Marantz 8B vs current tube amps?

[fredtroy]

Has anyone compared a Marantz 8B against some of the currently available tube amplifiers? If so, I am wondering how it did?

 

[Dswankey]

When you ask "Has anyone compared a Marantz 8B against some of the currently available tube amplifiers?" are you talking new amps or available vintage amp?

 

[fredtroy]

Sorry I wasn't clear, new amps. I tried an 8B against Transcendent OTL with ESL63's. I liked the OTL a lot, but eventually decided on the 8B.

 

[Bostown]

Sorry I wasn't clear, new amps. I tried an 8B against Transcendent OTL with ESL63's. I liked the OTL a lot, but eventually decided on the 8B.

Looks like you answered your own question Even if 100 people chimed in and named New production amps that they thought mopped the floor with the 8b , It won't change whatever experience you had that made you pick the 8b. Now it could certainly make you second guess your own ears and buying rationale ( if you let it).
8b Vs. a McIntosh MC225 seems like an ALI / Frazier match that I'd enjoy. and did in fact. I ended up keeping the 225, and later acquired Kevin Hayes' second version of a Modernized clone of the 8b ( aka VAC Auricle MKII ) which isn't really on anyone's radar , Much like the KEF reference 101 is off the radar of the folks dropping $3500+ for Chartwell LS3/5a speakers.

To your benefit . even the layman knows who Marantz is , and may even be familiar with the 8b whereas, Transcendent may not have the same esteem. which, in a selling situation ( should it ever come to that) equates to a bit of a tougher sale, no matter how great or aggressively priced it might be. The Marantz could be an heirloom piece that gets passed on and retains ( or possibly even increases) it's value.. It's tough to say if that will be the same situation with the Transcent OTL, only time will tell.

Ultimately, I hope you bought the unit that just sounded better to your ear and to hell with all those extra considerations.

 

[onemug]

Has anyone compared a Marantz 8B against some of the currently available tube amplifiers? If so, I am wondering how it did?

My 8b is better than many of the newer offerings I have tried. The 8b has it's own charm and I love listening to it. I own a few newer tube amps that I would say 'might' be a little better, maybe not. Depends on the speaker and my mood. I tend not to worry about which is best but won't keep anything I don't enjoy.

 

[fredtroy]

Thank-you for the answers. I had tried quite a few amplifiers but almost all vintage, to find ones I liked with ESL-63's. I knew that I would probably make some changes to them, and felt bad doing that to a new amp. And easier for me to afford vintage that needed updating and/or had problems. I ended up really liking 8B with some updates so I was curious about others experiences with new designs. Citation II, Quad II's were others I liked, they are bi-amped so I could try them with some lower power amps. Please chime in with your experiences.