A400 vs PM7200

I have been happily listening to my Pioneer A400 for many years now, and a friend has just offered me his Marantz PM7200, I know that the Marantz had good reviews but from the specs I suspect that the Pioneer despite its age would still be better. Has anyone done an A:B Comparison? I would hate to do one and upset my friend by keeping the A400.

Music I listen to ? well tonight it has been Finzi - Choral works , Joni Mitchell - Blue , Loudon Wainwright - One man guy , Kaiser Chiefs -Employment. and the system has always had to cope with all varieties of music.

Kit, Linn Sondek , Arcam CD82 , Denon TU 260 , Rogers LS4a (due for replacement).

 

I think it will be a side-step... The A400 is very transparent and fast, the PM7200 softer and warmer. Don't be afraid to compare them I say!

 

I prefer the 7200 but that is just my opinion, both are very similar in specification and both run in class A. I think this is like comparing a BMW 530 to a Merc E320.

It is just a matter of personal preference.

The 7200 is a newer model though.

 

The A400 does not really run in class A, does it?

 

Dont think it was. Friend had one and it never even ran vaguely warm, let alone hot enough to be class A.

 

The 400 is not class A. You could only try them, but I think you'd be comparing similair. You'd need to spend a bit of money to get significantly better than the Pioneer

 

I agree.

 

If you were happy with the system BEFORE your friend offered you the amp, why consider changing it?

 

I am thinking of changing it because the Pioneer is getting on a bit , and he only wants £100 for the Marantz but if I am not going to keep it I could not buy it from him at so low a price .

 

Am I the only one who thinks the pioneer is a tinny, overrated amp?

 

No, when I heared one back in 2000 I found it sounded quite thin, it had a lot of dynamic ability but the trelbe and mid range were too forward for my liking.

I've not heared one or even seen one in recent years though hence the class A confusion.

At £100 the 7200 is a bargain they go for £200 on ebay.

 

The A400 favours dynamic music, but it has some abilities most other amps lack. Just a matter of taste really... It could sound tinny especially with the wrong (budget) CD-player.

 

I've lived with both amps for a couple of years now and have my own clear-ish view of how they compare. Usual caveat applies - it is all ultimately down to personal taste and depends on how the amp sits with your other components.

IMO the A400 is still a star - I've never found the sound particularly thin or tinny as some have said - instead I'd say there's almost a valve like quality about it. The PM7200 has a better bass - very good indeed for its price - more definition, extension, but I've never settled with its mid band which I find a bit sterile in any setup it has been put into. On the other hand, I find the A400 has a richer mid band - particularly good with fast dynamic speakers, but not so good with speakers already predisposed to mid range thickening.

Forget the class A hype on the marantz - though an excellent amp, changing it from class A to AB, in my experience, doesn't make an audible difference. I used to try changing with different music, then asked umpteen other people if they heard a difference, and no one ever did.

Bottom line, IMHO, the A400, depsite its age, is still a great little amp and musical in a way, I've never really found with the 7200. They are also going for daft prices on ebay at present. It's phono stage is also, I think, better than the marantz one. If you already like the A400, you could find you lose something important to you if you change it for the marantz.

Chris

 

I have also heard both and my prefference was for the marantz
maybe it's my set up but it just sounds more natural than the
A400 with a warmer lusher sound, better bass extention and nicer vocals. I use a modded marantz cd 5001ose and am now planning to modd my pm7200 amp with a few tweaks, the great things about the modds so far is that i havn't lost any of the sweet sound of my kit, just improved the detail and base. I use modded b&w dm 603 s3 speakers and the system as a whole sounds realy superb, sweet warm virtualy no sibilance but good soundstaging and plenty of detail, making it ideal for long listening sessions without any harshness. I picked my pm7200 up for £179 brand new so i consider it a bargain and imo nothing has bettered it below £400 watch this space for more modding info

 

decision

Having read your views I have agreed to take the Marantz off my friends hands ( it was causing matrimonial strife - big and ugly ) , if I prefer it to the Pioneer I will keep it , If I prefer the Pioneer I will sell the marantz on Ebay splitting the profits.

 

No, i never particularly liked it, because i found it bright and tinny. However it does have some qualities that providing you partnered it well would make it a good listen.