Marantz PM12SE EX-DEMO

The first post Ishiwata product from this excellent pedigree this PM12 looks firmly ... the same ... in its lineage of audio design.

The PM-12SE integrated amplifier is a fully discrete two-stage design with separate power supplies for the pre-amplifier and power amp section.

Nominally 100W per channel, with high-quality nickel-plated copper input terminals and high-purity copper speaker connections, this amplifier is designed signal purity throughout.

Drawing on design elements of the PM-10, the PM-12SE is built to leverage enhancements, maintain the purest possible sound and support the power needed to drive the most demanding speakers. The amplifier output stage of the PM-12SE allows a large power output, delivering that 2x100W into an 8ohm load, and easily copes with high-impedance speakers thanks to a 2x200W output into 4ohms. The amplifier module connects directly to the rear panel PCB on the PM-12SE to maintain signal purity and sound stability.

I think that this family of amplifiers is one the best iterations of Class D on the market by a large margin.

The Phono stage in the PM-12SE amplifier has been designed with particular care and can be used with both moving magnet and low-output moving coil cartridges, thanks to a built-in MC head amplifier. The phono stage uses two-stage amplification, combining Marantz HDAMs with JFETs (junction gate field effect transistors) in the input stage, giving high input impedance. This allows the no-negative-feedback design to be further simplified by the deletion of coupling capacitors, again reducing distortion and enhancing signal purity.

Marantz amplifiers have a gentler hand on the music than for example the Rotel heavyweights and are noted for their sparkle and presence without fatigue.

Here is a very nice man describing the PM12SE ... in French alas but he's good:

•       Engineered and extensively tuned by European and Japanese sound engineers drawing on more than 65 years of Marantz amplifier design knowledge

•       Marantz high-resolution preamplifier stage using proprietary HDAM technology

•       Switching power amplifier design derived from flagship PM-10 and PM-KI Ruby

•       Load independent frequency response allow connection of any speaker

•       Generous output: 100W + 100W (8 ohm), 200W + 200W (4 ohm)

•       Fully-discrete two-stage design for signal purity, with separate power supplies for preamp and power amplifier sections to reduce interference

•       Toroidal transformer dedicated to preamp for clarity and precision sound

•       Current feedback design with newly developed wide-range circuitry

•       HDAM ® SA3 circuitry for clean signal and optimal dynamics

•       MM/MC Phono input with new discrete Marantz Musical Premium Phono EQ circuit

•       Thick nickel plated independent input terminals for CD and Phono, plus Marantz original high-quality/high-purity copper speaker terminals

•       Linear volume control with new electric volume system