Which is the better amp?

[Marco]

Lol... I guess that ably demonstrates how misleading specifications can be for novices and the (often) futility of providing them!

Marco.

[Tim]

I didn't want to confuse the OP but I would suggest hearing the Rega Brio-R along with the amps mentioned. Might not look as impressive but...

As a very happy owner, I second the above - the Brio-R punches well above its weight, a beautiful sounding amp worth much, much more than it costs.

[kininigin]

The PM66KI amp was one of the worst sounding amps I've ever had the displeasure to listen to, the early Roksan Kandy being the other memorable disaster from this era (the Caspian was on a different plane of existance in comparison). The PM66KI was loathed by all the serious dealers I spoke to as a product you had to stock for easy money (it always sold "blind" to punters in its box as a dem always resulted in a switch-sale) but you wouldn't own in a month of sundays, such was the power of WTF magazine back then. Sorry, but it was hard as nails with little bass, no "tunes" and a screeching treble, rather like the CD63KI CD player that "everyone" bought with it - ugh!

My very first audition of a 'proper' hi fi system,was the two models you mention above.Largely due to the reviews in what no hi-fi,i was young and i'm sticking with that excuse!!

After listening to the marantz system,i wondered if i was listening to a different system.They sounded nothing like they were described.

I went the arcam route instead,which to me at least,sounded way better.

[Effem]

I have actually heard both amps and without any hesitation would buy the PM7200. I owned the aforesaid amp a few years ago in a second system and deeply regretted selling it because it easily matches if not betters my current XTZ Desire. Like my XTZ, it can be switched to Class A operation when it takes on a subtlety and sweetness that is a joy, whereas the Technics is let's say is rather "unsophisticated" by comparison.

At a bakeoff I attended a couple of years ago, one chap was almost ashamed to admit he had brought along a PM7200 given that there was a good amount of expensive ironmongery there. I really did twist his arm to plumb it in and reassured him that his reticence was entirely unfounded. It sounded so sweet and powerful it put more expensive amps to shame, so this chap's face was a picture to behold. One of the other guys there was on his mobile phone immediately scouring ebay for a PM7200

[jandl100]

I heard a Marantz 7200 at a bake-off.

Initial impressions of class-A mode were very favourable - it just sounded right!
... I got quite excited and thought I had found a real budget giant killer. I was planning an immediate visit to eBay on my return home.

But after about 5 minutes it became obvious (to me! ) that it was bereft of the musical life-force, the dynamic expression, that makes music interesting (for me).

Bit like watching paint dry.

Very much like Meridian electronics and other pipe & slipper devices.

In class A/B mode it was a very ordinary and lost what (little) magic it had in class-A.

Just imo & ymmv.

Depending on the rest of your system and your musical tastes you may be MUCH better off with a Mini-T t-amp (about £60 new). If that is too low-powered then a TA2022 chip amp might just be perfect. Either of those would sonically slaughter a 7200 or, based on its reputation, a Technics, imho.

[munin]

Some useful info in this thread. I am reasonably sure I will buy the Marantz PM 7200ki, and since I will not be able to listen before I buy. I am all over the net to get info. One person here think the thing sounds boring. Nothing sounds boring om my Klipsch Cornwall 111. And the music I listen to sounds great on anything.

[Reffc]

Well, actually specifications mean an awful lot.
The majority of people who build amplifiers build to a specification.

You just can’t build an amp by listening. You may be able to fine tune it by listening for a particular set of speakers after the basic design is finalised, but I don’t think you’ll find any reputable amplifier designer who will tell you he listened to each and every component he used and chose it for how it sounded. The probability is he chose it for its specifications.

The problem for the buyers of Hi Fi amplifiers is you don’t tend to get the specifications that tell you an awful lot about the amplifiers capability. We tend just to get the basics. Years ago some reviewers had the technical knowledge and equipment to actually test the equipment they got to review. These days unfortunately, any idiot can write equipment reviews and get away with some meaningless bullshit and unfortunately many do.

It is absolutely useless reading a subjective review unless you have identical equipment to that used for the review. What may sound fine in one system may sound terrible in another, often not because there is anything intrinsically wrong with that component, but more often, because there is some specifiable mismatch within the system. This is where specifications can help a lot, but as the OP points out, you need to understand a little about what the specifications mean with regard to the system you intend to use that component in.

I can quite understand those who have little technical expertise and even less interest in learning not being entertained by pages of graphs and numbers, but to dismiss them as meaning very little with regard to how a piece of equipment will work in a system seems somewhat foolhardy. While there may be an art to getting the sound that pleases you, the building and matching of electronic equipment has no basis in magic and your ears are unlikely to tell you for example that the unpleasant noise you hear from your system is in fact crosstalk while some specifications might.

+1 with bells on. Well put John.