Customer Reviews

Futureproof your Hi-Fi

Made the switch from tubes to solid state. This amp has a very tube-like sound without the hassle. Rich, detailed, wide, deep and warm. Just spent an hour spinning records and I was amazed how the speakers disappeared in the room. The soundstage and separation was so far beyond the speakers' edge I was astonished. I'll never have to worry about a DAC becoming obsolete. This one is going to be around for a very long time.

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Unadulterated Vinyl Ecstasy

Excellent sound quality, absolutely no background noise at any volume level, lets me hear every little detail of my eclectic record collection, regardless of genre. Really sparkles with classical music, but equally lively reproducing funky bass riffs, or soulful acoustic guitar pieces. Crystal clear low, mid, and high, accurately drives whatever speakers it is paired with. Integrated phono amp met/exceeded my expectations at this price point.

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Marantz Model 30

Perfect as advertised.

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Love it!

Love this amplifier. I've always been partial to Marantz, and I still am.

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Good but pricey

It is a nice amp: It sounds good, looks good, and includes MC phone support. A little bigger than I thought, but that's fine. Ultimately, though, I returned it for two reasons. 1) While it sounded close, it was not as open and airy as a comparable (and better $ value) NAD amp I compared it too. I expected it to sound outstanding and different, given the custom tuned nature of the model 30 but it was not. 2) The price is high given the sound quality and combined with a lack of a digital streaming platform (HEOS) the Model 30 seems a poor value. Bottom line is I expected this all analog amp to really sound superior but it did not, so the price was too high.

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Looks aren't everything...

( I don't see with my ears.) But I love the small LCD display. It's unobtrusive yet useful. My 63 years old eyes can still make out what it reads from 12-14 ft. away. It does not distract from enjoying the music. 25 years ago I auditioned a system consisting of a CD player, a couple of big tube amps and a pair of Avantgarde horns taller than me (6'4"). The realism of its musical presentation was so overwhelming that it made me cry. Then I cried more over the $120k price tag. At a fraction of the cost, I settled for a much smaller British reference system of its days that I still enjoy listening too. Because this system does not just pull me into the music - it seduces me into it. The Mod 30 was meant as upgrade for my PM/ND 8006 & MA Silver 300 bedroom system. Plus I would use it as a fill in, in case my Linn Kairn/Klout needs a capacitor replacement some day. Ultimately, I found bliss combining the Mod 30 with the ND8006 and my ML Motion 60XTi. For the last two years I had paired the MLs with an EVO 75 - also a great combination! After a week of shuffling components and listening to them in three different rooms I exited my critical analytical listening mode. From that point on the Mod 30 turned into a therapeutical device for me. Listening to music through it leaves me in a state of joy and happiness like I have not experienced with any other hifi system in this price range before. It amazes me how far hifi component quality has come along since my teenage years

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Great amp great value.

Smooth yet detailed sound. Easy to listen to for hours. Love the all analog approach. Love how I'm not tied to a digital/streaming ecosystem. Have it hooked up to a Technics SL-1210GR with a Sumiko cartridge. The phono stage sounds great. Using an Eversolo DMP-A6 for Tidal. Q Acoustics Concept 50 speakers sound great with this amp but I've ordered Zu BRX speakers. Looking forward to hearing them with this amp.

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Better Than Krell

I bought this amplifier to replace my ageing Krell 400XI integrated amplifier. OMG! I can't believe how good this amp sounds compared to the Krell. I threw the Krell in the dumpster and haven't looked back. This Marantz has changed my entire music listening experience. It's paired with an external DAC and Jamo Concert 11's. I feel like I got a new set of speakers. Highly recommend.

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From Vintage to New

The Marantz is replacing a vintage (1978) Sansui AU-717. While the Marantz might sound just slightly (to my ears anyway) less engaging-especially in the low end, the AU-717 is a very high bar and this comes extremely close with none of the associated maintenance of a 45 year old unit. Paired with: Tecnhics SL1500 turntable, with Ortofon Blue easy stylus upgrade; Yamaha CD -S1000 CD/SACD player; Bluesound Node X streamer, and in a nostalgic nod to the past; a Sansui TU 717 AM/FM Tuner. Driving Monitor Audio Silver Series 100 stand mounters (6th gen) and in a 14x16 room they sound very smooth with more headroom than I'll ever need . I like the fact that it's an analog only box and it has a superb phono stage (I've only used the mm so far). It also is a very energetic amp at my usual listening volumes which tend to be on the low side of "loud". PROS -Build quality, & fit and finish (including outstanding speaker posts) -Musical and accurate , though with a bit of (welcome to me) Marantz smoothness baked in -Focused feature set-everything I want with nothing extraneous -Good value for $$$ and a strong warranty for peace of mind CONS (just personal minor nits) -miss having a 20 db mute switch when dropping the needle -miss having additional AC slot or two on back but suspect I'm just showing my age The looks can be polarizing for some but I happen to think it's a handsome unit and comes with the heftiest re

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Marantz Model 30

I was really hoping that this would be the lifetime amplifier to power my Klipsch Heresy 4's, Unfortunately, after less than 4 months of light use, the right channel went out, and it looks like I may be looking at a warranty replacement. I was also extremely disappointed that Crutchfield did not step up to the plate and make it right, given the recency of the purchase, and the considerable amount of money I've spent with them over the past year. Instead, they sent me to Marantz US, for service support. I'll update with additional info, based upon the response I receive from Marantz and the speed of the repair/replacement.

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Marantz Model 30

5 star. Easy setup and vary powerful.

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Significant upgrade

I moved to the Model 30 from a Marantz PM6007, which is itself a pretty decent unit. My goal was to lay the groundwork for a future speaker upgrade, from Focal Aria 906s to a set of floor standers in the same series. I truly like the 906...they're great speakers...but they lean toward accurate and don't fake better bass response by boosting the mid-bass (as so many other speakers do). My rock and roll heart yearned for a little more oomph in the lower registers, so I've been looking at the 936 and 948. With the Model 30, I expected to hear a small improvement, but years of experience tells me that transducers have the largest impact on sound. I was very surprised then to hear the Model 30 *significantly* improve the...let's call it confidence...of the bass in the Focal speakers. One online review suggested the Model 30 might be too detailed to pair with Focals (which tend to be pretty detailed already), but that's not my experience. Everything sounds richer and cleaner, but never harsh. Good recordings sound great, and even lesser recordings sound...honest. The combination of the new Marantz and my existing Focals has me grinning every time I listen. Kudos to Marantz for building an amp this good and making it at least somewhat affordable. 3K is a lot of money and I'm not one to spend that amount lightly, but I'm not looking back. My paid-off car should be good for another year at least. :)

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Brand new but very good so far

Haven't had this amp long so I won't pretend to know every detail of its abilities. So far, I'm extremely pleased with it. Looks great and sounds great. My wife likes listening to music but really doesn't pay any attention to the gear. I turned this on and started playing Radio Paradise through a Bluesound Node. She looked at me and just shook her head, couldn't find the words to describe what she was hearing. After a couple of minutes she asked if "Deep" was a good definition. I said yes that totally works. Amp is paired with the Node and an older Yamaha CD player playing through Bowers and Wilkins 704 S3. Very satisfied so far. The remote control works fine but is nothing special. Bit of a letdown really.

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Wow!

If you need power for your speakers and analog inputs, this is a solid choice. I've started improving my home audio system, so my first start was to take the plunge on a proper amp for my front speakers... currently 12 year old Martin Logan Motion 12s. Previously these were connected in a 5 channel speaker setup through an Onkyo TX-NR838 AV receiver, and they sounded okay, but with the Marantz the speakers really started to shine and showed that I've had these speakers severely under powered. I could have possibly gone with something more powerful than the 30 (the 12s can handle 300w, vs the 30's at 200w at 4 ohms), but so far I'm really happy how these sound and I've had no regrets. I have the 30 set up as both a power amp for the Onkyo AV receiver, and also utilizing the phono (for now just a simple Audio Technica turntable) and line in inputs (a Cambridge DAC and Sonos Port) for stereo music listening. The turntable sounds a little better with the 30 compared to the Onkyo, but I think when I upgrade from a low end turntable to something better that the 30 would really shine. Both the DAC (connected to an iPad Pro and Sony Blu-ray/SACD player) and Sonos Port sound extremely better through the Model 30 between rock, pop, dance/EDM/trance, classical, and jazz music.

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High quality sound

Sweet sound playing vinyl and digital CD's Drives my Vintage Pioneer HPM 150 speakers very well at all volumes! I could listen to it all day. Not inexpensive but worth the cost.

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Marantz Model 30

My expectations for going from my SR 68 to the Model 30 were high due to reviews I read and costing 10x I paid for the 68. My expectations were exceeded. It is notably warmer, improved vocals and SLAM. This thing is a trill machine Recommend listening to LeGrange by ZZ Top to with volume turned to single digits.

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Marantz Model 30

This amp rocks. Its big and heavy and it made my jazz CDs work! No digitial inputs!? I give it 4 for no digital inputs. Looks great and sounds great. You would be lucky to have one!

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Marantz Model 30 - very pleased

The Model 30 is hefty, solid, and extremely well built. The paint of the black version has an attractive warm matte finish, elegant without drawing attention to itself. It replaces a Marantz PM8003, and I'm currently using it with a Marantz SA8003, KEF Q900 speakers, and the old Marantz reference series tuner ST-17. Right out of the box it was giving me stronger but better controlled bass, greater control and detail in the upper midrange and treble, but with maybe a slightly recessed midrange. It's broken in now for almost two weeks of casual listening. The bass is strong, well controlled, and differentiates pitch better than the PM8003. The midrange is rich, maybe with a little upper midrange emphasis, and is great for female voices. It has better clarity and air in that upper midrange and in the treble than the PM8003 which - and unfortunately this is the downside - can also reveal flaws I haven't heard before in some recordings. The 30 shows no strain whatsoever in driving the current hungry Q900s, which dip below 4 ohms in several places, especially the all-important 90-300 Hz human voice range. This is definitely a keeper. I wonder what would happen with the 30n in the mix.

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Marantz Model 30

I hesitated to pay this much for the amp but I could not be more happy with the purchased. Has made a major difference in the range with my vinyl.

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No Complaints

This audio device met all my expectations. Sturdy and well built. If the speaker cable posts are a reflection on the electronics inside it will last a long time. Set up and use was straight forward. Sound stage is wider with more filling in the center than my previous [ 30 y/o Quad 606 system]. High notes are sharper . I listen to mostly Jazz and Rock and Chet Baker sings was right there in my room. Thus far, my vinyl use has been limited but equal to the CD experience. Using the SiriusXM WiFi connection with their dedicated receiving device has been a revelation. Although, I complained a lot pulling wires and plugs out of dark spaces not seen for 30 years, the effort was worth it, I look forward to many years of listening. N.B. My speakers are 6 Foot MagnePlans.

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sounds good

well it looks good and performs nicely but i still prefer my vintage pioneer sx1250 I primarily play vinyl

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Great Analog Integrated Amplifier

Great sound! Got this to replace my Marantz 2220B receiver which also sounded great, but a little different. UPS driver who delivered was treating the box roughly as he was getting it out of his truck, but luckily it works perfectly. This is my very first top-quality amplifier and I'm SO happy to have it! I hope it lasts forever and remains trouble-free. Next year I plan to buy the 30n SACD and network player to go with it.

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Great Marantz quality for vinyl lovers

Got this to replace my old Yamaha AX-596 integrated amplifier. Marantz is paired with my PSB stratus Gold towers. Vinyl sounds nice and clean. CDs sound amazing. Hooked up my Yamaha tape deck and old tapes sound really good too. Very happy with my purchase.

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Highly recommended

Very musical and engaging integrated amps. Superb build quality last for a life time. Thanks Crutchfield advisor MJ and Ray

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A life-changing amp

This amp is gorgeous, it was very easy to setup and safely wire into my pair of Klipsch RP 8000F, it lights up every piece of music we play through it, from every source, and my family and I are once again re-listening to all our music to experience for the 'first time' on the Series 30! This will be our family's lifetime hifi system. : ) The details present in the sound, whether a simple 320k MP3 streaming source, a 24bit / 192khz master grade file, or vinyl played through the high quality phono stage, are clearer and more spacious than ever before. Instruments seem to have plenty of space and loudness overhead in every recording we throw at it, and we are experiencing nirvana at the moment. It is difficult to do anything else at home right now other than... go to the listening room.

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Excellent amplifier. It's a keeper!

The Amplifier: Wide soundstage. Nice even extension across the musical spectrum. Pitch black in silent passages. Effortless dynamic capability. Out of the park good phono stage. Took my Ortofon 2M Bronze to a whole new level. I could have made my buying decision based on that phono section alone. Fit and finish is the best I've personally ever seen. This is the second piece of gear I purchased which was designed, assembled and packaged entirely in Japan (first was a Technics 1210GR); almost jewel like quality when you start to unbox it. A word about Class D amplification. Being a hi-fi guy for 50 years, I was a bit skeptical moving from the standard class A/B configuration to class D. I took a close look at what the industry is presently doing with Class D. For a long time Class D was relegated to subwoofer amps, but now major, credible hi-fi manufacturers are producing full range units in that configuration. McIntosh, NAD, Rogue, Bel Canto, Peachtree, h/k, Crown, PS Audio, and of course Marantz. When the Model 30 made Stereophile's "Class A" list of recommended components, I had to try it. Crutchfield Service: Top notch. Right after placing the order on-line, I asked if they could double box the amp for me. They were happy to do it at no extra charge. Also, when shipping was delayed for a few days, they stepped me up to UPS second day air. I didn't ask them to do it, they just did it. How can you do customer service any better than th

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Marantz Model 30

I have been a stereo buff since 45's first came out and always had had a amp and separate preamp but as I got older the weight of these just got to be too much so I looked thru the crutch field selection of integrated amps and fell in love with the new maranta 30. Having a true analog phono section really caught my eye . I love this unit and the support from crutchfield has been great.

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Marantz Model 30

I'm still a beginner with this Marantz (never owned one before). But is NOT repeating the same mistakes my 10 yr. + old Onkyo was making. This is certainly a well made amp. Hooked to a HD Radio capable tuner and DAC connected to my PC. I've been enjoying some sweet uninterrupted digital music over the last week. Considering it's just a baby it is doing well with all my ripped CD's (many) and Hi-Res files (many). Keep it up Marantz ! Cambridge Audio ! Asus ! Foobar ! By the way it's nice to have that new Panamax in there as well. Thank You Rex

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Marantz Model 30

Sound great.

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Noble Effort

Its just ok. I purchased this amp because of the power rating of 100 wpc and the phono stage which works quite well. Unfortunately, this amp only accommodates one pair of speakers at a time. So if you have multiple sets of speakers in your system, you have to manually disconnect the pair to accommodate the another set. This option would have been a nice feature like it is with other systems. If I had the opportunity to return it, I would. Overall. a missed opportunity by Marantz and not the future classic it purports to be. The jury is still out on the Class D spec. Save your money and buy a vintage receiver from the 1970s... Marantz, Sansui, Yamaha etc.

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Crutchfield response on 2/8/2021

We're sorry you're disappointed with your amp. Whenever you are not completely satisfied with anything you purchase from Crutchfield, please contact our Customer Support team at 1-800-955-9091. Purchases from Crutchfield can be returned or exchanged within 60 days of the purchase.

Surprisingly good class D amplified

I am a long-time fan of Marantz sound but never heard class D amplifiers and I was very skeptical about the quality of the sound. This made me more satisfied when I realized that new Marantz class D amplifiers sound as great as old class ABs with the additional benefit - it is way more powerful and can control almost any type of speakers. I have a feeling that the Model 30 amplifier designed specifically for my needs - it has a fantastic phono-stage and now I hear way more details from my vinyl records. It also does not have a DAC which is great allowing me to play with external ones and don't overpay for a useless feature. In fact, this amplifier uses the same power amp modules (nCore NC500) Marantz uses in their flagship amps - KI-Ruby (2x) and PM10 (4x). The difference is in the pre-amp, and in the Model 30 it sounds great. It is not "nice and sweet" as in Ki-Ruby, but maybe it is even better for an ordinary music-lover like me. So, I believe audiophile's stereotypes against class D amps should be broken and this amp deserves to listen.

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