1152DC / PM-52 / 1060 Comparison

[aaroncomer]

I've been running a Marantz PM-52 (75 WPC) for a while, and was REALLY starting to enjoy it's sound... UNTIL...

I recently purchased both a 1152DC and 1060 off of a local guy... both cosmetically pristine, but hadn't been powered up in YEARS.

I've spent most of this evening playing my favorite CDs and switching between these three integrateds... the following are my personal listening observations, as well as a few questions about "upgrading" my 1152DC internals...

PM-52: Excellent soundstage and clarity... VERY good at resolving small details like light cymbal hits and such. Of the three amps, the PM-52 has by far the lightest (weakest bass) low end... BTW, my PM-52 has the gorgeous champagne front.

1060: Amazingly powerful for 30 wpc... Very strong bass... I think the 1060 is in dire need of a tuneup... it has some background noise, even with the volume turned to zero... With the volume clear down, I can still hear the music faintly... does this sound like a simple output bias adjustment?

1152DC: Simply a powerhouse of an amp... bone rattling bass and very warm and musical. Very quiet floor, but not quite as detailed as the PM-52. I cleaned up both the 1152DC and 1060 with De-Oxit. The 1152DC had an "issue" at first , as the left channel would distort and weaken dramatically... I cranked the volume and "pop", it came to life and hasn't had an issue now in the last few hours of playing. Hopefully there isn't a severe problem lurking? I have left it powered up for a few hours, and it is sounding MUCH better than when I first powered it up after it's long hibernation. I assume this is natural, as it is reacting very similar to a bran new amp during burn-in period...

My questions:

Why does the 1152DC sound so much stronger than the PM-52, which has the same RATED WPC?

Right now, I believe I will be keeping my 1152DC, and if so, I want to take it in to a good tech and have it thoroughly cleaned and "freshened up"... Within reason, if cost is no object, can anyone point me in the right direction for information regarding specific cap upgrades, etc. that I can communicate to the technician... in other words, I love this amp so much already that I want to put some $$ into it... if I want to get the very best out of my 1152DC, what all should I request to be done? New caps seem almost a no-brainer... but what kind sound best with this amp? I'd love to have some really nice quality gold-plated speaker terminals installed, and I hate the lampcord/power cords of the vintage units.

Thanks!!!!!

 

[SB Marantz]

Did you use a switch-box?

And set the output levels equaly?

 

[aaroncomer]

Did you use a switch-box?

And set the output levels equaly?

SB, no I didn't, as I don't have the equipment to do so, nor was it my intention to produce any sort of "official" comparison...I did it the old-fashioned/cumbersome/inferior way...

I would play a difficult or detailed section from a CD and get a good feel for the overall sound, and I'd take notes on small details at exact times on the track...

Then I would switch the interconnects and speaker cables and run the same passage through the second and third amps in order, taking notes.

My determination of power was somewhat subjective, but fairly accurate, as I would gauge the output levels of each amp at 11 oclock volume.... My main audio setup is in a relatively small room... my home office, which is 15x13... volume/output/bass differences are readily apparent.

Bass extension was VERY easy to determine, as the 1152DC has what sounds like double the bass extension, and the 1060 wasn't far behind.

Differences in specific details were quite easy to note and determine differences... the tone and clrity of the wood percussion strikes in Sara by Fleetwood Mack (PM-52 did it best). The cannon shot in 1812 overture. The bass accuracy and extension in most any Rage Against The Machine track (the 1152 just pounds your chest... EVEN played through my small monitors (Paradigm Studio 20's, which are very neutral and revealing, IMHO).

I know the above isn't very technical, but it most definitely served it's purpose for me, as there are stark differences between the 1152DC and PM-52. NOW THE MILLION DOLLAR QUSTIONS.... Is the bass extension of the 1152DC something that I truly want? One might argue that the 1152 isn't very neutral sounding... Maybe the PM-52 is more ACCURATE? If I have the 1152DC recapped and upgraded, will it then pull out the details like the PM-52?

I have a new set of silver interconnects from Aural Thrills Audio on their way to me, as well as their excellent Apex speaker cables... I'm very interested to see how the Marantz amps respond to the silver interconnect in particular... the Marantz amps are warm and smooth enough that I suspect that the silver might be a great match and pull more detail and soundstage from the mighty Ms, while still retaining enough of the "Marantz Sound" that I so love...

Thanks!

Aaron Comer, Coralville, Iowa

p.s. Now I have the "amp comparison bug"!! LOL There is a local Kenwood KA-9100 for sale at a decent price... now I'm curious how it would compare to the 1152DC?!?!? I've heard nice things about some of the Kenwood integrateds, and the KA-9100 is strikingly beautiful... I just may have to buy it just to hear it!

 

[mozcho]

It's 14 years later..... not sure if you're still around. I'd like to know the comparison between the 1060 and the 1152DC, after recapping.

 

[goldswimmerb]

It's 14 years later..... not sure if you're still around. I'd like to know the comparison between the 1060 and the 1152DC, after recapping.

I've had both, and had to restore both.

The 1060 is a much more laid back "vintage sound" if you will, significantly lower damping factor, less control over bass, and in cases of unrestored units, lacking high end punch. They're fantastic units if you're looking for a "tubey" sound with bloomy low end.

The 1152DC is a much more forward sounding unit, more punch, more accurate, and better with demanding loads. My only complaint with the DC is that the build quality is not as great as the 1060, less adjustments internally and just a kind of lackluster layout.

 

[mozcho]

I've had both, and had to restore both.

The 1060 is a much more laid back "vintage sound" if you will, significantly lower damping factor, less control over bass, and in cases of unrestored units, lacking high end punch. They're fantastic units if you're looking for a "tubey" sound with bloomy low end.

The 1152DC is a much more forward sounding unit, more punch, more accurate, and better with demanding loads. My only complaint with the DC is that the build quality is not as great as the 1060, less adjustments internally and just a kind of lackluster layout.

Thanks for your info!

 

[Lavane]

I've had both, and had to restore both.

The 1060 is a much more laid back "vintage sound" if you will, significantly lower damping factor, less control over bass, and in cases of unrestored units, lacking high end punch. They're fantastic units if you're looking for a "tubey" sound with bloomy low end.

The 1152DC is a much more forward sounding unit, more punch, more accurate, and better with demanding loads. My only complaint with the DC is that the build quality is not as great as the 1060, less adjustments internally and just a kind of lackluster layout.

The 1060 does make for a nice preamp connected to a DC power amp if the cap coupled sound isn't to your liking. I like how the two 1060's I restored sounded, but the low end is a less controled. I connect mine to a model 140 power amp. Its a nice combo.