Marantz PM7005 or Pioneer A-70

jimitom

New Member
Hello everyone! I'd appreciate your thoughts on choosing between the two amps: Marantz PM7005 or Pioneer A-70.

I have a chance od getting one of these for the same (and very fair) price, both used.
Which one would be the better option? I don't have much experience and this will be my first "real" amp. I will be using it with my Pro-ject debut carbon (Ortofon OM red) and I will play the music through the integrated DAC via PC. I currently have Q Acoustics 3020 but later I plan a speaker upgrade, also standmounters/bookshelf speakers.

Music is mostly rock, post rock, blues, acoustic, electronic, and some singer songwriter, jazz and soul. My living room is approximately 30 square meters. I prefer somewhat warmer but defined sound and a nice stereo image.

If someone has experience with the stated amps, I would very much appreciate if you could tell me how do they compare regarding:
- power and sound quality
- mm phono preamp
- dac

Hope for some fast replies if possible :) Thanks so much! Tom
 
Marantz: better DAC and engineered to be a modern digital source receiver.
Pioneer: better built and better MM phono section.

So if you are going to listen to streaming audio via your computer more than records, go with the Marantz. If you listen to your records more than streaming audio, go with the Pioneer. If it were me, I'd go with the Marantz as I deffinately listen to a lot of Pandora.
 
Marantz: better DAC and engineered to be a modern digital source receiver.
Pioneer: better built and better MM phono section.

So if you are going to listen to streaming audio via your computer more than records, go with the Marantz. If you listen to your records more than streaming audio, go with the Pioneer. If it were me, I'd go with the Marantz as I deffinately listen to a lot of Pandora.

AstroZon, thanks for the input. I'm also inclining more to Marantz. If I find its phono preamp not so good, there is always a possibility of getting a separate phono stage. One option I like with Marantz is the Analaog mode which supposedly switches off all that's digital. Have you owned one of these amps if I may ask?
 
AstroZon, thanks for the input. I'm also inclining more to Marantz. If I find its phono preamp not so good, there is always a possibility of getting a separate phono stage. One option I like with Marantz is the Analaog mode which supposedly switches off all that's digital. Have you owned one of these amps if I may ask?

Jimitom, No I don't own one, but I listened to that exact Marantz amp just the other day. It was connected to an iPod and sounded great.

In addition to listening to music, I have a home recording studio. I'm very familiar with DACs, and the whole process of going from analog to digital and back.

Just after I posted this, I read a review on a similar but older Marantz receiver - one that came out about 2 years ago. The reviewer praised the phono stage.
I think Marantz is the way to go.
 
Marantz: better DAC and engineered to be a modern digital source receiver.
Pioneer: better built and better MM phono section.

So if you are going to listen to streaming audio via your computer more than records, go with the Marantz. If you listen to your records more than streaming audio, go with the Pioneer. If it were me, I'd go with the Marantz as I deffinately listen to a lot of Pandora.

AstroZon, thanks for the input. I'm also inclining more to Marantz. If I find its phono preamp not so good, there is always a possibility of getting a separate phono stage. One option I like with Marantz is the Analaog mode which supposedly switches off all that's digital. Have you owned one of these amps if I may ask
 
I really appreciate your info, that's very helpful as there are not that many "real people's" reviews on Marantz pm7005 on the web.

I was planning to add a Google Chromecats Audio to the amp later. Do you think that it would be a decent budget option for wireless streaming to the amp's DAC just for casual listening (I don't expect the highest quality here, just something that will add a wireless streaming functionality)?
 
I got the Marantz PM7005 and so far I am very pleased! The DAC via usb sounds terrific, really clean i defined with a slight warmth to it (which i like). The phono stage is above my expectations and at this point I think that I wont't feel the need of upgrading to a separate one for a long time.
 
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