Review: Marantz Amplifier and SACD Player – Marantz is about to reinvent itself. We’ve been hearing that for a while now, but with these two brand new Model 30 stereo units , we immediately get an idea of where the iconic brand is headed with Marantz Amplifier and SACD Player And that is towards the future, but also towards the past.
About two years ago Marantz presented the KI Ruby series, a special edition set consisting of an amplifier and a SACD player that was tuned by the late Ken Ishiwata. Now it is time for something special again, although this time it is not a limited edition with a limited edition. The new Model 30 amplifier and SACD player stand out for a completely different reason: they are completely unlike the other Marantz devices. That is especially the case, given that it is a brand that has had a neat color between two lines in terms of design language, so that even the cheapest device remains recognizable as a Marantz. Undoubtedly an advantage in terms of brand identity, but it also makes it difficult for new models to distinguish themselves.
Why do the Marantz Model 30 (an integrated amplifier costing around 3,000 euros) and the SACD 30n look so different? Perhaps because Marantz has remained faithful to the current design for so long, perhaps too long, and parent company Sound United thinks it is time to do something new. This is also in line with the aim to position Marantz even more as a premium brand, an intention that was already expressed in 2017.
The fascinating thing is that Marantz wants to move forward at the same time (which is evident from, among other things, the embrace of Class D technology from Hypex) and yet does not want to let go of its glorious past. That’s why these new Model 30s look completely different – yet also reminiscent of historic hi-fi devices on which Marantz built its image. Retrofuturistic? Perhaps that is indeed the right word.
Marantz Amplifier and SACD Player: New design
Marantz historians will have heard that Model 30 name before. It’s been a long time now, but ‘Model 30’ once graced a Marantz amplifier. It is one of the legendary devices of the brand, which enjoys a special status, especially in the Benelux. This old Model 30, like the equally famous Audio Consolette and Model 2250, served as a source of inspiration for the new Model 30 generation. The new design therefore really goes back to the past, without dropping elements that have been part of the Marantz DNA for a very long time. Fear not, there is another porthole display in the center of the amp.
But some familiar Marantz design elements are gone. The front that is slightly convex at the ends, for example. On the new Model 30 and SACD30n, the front consists of two levels, something that, for example, NAD does with its Master series (but different). If you look at the pictures, it becomes clear how it is. There is a central area with all the buttons and displays that protrudes from the larger front. That difference in depth is greatly accentuated by the lighting on either side of the primary front panel. The white light also emphasizes the checkered pattern on the panel behind, which creates a 3D effect from certain angles. It is a bit of optical illusion, because you don’t feel that much relief when you run your finger over it. Maybe it’s a coincidence but it is somewhat reminiscent of the finish Mytek applies to his Brooklyn devices. Although at Mytek it is even more pronounced in terms of tangible differences in level.
The retro feeling is without a doubt the strongest with the Model 30 amplifier. The many rotary knobs below the round display really take care of that. With the SACD30n, that effect is smaller, simply because this device does have a large rectangular screen and a more modern button layout. The SACD30n is therefore quite a multifunctional device, which makes the operation a bit more extensive.
As always, the Model 30 units are available in black or champagne silver. The latter version, we just find ourselves a little more clever and authentic, but also it is a matter of personal taste. And whether the new design has been successful? Judging from the reactions we received from the environment and colleagues, it is still controversial, in the sense that some think it is beautiful and others don’t.
We are also very happy that Marantz has not forgotten the remote. Too often we get a visit from high-end devices that are themselves beautifully built but are accompanied by a cheap remote control. Given that you are going to touch a remote much more often than the actual audio device, we always find that a miss. With the Model 30 and SACD30n, however, you get a classic remote that is very comfortable in your hand thanks to a metal top and solid buttons.
New technology with a familiar sound
A year or two ago, Sound United announced that they wanted to move Marantz higher in the market. An element in this was ensuring that the brand would really retain its characteristic sound. Ken Ishiwata in particular was always able to explain precisely what that meant, although it did mean that the term ‘musicality’ was used, which some consider to be meaningless. We have always understood that it meant, among other things, that accuracy may not be the ultimate goal, but a reproduction that makes music more beautiful. A little coloring is allowed, as long as it increases the listening pleasure. To achieve this, Marantz uses Class D technology in the Model 30, more specifically nCore modules from Hypex. That is not new, because that already happened with the PM10 flagship, but it does mean that Marantz is using something quite modern to get a sound that was defined decades ago. A large contribution to the weight of the amplifier is made by a large toroidal transformer that supplies the (internally discrete) preamplifier with power. In the two-stage design, a second switching power supply is provided for the output stage. Anyone who is a bit of a Marantz connoisseur will not be surprised to hear that under the hood there are again HDAMs, Marantz ‘discrete circuit board alternative for compact op-amp chips that, according to the manufacturer, make an important contribution to the typical Marantz sound. A large contribution to the weight of the amplifier is made by a large toroidal transformer that supplies the (internally discrete) preamplifier with power. In the two-stage design, a second switching power supply is provided for the output stage. Anyone who is a bit of a Marantz connoisseur will not be surprised to hear that under the hood there are again HDAMs, Marantz ‘discrete circuit board alternative for compact op-amp chips that, according to the manufacturer, make an important contribution to the typical Marantz sound. A large contribution to the weight of the amplifier is made by a large toroidal transformer that supplies the (internally discrete) preamplifier with power. In the two-stage design, a second switching power supply is provided for the output stage. Anyone who is a bit of a Marantz connoisseur will not be surprised to hear that under the hood there are again HDAMs, Marantz ‘discrete circuit board alternative for compact op-amp chips that, according to the manufacturer, make an important contribution to the typical Marantz sound.
Given the rich history of sister brand Denon in the field of cartridges – and of course the vinyl hype tout court – we are not surprised to find a phono input with corresponding MM / MC selector at the front of the Model 30. Three settings are provided for magnetic coil cartridges (33, 100 and 390 ohms), for maximum compatibility with the various MC cartridges available on the market.
A very own DA converter
The second device in the Model 30 line-up is the SACD 30n. You may think now when you see that name, “Oh, another disc player.” And that’s right, because this is indeed a full CD player with SACD and DVD audio reading capability. But the name of this device does it too little justice, although we got the feedback from Marantz when we joked that the ‘n’ at the end stands for ‘network’. Hereby. Indeed, the SACD 30n is also a network player, compatible with the HEOS platform, DLNA / UPnP and AirPlay 2. In addition, it has digital inputs, including a USB class B input. This makes it easy to connect a network transport of your choice or a laptop. We did that with a Volumio Primo, an affordable streamer, because we can easily send hi-res files to the Marantz via Roon. A laptop (or low cost: a Raspberry Pi or Intel NUC) that you connect with a USB cable is of course also a good option – also for other audiophile software, such as Audirvana. The SACD 30n itself is only Roon Tested, which means that you stream via AirPlay – so a maximum of 48 kHz / 16-bit. In any case, those digital inputs mean that you can also use the SACD 30n as a DAC. Another role. those digital inputs mean that you can also use the SACD 30n as a DAC. Another role. those digital inputs mean that you can also use the SACD 30n as a DAC. Another role.
The DA conversion in this unit is very intriguing. It builds on the MMM technology introduced with the SA-10, which was also present in the SA-KI Ruby. Those three Ms stand for Marantz Music Mastering, and refer to the unique approach that the manufacturer applies here. Well, quirky … as far as we know it is based on very old Philips technology, but then further refined. In essence, it works by first converting all PCM audio to a DSD stream of 11.2 MHz, to apply a much simpler DA conversion and avoid digital artifacts. Such a DSD conversion in advance is not unique to Marantz, you can find it on some DACs from other brands. We spontaneously think of the iFi Audio Pro iDSD or the TEAC UD-503, but there are probably more. With the SACD 30n, two separate clocks ensure that the conversion of Hi-Res formats is exact, depending on whether they have a sampling frequency of 44.1 or 48 kHz (or multiples of). MMM also uses fewer filters that can have an impact on the reproduction, for example by adding ringing (the reverberation of an audio signal). Still, you will find two filters (1 and 2) in the settings that you can enable. It is worth switching between the two, because filter 2 brings an experience that comes across as a bit more analytical, which brought the voice of Sevdaliza on the recently released ‘Shabrang’ more to the fore. Filter 1 (“with a little more ringing”, according to the manufacturer) is a bit closer to the original Marantz sound. depending on whether they have a sampling frequency of 44.1 or 48 kHz (or multiples of). MMM also uses fewer filters that can have an impact on the reproduction, for example by adding ringing (the reverberation of an audio signal). Still, you will find two filters (1 and 2) in the settings that you can enable. It is worth switching between the two, because filter 2 brings an experience that comes across as slightly more analytical, which brought the voice of Sevdaliza on the recently released ‘Shabrang’ more to the fore. Filter 1 (“with a little more ringing”, according to the manufacturer) is a bit closer to the original Marantz sound. depending on whether they have a sampling frequency of 44.1 or 48 kHz (or multiples of). MMM also uses fewer filters that can have an impact on the reproduction, for example by adding ringing (the reverberation of an audio signal). Nevertheless, you will find two filters (1 and 2) in the settings that you can enable. It is worth switching between the two, because filter 2 brings an experience that comes across as slightly more analytical, which brought the voice of Sevdaliza on the recently released ‘Shabrang’ more to the fore. Filter 1 (“with a little more ringing”, according to the manufacturer) is a bit closer to the original Marantz sound. for example by adding ringing (the after-vibration of an audio signal). Nevertheless, you will find two filters (1 and 2) in the settings that you can enable. It is worth switching between the two, because filter 2 brings an experience that comes across as slightly more analytical, which brought the voice of Sevdaliza on the recently released ‘Shabrang’ more to the fore. Filter 1 (“with a little more ringing”, according to the manufacturer) is a bit closer to the original Marantz sound. for example by adding ringing (the after-vibration of an audio signal). Nevertheless, you will find two filters (1 and 2) in the settings that you can enable. It is worth switching between the two, because filter 2 brings an experience that comes across as slightly more analytical, which brought the voice of Sevdaliza on the recently released ‘Shabrang’ more to the fore. Filter 1 (“with a little more ringing”, according to the manufacturer) is a bit closer to the original Marantz sound.
Marantz Amplifier and SACD Player: Streaming audio
Do you want to stream? Then you have quite a few choices with the SACD30n. That is not uncommon now, most streaming devices nowadays offer you many options. Not bad in itself, because everyone will find a way to listen to their music. The AirPlay 2 option, for example, is very obvious if you work a lot with an iPad. You are limited to CD quality, but it is very useful to play Apple Music playlists, for example. Spotify users can provide the Marantz with music directly from the music service’s app.
Sending Hi-Res files to the Marantz player can be done in several ways. Via DLNA / UPnP is not a bad choice, provided you install a good DLNA player app on your mobile device. We like to use BubbleUPnP (Android) or mConnectHD (iOS). For some reason, the latter found the SACD30n only as a source, not as a playback device. We think it’s the app, because with BubbleUPnP and the Glider app (iOS) we could send a stream to the Marantz without any problems. We are used to these twists from the old DLNA technology.
The option that Marantz Amplifier and SACD Player likes to put forward is the HEOS platform. This streaming platform is well known from other Marantz products and many Denon devices. We find the built-in support for music services a bit weak (Tidal, Deezer, Soundcloud and Amazon Music), but in its sobriety it is easy to use and effective
It also has some useful pluses. For example, you can use the HEOS app to control the entire set, including turning the Model 30 amplifier on / off and selecting inputs on the SACD30n and Model 30. HEOS is also a multiroom platform, which means that you can also play a CD that plays in the SACD30n on a HEOS speaker in the kitchen or a music system in the dining room.
Search for the right match
During his stay in our test room, we combined the Model 30 amplifier with a number of speakers. Because they were still lined up after the recent Hegel H95 test first with the KEF R3’s, but we found that marriage just a bit too cold. The DALI Rubicon 2’s then, which certainly didn’t sound bad, but just a bit too warm for our taste. It again proves that the match of amplifier and speakers is something crucial to get right, because we find both the DALI and the KEF very good in other setups.
We found a more ideal partner for the Model 30 when we removed the Bowers & Wilkins 705 Signature speakers that were ready to return to the manufacturer from the box. The overhead tweeter and the free-floating high that the British love so much turns out to be exactly what we were looking for.
Like many music lovers today, we have an immense CD collection that mainly serves as a dust magnet. Maybe it is different with you, but here vinyl and streaming are much more common. Hardly any CDs. That is a shame, because the CD (and derivatives such as SACD and DVD audio) remains a nice medium. Of course, Marantz did go to the trouble of developing a new drive mechanism for the SA-10 flagship, a derivative of which can be found in this SACD 30n. To ignore all that work would be a bit crazy, so we dive into the closet and pull up the Deutsche Grammophon-SACD from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. It is an album by the Berliner Philharmoniker that delivers exactly what you expect from former conductor Von Karajan: a beautiful performance by Beethoven, slightly faster and heavier than the norm.
The Model 30 set impresses us the most when we put Italian violinist Alessandro Quarta’s Astor Piazolla CD in the SACD 30n. We know this album well because it is a Pure Audio release with a Blu-ray that allows to retrieve hi-res files, which we did before. Some of the tracks are part of our regular test playlist in Roon, such as the fierce ‘Fracanapa’, which makes it interesting to hear them from a CD here and to compare them with the streaming version. What we hear is that the DA converter in the SACD 30n really makes the most of the beautiful recording on the disc, delivering an immersive, lifelike performance that is not inferior to the streamed Hi-Res files. We get that positive feeling about CDs again, just like when we reviewed the SA-KI Ruby and it performed similarly. It may only be temporary because the ease of use of streaming is so great, that’s right. In any case, it proves that CD quality can really be top quality, with the right transport and DAC combinatio
The choice for nCore does not detract from the Marantz (Marantz Amplifier and SACD Player) heritage, although there are some changes to note. The somewhat slower character that you could sometimes experience with older models has almost disappeared here, for example. It is still far from the tightness and clarity of, say, a Hegel, but it is sharp and fast enough to convey the fastest songs. You can listen to techno on this Marantz, why not? A song like ‘FANTASY’ by Battles doesn’t get smeared and remains tight and well defined, even on those not so easy to control Bowers & Wilkins speakers. What the Model 30 set really likes to do is present your vocals as if you were there. The speakers also play a major role in this, but it is also something very Marantz to emphasize a little more.
So we come back to those CD recordings that are fully utilized by the SACD30n. ‘To Build a Home’ on ‘Ma Fleur’ by The Cinematic Orchestra is a beautiful song, which is played very convincingly by the SACD30n player. The high vocals and piano playing with rougher edges, both from the Canadian Patrick Watson, an artist who reminds us quite a bit of Jeff Buckley, the Marantz pair knows how to capture it. The word ‘catchy’ is not an accidental choice, because playing on the emotion associated with music is actually what Marantz has always been about.
Conclusion
Everyone will have an opinion about the Model 30 devices. Positive or negative, we suspect that opinions will be divided. But that in itself is already a good thing, because everyone was so used to the looks of Marantz that it was barely discussed. We think the new design is successful, although the front panel should have a slightly more luxurious finish. But you don’t notice that from a distance. Under the hood, the innovation is less revolutionary, because the switch to class D and MMM had already been started a little earlier with the PM / SA-10 and KI Ruby. But that doesn’t detract from what the Model 30 has to offer.
It seems to us that most people will opt for a Model 30 set, because then you get all the functionality in your hands and the picture is completely correct. But that is not necessary in itself. The devices each have sufficient merits to go through life independently. The phono stage in the Model 30 amp is very good and you can of course connect other sources – as long as they have an analog output. The SACD30n also deserves attention. As with the K Ruby, the disc player is our star in this group. That’s because the DA conversion in the SACD 30n produces very pleasant results, thanks to the internal DSD conversion and MMM approach, which makes CDs sound very good. It is definitely a good choice if you want to breathe new life into your CD collection.
Marantz Amplifier and SACD Player: PLUS POINTS
- Expressive and natural sound, but still with a hint of Marantz warmth
- Insightful, smooth DA conversion
- Retro-futuristic design with premium look
- Versatility SACD30n
Marantz Amplifier and SACD Player: MINUSES
- Streaming requires SACD 30n (or other solution)
- Roon Tested, not Roon Ready
- Love it or hate it design
Add Comment