New Marantz Model M1 & M4 Multi-Room Audiophile Streaming Amplifiers!

So Much More than the Typical Multi-Room Amplifier

Marantz is going after the Sonos/Bluesound crowd with two new products that represent the next generation of wireless streaming amplifier for the company. The ultra-compact and stylish Model M1 ($1,000) is designed to deliver high performance amplification and great sound from your favorite music streaming services in any room of the house. It also features analog and digital inputs to connect a turntable, a TV, or other physical sources. The Model M4 ($3,500) is essentially four M1 amps packed into a single chassis, with enough power for four zones of streaming audio. This makes the M4 an intelligent, updated version of the traditional rack-mountable distribution amplifier, with sound quality promising to please the most dedicated music-lover from a wide range of streamed music services, locally-connected sources, and even a TV (via an optical connection). Both the Model M1 and Model M4 are likely to sell in large numbers — I think the M1 in particular could become a runaway hit — yet both are built in Marantz’s legendary production facility in Shirakawa, Japan, where the company’s best high-end products are made.

Marantz Model M1

Marantz says that the M1 is uniquely positioned in the market as a wireless streaming amplifier because it appeals to both first-time Hi-Fi buyers, thanks to its flexible design and comprehensive feature set, and to the experienced audio enthusiast, thanks to Marantz’s engineering expertise and reputation for good sound. It certainly looks classier to my eye than similarly-priced all-in-one streaming amps like the Bluesound Powernode or NAD C 368. But it remains to be seen whether the recently-updated HEOS streaming platform, which controls the M1, can match Bluesound’s BluOS app for features and usability. Under the hood, the Marantz has “the power and quality to suit a wide range of loudspeakers, from compact designs to substantial towers,” according to the company. Its highly efficient amplification offers 100 watts per channel with “phenomenally low distortion – just 0.005% THD via its digital inputs.” Marantz is quick to point out that measurement-focused audiophiles might pay a great deal more for amps with similar specs. The M1 also features a configurable subwoofer output for a 2.1-channel experience, with the ability to adjust both the high-pass filter for the main speakers and the low-pass filter for the subwoofer. There’s also +/-15dB of subwoofer level trim at your disposal to dial in the blend with your main speakers.

The Model M1 operates in the digital domain from its inputs right up to the output stage that powers the speakers, ensuring that high-resolution signals are delivered in the best possible quality, according to Marantz. This design reportedly simplifies the signal flow and eliminates errors caused by the inexpensive DACs typically found in compact all-in-one devices. This “direct digital” circuit design doesn’t include a DAC stage at all. Instead, it keeps the signal in the digital domain, using the digital signal to directly switch the output stage that drives your speakers. (Ordinarily, the digital signal is first converted to an analog signal in the DAC stage, and then this analog signal is amplified by a traditional preamp and power amp. The latter could be Class A/B or Class D.) The direct digital design used in the M1 has been employed in other notable products over the years, from legacy Wadia and NAD amps to the present-day Bluesound Powernode Edge and Peachtree Audio GaN 1 digital power amp. Despite the lack of a traditional DAC, the M1 has no trouble with 24bit/192kHz PCM or DSD signals, according to Marantz. The company also tells us that because all audio signals remain in the digital domain, all sources can leverage the powerful DSP technologies built into the M1’s design, including Marantz Music Digital Filtering (MMDF), which was originally developed for the brand’s reference-grade audiophile CD players. According to Marantz, MMDF is “a unique and sophisticated digital filtering technology that reveals the natural detail and tonality in sound,” ensuring that the brand’s characteristic warmth and musicality are present and correct.

Marantz Model M1: Sources

Most M1 users will rely on the revamped HEOS app to access all the music services available on the HEOS platform, as well as updates that bring Roon Ready certification and Tidal Connect support for those who prefer to stay within those third-party apps. In addition to HEOS, the M1 supports bluetooth, Spotify Connect, and Apple AirPlay2. There’s also the option to play audio from a locally connected USB storage drive. The M1’s line-level RCA analog input can accommodate a turntable, as long as it has a built-in phono stage. (Otherwise you’d need an external phono preamp.) But analog purists take note: all incoming analog signals will be digitized. This is necessary, owing to the direct digital amplification technology at work inside the M1. For those less into the old school and more interested in 21st-century technology, the M1 features an HDMI eARC input. While not a replacement for an AVR, the M1 is certainly an appealing alternative to a soundbar for those who value quality music playback with stereo separation and realistic imaging. When it’s time to watch TV, the M1’s onboard Dolby Digital+ decoding means you don’t have to rely on your TV’s ability to down-mix surround signals into stereo. There’s also a Dialogue Enhancer option to make dialogue more easily discernible, and a Virtual mode that reportedly utilizes Dolby processing to “generate a large, three-dimensional sound field from stereo-only content.”

The M1 is likely to be deployed in multiple rooms throughout a user’s home, from the living room to the bedroom to the kitchen. Of course, users can share HEOS music across the home with other HEOS-enabled products from Denon and Marantz as well, making the M1 particularly appealing to owners of AVRs from these brands. HEOS can scale up to 32 discrete zones. Although the M1 is small and attractive, it can be hidden away without issues of heat build-up inside cabinets. Marantz says that its design includes highly effective passive thermal management. That also means there’s no need for a noisy fan. If you want to wall mount the M1, there’s even a threaded mounting point on the bottom of the amplifier. Custom installers can take advantage of the M1’s compatibility with a broad range of third-party control systems, including Crestron, Control4, and URC.

Marantz Model M4

Speaking of custom installers, the Marantz Model M4 will be a boon to those looking to control and power distributed audio setups around the house. If you already have wiring from a central rack or AV closet to in-wall or in-ceiling speakers in multiple rooms, the M4 provides the same experience as the M1 (and nearly identical performance, according to the spec sheets), while providing 8 channels of amplification for four independently controllable zones of audio. 

The M4’s industrial design takes cues from the current generation of Marantz Hi-Fi and AVR products, making it more than attractive enough to be left out in the open, if that’s what your setup requires. Of course, its rack-mountable design also makes it perfect for more discreet installations where electronics are kept out of sight. Marantz says the M4 has been “carefully engineered to deliver the extreme robustness, simple control functionality, and flexible configuration that is essential to successful home integration.” Like the M1, the M4 delivers 100 watts per channel into 8-ohm loads. But if you need even more power, the M4 features a Bridge Mode, offering up to 4 x 200W of output, and preamp outputs for use with separate power amps. While it lacks the M1’s eARC input, the M4 does offer two optical inputs, four USB inputs, and four analog inputs on RCA.

More information: Marantz

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