If you buy after clicking affiliate links on this site we might receive a commission from companies such as eBay, Amazon etc This does not affect the price you pay.
If you buy after clicking affiliate links on this site we might receive a commission from companies such as eBay, Amazon etc This does not affect the price you pay.
Click here to see similar items on eBay, and to buy.
Please read carefully as answers to questions we regularly receive will be found here Marantz SC-7S1 stereo preamplifier
RRP $17300.00- our price $9950.00!Free freight worldwide or collection in person welcomeBrand new stock! Photo 3 shows three preamps in their boxes (see our other eBay listings for the other two units) but this sale is only for the top unit – the Marantz SC-7S1.How important is Marantz’s latest foray into the true high-end arena?Let’s put it this way: they sent Ken Ishiwata along to checkthe installation. It gets no scarier than that, for K.I. is The Man, and Iwouldn’t have been allowed to review the new flagship pairing, the SC-7S1Stereo Preamplifier and MA-9S1 Monoblock Power Amplifiers, if the system didn’tpass his scrutiny. It was like taking a driving exam….Although they produced official re-issues of their classicvalve electronics a few years ago, Marantz wanted to mark its 50th Anniversarywith all-new models harking back to the company’s birth, but they couldn’t verywell reissue a recent, er, reissue. So the decision was made to apply thespirit rather than the form of the original Model 7 pre-amp and Model 9 poweramps to something undeniably 21st Century. All-balanced, solid-state, funky newmeters, useable with multi-channel set-ups – about all you can say regardingthe lineage is that the SC-7S1/MA-9S1 combo is stereo and champagne-coloured,with blue lights a’winking. The spiritual link, though, is simple:no-compromise.Externally, both are disarmingly minimalist, despite beingjam-packed with mouth-watering audiophile-grade componentry and complexcircuits. Common to both are the obviously harmonious styling, fully-balancedoperation front-to-back and use of the latest evolution of Marantz’s exclusiveHDAM (High-Definition Amplifier Modules), ‘for exceptional dynamic range,resolution, clarity and transient response.’ Both products boast massive powersupplies, heavy-gauge internal wiring, extra-thick circuit boards with largecircuit traces and extensive internal shielding. Their chassis are machinedfrom aluminium alloy, and, yes, they both sport round meters on their frontpanels. Style gurus will note that, like Plinius and the forthcoming Classerange, the faceplates terminate is smoothly curved ends – clearly this decade’shot look.Marantz SC-7S1 Stereo PreamplifierInside the SC-7S1 pre-amp are no less than eight HDAMmodules ‘for maximum signal purity and lowest noise’, four on each input-outputbuffer and another four HDAMs on the V/I converter. Ultra-wide bandwidthcircuitry is used throughout ‘to achieve a frequency response from 3Hz-150kHz,and Marantz reports better-than-100dB channel separation, ‘for a natural tonalbalance and superlative image specificity upon a vast, wide and deep soundstage.’Impressive from the minute you unpack it, the SC-7S1measures 18x 5 1/8×7 1/8in (WHD) and weighs a confidence-building 46.3lb!That’s more than most companies’ power amps weigh, so if you equate buildquality and worth with mass and girth, this unit makes you think ‘hewn fromsolid.’ Its other measurements, too, border on the fantastical, with theaforementioned channel separation and frequency response joined by S/N ratio of103dB for balanced operation and 105dB for unbalanced, the 8-gang linear volumecontrol operates in 0.5dB steps and there’s level trimming of +/-6dB to matchall sources and amps within 0.5dB, too.Minimalist almost to the point of being naked, the SC-7S1’sfront panel contains a rotary source selector (marked ‘Balanced’, ‘SACD/CD’,’Line 1′, ‘Line 2’ and ‘Tape’), a power on button below a meter that reads outsignal output level in dB, a rotary volume control, and buttons for applyingattenuation of -20, -40 and -60dB (as when changing LPs!) and display on/off.That’s it, which means for a slim and uncluttered remote control. The back isfilled with top-quality phono connectors for all inputs and two sets ofunbalanced outputs, plus XLRs for balanced input and output. Given theimportance Marantz has placed on its balanced nature, I was disappointed to seeonly one set of balanced inputs, a curious oversight in light of the targetaudience. I had two CD players and phono stage with balanced outputs to hand atthe time of the review, and soon grew tired of connecting and disconnectingthem.Dearth of balanced inputs aside, Marantz is proposingdecidedly weird, over-the-top audiophilic behaviour from the SC-7S1 owner.(Remember: at least one lucky audiophile bought five Project T1s for anall-valve multi-channel set-up.) Check this out: ‘For the ultimate in sonicperformance, two SC-7S1s can be used together in mono mode, to create acompletely separate stereo audio signal path from the source to a pair ofMA-9S1 amplifiers to the loudspeakers. Up to six SC-7S1 preamplifiers and 12MA-9S1 amplifiers can be combined for a multi-channel system of awe-inspiringpower and impact.’ The driving of two or more pre-amps is possible becauseMarantz has developed a ‘floating control bus system’ with the aforementionedlevel trim capability. And how I’d just love to hear a dozen of ’em….Ken Ishiwata tends to pause and think before he speaks.Nervously, I took that to mean that the system sucked and he was going to bepolite by finding some euphemism for it. On the contrary, he was pleased enoughto spend a couple of hours wading through LPs and CDs with me, and to offer thekind of advice most audiophiles would pay obscene amounts to hear. Satisfiedthat we were both hearing the same things, I was given the go-ahead.Like a flashing neon sign, the Marantz system has a distinctsound that, though subtle, will immediately signal to the listeners whether ornot it’s friend or foe. It’s a deceptive, not-what-you’d-expect character, tooclean and precise to be mistaken for valves and too sweet and silky to heraldthe presence of solid-state circuitry. What compounds the act of trying toassess it is an absence of misbehaviour thanks to the vast power reserves. Inmany ways, it reminded me of ‘Jurassic’ Krells, which I’m fortunate enough tohave savoured recently in the SME Listening Room. Because the Marantzamplifiers have no operational limits to speak of in real terms, there are fewsonic clues to the nature of the amplifiers’ topology, especially the lack ofoccasional clipping when overdriven – quite simply the best indicator of tubesor tranny comportment.Another benefit of the Marantz zero-compromise design isthe way it was utterly unfazed by speaker load, cable changes, proximity toother hardware, choice of mains cable – you name it. It’s as if the Marantzteam went out of its way to make it immune to mismatches; Ken spoke of the caretaken with the balanced operation, the earthing arrangements and other detailsthat rendered it impervious to hum, RF interference and other nasties. Andthat’s why you’d never mistake it for valves: it’s simply far too quiet, toowell-behaved, too serene.In practice, this means a sonic experience that’s so free ofstress or tension, a sound so easy to listen to that you will, as I was forcedto, access it in six- or seven-hour sessions. I had to because my time with thepairing was limited, so it was with no small measure of relief that it provedto be the least-fatiguing system I’ve heard since I last fired up my Quad ’57sand the Dynaco Stereo 70.What does this mean for the music? Voices are warm andclear, with only the most minuscule traces of sibilance keeping you fromthinking that Alison Krauss or Joss Stone is in the room with you. The copiousamount detail was another indicator that you were listening against the sort ofsilent background attributed to solid-state gear and massive power supplies.Massed, amplified instruments benefited from this because even overlappingguitars enjoyed their own sonic space. (Confession time: I dug out some oldQuo….) While I’ve never been hung up on a hygienic, warts-and-all sound, evenwhen I’m reviewing, I have to admit that some of the revelations caused by theMarantz combination were shocking, especially when listening to vinyl. Lowlevel detail came through intact, a boon for acoustic instruments if you wantto hear the body of an acoustic guitar as well as the strings.Tim de Paravicini’s sublime EAR 324 phono stage matched theSC-7S1 perfectly in balanced mode, and it served as yet another reminder ofanalogue vinyl’s superiority over CD. Magic Dick’s harmonica on the first JGeils Band album – original pressing, well-played over the past 34 years – cutthrough with a visceral, sharp stab that was oddly muted on CD, with betterbody, decay and, yup, breathing from the player himself. Transients on guitar,the solidity of the bass, Peter Wolf’s vocal rasp – it was as if the Marantzknew that their roots lay in analogue, if only because the ‘7’ and ‘9’ in theirnames.Natural, free sound, rapid attack, smooth decay, glitch-freetransitions – they only tell part of the story. If the Marantz system exhibitedone particular trait that convinced me of its greatness, it was the soundstage.Now there are plenty of pre/power combos out there with superb imaging ormassive soundstage capabilities or a way with conveying air and space, but thisset-up has it all. Image height, the correct scale, stage width and depth – itcould not be faulted beyond one odd little quirk. So silent are the spacesbetween and around the performers that some recordings, especiallyoverly-processed multi-mic’d affairs can leave the musicians soundingdisembodied. But feed it a great recording, and the sound is seamless fromleft-to-right and front-to-back.But will Marantz dealers have the balls to carry thisunbelievable combination? A pair of MA-9S1 monoblocks will set you back 12,000while the SC-7S1 preamplifier carries a tag of 5000. I reviewed it thinkingthat the system cost 3000 more and still thought it was a bargain. Forperceived value alone – if, that is, styling, finish, build quality, smoothoperation, mass, etc mean anything to you – there’s nothing on the market tocome near it in my estimation. Friends who saw it were simply gob-smacked. It’slike looking at a Ferrari Enzo or a Greubel-Forsey tourbillon: you know itexists, but someone’s gotta pinch you so you know it for certain.Forget that Marantz makes digital projectors and sub- 300 CDplayers and lifestyle systems, if such family members might prove a negativeinfluence. Let’s be quite open here: many of us don’t want to believe that big,multinational brands with vast catalogues can produce high-end equipment of ‘todie for’ excellence. Which is a stupid prejudice, when you consider that thevery finest cars, cameras, watches, luggage, pens and other luxury goods comefrom ‘big, multinational brands with vast catalogues’ – it’s only audiophileswho have a problem with this. Make no mistake: the SC-7S1/MA-9S1 combinationreeks of the spirit of Saul Marantz. It’s a pleasure to use, on every level,and I have no doubt it will be a pleasure to won. So, yes, Ken, you were right:Marantz did create a Model 7 and Model 9 for the 21st Century.Family MattersThere’s nothing incongruous about launching a scarilyhigh-end pairing because Marantz loves to – on occasion – flex its audiophilicmuscle with masterpieces like the Project T1 valve amp (300Bs as driver tubes!)and a series of high-end CD and SACD players. With the SC-7S1 and MA-9S1,Marantz hopes to accomplish a number of things beyond marking an anniversary.Firstly, it intends to have this pre/power package carve a niche of its ownamidst the more obvious choices like Krell, Classe, et al. For another, itwanted to find a worthy recipient for its cutting-edge CD and SACD players. Andfor a third, well, let’s just say that its newest sibling is also itsfirst-ever rival: McIntosh and Marantz share the same owners.Now I don’t know if the parent company (which also controlsDenon) wants to encourage sibling rivalry, but in this case, it’s inevitable.Imagine what would happen if Porsche suddenly found itself owned by the sameconcern as Ferrari. It may just be me reading something into it, but a spat amongstthese sisters would certainly make for interesting market shenanigans.Anyway, what we have before us is a pre/power package that,at every level, bears comparison to the most exotic hardware available. For thesake of clarity, let’s leave out the valve rivals, because I firmly believethat the two camps remain as far removed from each other as is possible – evenwith some brands, like McIntosh, working with both technologies. And customersfor one type couldn’t give a hoot about the other.Ken confirmed that just about all of the SC-7S1s and MA-9S1shave been sold together, although you can mix’n’match. To be ornery, I triedthem with McIntosh’s C2200 and MC2102 all-tube rivals, with interestingresults, but – aside from satisfying my curiosity – the listening sessionsinvolved using them as a combination. And they are as closely-related as apre/power pair can be. Or, ironically, as closely related as Marantz andMcIntosh now are.In 1958, who’d have believed this would ever happen?About the Marantz Reference SeriesMarantz, one of the world’s leaders in ultra-high-end homeelectronics, pulled out all the stops with the SC-7S1. From the elegantcopper-plated chassis to the remarkably sophisticated internal circuitry, thisstereo preamplifier is a work of art. It’s perfectly suited to anchor a musicsystem that’ll impress even the most demanding audiophiles.When Marantz stopped by to show off the SC-7S1 as part oftheir flagship Reference Series line of audio components, we were all amazed bythe sound. They teamed up the preamp with two high-powered mono amplifiers andtheir state-of-the-art CD/SACD player. The music this system turned out wasincredibly smooth, clean, and dynamic with intricate detail in short, some ofthe finest sound ever heard in our demo room.The key to the SC-7S1’s elite performance is the way itmaintains the purity of the music signal as it passes it from the audio playerto the amplifier. Marantz’s stellar design and careful engineering providevirtually noise-free signal transfer, while preserving even the lowest-leveldetails. In addition, the SC-7S1 supports a wide frequency range withoutstanding channel separation, so your soundstage is broad, deep, and stable.Product highlights:frequency response 3-150,000 Hz (-3dB)total harmonic distortion at 20-20,000 Hz:0.0015% (balanced)0.003% (unbalanced)signal-to-noise ratio:103dB (balanced)105dB (unbalanced)channel separation: >100dBattenuation control (-20, -40, -60, – dB)4 audio inputs (no phono input)1 audio output1 balanced 3-pin XLR input
Warranty and ReturnsThis item comes with a standard, no nonsense, 6 month warranty. If the equipment fails or needs repair within this time, providing it has been used correctly, hificlearance will cover the costs of either repair or replacement, at our discretion.
Freight costs are not covered under our warranty.
hificlearance does not offer change of mind returns.
Postage InformationShipping Within Australia:
We offer free postage Australia-wide. Your order will be sent via our premium courier StarTrack Express. StarTrack require a business address to ship to, or for someone to be present at your residential address to receive and sign for the delivery. This can be timed for a specific day by arrangement.
StarTrack will not deliver to a P.O. Box.
Collection from our Melbourne warehouse is also welcome.
Free shipping worldwide (to 220-240 Volt regions only) by UPS – the gold standard in freight.
If you buy after clicking affiliate links on this site we might receive a commission from companies such as eBay, Amazon etc This does not affect the price you pay.
Click here to buy, and to see similar items on eBay
Category: Electronics:Home Audio Stereos, Components:Home Speakers and Subwoofers
Location: Melbourne, Victoria