Marantz PM7200 class A....mmm

Does anyone here use a Marantz pm7200 amp in class A mode and can honestly hear a difference?A certain mag claimed that switching to class A the amp suddenly takes on a liquid qaulity to compare with some £1000 units! I dont bloody think so!Of course its a nice amp for the money but please come on. Is it true the source direct needs to be switched out for the class A to work? Surely this defeats the object of a pure signal?

 

I've got one in a second system and can't hear any difference, whether flipping it over while switched on or off, source direct or not etc. Still a bargain for the money though..

 

Agree its a budget classic like the Nad 3020 and pioneer A400. Probably best just to leave it in class AB and have the extra power...can be used as a convector heater too if left in class A

 

With my old PM-80, I could hear a difference, but it was VERY, VERY small... A little more spacious, less grainy and more 'loose'. But these are tiny difference I admit...

 

reluctant to go against the grain here , but using a nad 542 cd player ,and epos m12.2 speakers , i can hear a definite difference in A class.Its a more "live" and cleaner sound ,and the volume seems to get louder , which is opposite to normal mode where the volume seems to deteriorate after continued listening.


p.s the source direct switch has nothing to do with the a class effect

ew

 

Interesting you say the volume seems to get louder in class A as it is reduced from about 95w to 25w in class A. Or do you mean the dynamic range is improved in class A which could be possible?Nevertheless I don't hear a difference,perhaps my AE floorstanders are not revealing enough.I am certainly not dissapointed with the sound,I think its a clean and meaty sounding amp anyway.

 

What i mean to say about the volume is that when i start listening to music in normal mode i usually have the volume between quarter and ten to,however after a few hours listening i find i have to increase the volume to get the same sort of impact volume wise that i started with.Now some might say that this is because my ears have become accustomed to the volume etc ,over the few hours listening, but this doesnt happen in class a mode where i can start listening at between quarter to and ten to volume and i find i dont need to increase the volume at all.In fact sometimes i decrease it.In class a mode i can hear a certain clarity on many cds , such as evanesence like a backgound vocal or piano note that i wasnt aware of in normal mode.Its only lately ive started to leave the amp in a mode because i was worried about the heat.However i now have the amp on its own in an airy place and it isnt too bad at all.I am however experiencing a clarity in many cds that i wasnt aware of before.
ew

 

Interesting about the volume in control in class A . Can't say I've noticed this either with my PM7200. Glad your enjoying this excellent amp anyway.....class A or class B

 

I have the Marantz PM7200 and so does my mate. A quality amp for the price and what it has to offer. However I cant here any difference between class A and AB. I thought it was a fault but my mate cannot here the difference either. Maybe on the KI version you can however just leave it in AB is my advice.