New Marantz Model 10 Reference Integrated Amp Tech Overview

Marantz Model 10 is a 74lbs Purifi Class D Integrated Amplifier!

Marantz has announced a drool-worthy new high-end integrated amp, the Model 10 Reference Integrated Amplifier ($15,000). Although priced beyond the reach of many audiophiles — including yours truly (a single tear is slowly falling down my face as I type this) — the  Model 10 is an exciting piece of gear and the first in what will be a three-piece 10 Series Collection of reference-quality stereo products from Marantz. We at Audioholics have long been admirers of the brand’s integrated amps. Personally, I have recommended the $1,200 PM8006 (and more recently, the $1,800 Model 50) to several friends looking for a straight-forward, high-quality integrated priced under $2K. Back in 2007, we reviewed the PM-11S1 Reference Integrated Amplifier, which delivered stellar performance. Chief Audioholic Gene DellaSala himself used the follow-up PM-11S2, and was so enamored of its sound that he later jumped at the chance to review the equally-impressive PM-11S3, which cost $5K in 2013. Marantz embraced Class D technology to deliver seriously muscular power figures in its PM-10 Integrated, which sold for a hefty $8K when my colleague Tony wrote about it back in 2016. And as we’ll see in a moment, the new Model 10 Reference Integrated Amplifier continues the trend of embracing cutting-edge technology to deliver monster-truck power with Porsche-like agility. It also follows the trend of ever-increasing prices.

Marantz Model 10 Reference Integrated Amplifier: More Power!

Marantz says that the 10 Series Collection ushers in a new era of high-end audio design and performance for the brand, and the Model 10 Reference Integrated Amplifier is the perfect statement piece to kick it all off. It’s the first reference-level stereo integrated since the aforementioned PM-10 was introduced 8 years ago. The development of the design reportedly took five years of extensive collaboration among all departments of the engineering team at the renowned Shirakawa Audio Works in Japan. The Model 10 is the most powerful one-box amplifier Marantz has ever made, according to the company. It delivers a considerable 250 watts into 8-ohm speaker loads, and a merciless 500 watts into 4-ohm designs -both channels driven! In those rare situations when even more power is needed, the user can add a second Model 10 using Marantz’s proprietary F.C.B.S (Floating Control Bus System) to link and control the two amplifiers seamlessly. This creates a “superlative bi-amplified stereo system,” according to Marantz. In fact, up to four Model 10s can be connected together in this way. The Model 10 is built around “a newly designed dual-mono symmetrical amplifier topology… (featuring) a completely new copper-plated, triple-layered chassis with a compartmentalized design structure designed to provide complete engineering separation of each critical internal function,” according to Marantz. High-power and low-power circuits are isolated from each other by two internal compartments, aided by strategically-placed shields. This design is intended to prevent internal interference from limiting performance.

Editorial Note About Power Consumption by Gene DellaSala
An astute observer will note the backpanel power consumption of 270 watts on the Model 10. This is NOT a Max Power rating as we've noted in a prior editorial on how manufacturers rate this figure. I verified with Marantz Engineering that the 270 watts power consumption is based on the output power 1/8 of non clipped (75W/4ohms, 2CH driven). In this case the efficiency is 85%. The Model 10 max power rating is likely much closer to 1100-1200 watts (assuming 500wpc x 2 with 95% efficiency rating).

The power amp section is a new design engineered in partnership with the Danish company Purifi. (Co-founded by Class D savant Bruno Putzeys, Purifi was responsible for the circuit that made the NAD M23 one of the most accurate power amps ever to grace Gene’s test bench.) The Model 10 uses two of these newly-designed amps in dual-mono operation. The Model 10 utilizes a uniquely developed Purifi Class D amplifier topology in a BTL (Bridged Tied Load) configuration, customized for Marantz's requirements. Marantz states that the Model 10 is a fully balanced amplifier from input to output, featuring individual SMPS power supplies for each channel, designed by Marantz from the ground up, with all line-level input circuitry powered by a separate linear power supply unit.

As you might expect from a Purifi-based design, the amp boasts astonishingly low distortion — Marantz claims 0.05% THD across the entire audio band at full power, and an order of magnitude better at half-rated power. The 0.05% THD+N rating is Marantz's spec for clipping power. Based on the Purifi data sheet and our past experience measuring their amp designs, we'd expect the distortion figures to be almost immeasurable on our Audio Precision test gear at below clipped levels. Dynamic range should be no problem, thanks to the amplifier’s 30A of peak current. Marantz also says that the amp’s frequency response is immune to load impedance. In front of this new power amp is an all-new preamplifier section utilizing the latest generation of Marantz’s HDAM (Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Module) analog circuitry. HDAM is a proprietary Marantz technology first introduced in the PM-99SE amplifier in 1992, and is designed to deliver the optimum combination of speed of response and transparency of signal, according to the company. The latest incarnation of this all-discrete componentry is said to outperform all predecessors, ensuring that the Model 10 “has all the musicality for which Marantz amplifiers are rightly renowned,” according to Marantz.

Marantz Model 10 Reference Integrated Amplifier: Attention to Detail

Marantz is known for paying thoughtful attention to the little things when it comes to aesthetics and ergonomics. The Model 10 features the brand’s signature porthole-style display, but it’s been upgraded to a high-res TFT that can switch from displaying volume level, to selected input, to a Level Meter mode. The CNC-machined, spun-finished aluminum control knobs for volume and input selection feature individual bearings for a smooth feel. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but this beholder thinks the Model 10 is a knockout. The amp’s industrial design is marked by the special hairline finish on the front panel’s extruded aluminum control surface, with subtle LED lighting embedded around the assembly. The mesh-covered grille section on the unit’s top panel is “rippled with Marantz’s iconic rhythmic design pattern and illuminated from within,” showing off the amplifier’s massive power transformer and other high-spec components. The solid aluminum side panels are almost 16mm thick, providing an ultra-low-resonance structure and contributing to the 74-pound amp’s overall feel of solidity. 

While some manufacturers seem to treat remote controls as afterthoughts, the Model 10’s remote features a teal-colored aluminum top surface that gives it “added heft and (a) premium feel,” according to Marantz. The remote is unique to the Model 10. The all-analog Model 10 features two XLR balanced inputs, three additional unbalanced inputs on RCA, and a high-quality phono stage for both MM and MC cartridges. Preamplifier outputs are also provided, again in both XLR and RCA. There is also a power-amp input that bypasses the Model 10’s internal preamplifier. A high-quality headphone output rounds out the offering. Peering at the backpanel, we don't see provisions for a bass managed subwoofer output so you'll have to use the preouts and internal crossover of your powered subwoofer if you decide to supplement the bass response of your system.

The new 10 Series components embody unparalleled heritage, performance, and contemporary luxury design. Built to the most demanding of standards, the design of each product is inspired by some of the most iconic hi-fi components in Marantz’s storied history – yet at the same time, the engineering inside ensures that each component is both truly contemporary and ready to make the most of hi-fi’s digital future.

— Marantz

The Marantz Model 10 Reference Integrated Amplifier is expected to ship in October of 2024, and will be followed by the SACD 10, a statement-quality SACD player built to the same exacting standards. Finally, the 10 Series Collection will be completed with the launch of the LINK 10n Reference Network Audio Player, available “in the coming months” from authorized Marantz retailers, like our friends at Audio Advice.

More information: Marantz Model 10 Reference Integrated Amplifier

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.