Hot on the heels of budget M1 streaming amp, Marantz reasserts its status in the premium audiophile sector with a piece of audio engineering at the other end of the scale entirely – it’s first new reference product since 2016 and a real statement of intent: MODEL 10 Reference Integrated Amplifier.
Drawing on 70 years of industry know-how and a 5-year development and engineering project at Shirakawa Audio Works Japan, MODEL 10 is the epitome of Marantz technological expertise and design craftmanship moulded into one quite beautiful product.
This is a powerhouse of an amplifier, delivering 250W per channel (into 8Ω, 500W into 4Ω), the most powerful in Marantz’s history, boasting the lowest distortion and widest dynamic range. In fact, every single performance measurement improves dramatically over previous reference amplifiers. Which put simply, means the sound produced by this is Marantz’s best, exuding unprecedented musicality and maximum warmth and richness for which Marantz has become so revered.
MODEL 10 is exquisite inside and out; every detail has clearly been carefully considered. A completely new, copper-plated and triple-layered chassis - some 1.5cm thick for minimum resonance - houses a compartmentalised enclosure and clever array of shielding to isolate each delicate and critical function, thereby all but eliminating interference. And thanks to the unique mesh top cover grille and warm, internal lighting, you can actually see the components and processes in action, which is pretty cool.
There’s an heir of nostalgia to MODEL 10, with design echoes of past Marantz greats – the brushed aluminium fascia, symmetrical design and engineering philosophy, and a contemporary version of Marantz’s trademark porthole control, now with hi-res OLED display. But technology-wise, less so. Aesthetics pay homage to Marantz heritage, but make no mistake, this is cutting-edge: a massive 85% of components in MODEL 10 are completely new, unseen in any other Marantz products.
What’s the key tech?
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At its core, MODEL 10 features a newly designed, dual-mono, symmetrical amplifier topology, designed in partnership with Purifi and hand-built in Shirakawa
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Separate switch mode power supplies for each channel
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Complete engineering separation of left-to right, front-to-back and top-to-bottom internal structures, separating high and low power circuits to eliminate interference
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New preamplifier section using latest evolution HDAM SA-3 throughout (proprietary Marantz analogue circuitry)
And the key features?
- Configurable MM/MC phono stage
- Headphone amplifier with selectable gain
- 2 x XLR inputs - truly balanced (ground is removed from the audio path, creating a very low noise floor)
- 3 x RCA (phono) inputs
Finally, how does it look?
Luxurious, a hint of industrial and most of all, serious. MODEL 10 means business.
- CNC machined aluminium with spun finish knobs for volume and input
- Eye-catching OLED porthole can display volume, input, or our favourite, VU meter mode
- A bespoke, weighty, aluminium-faced remote control
- Available in black or champagne finish
MODEL 10 is the first in a trio of 10 Series products that will see Marantz into octogenarian territory, and firmly into the sphere of high-resolution, networked music.
SACD 10 player and LINK 10n streamer will follow later this year, but for now, MODEL 10 integrated amp is lighting up our demo rooms in so many good ways - visit our stores or get in touch for a listen.
Peter Tyson Carlise – 01224 546756
Peter Tyson Newcastle – 0191 285 7179