The Comeback Kid
Sydney Morning Herald
Monday July 30, 2001
AGAINST all odds, the stereo amplifier is making a comeback. At a time when most retailers are pushing multichannel sound, old-fashioned two-channel integrated amplifiers are starting to post some respectable sales figures.
One would like to imagine the reason for this is related to sound quality. Despite advances in technology, a good stereo amplifier will always out-perform a good receiver. It comes down to circuit complexity. Nearly all multichannel receivers have sophisticated digital-to-analog decoders and digital-signal-processing (DSP) chips built in. These circuits enable receivers to connect directly to DVD players and create artificial acoustic environments to deliver highly realistic-sounding echoes and reverberation. The drawback is that they're electronically noisy and add hiss to the audio signal. As a result, even a well-designed A/V receiver will have at least several hundred times more circuit noise than a stereo amplifier. It isn't immediately obvious because the levels involved are so low, but if you're comparing two components in a quiet room, it is possible to hear the difference.
Regrettably, the reason stereo amplifiers are making a comeback is more likely because modern households require at least two different entertainment systems to function smoothly. As the primary source of entertainment, the TV/DVD combination is best suited to multichannel sound and DSP sound effects, so this is where a multichannel receiver will end up. Somewhere at the other end of the house you'll find the ``stereo" system.
The PM4000 is something of a bargain on the budget-amplifier scene, despite its low output power (just 30 watts per channel). Marantz has built in a number of frills, the most important of which is an infra-red remote that controls not only the PM4000, but any other Marantz component as well. Resisting the temptation to be politically correct, the PM4000's designers have included bass and treble tone controls, along with a defeat button to take them out of circuit; a mute button for instantly cutting volume; and a loudness control for correcting tonal balance when listening at low volume. There are two pairs of speaker outputs, so you can run a second pair of loudspeakers independently, either outdoors or in another room. The phono stage will work with any turntable fitted with a high-output cartridge. There are inputs for a CD player, AM/FM tuner, MiniDisc or CD recorder and one spare (auxiliary).
The build quality of the PM4000 is first rate, particularly the front panel controls, which are silky-smooth to operate. The design isn't perfect Marantz should have linked the muting circuit's action to the volume control, and the speaker terminals are the wrong way around but these are minor niggles in what is otherwise a highly desirable package.
info file
Marantz PM4000 Stereo Integrated Amplifier
Price: $549
QualiFi Pty Ltd
24 Lionel Road, Mt Waverley, Victoria 3149
(03) 9543 1522
1800 242 426
info@marantz.com.au
www.qualifi.com.au
© 2001 Sydney Morning Herald