Une pure merveille. Que du bonheur.

After extensive demo's of amplifiers, I bought the Marantz SM11-S1. I thought it sounds more musical than other gear I considered, including comparable Ayre and Meridian amps. The Marantz is the more musical and resolving. I wanted a tube-like presentation but did not want to deal with the maintenance and heat issues of tube gear. The Marantz struck me as the most tube-like amp that I demo'd, presenting a warm tonal balance. But in addition, it is highly resolving and is extended at both frequency extremes. Presentation is very fast, like good tube gear. Bass quality is excellent, exceeding most tube gear I have heard (McIntosh, VTL) but not as pronounced as most solid state muscle amp, whose bass quantity often seems overwhelming to these ears. The amp is also built like a tank and Marantz seems willing to stand behind its Reference amps with a 5-year warranty, one of the longest in the industry (with the exception of Bryston).