It’s probably a sign of the times that “vintage Marantz” is one of the most searched topics on this website and on a lot of Hi-Fi Forums. Vintage Marantz equipment has definitely become more expensive over the years; perhaps not as expensive as vintage McIntosh but there are a lot of audiophiles willing to spend money on some of the classic pieces from the 1960s and 1970s.
Marantz is definitely a company in transition; something that I discovered at a private listening event in New York City’s Hudson Yards — high above the city in a penthouse overlooking the Hudson River and Weehawken.
The $2,499 Marantz Model 40n Integrated Amplifier is not your father’s Model 2270 and for a new generation of listeners focused on wireless streaming, home theater, and vinyl playback, it represents a rebirth of the brand that Saul Marantz launched in 1953 in New York.
Throw in the steady hand and resources of Sound United, and Marantz is in very good shape moving forward.
You can tell when management and public relations people are confident about the “experience” they are selling and I felt that throughout my time with them.
Marantz has a younger, but no less experienced group of people at the helm right now that understands that the market and consumer have changed.
If the pandemic taught us any lessons, it is clear that people are willing to spend on a high-end experience that works with both music and movies and one that can be controlled from your smartphone or tablet.
So nu? How was it?
The source material was a mixture of movie scenes, music from the various streaming services, and a nice selection of vinyl that sounded absolutely fabulous on a Marantz turntable. I’m not a huge Diana Krall fan, but the weight and tonality of the piano was spot on and filled the really large main living space rather easily.
Both systems were very simple; Marantz Model 40N with a pair of Bowers & Wilkins stand-mounted loudspeakers (placed on a stunning credenza) and 702 S2 floor standing loudspeakers in a much larger living room with the aforementioned Marantz turntable. A media player handled the video portion of the demo.
The setting for the event also spoke volumes about how they plan on selling it; performance and lifestyle are not mutually exclusive concepts and the type of consumer willing to spend a considerable amount of money on the Marantz Model 40n and a pair of Bowers & Wilkins loudspeakers definitely wants both.
The dining room set-up intrigued me more for the simple reason that I listen this way almost every day of my life.
Yes — I review components in my dining room, aside from just my den, bedroom, office, and home theater room.
It’s actually a very liberating way to listen while I eat or work on articles during the day. We don’t play music when the kids are home and eating dinner with us because it only distracts us from those important conversations but it’s not unusual to find me at 11 p.m. listening to records with the lights turned down and my eyes focused on my laptop screen
I suspect I’m not alone in that regard at all.
The new Marantz Model 40n shares a very similar aesthetic to the Model 30 Integrated Amplifier and I’m definitely a fan of the industrial design. The Marantz Black and Silver Gold finishes were both on display and I could easily envision both in plenty of high rent apartments in NYC and beyond.
The price doesn’t faze me having listened to two different systems with loudspeakers that were far more expensive than the amplifiers; the 70 watts per channel, Class A/B integrated amplifier had zero issues driving either loudspeaker and I slightly surprised by the depth and width of the soundstage watching clips from Jurassic World.
The main system was a 2.0 setup and the impact (volume levels were lower to not disturb people in the building) without a subwoofer was still quite strong. I moved around the room and found the sound to be quite immersive even while watching off-axis.
The Model 40n isn’t driving a pair of large Maggies but it’s the right kind of integrated amplifier for a lot of rooms and speakers below $3,000.
Streaming Together or Separate – Whole Home Audio
The Model 40n has been designed to work as the primary hub for one or multiple rooms. With HEOS® built-in technology, your entire family can enjoy their favorite music in any room for a wireless, whole-home experience. Play the same song in every room to create a festive mood or select different songs for each connected room by adding HEOS-capable speakers throughout the home.
Featuring advanced Wi-Fi technology, the Model 40n facilitates wireless streaming via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth that is stable even in congested urban settings. For an intuitive user experience, the Marantz Model 40n comes with a remote control, and conveniently works with Siri, Alexa, Google and Josh.ai voice command systems as well as the Control4 smart home ecosystem.
Listening to music is effortless thanks to built-in access to music streaming from Spotify Connect, Apple Music via Airplay, Pandora, Tidal, and many more services.
The Model 40n also provides access to high resolution personal file libraries, up to PCM 192 kHz/24-bit as well as DSD up to 5.6 MHz. Wireless connectivity options include Apple Airplay, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi with HEOS®.
There is support for HDMI ARC (not eARC) and the built-in MM phono preamp was one of the my favorite parts of the amplifier; one should expect a $2,500 Integrated Amplifier to have a good phono stage and the Model 40n delivered in a big way.
An Ortofon 2M Black, Grado Sonata3, or Sumiko Wellfleet would work really well with the Model 40n.
Having just reviewed the Marantz CD60 CD Player, I already know how this scenario is likely to play out in the coming months in my living room; plans are underway for a system consisting of the Model 40n, CD60, Bluesound NODE, Pro-Ject Debut Pro with the Sumiko Wellfleet, and a pair of either Focal Chora 826 or PSB Synchrony B600s.
Marantz is focused on the right things with this unit; performance, connectivity, and a really striking piece of industrial design that makes a lot of sense at its asking price.
Key Features
- Just Add Speakers: Everything else for The Most Musical Sound is built-in
- Built for Streaming: Use with Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, AirPlay, Bluetooth and more—powered by HEOS®
- Sound Master Tuned: Expertly crafted and tuned for The Most Musical Sound
- Power: 70 watts per channel @ 8 ohms (100-watts @ 4 ohm)
- Voice Control: Works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple Siri
- Luxurious Industrial Design: Adds class to any environment
- HDAM Circuit: Unique technology preserves every detail in your favorite sounds
- Marantz Musical Phono EQ: Built-in MM phono stage makes adding a turntable easy
- Whole-Home Hi-Fi: Connect with HEOS Built-in speakers for a whole-home system that allows you to to sync or separate streams in each room
Specifications
- Power Output Circuit: HDAM-SA3
- Power Transformer: Double Shielded Toroidal
- Damping Factor: 100
- Volume: Electric
- Subwoofer Pre-out Low Pass Filter: Selectable 40 Hz / 60 Hz / 80 Hz / 100 Hz / 120 Hz
- Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.02% (20Hz – 20kHz, 8Ω)
- Inputs: 1 coaxial, 1 toslink
- S/N Ratio:
- PHONO (MM): 87dB
- CD: 106dB
- Product Dimensions: (W x H x D in inches) 17.4″ x 5.1″ x 17″
- Weight in lbs: 36 lbs 13 Oz
Price & Availability
The Marantz Model 40n Network Integrated Amplifier will be available in two finishes: Black and Silver for $2,499 at marantz.com, Amazon, and Crutchfield and is available at authorized Marantz retailers.
ORT
February 15, 2022 at 11:48 am
Hi Ian!
Great write-up, my friend! Excellente’!
I am a tremendous fan of Denon/Marantz/HEOS. I started out with two Heos 1 speakers (you do NOT need a receiver to use them) and have moved upwards to now having a Denon AVR-X4300H and eight of their HEOS speakers through out our home. HEOS is superb! HEOS is backward compatible with their first gen equipment although those can not decode UHD Music, it is NOT then end of the world. They work just fine. And again, Denon makes their stuff compatible with THEIR Stuff! 🙂
The main reason I went with my Denon over the Marantz version was the itsty-bitsy-teenie-weenie- tiny-little-circular display of the Marantz.
And HEOS works great! It is easy to set up. Easy to use. Easy to expand. Easy to USE! And affordable. To be honest, the speakers are so good that I really only need half the speakers I currently have. I will be upgrading the Onkyo set up I gave to my older brother a few years back (Atmos) to a Denon HEOS AVR soon. He and his wonderful wife are retired and on a fixed income whilst I am still hanging on at work and so I will save for them to have the best I can afford and that will be a HEOS system.
I use Pandora Family Plan, SiriusXM and Amazon Music UHD. I cannot hear a difference in codecs and do not care. I hear music. The Doobie Brothers sang, “Listen To The Music”, not “listen to the equipment”. For those that whine about being able to hear a difference, HEOS has Tidal(bowl) and Spotify. Fine. I like what I have too. No Qbot/buz or what ever it is called. I do not care. I have 19,000 songs on my phone and I can easily send them to any room or rooms I choose. I have done so too. Easy-peesy-Mac-n-Cheesy!
Denon/Marantz are excellent, high quality products. And did I mention how easy HEOS is? IT IS! I would not hesitate to recommend Denon/Marantz/HEOS to any one. It really is excellent.
5.1 5.2 7.2 9.2 (my set up) 11.2 or 13.2 Denon and Marantz have you covered. HEOS blankets your home in the soundtrack of YOUR life! And film? I have watched a lot of movies on my 9.2 from the ’30s to the present and my AVR puts out the soundtrack of each film with ease.
“Sullivan’s Travels” and “I Married A Witch” are two films I revisit monthly. No Atmos, mono and Criterion Collection versions. S U P E R B!
Modern films with Atmos or DTS encoded sound are excellent too!
I am listening to my music now as I write this and it sounds like…Johnny Mathis!!!! Remember what I said about the Doobies? Any one here remember “Romper Room” and “Mr. Doo-Bee” and “Mr. Don’t-Bee”?
“Mr. Doo-Bee” listens to the music and remembers where each song goes in his lifeline. “Mr. Don’t-Bee” listens to his ego and the equipment.
I think I will watch “The Ten Commandments” over the next couple of evenings. And then Franco Zefferelli’s excellent mini-series on the Christ, “Jesus of Nazareth”. I’m Cashew so I can get away with the ensuing guilt, LOL!
Denon/Marantz/HEOS are highly recommended by this little Doo-Bee.
ORT
Ian White
February 15, 2022 at 3:18 pm
ORT,
There was something about the Model 40n that I just really liked. I texted the images from the dining room space to my wife and she immediately wanted to know what the deal was with the “creepy” bust. Sigh.
I can’t speak for Denon because I have not tried any of their new products in a few years (minus my DL-A110 cart), but the Marantz Model 40n was very easy to use, I liked the industrial design, and it just sounded really good in both systems.
$2,500 is not borscht (Putin joke) but the phono stage was excellent and I really felt that it could work with a wide range of speakers. It’s definitely a warm sounding amplifier with some added coloration but it made my feet tap for almost an hour and that’s a good sign.
TTC is an annual film in this house. I’ve memorized every line. Especially Ms. Baxter who I find dreamy after all of these years and 3 boxes of matzo at the Seder.
Ian White
oldroadtoad
February 16, 2022 at 1:52 am
Anne Baxter was a babe! “Moses…Moses…Moses”…And Clint Walker in teh background as the Pharaoh’s guard? Made this tiny tot want to train harder in the gym.
I have a Pioneer Elite SX-N30 that is kinda sorta like this new 40n but the Marantz is even better. And prettier too. And better! But the Pioneer is long paid for.
I think this new Marantz is going to impress with performance to match its gorgeous looks. It looks great and no matter what some folk claim, looks matter.
If I did not enjoy the film side of my Denon AVR and did not already have the SX-N30 I would give the 40n serious consideration.
I might still any way. The name Marantz is storied in our audio history. I like the silvery-goldish one. I tend to purchase a lot from our local Best Buy/Magnolia and they already have it featured on their website. I just looked. 🙂
If you have not already, check out the scoop on DeMille’s original, silent TTC. He built the coolest sets and they are still “out there” in the dunes of Guadalupe, CA. “The Lost City of DeMille”.
I am weakening. 😉
ORT
ORT
May 25, 2022 at 3:21 am
Good evening, sir –
Not to be a bother but I am wondering if you will be actually testing/reviewing the 40n soon. I tried a lesser set up and it finally went back due to a less than stellar phono out put. Life is too short to have a short temper over some thing like that. My mother taught me that if you lose your temper, do not go looking for it.
So back went the Denon. As regards a purchase that is for me, quite large, I want a reliable source to inform me pre-purchase. If not, I under stand.
I recall you saying in another article on integrated amps that you did not include the 40n because you had not officially reviewed it yet.
I listen to records more than CDs but less than my Pandora, SiriusX and Amazon UHD accounts.
Either way, thank you and have a good evening.
ORT
Mike Cornell
February 15, 2022 at 1:01 pm
Hi Ian…to me, it looks like they’ve taken their PM8006, added network/streaming capability and wrapped it in the Model 30’s suit, would you concur? I’ll see how the price comes out in CAD but I expect it to be about $3500, so the PM8006 (2k cad, up from about 1.6k) plus a Bluesound Node may be a more affordable option.
Ian White
February 15, 2022 at 1:59 pm
Mike,
There are definitely some elements of the PM8006 in the Model 40n. They even mentioned that. I’ve never heard the PM8006 so I can’t say how they compare sonically.
One thing I will do when I get a review sample is run my Bluesound Node through it and see which one I prefer.
I don’t think the $2,500 price tag is remotely unreasonable, compared to some other products I’ve seen recently. A $3,500 CAD price seems rather high even with the exchange rate. That would certainly give me pause if I were looking in Canada at something like this.
Best,
Ian White
Mike Cornell
February 15, 2022 at 3:14 pm
Thanks, Ian…yes, it probably will be about 3325 cad give or take
as the 2999 Model 30 is 3999 in Canada and the 1499 PM8006 is 1999, so a markup of about 1.33. Still, a PM8006/Bluesound node
would be about 2650 cad…. a $675 savings. I do like the new look, though the look of the PM8006 is not unlike the SimAudio Moon components, not a bad thing either!
Ian White
February 15, 2022 at 3:31 pm
Mike,
The $6,000 B&W speakers in the dining room were gorgeous but probably not what I would use with the Model 40n. It definitely has a warmer tonal balance and some added weight in the upper bass and lower midrange.
I kinda hate listening to Diana Krall but the record sounded superb in the system; body, texture, layers of detail and the sound was pushed a few feet in front of the speakers but in a very natural way.
The room was huge — I should have taken a photo from the one of the rear corners. I was seated almost 15 feet back from the speakers which were 2-3 feet out from the wall and there was 4-5 feet of space behind me. Ceiling height was 10-12′ and the room was 15′ wide for sure.
The Marantz can drive those B&W 702 S2s quite easily.
The MoonbySimAudio equipment is superb but a lot more money. I love their phono stages.
Ian White
Mike Cornell
February 17, 2022 at 7:53 pm
Ian, so the official CAD price is 3499, so a markup of 1.4 compared to 1.33 for the Model 30 and PM8006, for example. So, I’m hoping Marantz either refreshes the PM8006 (PM8007?) with the Model 40n’s upgraded internals or gives us a Model 40 without the ‘n’!
Initial reports are that the 40n sounds very good indeed.
Ian White
February 17, 2022 at 10:19 pm
Mike,
That’s a big markup. Way more than I would have expected.
I listened to it for an hour on two different pairs of speakers and was very impressed.
Bottom end is quite full and while the midrange was definitely on the warmer side, it was just a very nice listening experience.
The tonal balance is probably a good match with speakers that are slightly forward sounding, a tad lively in the top end and very detailed.
It is slightly laid back sounding but that’s ok. I would rather have that versus an amplifier that is too aggressive or hard on top.
We shall find out in late-March.
Ian White
Alvester
February 16, 2022 at 9:05 am
I love Marantz products but it’s useless without it having Chromecast Audio to fit into our home’s primary networking system. Chromecast is PHENOMENAL for home audio networking. I use it to sync music into 12 different rooms in our home. I love how I can create various different speaker groups for different floors and/or tasks and they can be voice controlled through Google Assistant.
My wife, who is decidedly low tech, even uses the Chromecast system a lot via voice control. I have a superb sounding older Marantz SACD player but it gets used maybe once a year because it’s just not as convenient as using Chromecast. I’ve created a home network audio media server for all my DSD and FLAC albums and play them via Chromecast throughout our home.
Mark
May 23, 2022 at 6:49 am
I’ll keep my 2270 and add a streamer to go with my vinyl, cassettes and CD’s.
Vintage is cool and the sound is gorgeous.
Lash
September 4, 2022 at 9:51 pm
No concerns about it’s 4 ohm output?
Ian White
September 4, 2022 at 10:11 pm
The 100 watts/channel into 4 ohms will be tested during our own review but I have no reason yet to be concerned based on my experience with 3 loudspeakers that drop down to 4 ohms.
Ian White
Trevor Parmer
September 5, 2022 at 2:21 am
Very nice and this is an interesting piece to consider powering my Cornwall IVs. In your proposed system above I see you listed a Node (which I own too and use the eARC as my current integrated doesn’t have it), but with Heos and ARC built in the 40n, why use the Node?
Ian White
September 5, 2022 at 11:03 am
Trevor.
Access to more streaming platforms that the Model 40n does not support natively, the internal DAC is inferior to the one inside the NODE, and because I feel some strange need to complicate things.
Ian White
Casey N
January 5, 2023 at 4:01 am
2270 wins looks, sound restored. No class D junk