📌Considering the M1? Find it here: bit.ly/4cUbiii or bit.ly/3VZYzDL 🔌DON’T FORGET! Leave your questions in the comments to be featured on the next Unplugged! Catch up on all the latest UNPLUGGED episodes here bit.ly/43NnDkT 😀Thank you for watching! If you enjoyed this video, please hit the 👍Like button! 🙏 Please stay on topic and be respectful. 🚫No links, self-promotion, or personal info.
I have had mine a week now and I am very impressed. Easy to use and sounds amazing. Put mine on 80 % of max volume cuz I am no where near that output when reaching 90db. Drives my MA Silver 200 wounderfully.
WiiM just released an update in which you can do room correction with an iPhone. I hope this becomes a standard for these new “lifestyle HiFi” products. One can say all you want about WiiM, but the impact its value proposition made in the HiFi world and competing brands is undeniable.
Bought the M1 after seeing your review. Absolutely love it! Everything you said is 100% on point. I connected my phone stage to the analog line in (imma drive some audiophiles mad) and was surprised to find that you can use the virtual mode in Line in mode. It does make some LP sound fabulous! Having fun.
Here's an idea for a review episode - do a blind test with you and Christy on rca cables, speaker wires or power cables. I know you have the know how and resources to set this up and also show some in room measurements. So many folks go down the rabbit hole on cables and wires, maybe your review will offer some clarity. I think it would go down as one of your highest rated episodes. It will certainly test your resolve with the comments you'll receive on that episode.
I got an M1 about a month ago and I can't turn it off. I mean to say, I'm constantly listening to it. I run it with Roon via AirPlay2. Very impressed. Although I have to dig a little deeper into HEOS (running on Andorid) becase I don't see the "Sound Mode" - I'd like to try "Virtual". Nice review!
No included R/C is a complete no no. Had that with B&W’s active stand mount and it was a PITA. Try Cyrus’s ONE Cast for powerful Class D with A/B sound. No gimmicky DSP settings just great music.
Wiim and Eversolo giving big boys run for their money. This is actually great to see, too many of those well known labels have been sitting on their hands and laurels for far too long, waiting o see who's going to pull the next punch - this is indeed great news for all of us into hifi audio.
Had the M1 for about 3 weeks now. Can't believe how good it is. This unit replaced my replaced my PS Audio. Gain Cell DAC and M700 mono blocs. Didn't think that would happen. My system consists of Borresen X1 speakers and a B&W ASW 608 Sub. I sold the PS Audio stack and ordered a Rel S510. Crazy to have a 1K piece driving an 8K speaker setup. Shows cost is not be all end all.
Thanks, always a pleasure to watch your reviews. One thing I may have missed but I don't recall you bringing it up - is no remote control. That's a deal breaker for me unfortunately.
I guess I didn't say it directly but I eluded to it in the HEOS APP chapter: "In the past, Heos has been little more than a streaming music platform or interface, but in 2024, and with the M1, it’s also the amp’s remote control. Controlling the M1 on the unit itself is limited to volume and play/pause. For everything else, you’ll need to use App or your existing TV remote."
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Thanks for the reply. But really anyone who follows you would know that if you didn't specifically show and critique the remote control - there probably is none :)
This is my favourite market sector. Do it all half sized amps. Have had the Sonos Amp, NAD C700, NAD M10 and Naim Atom. I love the simplicity and functionality, for me and my family.
This just made my life more difficult. Currently, we have a Cinema 50 in the living room running 5.1 with 4 Klipsch KG 3.5's and an R12-SW. In my office, I have a Heos Amp powering two Klipsch Synergy B2 bookshelf speakers. While the HEOS Amp works fine connecting and listening primarily streamed music (most of the time the same thing that is playing in the living room because our house is a very open concept), I had my mind made up on a Stereo 70 as an upgrade for style and sound. Both the M1 and Stereo 70 appear to be similarly priced, I like the appearance of the Stereo 70 better than the M1, but you said the M1 sounds better. Do you think it sounds that much better? I cannot go somewhere in our small city to listen to them side by side.
Nice review. For Qobuz users, it's easy to use MConnect or Audirvana Studio to stream Qobuz via UPnP to the Marantz. I agree with your comment about Room Correction. If someone has used RC, using any amp without it is a show-stopper. As an aside, I have tested Wiim's RC and it's more than adequate. In fact, it reminds me a great deal of Yamaha's YPAO with how it's implemented.
I just noticed that sister company Denon (both Denon and Marantz are own by the same parent company) has released the Denon Home Amp that looks almost identical to the M1, but $200 less expensive. The Denon warranty is 2 years, while the Marantz warranty is 5 years, and there may be some differences with regard to remote app support (which Marantz definitely has but not sure about the Denon), but everything else looks to be the same.
It feels like a solid proposition as a small footprint system. They could have gone a little further and implemented room correction (Dirac would be great), but kudos for making a proper bass management with a HPF for the main speakers. Most speakers (especially bookshelves) have significantly lower distortion when the woofers are relieved from reproducing the lower octaves. Leaving more headroom for both the amp and the woofers are rarely a bad thing. Amplifiers with subwoofer outputs that provide only a fixed LPF without any HPF for the mains are a bit pointless in that regard, but many stereo amplifiers are still doing it. Interestingly enough, and despite the fact that I'm not the customer for the WiiM amp (due to its power in real world conditions), I do feel that they might be forcing legacy manufacturers to step up their pre-amp/DSP side of their products, and that's a good thing. 😉 In a way, the WiiM amp may turn out to be a _very_ influential product, as it's usually called on several audio channels while reviewing products that are several times more expensive. Even if it is usually called to reinforce that much more expensive product have better amp performance, it's still a reference on features like bass management and PEQ, even if we forget the newly introduced room correction (which I don't have a clue how accurate it can be). But the PEQ and proper bass management is enough to make anyone wonder why legacy manufacturers are still using the old tone controls (except for audio lab, which has none). 😉
With regard to HEOS, there is going to be Roon Ready Certification AND Tidal Connect very soon. It is scheduled for the end of July with a major f/w update. So that's another step forward since the last f/update that gave HEOS the capability of streaming Hi-Res flacs from Tidal. Now you will be able to stream directly through the tidal app and use its interface instead. With regard to the delay of the sound when changing inputs, there was a mention about a similar issue in a training webinar: What causes audio playback delay during system startup. The delay when playing audio is due to the Power Savings default setting, Auto Standby. This mode reduces energy consumption by putting the device into standby when not in use, but the unit takes longer to respond when coming out of standby. To eliminate this delay, you can switch the Power Savings setting from Auto Standby to Quick Start. Maybe this heps.
Regarding updates, I have to review the product in hand as it is. I learned my lesson years ago with Yamaha and their Aventage receivers, where updates were promised and I went to press saying so and assuring viewers the functionality would be there only Yamaha didn't make good on their word for over a year! The new HEOS update was teased and said to be coming months ago when in reality it was delayed several weeks beyond their own reported launch date. I have no doubt that Roon and other enhancements are coming but I no longer include promises and ETAs in my reviews if I can help it because there's a very real chance people may purchase based on that info and be disappointed or angered by the wait. Last thing I want is a viewer saying, "but Andrew said..." As for the audio delay, what I was referring to is not or has nothing to do with power up. It occurs when the unit is on and has been playing for hours. It happens when switching between inputs and/or sources when streaming as stated in the review. I even show the delay happening in realtime via the App in the review.
I hope other manufacturer seeing Marantz bringing the M1 to market follow suit. It baffles me how supposedly "full-featured" integrated amplifiers to this day still omit an HDMI Arc input. In a lot of ways the way forward for hifi how I see it is integrated amplifiers being more akin to avr's that only do 2 channels, rather than the legacy designs that are still coming out in this day and age. Sure, optical is fine, but this isn't a decade ago.
Andrew, great review. You always touch on subjects others do not. I have been keeping my eye on the M1 waiting for your take and appreciate your comparison to the Stereo 70s. The M1 virtualization w/ Dolby covers a lot of what I am looking for. I also just became aware of the Anthem MRX SLM. Love the placement options of this unit. Does the SLM sit between the M1 and Stereo 70s? Hope you get a chance to review the SLM.
We've requested the Slim because of your comment. To be honest, I had not received a press release for it. I hope to be able to address your comment in a future video.
Great review (as usual). I'm glad you answered the question I really wanted to know: how it compares to the Stereo 70. Having two 'integrated' amps at the same price is a bold move by Marantz.
analog to digital doesn't necessarily mean negating those gains. additional volume and dynamic range will be there in case the internal dac is very old and low performance in noise and distortion etc. but the statement generally holds true in improvements in sound quality.
Wow! I did not know that you think different amps are incapable of changing the size of the speakers’ soundscape; that shocks me because I myself have heard amps change the speakers’ image width and depth many, many times for decades now. Maybe you misspoke or I’m not understanding correctly. Great review, thanks.
From Insta to here, still in doubt between Stereo 70s or M1, however I'll keep my Node for streaming and in M1case to offer some versatility in connections, and who knows in future some dirac option?!? Edit: not having a remote (on/off volume) probably is the only thing that puts me off...
Thank you Adam. Could you give your opinion on amplifiers when they are at low volume? I live in an appartement and can only play music at low volumes. I would appreciate mr Robinson. I am searching and read a lot of reviews but it is almost never mentioned. I prefer a streaming amp. Can you recommend one or two, in different pricesettings. I appreciate!
@@andrewrobinsonreviews I am just trying to get into the Hi Fi space or trying to listen to a better quality audio. If you could point me at some of your videos where a beginner like me can undertsand the basics of Hi Fi audio that would be of great help to me. Thank you for the response.
Regardless of Heos or other interfaces - I’m curious on your thoughts on devices that use a remote vs the phone. To me, they’re totally different experiences, especially since the latter can inadvertently distract you from what the product is meant to do: allow you to enjoy music, movies, etc. Great video as always, A&K❤️
What I still don't get is why Marantz / Denon still put dated BT 4.x into their products, whereas the world is now at 5.3 with more throughput / reach. Pity the 40n, having HDMI (eARC) too, does not have virtual mode - would be nice to have it more flexible in 2.1 channel scenarios. 🙂 Great review as always, Andrew 🙂
I want this for my living room but the way I want it would probably never happen because I'm probably the only one that thinks this way. I have a full 7.1. 4 theater in my basement but I still would like a 5.1 in my living room, not a 2.1 or virtual theater. I tried a soundbar but I'm not convinced. I know you guys think otherwise but I'm not there. Yes, there is the cinema 70 but I really like the M1's simple form factor. Plus it seems to have a more premium feel to it. It would probably need to be a bit bigger for five digital amps (or have the ability to add active surrounds) but if they had something like that and added Qobuz to HEOS, I'd be in. Anthem is developing a 5.1 integrated with a form factor that will allow hiding the unit behind a cabinet or TV, maybe they could do something similar with this M1 style
Hi Andrew, I appreciate your efforts to review all sorts of av products and speakers! Are you going to review the Marantz Cinema 30 in the near future? I think many of us will be looking fwd to it! Thanks!
. Remember that these digital cables are simply multiple strands of copper wires sheathed together with any of a number of types of equivalent 'pinned-out' connector. Although the "new standard" USB C has increased bandwidth which now includes a video streaming path like HDMI, it's totall due to adding another copper wire into the cable and Pin to the connector. The Audio portion of the "new standard" USB C remains unchanged. USB audio performance will ebb & flow, within it's constraints, by consumer demand. Thus it is still limited to well below the performance of the already late to the game Fiber Optic 1 & 10 Gig streamers & DACs on their way yesterday. Acid Jazz, Funk & Brass 🔈🔉🔊
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Okay, I’ll hope for the best. It would be great to hear your opinion and maybe save myself $200. Thanks for the reply and take care.
My understanding is that a digital signal would need to be converted before being sent to the speakers. How would that work without a DAC? Help. Please. 😵💫
I saw the M1 in person at my local Hi-Fi shop. Haven’t got the chance for a demo but it looks nice and, for those who care where their stuff comes from, made in Japan. Looking forward to the NAD C700 v2 review. The one major change I noticed over v1 is the addition of built-in phono which is a plus for me. I currently have a D3045 and a WiiM Mini, though I prefer the WiiM app over BluOS.
Happy Sunday, good people! This think looks slick AF, and I imagine the build quality is excellent. But the single RCA connection and lack of PEq gives me pause. I think I’m sticking with our (awkwardly named) Elac EA-101EQ-G, an older eBay find that features pairs of RCA and optical inputs and room correction. Not sure if you’ve ever played with one of these (initially released in 2016)…✌️
@@andrewrobinsonreviews no he just hates soundbars because you can generally get a better sounding stereo package for music for the same money although people who buy soundbars is mainly for movies anyway
But what about the Denon home amp which comes in at £200 cheaper it has same specifications. It would be in a tv cabinet so would I notice any difference- I’m thing a different tuning signature to the m1 , not made in Japan and cheaper parts inside.
You can also grab a Bluesound Node (N130) for $349 now and then add an Emotiva Basx A2 amp - and come in a little cheaper. Would that sound comparable for those that didn't mind having 2 separate devices?
Good Sunday morning Andrew and Kristi. Nice to see a more robust choice for those looking for a lifestyle type integrated amp. Definitely agree not including room correction is a major miss for Marantz with the M1. I will tell you something bizarre I experience with BluOS and Tidal. If I access Tidal via BluOS, I cannot access some music such as some new albums, yet if I use Tidal Connect app they are there. Very strange. Thanks again for the great reviews.
So do you actually have two volume controls or do the buttons on the machine just control the volume on the app you are currently using? Hope you get my question.
Andrew…Thanks for the review. You said that the M1 will not make bright speakers sound brighter. But does it make it less bright. Marantz amps (class AB) have a tendency to sound too warm to me. Is this one different? How is its tonal characteristic compared to that of the Sony STR-AN1000? Thanks.
This is probably a pretty good match with a tube DAC or pre-amp, actually. Though I’m sure the internal conversion is better than fine, if you love the sound of a piece of tube gear that has RCA outs, the M1 can get it into a 2.1 system.
This is pretty much the amp I have been waiting for these last years. HDMI, small form factor and excellent sound. Nevertheless, I’m still feeling torn between this and the Arcam A25 which has bare functionality in comparison, but got rave reviews regarding sound quality.
Yeah, we just got that press release, too, and here's hoping they're not the same product, but so far, signs point to them being eerily similar (if not identical).
I have Model 40n, a bit too warm sounding for my speakers, this could suit better. I think HEOS is ok, but after Tidal Connect arrives, it doesent matter anymore.
Even without Tidal Connect, HEOS is OK. The trick with Tidal is to create playlists - and they'll show up through HEOS, making finding music a bit easier.
Ok! I bought one. The day before tidal connect landed. It’s a much improved system now I can use tidal connect. I hardly have to go into the heos app. It’s superb. Heos isn’t amazing but not terrible. The virtual mode for TV is superb - not 5.1 surround but much better than my old soundbar. I like having the dialogue enhancer on “low” - it does help with that “centre speaker sound” Paired with b&w 707 s3. I might buy a second one for my bedroom setup. It’s a big step up from the WiiM … but I’m grateful to that little guy for getting me started in audio just a few months ago. WiiM app is noticeably better to use. They’ve thought it through more and made it more helpful and easy. I do hope they’ll provide room correction. I do hope they’ll make heos less irritating. Major unfixable omission - lack of a remote control. This is a near perfect product for me - thanks marantz!
where do I find the sound modes? ive tried the HEOS eq section in the song view and the settings for the device but only see two filters and the stereo and dual mono modes. reached out to marantz and they weren't helpful. thanks in advance for your help.
@@fleshisti wondered the same. It seems you can’t select virtual for audio. You have to play it through a tv app, because the tv does allow virtual. I sent it in as a feature request. You might want to do the same - I mean the amp can clearly do it, but they just aren’t allowing it for audio :)
FYI Andrew it’s a Class D amp which is an analog technology (the ‘D’ in ‘Class D’ does not stand for digital…also FYI). So the digital is being converted to analog. Don’t believe marketing-speak.
@@Left-is-right-8192 "...in the way you mean"? You don't seem to understand what I mean. All Class D amps are analog amps. Any amp that accepts digital in and sends analog out, includes a Digital to Analog Converter. There are numerous ways to do DA conversion, not just one way, and none of them count as "direct digital", including this one, which is nothing new BTW. I implore people to not be fooled by Marantz Marketing in the easygoing way that Andrew has. His job IMO is to cut through company marketing, not parrot it. cheers
No remote is a deal breaker. I use a wiim as a dac I thought the app would be good enough but it get really annoying to use my phone everytime I need to change the volume
I really enjoy the competition heating up in the small smart amp market,and can not wait for NAD to release the M10V3 as i do expect a lot from it to justify its price point
Good morning Andrew and Kristi! Happy Sunday and thanks for the great review. M1 looks like it could be an excellent contender for my open baffle 2.1 setup, replacing separate preamp + dac and monoblock amps. Sadly, as an Apple music subscriber, I’d still have to default to using an ipad + usb to get lossless audio. But replacing 4 components with just 1 feels like a worthwhile win. Maybe marantz can deliver a PEQ update to the app + firmware update in the future.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews it would be nice if, in 2024, Apple could get over themselves and provide a tidal-connect like experience streaming hi-res lossless audio without requiring an AppleTV or iPad and external cables. Like, their direct competitors do this already, so what gives?
Honestly, once I started running most of my music through AppleTV or our Bang & Olufsen products, which use Google Home (which supports Apple Music natively), I cut WAY down on my subscriptions, and TIDAL was among the first to go.
Wiim has room correction now, as of June. Only on iOS, but it's still there. You can borrow an iOS device for setup and then use the room correction eq on Android.
WiiM has excellent software, and I like it; however, I don't think their use of TI chip amps is all that great. If WiiM used an ICE Power or similar module inside instead of the dime-a-dozen TI options, they'd be untouchable.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews I agree with you. Just wanted to point out the new update, which makes the lack of room correction on the M1 even more glaring... especially for the price.
Thanks! Yes, if I hadn't purchased 11 speakers and 2 subs I would be tempted with the ease of use. I might fix my wife's system up with this as I know it would delight her.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews The subs are REL HT-1508's The Matching Klipsch's are RP- 280FA or 280;'s with 520S, 450C, 600 Height mounted. 7.2.4 The voicing on my Kefs would not integrate so I sent them to a new home.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews The voicing was all wrong. Those Kef's had exact placement in a huge sound stage but they sounded more like a monitor than live and the active sound of the Klipsch was audible in it's difference. My wife was the one who told me they had to go. They were replaced with the RP-280FA that had just come out and the serial is #00004. lol
Given that I live on my iPad, I find having an elaborate display on any Streaming Component pointless. I’d rather NAD just do a box like the M1 and lower the price.
I have a large music collection on my external hard drive that I can just plug it in the USB on the back. The screen is good to see what is playing. I guess the M1 is not for me then.
Thousand dollars seems like a lot, I think, or I would guess that the audience for this is pretty small… I feel like this would be for someone who’s arguably an audio file or really into quality equipment who probably needs it for a bedroom or an office where they don’t want a full size set up then they need at least bookshelf speakers and they would need to be decent to rationalize a $1000 minimalist streaming amp. Or it’s meant for those who want to hide their amp behind their big tv? I dunno I’m definitely not their audience so what do I know. 🤷♂️
Love your content Andrew. Thanks. You asked. I’m just sharing my thoughts. I feel Marantz gear is a little overpriced, decreasing the “Value” equation. IMO. I prefer Cambridge Audio products personally. High value products at reasonable prices. Plus, Cambridge amps, receivers, and streamers simply sound goood. Can’t speak on their speakers because I have zero experience with them. I can say that Cambridge amps paired with Wharfedale speakers provides a great listening experience. 🎶😎🎵
We have a full kit of Cambridge Audio SX-Series speakers in our media room. They sound fantastic if you’re in search of ruthless neutrality. What they may lack in sex appeal is offset by the value proposition.
@@MikeRusso2000 Good to hear, thanks. Right now, I’m set. I’ve unintentionally gone all British with my amplification & speakers. Simply love the sound. When I can afford a streamer, it will most likely be the Cambridge AXN10. From my research, it’s a great value proposition. 🎶👍🏼🎵
Andrew, I agree with you that room correction, or at minimum PEQ is a requirement in this day and age for any an all apps/devices for listening. And, as an Amazon HD subscriber, I've always been frustrated with the lack of PEQ for both the mobile and desktop app. Why is this so difficult for manufacturers to deliver room correction or PEQ? I would assume that, especially with applications, that you could white label a solution. 🤷🏾♂️. Awesome review, btw!
I'm stumped by the lack of higher adjustability here. Even a multi-band graphical EQ would've been a welcomed feature. Maybe since this was "voiced" in Japan by Marantz's own people, they don't want folks messing too much with the sound, but that's a stretch. If the M1 had PEQ or even Audyssey/DIRAC, we might be looking at the product of the year. As of this review, it's a great product but may not podium.
It will be possible to have a comparison at some point between marantz m1 and denon home app? with inside materials differences , and sound testing and so on
Hello Andrew. As a member of the military I have to move approximately every three years and have little control over the housing that we’re able to get. I’m struggling to decide what’s the best option to achieve the most immersive home theater experience; a soundbar, a traditional surround setup, the theater quad, or a simple 2.1 setup with a product like this marantz. Given the variability in home layout, logistics of having to move a lot, and budget (military pays but it don’t pay THAT well), what do you think would be the best bang for your buck solution? I know that many people, not just service members, have work that forces them to move around a lot. What would you suggest for those of us in that situation?
Tidal connect is now supported and qobuz is on the road map so HEOS is working on improving things think I would rather go with HEOS rather then something like Sonos who just seems to be downgrading there software
Were a receiver like this used in a small room, say 10x10 ft or smaller, what kind of speaker setup would you use? Towers, 2.1 with bookshelves, just bookshelves? I'm just curious what people think.
I also dropped Tidal and moved back to Apple Music. I didn’t hear you mention Sonos as that is where my head went when I saw the M1. I’m a huge Marantz fan and thinking where the M1 will fit best. Thank you for the reviews
Is it powerful enough to drive floorstanding speakers like Sonus Faber Lumina V or B&W 603 S3 properly? Especially at lower volumes to drive the larger woofers? Or it is more targetted to use with bookshelf speakers?
Andrew I am tempted to buy this to drive my KEF R3 Meta. Other Amp I was considering was Marantz 40N which you did not cover. Will it get warm when driving 4 ohm speakers? I plan to put this behind a large screen TV with limited airflow
Another great review! The M1 sounds great until I found it only has on HDMI port. I was looking for a two channel receiver for my small study (with an old 55” Samsung, an AppleTV and a Mac Mini) so I took advantage of Marantz current sale on its refurbished store. I got the Stereo 70s for $599 and it exceeded my expectations. I use a pair of NHT 1.1 speakers I bought back in the 90’s, and they never sounded so good! Thanks for all your advice and great reviews. PD. Forgot to mention, love I can now join my Marantz SR8015 & Stereo 70s with HEOS. Still subscribed to Tidal but sure wish HEOS worked directly with Apple Music, my preferred music service.
📌Considering the M1? Find it here: bit.ly/4cUbiii or bit.ly/3VZYzDL
🔌DON’T FORGET! Leave your questions in the comments to be featured on the next Unplugged! Catch up on all the latest UNPLUGGED episodes here bit.ly/43NnDkT
😀Thank you for watching! If you enjoyed this video, please hit the 👍Like button!
🙏 Please stay on topic and be respectful. 🚫No links, self-promotion, or personal info.
Hello. Did you had the chance to compare it to the Denon home amp? it seems to have exactly the same specs but with 200 less in price tag
This is a really good looking Amp! Great Sunday everyone!!
I love the look and day-to-day-livability of the M1. It's one of my favorite products of 2024 (so far).
@@andrewrobinsonreviews definitely a more lifestyle looking-like amp. Will help get people more into Hi-Fi, I’m sure.
I have had mine a week now and I am very impressed. Easy to use and sounds amazing. Put mine on 80 % of max volume cuz I am no where near that output when reaching 90db. Drives my MA Silver 200 wounderfully.
Good. Another review to check out. A welcome distraction from a heavy weekend. Cheers everyone!
We're so glad to have you!
Always
WiiM just released an update in which you can do room correction with an iPhone. I hope this becomes a standard for these new “lifestyle HiFi” products.
One can say all you want about WiiM, but the impact its value proposition made in the HiFi world and competing brands is undeniable.
Hello. Nice stuff. The McIntosh in the background is looking nice. :)
It looks nice and IS nice 😉 Thanks for watching!
Bought the M1 after seeing your review. Absolutely love it! Everything you said is 100% on point. I connected my phone stage to the analog line in (imma drive some audiophiles mad) and was surprised to find that you can use the virtual mode in Line in mode. It does make some LP sound fabulous! Having fun.
Here's an idea for a review episode - do a blind test with you and Christy on rca cables, speaker wires or power cables. I know you have the know how and resources to set this up and also show some in room measurements. So many folks go down the rabbit hole on cables and wires, maybe your review will offer some clarity. I think it would go down as one of your highest rated episodes. It will certainly test your resolve with the comments you'll receive on that episode.
I got an M1 about a month ago and I can't turn it off. I mean to say, I'm constantly listening to it. I run it with Roon via AirPlay2. Very impressed.
Although I have to dig a little deeper into HEOS (running on Andorid) becase I don't see the "Sound Mode" - I'd like to try "Virtual".
Nice review!
I'm really glad to know you're enjoying the M1! Thanks for sharing your experience.
@@n8wrl jaké používáte reproduktory ?
No included R/C is a complete no no. Had that with B&W’s active stand mount and it was a PITA. Try Cyrus’s ONE Cast for powerful Class D with A/B sound. No gimmicky DSP settings just great music.
Wiim and Eversolo giving big boys run for their money. This is actually great to see, too many of those well known labels have been sitting on their hands and laurels for far too long, waiting o see who's going to pull the next punch - this is indeed great news for all of us into hifi audio.
Oh yes!
Had the M1 for about 3 weeks now. Can't believe how good it is.
This unit replaced my replaced my PS Audio. Gain Cell DAC and M700 mono blocs.
Didn't think that would happen. My system consists of Borresen X1 speakers and a B&W ASW 608 Sub. I sold the PS Audio stack and ordered a Rel S510.
Crazy to have a 1K piece driving an 8K speaker setup. Shows cost is not be all end all.
I just ordered an M1 hoping it will replace my Anthem STR. I also love my Rel s510.
What is the side frame material made of?
I got one as soon as I saw this review. Then I got another for my bedroom. Cant believe how good it is!
Yay, the M1! This is going to be great! Watching now. 😁
Enjoy!
Hello, DaWayne ;)
This really checks off a bunch of boxes. Enjoyed the review.
Thanks for watching, Harry.
Thanks, always a pleasure to watch your reviews. One thing I may have missed but I don't recall you bringing it up - is no remote control. That's a deal breaker for me unfortunately.
I guess I didn't say it directly but I eluded to it in the HEOS APP chapter:
"In the past, Heos has been little more than a streaming music platform or interface, but in 2024, and with the M1, it’s also the amp’s remote control. Controlling the M1 on the unit itself is limited to volume and play/pause. For everything else, you’ll need to use App or your existing TV remote."
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Thanks for the reply. But really anyone who follows you would know that if you didn't specifically show and critique the remote control - there probably is none :)
This is my favourite market sector. Do it all half sized amps.
Have had the Sonos Amp, NAD C700, NAD M10 and Naim Atom.
I love the simplicity and functionality, for me and my family.
Bought it and I am convinced it is more than 100WPC. It has power and sounds fantastic!
Agree!
This just made my life more difficult. Currently, we have a Cinema 50 in the living room running 5.1 with 4 Klipsch KG 3.5's and an R12-SW. In my office, I have a Heos Amp powering two Klipsch Synergy B2 bookshelf speakers. While the HEOS Amp works fine connecting and listening primarily streamed music (most of the time the same thing that is playing in the living room because our house is a very open concept), I had my mind made up on a Stereo 70 as an upgrade for style and sound. Both the M1 and Stereo 70 appear to be similarly priced, I like the appearance of the Stereo 70 better than the M1, but you said the M1 sounds better. Do you think it sounds that much better? I cannot go somewhere in our small city to listen to them side by side.
The Technics SU-Gx70 is down to 1499 and cheaper on open box/scratch and dent. How would you compare the features and sound of that unit vs the M1?
I am getting one of these soon, really like the look of them. Will pair them with Acoustic Energy AE500.
Nice review. For Qobuz users, it's easy to use MConnect or Audirvana Studio to stream Qobuz via UPnP to the Marantz. I agree with your comment about Room Correction. If someone has used RC, using any amp without it is a show-stopper. As an aside, I have tested Wiim's RC and it's more than adequate. In fact, it reminds me a great deal of Yamaha's YPAO with how it's implemented.
I just noticed that sister company Denon (both Denon and Marantz are own by the same parent company) has released the Denon Home Amp that looks almost identical to the M1, but $200 less expensive. The Denon warranty is 2 years, while the Marantz warranty is 5 years, and there may be some differences with regard to remote app support (which Marantz definitely has but not sure about the Denon), but everything else looks to be the same.
It feels like a solid proposition as a small footprint system.
They could have gone a little further and implemented room correction (Dirac would be great), but kudos for making a proper bass management with a HPF for the main speakers.
Most speakers (especially bookshelves) have significantly lower distortion when the woofers are relieved from reproducing the lower octaves.
Leaving more headroom for both the amp and the woofers are rarely a bad thing.
Amplifiers with subwoofer outputs that provide only a fixed LPF without any HPF for the mains are a bit pointless in that regard, but many stereo amplifiers are still doing it.
Interestingly enough, and despite the fact that I'm not the customer for the WiiM amp (due to its power in real world conditions), I do feel that they might be forcing legacy manufacturers to step up their pre-amp/DSP side of their products, and that's a good thing. 😉
In a way, the WiiM amp may turn out to be a _very_ influential product, as it's usually called on several audio channels while reviewing products that are several times more expensive.
Even if it is usually called to reinforce that much more expensive product have better amp performance, it's still a reference on features like bass management and PEQ, even if we forget the newly introduced room correction (which I don't have a clue how accurate it can be).
But the PEQ and proper bass management is enough to make anyone wonder why legacy manufacturers are still using the old tone controls (except for audio lab, which has none). 😉
Just evaluated this with Polk R200. Great piece. Sounded a lot better than I anticipated. Good review!
Appreciate it!
With regard to HEOS, there is going to be Roon Ready Certification AND Tidal Connect very soon. It is scheduled for the end of July with a major f/w update. So that's another step forward since the last f/update that gave HEOS the capability of streaming Hi-Res flacs from Tidal. Now you will be able to stream directly through the tidal app and use its interface instead.
With regard to the delay of the sound when changing inputs, there was a mention about a similar issue in a training webinar:
What causes audio playback delay during system startup. The delay when playing audio is due to the Power Savings default setting, Auto Standby. This mode reduces energy consumption
by putting the device into standby when not in use, but the unit takes longer to respond when coming out of standby.
To eliminate this delay, you can switch the Power Savings setting from Auto Standby to Quick Start.
Maybe this heps.
Regarding updates, I have to review the product in hand as it is. I learned my lesson years ago with Yamaha and their Aventage receivers, where updates were promised and I went to press saying so and assuring viewers the functionality would be there only Yamaha didn't make good on their word for over a year! The new HEOS update was teased and said to be coming months ago when in reality it was delayed several weeks beyond their own reported launch date. I have no doubt that Roon and other enhancements are coming but I no longer include promises and ETAs in my reviews if I can help it because there's a very real chance people may purchase based on that info and be disappointed or angered by the wait. Last thing I want is a viewer saying, "but Andrew said..."
As for the audio delay, what I was referring to is not or has nothing to do with power up. It occurs when the unit is on and has been playing for hours. It happens when switching between inputs and/or sources when streaming as stated in the review. I even show the delay happening in realtime via the App in the review.
I hope other manufacturer seeing Marantz bringing the M1 to market follow suit. It baffles me how supposedly "full-featured" integrated amplifiers to this day still omit an HDMI Arc input.
In a lot of ways the way forward for hifi how I see it is integrated amplifiers being more akin to avr's that only do 2 channels, rather than the legacy designs that are still coming out in this day and age. Sure, optical is fine, but this isn't a decade ago.
Andrew, great review. You always touch on subjects others do not. I have been keeping my eye on the M1 waiting for your take and appreciate your comparison to the Stereo 70s. The M1 virtualization w/ Dolby covers a lot of what I am looking for. I also just became aware of the Anthem MRX SLM. Love the placement options of this unit. Does the SLM sit between the M1 and Stereo 70s? Hope you get a chance to review the SLM.
We've requested the Slim because of your comment. To be honest, I had not received a press release for it. I hope to be able to address your comment in a future video.
Exactly what i need for LS 50s in a small space setup (+TV) with an underpowered Marantz mcr 612.
This looks like a real winner to me. Thank you.
Great review (as usual). I'm glad you answered the question I really wanted to know: how it compares to the Stereo 70. Having two 'integrated' amps at the same price is a bold move by Marantz.
I answer this in the video.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews LOL. I know.
analog to digital doesn't necessarily mean negating those gains. additional volume and dynamic range will be there in case the internal dac is very old and low performance in noise and distortion etc. but the statement generally holds true in improvements in sound quality.
Wow! I did not know that you think different amps are incapable of changing the size of the speakers’ soundscape; that shocks me because I myself have heard amps change the speakers’ image width and depth many, many times for decades now. Maybe you misspoke or I’m not understanding correctly.
Great review, thanks.
M1 vs 40n? Quite a price difference but is there a significant difference is sound? Love your reviews.
M1 is class d, 40n is ab. They're not really comparable and all down to the speakers you'd like to drive.
Tune into Friday's Unplugged, if there's time, I will try to answer your question
From Insta to here, still in doubt between Stereo 70s or M1, however I'll keep my Node for streaming and in M1case to offer some versatility in connections, and who knows in future some dirac option?!?
Edit: not having a remote (on/off volume) probably is the only thing that puts me off...
hi andrew, excellent review - as always! what would you pair the m1 with? Evoke20? ELAC BS403? …?
The wiim now has room correction free in an ota update recently only mini didn't get it
Thank you Adam. Could you give your opinion on amplifiers when they are at low volume? I live in an appartement and can only play music at low volumes. I would appreciate mr Robinson. I am searching and read a lot of reviews but it is almost never mentioned. I prefer a streaming amp. Can you recommend one or two, in different pricesettings. I appreciate!
Elephant in the room is the Sonos Amp comparison
I pick up a Sonos ZP120 amp over the weekend, it hasn't got all the modern features but for what I wanted it for it was perfect.
I do not understand a whole lot of Hi Fi Jargon but you Sir are a treat to listen to 🙏🏼
Can I clarify anything for you so you have the information you need?
@@andrewrobinsonreviews I am just trying to get into the Hi Fi space or trying to listen to a better quality audio. If you could point me at some of your videos where a beginner like me can undertsand the basics of Hi Fi audio that would be of great help to me. Thank you for the response.
@@saikrisnow Maybe this old video will be of help th-cam.com/video/6hOMPRunGxI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Bz_iXlE9hRLUFrtZ
Regardless of Heos or other interfaces - I’m curious on your thoughts on devices that use a remote vs the phone. To me, they’re totally different experiences, especially since the latter can inadvertently distract you from what the product is meant to do: allow you to enjoy music, movies, etc. Great video as always, A&K❤️
Andrew, hold on to that unit. I see this Marantz vs The new Denon Home Amp head to head comparison being a point of contention. ✊🏼
Planning to
Personally I would prefer a larger form factor in favor of knobs and buttons and a screen in addition to the app.
Did you watch the whole video?? 🤔
What I still don't get is why Marantz / Denon still put dated BT 4.x into their products, whereas the world is now at 5.3 with more throughput / reach. Pity the 40n, having HDMI (eARC) too, does not have virtual mode - would be nice to have it more flexible in 2.1 channel scenarios. 🙂 Great review as always, Andrew 🙂
I want this for my living room but the way I want it would probably never happen because I'm probably the only one that thinks this way. I have a full 7.1. 4 theater in my basement but I still would like a 5.1 in my living room, not a 2.1 or virtual theater.
I tried a soundbar but I'm not convinced. I know you guys think otherwise but I'm not there. Yes, there is the cinema 70 but I really like the M1's simple form factor. Plus it seems to have a more premium feel to it.
It would probably need to be a bit bigger for five digital amps (or have the ability to add active surrounds) but if they had something like that and added Qobuz to HEOS, I'd be in.
Anthem is developing a 5.1 integrated with a form factor that will allow hiding the unit behind a cabinet or TV, maybe they could do something similar with this M1 style
Hi Andrew, I appreciate your efforts to review all sorts of av products and speakers! Are you going to review the Marantz Cinema 30 in the near future? I think many of us will be looking fwd to it! Thanks!
Why don’t many Hi Fi manufacturers give USB C? It seems to be the standard for most other products now.
. Remember that these digital cables are simply multiple strands of copper wires sheathed together with any of a number of types of equivalent 'pinned-out' connector.
Although the "new standard" USB C has increased bandwidth which now includes a video streaming path like HDMI, it's totall due to adding another copper wire into the cable and Pin to the connector.
The Audio portion of the "new standard" USB C remains unchanged. USB audio performance will ebb & flow, within it's constraints, by consumer demand. Thus it is still limited to well below the performance of the already late to the game Fiber Optic 1 & 10 Gig streamers & DACs on their way yesterday.
Acid Jazz, Funk & Brass 🔈🔉🔊
Thanks! Please review and compare the new Denon Home Amp.
I believe Kristi requested one but I'm not sure we are getting one sent to us. Thanks for the extra love.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Okay, I’ll hope for the best. It would be great to hear your opinion and maybe save myself $200. Thanks for the reply and take care.
M1? Not yet! My 1999 vintage Marantz SR 5000 is still pumping out proper Hifi that to me still sounds marvellous.
Wow awesome ❤ love affordable useful product reviews like this ❤
I’m confused. You said it has no DAC but how does the amp know what to do if it doesn’t go through a DAC?
I love your pleasant videos and both of you are even better than ma long awaiting best amplifier. So far lost in info:)
Great review Andrew !! wait for the WiiM Ultra that is coming ;-)
“At least we’re not Play Fi” - HEOS
Afternoon Andrew, Kristi & Kadie👍👍👍
Kadie says good morning and Kristi and I always appreciate that you include her! Thanks KJ.
What's good, KJ?
@@KristiWright Hi Kristi, I’m good. Had to dash out earlier but have just caught the rest of the video👍👍👍
@@KristiWright 👍👍👍
Hope we get a review of those sexy B&W Signatures!
Still no QOBUZ ?……..Which WiiM and Bluesound both have. Come back when you have a complete package.
My understanding is that a digital signal would need to be converted before being sent to the speakers.
How would that work without a DAC?
Help. Please. 😵💫
I saw the M1 in person at my local Hi-Fi shop. Haven’t got the chance for a demo but it looks nice and, for those who care where their stuff comes from, made in Japan.
Looking forward to the NAD C700 v2 review. The one major change I noticed over v1 is the addition of built-in phono which is a plus for me. I currently have a D3045 and a WiiM Mini, though I prefer the WiiM app over BluOS.
Happy Sunday, good people! This think looks slick AF, and I imagine the build quality is excellent. But the single RCA connection and lack of PEq gives me pause. I think I’m sticking with our (awkwardly named) Elac EA-101EQ-G, an older eBay find that features pairs of RCA and optical inputs and room correction. Not sure if you’ve ever played with one of these (initially released in 2016)…✌️
Darko is going to be happy you said it's better than a sound bar
Is Darko mad at me because I like soundbars?
@@andrewrobinsonreviews no he just hates soundbars because you can generally get a better sounding stereo package for music for the same money although people who buy soundbars is mainly for movies anyway
Are you serious about Marantz M1 over Naim Atom? What about Marantz 40n vs Uniti Atom?
But what about the Denon home amp which comes in at £200 cheaper it has same specifications. It would be in a tv cabinet so would I notice any difference- I’m thing a different tuning signature to the m1 , not made in Japan and cheaper parts inside.
You can also grab a Bluesound Node (N130) for $349 now and then add an Emotiva Basx A2 amp - and come in a little cheaper. Would that sound comparable for those that didn't mind having 2 separate devices?
Hello . In your opinion, which is better to buy kef ls 50 wireles ii or kef ls 50 meta + marantz m 1. thank you
Good Sunday morning Andrew and Kristi. Nice to see a more robust choice for those looking for a lifestyle type integrated amp. Definitely agree not including room correction is a major miss for Marantz with the M1. I will tell you something bizarre I experience with BluOS and Tidal. If I access Tidal via BluOS, I cannot access some music such as some new albums, yet if I use Tidal Connect app they are there. Very strange. Thanks again for the great reviews.
That is interesting. I haven't been a TIDAL user for over a year now, so I am not up to speed on how it acts on products nowadays.
So do you actually have two volume controls or do the buttons on the machine just control the volume on the app you are currently using? Hope you get my question.
Andrew…Thanks for the review. You said that the M1 will not make bright speakers sound brighter. But does it make it less bright. Marantz amps (class AB) have a tendency to sound too warm to me. Is this one different? How is its tonal characteristic compared to that of the Sony STR-AN1000? Thanks.
The M1 is not a warm or old-school Marantz sound. But it's not brittle like TI chip-based amps a la WiiM or Fosi.
Wonderful review. I hope at some point Marantz adds a model with a screen.
This is probably a pretty good match with a tube DAC or pre-amp, actually. Though I’m sure the internal conversion is better than fine, if you love the sound of a piece of tube gear that has RCA outs, the M1 can get it into a 2.1 system.
This is pretty much the amp I have been waiting for these last years. HDMI, small form factor and excellent sound. Nevertheless, I’m still feeling torn between this and the Arcam A25 which has bare functionality in comparison, but got rave reviews regarding sound quality.
I wish marantz made a matching cd player for the m1
That would be sweet!
Great content!! Thank you…AGAIN!! Hope you get your hands on any of the JBL Classic gear to review!!
I've had my eye on the M1. Altough, I see Denon is coming out with a similar product and a few hundred dollars cheaper.
Yeah, we just got that press release, too, and here's hoping they're not the same product, but so far, signs point to them being eerily similar (if not identical).
I am curious, now that other brands are on sale, would one pick an EVO75 or an M1? I'm not sure if this is a no brainer or not.
I have Model 40n, a bit too warm sounding for my speakers, this could suit better. I think HEOS is ok, but after Tidal Connect arrives, it doesent matter anymore.
Even without Tidal Connect, HEOS is OK. The trick with Tidal is to create playlists - and they'll show up through HEOS, making finding music a bit easier.
Ok! I bought one. The day before tidal connect landed. It’s a much improved system now I can use tidal connect. I hardly have to go into the heos app.
It’s superb. Heos isn’t amazing but not terrible. The virtual mode for TV is superb - not 5.1 surround but much better than my old soundbar.
I like having the dialogue enhancer on “low” - it does help with that “centre speaker sound”
Paired with b&w 707 s3.
I might buy a second one for my bedroom setup. It’s a big step up from the WiiM … but I’m grateful to that little guy for getting me started in audio just a few months ago. WiiM app is noticeably better to use. They’ve thought it through more and made it more helpful and easy.
I do hope they’ll provide room correction. I do hope they’ll make heos less irritating.
Major unfixable omission - lack of a remote control.
This is a near perfect product for me - thanks marantz!
where do I find the sound modes? ive tried the HEOS eq section in the song view and the settings for the device but only see two filters and the stereo and dual mono modes. reached out to marantz and they weren't helpful. thanks in advance for your help.
@@fleshisti wondered the same. It seems you can’t select virtual for audio. You have to play it through a tv app, because the tv does allow virtual.
I sent it in as a feature request. You might want to do the same - I mean the amp can clearly do it, but they just aren’t allowing it for audio :)
@@Left-is-right-8192 thanks for taking the time. I went ahead and made the feature request as well. cheers!
@@fleshistawesome to hear!
FYI Andrew it’s a Class D amp which is an analog technology (the ‘D’ in ‘Class D’ does not stand for digital…also FYI). So the digital is being converted to analog. Don’t believe marketing-speak.
Tune in Friday.
I believe you’re wrong. It’s a direct digital system. It doesn’t convert to analogue in the way you mean.
@@Left-is-right-8192 "...in the way you mean"? You don't seem to understand what I mean. All Class D amps are analog amps. Any amp that accepts digital in and sends analog out, includes a Digital to Analog Converter. There are numerous ways to do DA conversion, not just one way, and none of them count as "direct digital", including this one, which is nothing new BTW. I implore people to not be fooled by Marantz Marketing in the easygoing way that Andrew has. His job IMO is to cut through company marketing, not parrot it. cheers
Hi Andrew, the pool looking good! 🔥 Excepting the price, what are the biggest differences in sound between 705 and the signature?
No remote is a deal breaker. I use a wiim as a dac I thought the app would be good enough but it get really annoying to use my phone everytime I need to change the volume
I really enjoy the competition heating up in the small smart amp market,and can not wait for NAD to release the M10V3 as i do expect a lot from it to justify its price point
I wish the brand was easier to work with so we could bring you more NAD reviews because I'd love to answer that question myself.
100% agree on room correction.
Good morning Andrew and Kristi! Happy Sunday and thanks for the great review. M1 looks like it could be an excellent contender for my open baffle 2.1 setup, replacing separate preamp + dac and monoblock amps. Sadly, as an Apple music subscriber, I’d still have to default to using an ipad + usb to get lossless audio. But replacing 4 components with just 1 feels like a worthwhile win.
Maybe marantz can deliver a PEQ update to the app + firmware update in the future.
I'm going to hang on to the M1 for a bit to see what updates come its way as we get into Q3 and Q4.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews it would be nice if, in 2024, Apple could get over themselves and provide a tidal-connect like experience streaming hi-res lossless audio without requiring an AppleTV or iPad and external cables. Like, their direct competitors do this already, so what gives?
Thanks for the review! Is there a way it displays volume level on the unit? Like via the led? Or can you only see the volume level in the app?
Great review Andrew! Can you confirm that the USB socket is capable of accepting PCM signals, say from a laptop or cellphone? Thanks!
Very good review!, Why are you no longer a Tidal subscriber?
Honestly, once I started running most of my music through AppleTV or our Bang & Olufsen products, which use Google Home (which supports Apple Music natively), I cut WAY down on my subscriptions, and TIDAL was among the first to go.
Wiim has room correction now, as of June. Only on iOS, but it's still there. You can borrow an iOS device for setup and then use the room correction eq on Android.
WiiM has excellent software, and I like it; however, I don't think their use of TI chip amps is all that great. If WiiM used an ICE Power or similar module inside instead of the dime-a-dozen TI options, they'd be untouchable.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews I agree with you. Just wanted to point out the new update, which makes the lack of room correction on the M1 even more glaring... especially for the price.
Thanks! Yes, if I hadn't purchased 11 speakers and 2 subs I would be tempted with the ease of use. I might fix my wife's system up with this as I know it would delight her.
Okay, got to ask, what speakers and sub did you purchase?
@@andrewrobinsonreviews The subs are REL HT-1508's The Matching Klipsch's are RP- 280FA or 280;'s with 520S, 450C, 600 Height mounted. 7.2.4 The voicing on my Kefs would not integrate so I sent them to a new home.
@@lonniefarmer7067, that's interesting. The KEFs didn't integrate for you. Care to elaborate, I'm curious what you encountered.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews The voicing was all wrong. Those Kef's had exact placement in a huge sound stage but they sounded more like a monitor than live and the active sound of the Klipsch was audible in it's difference. My wife was the one who told me they had to go. They were replaced with the RP-280FA that had just come out and the serial is #00004. lol
Given that I live on my iPad, I find having an elaborate display on any Streaming Component pointless. I’d rather NAD just do a box like the M1 and lower the price.
I have a large music collection on my external hard drive that I can just plug it in the USB on the back. The screen is good to see what is playing. I guess the M1 is not for me then.
Thousand dollars seems like a lot, I think, or I would guess that the audience for this is pretty small… I feel like this would be for someone who’s arguably an audio file or really into quality equipment who probably needs it for a bedroom or an office where they don’t want a full size set up then they need at least bookshelf speakers and they would need to be decent to rationalize a $1000 minimalist streaming amp. Or it’s meant for those who want to hide their amp behind their big tv? I dunno I’m definitely not their audience so what do I know. 🤷♂️
Love your content Andrew. Thanks. You asked. I’m just sharing my thoughts. I feel Marantz gear is a little overpriced, decreasing the “Value” equation. IMO. I prefer Cambridge Audio products personally. High value products at reasonable prices. Plus, Cambridge amps, receivers, and streamers simply sound goood. Can’t speak on their speakers because I have zero experience with them. I can say that Cambridge amps paired with Wharfedale speakers provides a great listening experience. 🎶😎🎵
We have a full kit of Cambridge Audio SX-Series speakers in our media room. They sound fantastic if you’re in search of ruthless neutrality. What they may lack in sex appeal is offset by the value proposition.
@@MikeRusso2000 Good to hear, thanks. Right now, I’m set. I’ve unintentionally gone all British with my amplification & speakers. Simply love the sound. When I can afford a streamer, it will most likely be the Cambridge AXN10. From my research, it’s a great value proposition. 🎶👍🏼🎵
Andrew, I agree with you that room correction, or at minimum PEQ is a requirement in this day and age for any an all apps/devices for listening. And, as an Amazon HD subscriber, I've always been frustrated with the lack of PEQ for both the mobile and desktop app. Why is this so difficult for manufacturers to deliver room correction or PEQ? I would assume that, especially with applications, that you could white label a solution. 🤷🏾♂️. Awesome review, btw!
I'm stumped by the lack of higher adjustability here. Even a multi-band graphical EQ would've been a welcomed feature. Maybe since this was "voiced" in Japan by Marantz's own people, they don't want folks messing too much with the sound, but that's a stretch. If the M1 had PEQ or even Audyssey/DIRAC, we might be looking at the product of the year. As of this review, it's a great product but may not podium.
It will be possible to have a comparison at some point between marantz m1 and denon home app? with inside materials differences , and sound testing and so on
Hello Andrew. As a member of the military I have to move approximately every three years and have little control over the housing that we’re able to get. I’m struggling to decide what’s the best option to achieve the most immersive home theater experience; a soundbar, a traditional surround setup, the theater quad, or a simple 2.1 setup with a product like this marantz. Given the variability in home layout, logistics of having to move a lot, and budget (military pays but it don’t pay THAT well), what do you think would be the best bang for your buck solution? I know that many people, not just service members, have work that forces them to move around a lot. What would you suggest for those of us in that situation?
If you get this and decide you want another amp, does it have pre outs? Looking forward to new c300v2 from NAD
Tidal connect is now supported and qobuz is on the road map so HEOS is working on improving things think I would rather go with HEOS rather then something like Sonos who just seems to be downgrading there software
Were a receiver like this used in a small room, say 10x10 ft or smaller, what kind of speaker setup would you use? Towers, 2.1 with bookshelves, just bookshelves? I'm just curious what people think.
I also dropped Tidal and moved back to Apple Music. I didn’t hear you mention Sonos as that is where my head went when I saw the M1. I’m a huge Marantz fan and thinking where the M1 will fit best. Thank you for the reviews
We'll have to visit that product soon. I honestly forgot to bring it out for comparison. Apologies.
Love ur review! I have a pair of KEF Ls50 meta, is the Naim uniti atom worth the extra?
@m0rianne Yeah, Naim claims 40 watts per channel into 8 ohms but the onboard amplifier is Class A/B, so…
Is it powerful enough to drive floorstanding speakers like Sonus Faber Lumina V or B&W 603 S3 properly? Especially at lower volumes to drive the larger woofers? Or it is more targetted to use with bookshelf speakers?
thanks for the review!, intrigued how it does compare to Technics SU-GX70, can you please share your thoughts? :)
if one thing only, sonic wise please :)
Would love to know this too.
Andrew I am tempted to buy this to drive my KEF R3 Meta. Other Amp I was considering was Marantz 40N which you did not cover. Will it get warm when driving 4 ohm speakers? I plan to put this behind a large screen TV with limited airflow
Another great review! The M1 sounds great until I found it only has on HDMI port. I was looking for a two channel receiver for my small study (with an old 55” Samsung, an AppleTV and a Mac Mini) so I took advantage of Marantz current sale on its refurbished store. I got the Stereo 70s for $599 and it exceeded my expectations. I use a pair of NHT 1.1 speakers I bought back in the 90’s, and they never sounded so good!
Thanks for all your advice and great reviews.
PD. Forgot to mention, love I can now join my Marantz SR8015 & Stereo 70s with HEOS. Still subscribed to Tidal but sure wish HEOS worked directly with Apple Music, my preferred music service.