very famous lecturer used it and he asked if he could use that quote in his lectures. Thanks for taking notice Andrew.
I love my Marantz Model 40N. Guess it’s not enough for the TRUE audiophile I suppose, but I just love the form and quality! So convenient and sounds great! No muss, no fuss!! SERIOUSLY!!!
@@KristiWright I have a 15 year old daughter. I didn’t learn Gen Z slang because she uses it, though, I learned it so I could embarrass her when I use it.
I started watching you because I started working as a Best Buy magnolia sales and I wanted to educated my self further on the products that we sold. Very quickly I found that this “niche” was part of what I found fun to learn so even though I was learning to make myself better sales man this was just running into a hobby for me to enjoy. So now even though I’ve been long out of the sales position I still can wait for each one of your reviews of the products that I see in store and can’t test and play with anymore.
Regarding the lack of a DAC, there are also other brands that have a similar technology such as Steiway's Lyngdorf fully digital amplifiers. The amplifier is fed the digital signal and doing something like a PWM. The amplifier is sort of a dac that can drive the speakers.
Its a soundbar that fits in your speakers, it's insanely good at movies and music . I just think Marantz hit the nail on the head here . Ideal for users who want quality sound without the real estate increase ..
I'm a Hi Fi guy, audiophiles think they have to spend Mercedes-Benz level $$$$ to get spectacular sound. I'm here to say and agree you can get a complete set up for 5 grand and less and it will kick your a$$. Just shop smart and in some cases reputable shops usually have pre owned/ used gear for pennies on the dollar. P.S. wish true quadraphonic amps were being made today. Also please look into Advance Paris... please just look into their A10 and A12 integrated amps... please.
People should know that the M1 lets you take any remote (or phone with IR blaster) and learn it. So you can buy a generic remote or use an old remote and train theM1 to use it..
I see alot of comparison between M1 and Stereo 70s. However.... How does the M1 compare (strictly from listening to music via Tidal Connect) with the Cinema 60? Both have similar power output at about 100w/ch (or approx. 120w/ch at 6 ohms) and the price point is rather close. Leaving the home theater capabilities aside, I am more interested in how does the sound compare in a stereo mode with a set of loudspeakers. Looking forward for your thoughts.
Been enjoying your channel. Setup my current 2.1 HT system based on some of reviews (and others)--Marantz Cinema 70, Emotiva BasX2, SVS micro3000, and Arenda 1723S. Room is small and have the speakers next the amp/AVR and have to toe-out the speakers, hahaha. I just wanted to suggest reviewing the Lovesac with Stealthtech. It's a section couch that can have a build in 5.1 HT system. It could have a very high WAF. It's pretty expensive. Sounds like it may be closed system. It's been around a few years, but not many of well know/trust reviewers have spoken about the system. I think it's different enough that it would be interesting to hear the prospective of someone who have reviewed/worked with audio for years.
Hello from Thailand. Just got the M1 4 hrs ago. Hooked up to Klipsch 600M & very old REL Zero. Wired ethernet & HDMI eArc from Samsung TV Downloaded Heos. It did a fairly long update. Went straight into very very easy setup. All done in a few mins. Tested TV with UA-cam - great. Movies on HDD - great. And the big test....ROON Ready? - absolutely! Saw it instantly and played music exactly as my main 2 Ch system. didn't miss a beat Guys, have tested at least 3 other streaming amps. The M1 is the best $1000 piece of gear. After 4 hrs, sound is very very nice. It works!!!!!!!
About soundstage size and amplifiers, I have some DIY experience on this. In my Purifi based Class D amplifier you can swap op amps in the input stage. With some op amps the stage becomes larger, and with others it narrows. Discrete op amps tend to make the stage larger, whereas chip based op amps sound smaller. Tweaking the input stage has a huge effect on the sound of a Class D amp, so you can make it sound super clean with scalpel like precision, or more lush, grainy and Class A/B like.
Love you guys ! HILARIOUS !!! What is or isn't audiophile is silly... As long as you are happy with its performance especially for the price, that's really all that matters.
Yay my comments made it to your show 😀. I love you guys and please don’t take my comments personally. I have learnt so much over the years from your reviews and borrowed so many of your ideas to improve my audio system. If everyone liked the same things the world would be boring. Please keep doing what you are doing. P.S I have Marantz, Anthems for amplification, B&W speakers and REL S subs so I’m also an audiophile simpleton. Serious audiophiles are the Wilson snubs 😀
I love that idea to be honest, I consider myself an amateur audiophile and prefer quality equipment but I am not able to drop 30k on B&W 800 series just because I like them, I love my ML Foundation F2 towers and I took your advice and paired them with the C100 center. It is nice hearing reviews on products and a similar and competitive price point.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews My son and wife are my deterrent from taking things too seriously. Whenever I make a change in my system, I'll ask them if they hear a difference. Their reply is almost always no.
Hi @@BryanRuby! Are you playing something they are familiar with? Ask them to pick something they feel they know inside and out so they have a reference point to compare.
We have so many options as audio enthusiasts. Thats what i love about this hobby/addiction. Im still loving my Marantz surround preamp. So functional. So much control. Its as advanced as i need it to be. If technology stopped advancing now, id be ok with the state we would be stuck with.. is that crazy?
It's not crazy. One of the best home theaters I've ever assembled (and experienced) would be 15 years old if I still had it today and make no mistake, if I had that system in this home, I'd be happy and not looking to see if the grass is greener elsewhere. So I get it!
15:29 DSP/EE person here-it is possible to go from pcm digital to pulse width modulation (what class d amps use) without technically converting to analog if you over sample the digital signal properly before PWM conversion. Output of a class d amp that goes to a speaker is a low-pass filtered version of a highly oversampled 1-bit signal which is technically the same as what comes out of a sigma-delta DAC. I have no idea what marantz is actually doing but wanted to mention that the class d process can be considered a DAC while also not technically being one if that makes sense.
Needed less than a minute to like this video! :D Finally got to the comparison I was looking for, and thank you so much for confirming my suspicions - that I would actually prefer the M1 to the Audiolab 7000A. I have had this love affair/obsession with what you might call the Marantz sound, and from what I can see, you guys may have just helped me beyond belief! Thanks Andrew & Kristi!
I totally agree with Andrew on the amplifier "soundstage" concept. Can anyone imagine how any electrical engineer would react if someone told him to design a power amplifier that remained faithful to the input signal, but added (or subtracted) "soundstage"? The parameters of any good power amp are clearly defined for many decades, but soundstage isn't definitely one of those engineering definitions. Loudspeakers are totally different animals, since their dispersion característics and even tuning _will_ have an impact on the perceived soundstage (more so with the room interaction and listener placement). It's well documented that speakers with a more accentuated response in the vocal presence region will tend to put voices more in front of them, and speakers with a recessed presence region will tend to sound "wider", since sounding a bit recessed in the presence region will tend to make the instruments sound wider (vocals are almost ways recorded in mono, unlike instruments, which are almost always placed all around the stereo field, but _not_ in the center (that's where sonic space is needed for vocals to sit right). This audio mixing principle has been used since the beginnings of stereo recordings (after the initial mess of placing the drums on one channel and vocals in the other one). 😂 And even with pre-amps, if two different preamps sound very different from each other on soundstage, you can be sure that at least one of them is doing something really wrong with the audio signal (DSP and other deliberate methods excluded, of course). 😉 In other words, a properly designed amplifier should be as neutral as possible, taking the input signal and multiplying it in power several times, without adding or subtracting nothing. This is not to say that it's wrong to love a tube amp (as an example) that adds its own sound (distortion, to be more precise) to the signal. That's what tape has done for decades (as well as vinyl), and also so many analogue EQ's and compressors that were (and still are) iconic. If someone loves that effect on a particular amplifier or pre-amp, just buy it and enjoy it without ever looking back. 🙂😉 There's nothing wrong with it if it serves the greatest purpose of enhancing anyone's musical enjoyment. There are several ways of adding coloration to the sound (more than ever), and rest assure that it is used on the majority of recordings today as it was 30 years ago. 🙂 I _personally_ prefer to have a clean amp and pre-amp, and add that coloration earlier in the signal chain (if that's what I'm looking for). But that's only a preference, not any sort of rule. In the end, it's all a combination of gear and room interaction, mixed with personal taste. Sometimes, it just sounds "right" to us, even if the performance of each individual component is nothing to "brag" about. 🙂 And that's great, because we can only imagine how boring this hobby would be if we all loved the same thing, and all gear sounded exactly the same. 😉 Cheers
The streaming conversation is funny. I’m probably in that 5% you mentioned and still don’t care about all the service providers . All my streaming is through Apple TV. Could I get higher quality through Tidal? Don’t care Apple TV is good enough for casual listening and so convenient from a UI. My serious listening is always vinyl. Btw I’m 3 weeks into owning my SVS Titans, thank you Andrew I was going to buy something else but your review made me seek them out for a listen and it was a no brainer. Couldn’t be happier.
I think some of the “Marantz M1 vs ..” comparisons are interesting BUT from a price value are also subject to Country supply price variations, eg I bought a Naim Uniti Atom new for £1350 with 5 year warranty for a second system and am amazed at the quality/ enjoyment I am getting ,its also great that we live in an exciting era of so much choice, with very few genuinely bad products.
Awesome vid as always guys! I’ll try my best to make sense of the whole DAC / Digital Amplification question. First regarding the digitization upon entry - it’s important to distinguish DACs (digital to analog converters) from ADCs (analog to digital converters). These functions are not usually performed by the same component, these are separate components. So while the M1 has no DAC, it does have an ADC component. Regarding the DAC-less amplified output - in overview, class D amps can work in 2 ways. The first takes an analog line-level signal and examine its structure to create a corresponding digital signal that is used to operate the switching system which generates the power stream to the speakers. The second operates the switching system directly from the digital audio data, therefore has no need for an analog input to the power output stage. The M1 is of the latter. Hope this helps!
I was choosing between Bluesound Powernode (at this moment 880 € on sale)and M1 for 999 € and I chosed Powernode and I didn't regret ...great product with my old B&W 602 speakers , top BluOS app with Tidal in max Hi-Res sound....top of the art amplifier....Andrew and Kristie you're great,I'm enjoying watching your channel...greetings from Croatia 🇭🇷
As ive mentioned with similar product reviews, this seems to be the future standard for what was once known as the "Stereo Receiver" . Totally get the logic, but sadly I hate it. Not what I was raised on basically so it aint for me. FM Radio still matters to me.
I’m a month late watching this. My opinion on HEOS, it works but it could use a better user friendly interface. The M1 looks great but for my study, I chose the Marantz Stereo 70s. Was able to buy a recertified unit directly from Marantz for $599! It works great and cosmetically it is like new! Love it. I only have one turntable. Took me a while but figured how to use HEOS to listen to my vinyl on both Marantz receivers simultaneously (8015 and 70s)! Thanks for the very enjoyable video, and the disclaimer too! 😊
I am not sure but I think the Marantz amp in the M1 works similarly to Technics who also says their integrated amp don't have a DAC: (Technics digital amplifiers convert analog input signals into digital formats using pulse-width modulation (PWM) or pulse-density modulatio0n (PDM). The digital signal then drives output transistors that rapidly switch on and off, sending pulses of power to the speakers. I could be wrong.
Got an M1. Drives the Kef LS50 metas and Kc62 so well. The app is awkward but helps tweak it all. Do you know where those "sound modes" are so I can try the "virtual mode"? I even asked Marantz and they can't even point me to the right place. Help.
Good morning. Just found your channel recently. I appreciate and respect the time you spend to research products. I’m old school and stereo is still a hobby for me. My wife is the one who binge watch her tv shows and I’m the one who simply listen to classical music on fm radio. Lol
The M1 is a great option for someone starting their audiophile journey. It gives you great sound, with streaming options and the ability to connect at least two sources (one digital and one analog). Plus, HDMI, and sub. What is the downside? I can’t think of one. There is a Denon version that is cheaper, that will solve the budget issue for some.
I want to thank you both for being open minded and teaching the rest of us (by “us” I mean the people without tens of thousands of dollars to spend on audio equipment) that the joy of listening to music is attainable at any price point if you know where to look. Your reviews give me the confidence that I’m getting great sound at a price I can afford. They also give me hope that one day, I’ll be able to afford more expensive equipment, with the knowledge of what’s worth my hard earned money and what isn’t. You guys are the best. Keep doing what you do. “No serious audiophile…” Shut the hell up!
I use an expensive active monitor system with DSP that lacks HDMI, but connected to the tv via Bluetooth out, sounds awesome and volume can be changed via TV! TV indeed does all the work. For real listening I use the spidf in.
That whole plug the amp into the tv via hdmi and only have to run speaker wires sounds like an awesome entry level option!! Spend so much $$ on these nice TVs that do all of the decoding from built in streaming apps, for someone that rents or moves around, if the house already is wired for surround or even gas built in speakers, that could really be awesome!! 🎉
I don’t understand the negative commentary on the HEOS app - no it’s not Spotify or iTunes- but it does what it set out to do and makes no apologies. There’s an incredible array of playlists and stations, and streaming comes through without interruptions.
I run my HT with an AV7706, MM8077, and MM7055. I always preferred Class A/B in my HT and still do. But when I wanted to do towers in the living room, I got the WiiM Amp. It was good and well worth the money, but after hearing about the M1 and seeing reviews (including yours), I decided to order the M1. The WiiM amp was boxed up that very night. I plugged in the M1 and went back. It is hands down the best Class D I have ever heard, and very glad I took the chance. I already knew Marantz was good, but it was three times the money of the WiiM Amp, and it was absolutely worth it. Please disregard my comment on your M1 review, lol. Heos has gotten better in the last few years and Marantz cracked the Class D mold.
I found my simple AVR: Canton Smart 5.1. Easy to handle and it has lots of functions (HDMI Arc/ Atmos etc.). It is build for Canton Smart Speakers but it can also handle traditional speakers with 100 Watts/Channel. I use it mainly for Multi-Channel-Music but everything else is also possible.
This is a great episode from start to finish and not just because you answered my question. I even made my wife watch the beginning of the episode. The unplugged episodes are ny favorites. Nothing against you Andrew, but when you both do the videos, they are so much better imho.
Thanks for the video. Always entertaining. I love Marantz and have an older Denon AVR. The challenge for me is I have settled on Qobuz as my chosen streaming service and Heos isn’t compatible, which eliminates both brands. I have Rotel separates and I’m in the process of auditioning the Eversolo DMP 6 vs. the 8. I will be getting an amp down the road for a portable system so will be getting a 2 channel amp to go with a pair of bookshelves and Eversolo, unless a more powerful combo unit becomes available. It’s amazing what’s coming from companies like Wiim and others that are helping to drive innovation and affordability that is true hi-fi equipment. Rock on.
😞you guys do a fantastic job of answering our comparisons question! Thanks for that, I was a bit disappointed to not see the Yamaha RN1000a or even 2000a compared to the Marantz. I’m planning on getting a RN2000a in a couple months and the comparisons are good pump up material! 🔈 take care! 🇨🇦
What's wrong with TCL? Personally all my TV's are Panasonic (because I have a dealer account with them mostly, but also, because they are great TV's) - but always considered TCL's to be great value for money & always been impressed with their picture when looking at them in the showroom. Don't listen to brand snobs!
It's pretty nuts that although the Atom has been around for seven years, it's still punching not only on sound quality and design, but also features. The price going up is a bit crazy - I bought one in about 2019 for £2000. I regret selling it for sure.
I LOVE gatekeepers in audio forums, or, well, forums in general. And by love I mean would love to see them in the dungeons of The Dreadfort, and have the Bolton's "play" with them.
17:28 I really appreciate your detailed comment about gaming there. I play games a lot more than movies so it's nice to see reference about a game like what particular moment that's memorable in terms of sound, what did you do to test the sound, etc. I think video games might be the best way to test the directional capabilities of speakers or a system since it tends to use the surround effect more aggressive than movies
A class D Amp is basically a digital device, with a passive low pass filter at the end. So technically, the Class D output can be the only DAC to convert digital to speaker output.
I think that for DirectDigital Marantz intends to say that they use a DDS chip that can generate waveforms as digital signals that then a DAC transforms in electric impulse rather than a common DAC chip that does both synthesis of the signal and the electric impulse. In theory the benefit is all in power consumption and dynamics.
Andrew - not sure if you will see this but I have a question. I recently upgraded from my Marantz NR1508 to a SR5008. Noticeable improvement in bass presence, punch and precision while also having a noticeably increased clarity and nuance through the mids and treble. Is there any point in upgrading in a year or two to one of the Marantz Cinema AVR’s? Before finding the SR5008 I planned to get a Cinema 50 in a couple of years, but unsure if that will be necessary now. Thoughts?
M1 looked appealing for a bedroom system but alas, no headphone capability. Ultimately, decided to go with the Cinema 70s (7.2) for a 3.1 setup to handle both music and audio for television. I opted for the Cinema for a couple of reasons - update to an NR 16xx in storage and your* recommendation.
The "what is it for" commentary is funny to me because my cute little NAD D 3020 V2 demonstrates how you can't pigeonhole what the designers were thinking (agreeing with what Andrew was saying regarding can't a product just be good). It's a vertical design, so it's obviously meant for a desktop or bookshelf, right? But it can't be for a desktop since it dropped the USB port for a phono preamp. Alright, so it's for a bookshelf paired with a turntable. But it only supports power-on input auto sensing on digital sources, and does far better with digital inputs. Alright, so it's for a TV. It even has a TV remote programming mode! But its icons and lettering only work vertically and are too small to read from a seated position. Great product, and good at a lot of things, and might well be no-compromises for some people's version of these situations. But it's clearly not tailored entirely to any one scenario, it is a general purpose device with some design considerations to each segment.
I went to the local Focal dealer and I demo'd the Sopora (no 3) on the new Marantz 40. Sounded fantastic. They had the fancy nordist elevated cables and an over the top turntable on the setup.
I believe we're just seeing a lot more choices for audio, and a lot of that seems to have been spurred on by the success of the stuff WiiM and Fosi have been bringing out. I think the M1 is something that's taking that to the next level, and that's a win/win in the grand scheme of things. Count me among those who would like an eARC only amp - but then again, I'd also buy a "TV" with no built-in tuner or speakers. 🤷♂️
Hello there! Very interesting video, didn't think the M1 punched that hard. I have a Cambridge evo 150 with my Q Acoustics Concept 30, and I was considering selling the Evo for the Naim Uniti Atom, but you're saying the M1 sound as good or even better!? Please elaborate! Thanks again and greetings from Sweden!
@fredriklangrath8467 agree! I think many buyers are interested in these small amp streamers because they need something small for their desk. I am. So the lack of a headphone jack is a huge miss.
Any product that you use often is a good product. I have gear that have better audio quality but if it's not easy to incorporate into you daily life it probably has less value.
so if I connect a turntable through a preamp to the M1, it'll digitize the sound to the speakers? If doesn't have a DAC in it? If not, which amp would you say soundwise and reliability is better, the Audiolab 7000A or the Leak 230?
Happy Friday Andrew and Kristi. Really enjoyed this extended Unplugged discussion and all the comparisons. Just to add further intrigue to this discussion, Marantz's sister brand Denon has announced it's own model simply named Home Amp that seems remarkably similar in specs and appearance (slightly different case and has 3 presets buttons on the front that are not present on the M1) but priced $200 cheaper launching next month. Apparently the Home Amp will have its own sound tuned by Denon's Sound Master Shinichi Yamauchi. You're probably already aware of this as I have no doubt you will be sent one to review. Looking forward to Sunday's review. Thanks for all your efforts putting these together.
Regardless of how someone may feel about the Wiim Amps sound quality (Good or bad), what I think gets missed sometimes is the value of what they are providing and the impact they are having in the space. What Wiim does well, is getting out to market with items user and reviewers are regularly asking for (HDMI ARC, Sub control, PEQ, Room Correction, Etc.) and they are doing it faster than the more expensive brands and doing it at a fraction of the price. Look at the Cambridge CXN 100 you guys recently reviewed, the Wiim Ultra is doing more for substantially less, without the "surveys shows that our customers are not interested in HDMI" nonsense. For crying out loud, Wiim just gave everyone a free software update giving people Room correction! Is NAD/Bluesound doing that for its customers? How about Marantz? Audiolab? Arcam? Mcintosh? No, they are not.
But we cannot ignore some of the economics behind why and how WiiM is able "to do this" when companies like Marantz, McIntosh and others cannot. It's important to realize that it's not as if other brands don't necessarily want to do what WiiM is doing, but it's also important to keep in mind that some simply cannot and largely because their businesses may have to adhere to different rules, regulations, buying power and/or their business has simply been built on a more hand-built, local reputation as is the case with McIntosh. WiiM makes great software and they're smart to realize that the inevitable future of everything is software, which is why they can roll-out firmware update after firmware update until they exhaust the capabilities of their processor or processing. But from a hardware standpoint, WiiM is very cheap and the sonic performance and capability of their products somewhat reflect this when directly compared to the competition. So when it comes to software, yes, WiiM will likely always "win" but from a hardware and sonic standpoint, it is my opinion, that they have a ways to go.
@@KristiWright I hope that didn't come off as a slight on you guys. Was meant to be a general rant on some people's views of wiim and other budget companies. You guys are fair and transparent with your assessments of that segment of products
@@andrewrobinsonreviews I really appreciate the response and can understand your perspective. I definitely can't begin to speak on the business implications of why companies choose or choose not to implement certain features, but as a consumer of these products, I like seeing underdog companies do things that we've been waiting for major brands to do. I like seeing someone do things to push companies to step up.
Easy the digital pcm signal controls the amp output regulation directly! Like a tube creating the sound in the "vacuum", this digital to analog is created directly at the amp output, Tube tech, 180° back, wow genius.
I'm a non-serious audiophile... Musical Fidelity amps seem to have a bigger, wider soundstage than other amps at a given price. Also big wooly bass on their lower end amps.
Hi Andrew and Kristi. Would it be very unusual to add the Denon DRA-900H to this comparison? Due to its characteristics, I think it is a good streaming 2 channel 100W/8Ohm, amplifier with a great price?? Thanks. All the best, from Portugal.
📌Looking for the M1? Find it here → bit.ly/4cUbiii or bit.ly/3VZYzDL
🔌Watch the full M1 REVIEW here ua-cam.com/video/Eb0XZzmhGK0/v-deo.html
🔌Catch up on all the latest UNPLUGGED episodes on the Unplugged Playlist bit.ly/43NnDkT
😀Thanks for watching! Hitting 👍and Subscribe is a great way to keep up with the channel!
🙏 Please stay on topic and be respectful. 🚫No links, self-promotion, or personal info.
Tag made the most common conflagration. He conflated being a gear-phile with being an audiophile.
Hello Andrew , Hello Kristi Hope this post finds you well. I have a comment and question. I don't like it when people use the term " Audiophile " when they talk about things for their experience(s) When it comes to Music Listeners I was Always someone that broke these groups Down in Several Classes. 1) Music Listener ( Anyone who Listens to music ) 2) Music enthusiast ( Someone who Listens to a wide range of Music and Appreciates it )
3) Music Lover ( Someone that takes their Music Listening to the Next level with Products ) 4) Then what I always Felt the term " AUDIOPHILE " really is and that is someone that can hear tones and Notes in music that no one else is capable of hearing because their Ears are just not Capable. So I really dis-like it when people use the term when and If They aren't Actually one. So I am Wondering Andrew, I don't Know But I would listen to your advice in a heart Beat, But where would you put yourself in the List of Examples???
Lastly, I have a pair of Polk XT 60's I would have loved to get the next step up but I am someone that likes Listening to All music ( Not Country ) at present I am using a Onkyo TS-SR 605 ( Music Via CD + a powered Sub ) AV, I am on a Budget, is there anything else you could recommend that I would get better sound out of these Speakers Because I am in an apt and the walls aren't ideally positioned I have my Polks Slightly Toed In to my listening position which when Seated I am Approx. 9' away
Thank You for any advice you can suggest and I will continue to watch your channel,
Cheers, Robert ( Music Enthusiast )
great amps/integrated:
- NAD C298
- parasound 2125v2
- arcam avr5
- parasound zonemaster 2
so so amps/integrated (not recommended):
- denon x3700h
- emotiva basx-a3
___
source=Apple Music lossless
Tidal Connect on HEOS has arrived!
My advice to the person who posted that comment… “Use your mind as if it was a parachute… It works a whole lot better when it’s open”.
I hadn't heard that quote before, but it's good.
Frank Zappa?
Did you get it from the Good book
@@andrewrobinsonreviews It was told to me by a veterinarian named Allen Schoen. His peers call him “The Veterinarian of Last Resort and is quite famous. He has toured around the world lecturing at veterinary schools and has done a PBS three hour special. Allen uses this line but he does not take credit for it. He told me that another very famous lecturer used it and he asked if he could use that quote in his lectures.
Thanks for taking notice Andrew.
There is no sound like, heaven, we can get to the microphone in sound systems but we cannot see sound here!
I love my Marantz Model 40N. Guess it’s not enough for the TRUE audiophile I suppose, but I just love the form and quality! So convenient and sounds great! No muss, no fuss!! SERIOUSLY!!!
The 40n is a great amplifier regardless of what "real audiophiles" may say (or think).
@@andrewrobinsonreviews thanks!
Tell Ted that I'm using an ONKYO TX-RZ50 as my audiophile "all in one" system. If that disqualifies me as an audiophile then so be it.
Best intro to an audio-topic video I’ve ever seen. The first few minutes are GOLD. No cap.
I had to ask Andrew what "no cap" meant. Then I asked, how does Caleb know this? 😆😅
@@KristiWright I have a 15 year old daughter. I didn’t learn Gen Z slang because she uses it, though, I learned it so I could embarrass her when I use it.
Thanks, A&K! Your videos are a good time😂. Have a great weekend!!
Thanks for watching!
Honey! Wake up and get the popcorn. They're going in hot.
I started watching you because I started working as a Best Buy magnolia sales and I wanted to educated my self further on the products that we sold. Very quickly I found that this “niche” was part of what I found fun to learn so even though I was learning to make myself better sales man this was just running into a hobby for me to enjoy. So now even though I’ve been long out of the sales position I still can wait for each one of your reviews of the products that I see in store and can’t test and play with anymore.
Regarding the lack of a DAC, there are also other brands that have a similar technology such as Steiway's Lyngdorf fully digital amplifiers. The amplifier is fed the digital signal and doing something like a PWM. The amplifier is sort of a dac that can drive the speakers.
Morning! Really good open and honest answer about the digital topology/DAC related question-thanks!
Thanks so much!
Its a soundbar that fits in your speakers, it's insanely good at movies and music . I just think Marantz hit the nail on the head here . Ideal for users who want quality sound without the real estate increase ..
Happy Friday Kristi and Andrew! I'm enjoying my executive lunch in my truck and enjoying your content. #hamsandwich ✌️
Thanks for spending your lunch with us!
I'm a Hi Fi guy, audiophiles think they have to spend Mercedes-Benz level $$$$ to get spectacular sound. I'm here to say and agree you can get a complete set up for 5 grand and less and it will kick your a$$. Just shop smart and in some cases reputable shops usually have pre owned/ used gear for pennies on the dollar.
P.S. wish true quadraphonic amps were being made today.
Also please look into Advance Paris... please just look into their A10 and A12 integrated amps... please.
Love you two. Keep reviewing and doing great work.
Thanks for watching, Tommy.
People should know that the M1 lets you take any remote (or phone with IR blaster) and learn it. So you can buy a generic remote or use an old remote and train theM1 to use it..
Great to know, thanks!
100% agree that disclaimers would be hilarious and a must!
I see alot of comparison between M1 and Stereo 70s. However....
How does the M1 compare (strictly from listening to music via Tidal Connect) with the Cinema 60?
Both have similar power output at about 100w/ch (or approx. 120w/ch at 6 ohms) and the price point is rather close. Leaving the home theater capabilities aside, I am more interested in how does the sound compare in a stereo mode with a set of loudspeakers.
Looking forward for your thoughts.
14:20 Likely engineering solution = Pulse Width Modulated Signal passed through a Low Pass Filter (analog network with inductor).
Been enjoying your channel. Setup my current 2.1 HT system based on some of reviews (and others)--Marantz Cinema 70, Emotiva BasX2, SVS micro3000, and Arenda 1723S. Room is small and have the speakers next the amp/AVR and have to toe-out the speakers, hahaha.
I just wanted to suggest reviewing the Lovesac with Stealthtech. It's a section couch that can have a build in 5.1 HT system. It could have a very high WAF. It's pretty expensive. Sounds like it may be closed system. It's been around a few years, but not many of well know/trust reviewers have spoken about the system. I think it's different enough that it would be interesting to hear the prospective of someone who have reviewed/worked with audio for years.
Hello from Thailand. Just got the M1 4 hrs ago. Hooked up to Klipsch 600M & very old REL Zero. Wired ethernet & HDMI eArc from Samsung TV
Downloaded Heos. It did a fairly long update.
Went straight into very very easy setup. All done in a few mins.
Tested TV with UA-cam - great. Movies on HDD - great. And the big test....ROON Ready? - absolutely! Saw it instantly and played music exactly as my main 2 Ch system. didn't miss a beat
Guys, have tested at least 3 other streaming amps. The M1 is the best $1000 piece of gear.
After 4 hrs, sound is very very nice.
It works!!!!!!!
Didn't know it was here yet! Would love to hear it, will try to find..
Warning ~ fun is coming --- absolutely murdered me 🤣🤣🤣
Great follow up discussion Andrew & Kristi! It's amazing to see how far the audiophile world has come from when I was in the hobby 20 years ago.
About soundstage size and amplifiers, I have some DIY experience on this. In my Purifi based Class D amplifier you can swap op amps in the input stage. With some op amps the stage becomes larger, and with others it narrows. Discrete op amps tend to make the stage larger, whereas chip based op amps sound smaller. Tweaking the input stage has a huge effect on the sound of a Class D amp, so you can make it sound super clean with scalpel like precision, or more lush, grainy and Class A/B like.
Love you guys ! HILARIOUS !!! What is or isn't audiophile is silly... As long as you are happy with its performance especially for the price, that's really all that matters.
Nice! I've been waiting for this video. Thank you. 💪😁🙏
Enjoy!
I appreciate all the amp comparisons in the video. Thanks!
So glad they were helpful. As always, thank you for watching.
Yay my comments made it to your show 😀. I love you guys and please don’t take my comments personally. I have learnt so much over the years from your reviews and borrowed so many of your ideas to improve my audio system. If everyone liked the same things the world would be boring. Please keep doing what you are doing. P.S I have Marantz, Anthems for amplification, B&W speakers and REL S subs so I’m also an audiophile simpleton. Serious audiophiles are the Wilson snubs 😀
I love that idea to be honest, I consider myself an amateur audiophile and prefer quality equipment but I am not able to drop 30k on B&W 800 series just because I like them, I love my ML Foundation F2 towers and I took your advice and paired them with the C100 center. It is nice hearing reviews on products and a similar and competitive price point.
I've never met a SERIOUS audiophile that didn't come across to me as a lonely audiophile. Not sure if I should have spoke that out loud...but I did.
This is a safe space, and my experience has been largely the same as yours.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews My son and wife are my deterrent from taking things too seriously. Whenever I make a change in my system, I'll ask them if they hear a difference. Their reply is almost always no.
Hi @@BryanRuby! Are you playing something they are familiar with? Ask them to pick something they feel they know inside and out so they have a reference point to compare.
@@KristiWright My son will actually note some differences but does laugh at the effort I put behind it. That's OK, I do it for me.
Great video. I am hoping you get to review the Denon sister product soon. Thanks !
We have so many options as audio enthusiasts. Thats what i love about this hobby/addiction. Im still loving my Marantz surround preamp. So functional. So much control. Its as advanced as i need it to be. If technology stopped advancing now, id be ok with the state we would be stuck with.. is that crazy?
It's not crazy. One of the best home theaters I've ever assembled (and experienced) would be 15 years old if I still had it today and make no mistake, if I had that system in this home, I'd be happy and not looking to see if the grass is greener elsewhere. So I get it!
15:29 DSP/EE person here-it is possible to go from pcm digital to pulse width modulation (what class d amps use) without technically converting to analog if you over sample the digital signal properly before PWM conversion. Output of a class d amp that goes to a speaker is a low-pass filtered version of a highly oversampled 1-bit signal which is technically the same as what comes out of a sigma-delta DAC. I have no idea what marantz is actually doing but wanted to mention that the class d process can be considered a DAC while also not technically being one if that makes sense.
Needed less than a minute to like this video! :D
Finally got to the comparison I was looking for, and thank you so much for confirming my suspicions - that I would actually prefer the M1 to the Audiolab 7000A. I have had this love affair/obsession with what you might call the Marantz sound, and from what I can see, you guys may have just helped me beyond belief! Thanks Andrew & Kristi!
I totally agree with Andrew on the amplifier "soundstage" concept.
Can anyone imagine how any electrical engineer would react if someone told him to design a power amplifier that remained faithful to the input signal, but added (or subtracted) "soundstage"?
The parameters of any good power amp are clearly defined for many decades, but soundstage isn't definitely one of those engineering definitions.
Loudspeakers are totally different animals, since their dispersion característics and even tuning _will_ have an impact on the perceived soundstage (more so with the room interaction and listener placement).
It's well documented that speakers with a more accentuated response in the vocal presence region will tend to put voices more in front of them, and speakers with a recessed presence region will tend to sound "wider", since sounding a bit recessed in the presence region will tend to make the instruments sound wider (vocals are almost ways recorded in mono, unlike instruments, which are almost always placed all around the stereo field, but _not_ in the center (that's where sonic space is needed for vocals to sit right).
This audio mixing principle has been used since the beginnings of stereo recordings (after the initial mess of placing the drums on one channel and vocals in the other one). 😂
And even with pre-amps, if two different preamps sound very different from each other on soundstage, you can be sure that at least one of them is doing something really wrong with the audio signal (DSP and other deliberate methods excluded, of course). 😉
In other words, a properly designed amplifier should be as neutral as possible, taking the input signal and multiplying it in power several times, without adding or subtracting nothing.
This is not to say that it's wrong to love a tube amp (as an example) that adds its own sound (distortion, to be more precise) to the signal.
That's what tape has done for decades (as well as vinyl), and also so many analogue EQ's and compressors that were (and still are) iconic.
If someone loves that effect on a particular amplifier or pre-amp, just buy it and enjoy it without ever looking back. 🙂😉
There's nothing wrong with it if it serves the greatest purpose of enhancing anyone's musical enjoyment.
There are several ways of adding coloration to the sound (more than ever), and rest assure that it is used on the majority of recordings today as it was 30 years ago. 🙂
I _personally_ prefer to have a clean amp and pre-amp, and add that coloration earlier in the signal chain (if that's what I'm looking for).
But that's only a preference, not any sort of rule.
In the end, it's all a combination of gear and room interaction, mixed with personal taste.
Sometimes, it just sounds "right" to us, even if the performance of each individual component is nothing to "brag" about. 🙂
And that's great, because we can only imagine how boring this hobby would be if we all loved the same thing, and all gear sounded exactly the same. 😉
Cheers
The streaming conversation is funny. I’m probably in that 5% you mentioned and still don’t care about all the service providers . All my streaming is through Apple TV. Could I get higher quality through Tidal? Don’t care Apple TV is good enough for casual listening and so convenient from a UI. My serious listening is always vinyl. Btw I’m 3 weeks into owning my SVS Titans, thank you Andrew I was going to buy something else but your review made me seek them out for a listen and it was a no brainer. Couldn’t be happier.
I'm so pleased you're enjoying the Titans. I love ours to death! Thanks for watching!
I think some of the “Marantz M1 vs ..” comparisons are interesting BUT from a price value are also subject to Country supply price variations, eg I bought a Naim Uniti Atom new for £1350 with 5 year warranty for a second system and am amazed at the quality/ enjoyment I am getting ,its also great that we live in an exciting era of so much choice, with very few genuinely bad products.
@@martinaston1715 nice
Awesome vid as always guys!
I’ll try my best to make sense of the whole DAC / Digital Amplification question.
First regarding the digitization upon entry - it’s important to distinguish DACs (digital to analog converters) from ADCs (analog to digital converters). These functions are not usually performed by the same component, these are separate components. So while the M1 has no DAC, it does have an ADC component.
Regarding the DAC-less amplified output - in overview, class D amps can work in 2 ways. The first takes an analog line-level signal and examine its structure to create a corresponding digital signal that is used to operate the switching system which generates the power stream to the speakers. The second operates the switching system directly from the digital audio data, therefore has no need for an analog input to the power output stage. The M1 is of the latter.
Hope this helps!
I double at Kristi's suggestion.
Beginner, Advanced, AF (Audiophile with an F) 😂
I was choosing between Bluesound Powernode (at this moment 880 € on sale)and M1 for 999 € and I chosed Powernode and I didn't regret ...great product with my old B&W 602 speakers , top BluOS app with Tidal in max Hi-Res sound....top of the art amplifier....Andrew and Kristie you're great,I'm enjoying watching your channel...greetings from Croatia 🇭🇷
As ive mentioned with similar product reviews, this seems to be the future standard for what was once known as the "Stereo Receiver" . Totally get the logic, but sadly I hate it. Not what I was raised on basically so it aint for me. FM Radio still matters to me.
Thank you for making this video. I would like to see more of these videos (straight talk, almost open conversation). Keep up the good job!
We do them every Friday. You can catch older episodes here: ua-cam.com/play/PL0M9xqvUDwdxMlk6xa68W7kf0YA0Xn43u.html&si=QuDc6s4p9n_aOTjt
First few minutes of banter had me laughing. The rest I enjoyed as always. Appreciated the Audiolab comparisons.
I’m a month late watching this. My opinion on HEOS, it works but it could use a better user friendly interface.
The M1 looks great but for my study, I chose the Marantz Stereo 70s. Was able to buy a recertified unit directly from Marantz for $599! It works great and cosmetically it is like new! Love it.
I only have one turntable. Took me a while but figured how to use HEOS to listen to my vinyl on both Marantz receivers simultaneously (8015 and 70s)!
Thanks for the very enjoyable video, and the disclaimer too! 😊
I am not sure but I think the Marantz amp in the M1 works similarly to Technics who also says their integrated amp don't have a DAC: (Technics digital amplifiers convert analog input signals into digital formats using pulse-width modulation (PWM) or pulse-density modulatio0n (PDM). The digital signal then drives output transistors that rapidly switch on and off, sending pulses of power to the speakers. I could be wrong.
No, you are correct.
Got an M1. Drives the Kef LS50 metas and Kc62 so well. The app is awkward but helps tweak it all. Do you know where those "sound modes" are so I can try the "virtual mode"? I even asked Marantz and they can't even point me to the right place. Help.
I have gear at all prices from $15k amplifers to $2k receivers, and I would purchase this for an office or dinning room etc.
Good morning. Just found your channel recently. I appreciate and respect the time you spend to research products. I’m old school and stereo is still a hobby for me. My wife is the one who binge watch her tv shows and I’m the one who simply listen to classical music on fm radio. Lol
The M1 is a great option for someone starting their audiophile journey. It gives you great sound, with streaming options and the ability to connect at least two sources (one digital and one analog). Plus, HDMI, and sub. What is the downside? I can’t think of one. There is a Denon version that is cheaper, that will solve the budget issue for some.
Everyone wants to be an expert in atleast something. If you like it, buy it, forget what other people think
Very interesting video. How does the M1 compare to the Yamaha RN1000a?
I want to thank you both for being open minded and teaching the rest of us (by “us” I mean the people without tens of thousands of dollars to spend on audio equipment) that the joy of listening to music is attainable at any price point if you know where to look. Your reviews give me the confidence that I’m getting great sound at a price I can afford. They also give me hope that one day, I’ll be able to afford more expensive equipment, with the knowledge of what’s worth my hard earned money and what isn’t. You guys are the best. Keep doing what you do. “No serious audiophile…” Shut the hell up!
I use an expensive active monitor system with DSP that lacks HDMI, but connected to the tv via Bluetooth out, sounds awesome and volume can be changed via TV! TV indeed does all the work. For real listening I use the spidf in.
Love watching your videos guys while i work :). looks like you live an awesome life and share the same passion :)
That whole plug the amp into the tv via hdmi and only have to run speaker wires sounds like an awesome entry level option!! Spend so much $$ on these nice TVs that do all of the decoding from built in streaming apps, for someone that rents or moves around, if the house already is wired for surround or even gas built in speakers, that could really be awesome!! 🎉
I don’t understand the negative commentary on the HEOS app - no it’s not Spotify or iTunes- but it does what it set out to do and makes no apologies. There’s an incredible array of playlists and stations, and streaming comes through without interruptions.
I run my HT with an AV7706, MM8077, and MM7055. I always preferred Class A/B in my HT and still do. But when I wanted to do towers in the living room, I got the WiiM Amp. It was good and well worth the money, but after hearing about the M1 and seeing reviews (including yours), I decided to order the M1. The WiiM amp was boxed up that very night. I plugged in the M1 and went back. It is hands down the best Class D I have ever heard, and very glad I took the chance. I already knew Marantz was good, but it was three times the money of the WiiM Amp, and it was absolutely worth it. Please disregard my comment on your M1 review, lol. Heos has gotten better in the last few years and Marantz cracked the Class D mold.
I found my simple AVR: Canton Smart 5.1. Easy to handle and it has lots of functions (HDMI Arc/ Atmos etc.). It is build for Canton Smart Speakers but it can also handle traditional speakers with 100 Watts/Channel. I use it mainly for Multi-Channel-Music but everything else is also possible.
Good for you guys to graciously tell the snobs to shove it up you know what.
I’m sure your team gets plenty of that nonsense on the daily.
Great video
Think im going to give this amp a listen.
Im very curious to hear how it compares to my PS Audio DAC Amp combination.
Looking forward hearing from you 👏
This is a great episode from start to finish and not just because you answered my question. I even made my wife watch the beginning of the episode. The unplugged episodes are ny favorites. Nothing against you Andrew, but when you both do the videos, they are so much better imho.
Thank you two for the video !!🥰
Great episode! I hope you all have a great weekend!
You too!
Hey guys, it's been a while. Great upload as always.
Andrew, so it was a "pause for a cause?" ❤😂
Thank god I'm not an ✨audiophile✨! I use my AV reveiver to listen to music. Pioneer VSX-LX305.
Nothing wrong with that!
Thanks for the video. Always entertaining. I love Marantz and have an older Denon AVR. The challenge for me is I have settled on Qobuz as my chosen streaming service and Heos isn’t compatible, which eliminates both brands. I have Rotel separates and I’m in the process of auditioning the Eversolo DMP 6 vs. the 8. I will be getting an amp down the road for a portable system so will be getting a 2 channel amp to go with a pair of bookshelves and Eversolo, unless a more powerful combo unit becomes available. It’s amazing what’s coming from companies like Wiim and others that are helping to drive innovation and affordability that is true hi-fi equipment. Rock on.
i love my eversolo dmpa6 (with upgraded LPS) with external dac Denafrips pontus II 12th-1 and DDC denafrips iris 12th.
i would get the A8
A great comparison would be marantz m1 vs wiim ultra + hypex amp. They are are at the same price point.
Yes, I need the disclaimer!!😜
😞you guys do a fantastic job of answering our comparisons question! Thanks for that, I was a bit disappointed to not see the Yamaha RN1000a or even 2000a compared to the Marantz. I’m planning on getting a RN2000a in a couple months and the comparisons are good pump up material! 🔈 take care! 🇨🇦
Totally agree
TVs make great pre pros
I use a TCL ( insert negative comment here ) hooked to an Emotiva power Amp , in my Arcade room works great
What's wrong with TCL? Personally all my TV's are Panasonic (because I have a dealer account with them mostly, but also, because they are great TV's) - but always considered TCL's to be great value for money & always been impressed with their picture when looking at them in the showroom. Don't listen to brand snobs!
My Marantz 40th Anniversary Kai Ruby integrated amp is … sublime
It's pretty nuts that although the Atom has been around for seven years, it's still punching not only on sound quality and design, but also features. The price going up is a bit crazy - I bought one in about 2019 for £2000. I regret selling it for sure.
I LOVE gatekeepers in audio forums, or, well, forums in general. And by love I mean would love to see them in the dungeons of The Dreadfort, and have the Bolton's "play" with them.
17:28 I really appreciate your detailed comment about gaming there. I play games a lot more than movies so it's nice to see reference about a game like what particular moment that's memorable in terms of sound, what did you do to test the sound, etc. I think video games might be the best way to test the directional capabilities of speakers or a system since it tends to use the surround effect more aggressive than movies
Just got my hands on a unit... let the fun begin.
A class D Amp is basically a digital device, with a passive low pass filter at the end. So technically, the Class D output can be the only DAC to convert digital to speaker output.
I think that for DirectDigital Marantz intends to say that they use a DDS chip that can generate waveforms as digital signals that then a DAC transforms in electric impulse rather than a common DAC chip that does both synthesis of the signal and the electric impulse.
In theory the benefit is all in power consumption and dynamics.
Andrew - not sure if you will see this but I have a question. I recently upgraded from my Marantz NR1508 to a SR5008. Noticeable improvement in bass presence, punch and precision while also having a noticeably increased clarity and nuance through the mids and treble. Is there any point in upgrading in a year or two to one of the Marantz Cinema AVR’s? Before finding the SR5008 I planned to get a Cinema 50 in a couple of years, but unsure if that will be necessary now. Thoughts?
M1 looked appealing for a bedroom system but alas, no headphone capability. Ultimately, decided to go with the Cinema 70s (7.2) for a 3.1 setup to handle both music and audio for television. I opted for the Cinema for a couple of reasons - update to an NR 16xx in storage and your* recommendation.
The "what is it for" commentary is funny to me because my cute little NAD D 3020 V2 demonstrates how you can't pigeonhole what the designers were thinking (agreeing with what Andrew was saying regarding can't a product just be good).
It's a vertical design, so it's obviously meant for a desktop or bookshelf, right?
But it can't be for a desktop since it dropped the USB port for a phono preamp.
Alright, so it's for a bookshelf paired with a turntable.
But it only supports power-on input auto sensing on digital sources, and does far better with digital inputs.
Alright, so it's for a TV. It even has a TV remote programming mode!
But its icons and lettering only work vertically and are too small to read from a seated position.
Great product, and good at a lot of things, and might well be no-compromises for some people's version of these situations. But it's clearly not tailored entirely to any one scenario, it is a general purpose device with some design considerations to each segment.
I went to the local Focal dealer and I demo'd the Sopora (no 3) on the new Marantz 40. Sounded fantastic. They had the fancy nordist elevated cables and an over the top turntable on the setup.
Not surprised. The 40n is great!
Good to know because i run my Sopra 2 off a Marantz 5010 avr and love the sound.
Audiophile snobbery is always hilarious!
26:31 love y’all’s banter
The best
:)
I believe we're just seeing a lot more choices for audio, and a lot of that seems to have been spurred on by the success of the stuff WiiM and Fosi have been bringing out. I think the M1 is something that's taking that to the next level, and that's a win/win in the grand scheme of things.
Count me among those who would like an eARC only amp - but then again, I'd also buy a "TV" with no built-in tuner or speakers. 🤷♂️
TVs should have eARC to just turn then what ever is coming to them right back via hdmi.
Hello there! Very interesting video, didn't think the M1 punched that hard. I have a Cambridge evo 150 with my Q Acoustics Concept 30, and I was considering selling the Evo for the Naim Uniti Atom, but you're saying the M1 sound as good or even better!? Please elaborate!
Thanks again and greetings from Sweden!
Good show. Loved it, as i prefer you to talk less nervously/rapidly as you do in your reviews. Also like the interaction with Kristi. 👍👍
I actually think the lack of a headphone jack is the biggest drawback by far. So strange that no one seem to mention that.
@fredriklangrath8467 agree! I think many buyers are interested in these small amp streamers because they need something small for their desk. I am. So the lack of a headphone jack is a huge miss.
Any product that you use often is a good product. I have gear that have better audio quality but if it's not easy to incorporate into you daily life it probably has less value.
that’s why I love Apple products
Thanks! I love Marantz and one day I may part with my 8015, but not anytime soon.
How would you compare the Marantz M1 with the BMW M1?
so if I connect a turntable through a preamp to the M1, it'll digitize the sound to the speakers? If doesn't have a DAC in it? If not, which amp would you say soundwise and reliability is better, the Audiolab 7000A or the Leak 230?
Happy Friday Andrew and Kristi. Really enjoyed this extended Unplugged discussion and all the comparisons. Just to add further intrigue to this discussion, Marantz's sister brand Denon has announced it's own model simply named Home Amp that seems remarkably similar in specs and appearance (slightly different case and has 3 presets buttons on the front that are not present on the M1) but priced $200 cheaper launching next month. Apparently the Home Amp will have its own sound tuned by Denon's Sound Master Shinichi Yamauchi. You're probably already aware of this as I have no doubt you will be sent one to review. Looking forward to Sunday's review. Thanks for all your efforts putting these together.
Regardless of how someone may feel about the Wiim Amps sound quality (Good or bad), what I think gets missed sometimes is the value of what they are providing and the impact they are having in the space. What Wiim does well, is getting out to market with items user and reviewers are regularly asking for (HDMI ARC, Sub control, PEQ, Room Correction, Etc.) and they are doing it faster than the more expensive brands and doing it at a fraction of the price. Look at the Cambridge CXN 100 you guys recently reviewed, the Wiim Ultra is doing more for substantially less, without the "surveys shows that our customers are not interested in HDMI" nonsense. For crying out loud, Wiim just gave everyone a free software update giving people Room correction! Is NAD/Bluesound doing that for its customers? How about Marantz? Audiolab? Arcam? Mcintosh? No, they are not.
Not missed here: ua-cam.com/video/Eb0XZzmhGK0/v-deo.htmlfeature=shared&t=886
But we cannot ignore some of the economics behind why and how WiiM is able "to do this" when companies like Marantz, McIntosh and others cannot. It's important to realize that it's not as if other brands don't necessarily want to do what WiiM is doing, but it's also important to keep in mind that some simply cannot and largely because their businesses may have to adhere to different rules, regulations, buying power and/or their business has simply been built on a more hand-built, local reputation as is the case with McIntosh. WiiM makes great software and they're smart to realize that the inevitable future of everything is software, which is why they can roll-out firmware update after firmware update until they exhaust the capabilities of their processor or processing. But from a hardware standpoint, WiiM is very cheap and the sonic performance and capability of their products somewhat reflect this when directly compared to the competition. So when it comes to software, yes, WiiM will likely always "win" but from a hardware and sonic standpoint, it is my opinion, that they have a ways to go.
@@KristiWright I hope that didn't come off as a slight on you guys. Was meant to be a general rant on some people's views of wiim and other budget companies. You guys are fair and transparent with your assessments of that segment of products
@@andrewrobinsonreviews I really appreciate the response and can understand your perspective. I definitely can't begin to speak on the business implications of why companies choose or choose not to implement certain features, but as a consumer of these products, I like seeing underdog companies do things that we've been waiting for major brands to do. I like seeing someone do things to push companies to step up.
@@mocomike01 I have no issue with your comment. I simply wanted to make sure you had seen the full review where the WiiM was initially mentioned.
Happy friday!
Hi Max.
Morning!
@@KristiWright Hey!!
Ever tried Lyngdorf amps? Class D. And... very good.
NAD M10 V3 - NAD C700 V2 - Marantz Model M1 - WiiM Amp Pro. I think the M1 has the best price for it's power.
Thank you so much for the comparison with the A25 🙏
How are you there already?
Thank you for watching!
@@KristiWrightI skipped directly to this chapter 😅Now going back to the beginning 😊
@@JeffHeon now that's a fan!
great amps/integrated:
- NAD C298
- parasound 2125v2
- arcam avr5
- parasound zonemaster 2
so so amps/integrated (not recommended):
- denon x3700h
- emotiva basx-a3
___
source=Apple Music lossless
Interesting ro see Parasound there. I've been seeing a lot of negative reviews towards them
Easy the digital pcm signal controls the amp output regulation directly! Like a tube creating the sound in the "vacuum", this digital to analog is created directly at the amp output,
Tube tech, 180° back, wow genius.
I'm a non-serious audiophile...
Musical Fidelity amps seem to have a bigger, wider soundstage than other amps at a given price. Also big wooly bass on their lower end amps.
Hi Andrew and Kristi. Would it be very unusual to add the Denon DRA-900H to this comparison? Due to its characteristics, I think it is a good streaming 2 channel 100W/8Ohm, amplifier with a great price?? Thanks. All the best, from Portugal.
Onkyo has a new stereo receiver, the tx-8470. It uses class G amplification. And it's quite affordable. Hope you get a review unit from Onkyo.