THE INTEGRATED AMP IS GOOD IN ALL RESPECT . HOWEVER THE SERVICE IS THE PROBLEM. AT LOW FREQUENCY THE SOUND SLIGHLY SHATTER.
YOU CAN CONSIDER ANY AUDIO NOTE OR DENON AMP INSTEAD.

Detail is excellent - well articulated
Highs without the solid state ear surgery effect
Mids are solidly delivered
Bass was always lying in wait for the right recording - no artificial bloom or emphasis, but just seemed right
UNREAL musicality with the right recording - truly moving with some CDs/SACDs
Great separation of voices & instruments
Build quality is superb

Analytical but forgiving - will reveal a recording's strengths and weaknesses, but with a touch of mercy.

I have noticed this amp has gone without a review for some time, which is surprising... I was on the hunt for a new integrated, and this model landed on my top three list. It was auditioned with a set of Krell LAT-2 speakers and a Marantz DV9500 universal player. The sound was highly detailed and laid back - it seemed to fall a bit on the analytical side, but when the right recording came along, it would kick into gear and became incredibly musical, surpassing even the best tube gear I had heard to that point. I eventually went with another integrated amp, but only due to price and other considerations - I can only imagine what their high end separates must sound like. All in all, this integrated really shines - I believe it will be added to the list of Marantz classics, given time.

Similar Products Used:

Reviewed: Krell, Arcam, Ayre, Lavardin, Manley, McIntosh, Cayin A-88T (my eventual purchase), Yamaha, Simaudio (also great - I-5 LE), etc.