Video Asylum

Posted by Mart on May 10, 1999 at 21:54:59:

In Reply to: Marantz SR-18 posted by dug on May 10, 1999 at 19:09:51:

the design philosophy is touted to follow in the PM-17 footsteps, which is one SWEET amp. I tried it out with a bunch of different speakers at my favorite dealer (during a VERY slow day). It has filled in speaker XO nulls like a tube. The image lunges off the speakers while remaining detailed. It even rendered Magnepans with much more dynamics than I've even heard. Also, the tweeter which usually requires the supplied resistor to level the SPL output was self attenuated. It seems to operate like a lightning quick stiff current-source. The units mentioned (if Marantz is successful) won't hold a candle especially if you LOVE music.

PS: unlike tubes though this amp won't tame metal domes. The B&W 602s tweeter did render a metalic color to female vocalists in a frequency range (across the XO) that most amps seem to suppress. But similarly the 603s never sounded so integrously flat.