YAMAHA NS-1000M with MARANTZ PM-4

[andyrlb]

Hi Guys & girls , So I am lucky enough ( incredibly lucky ) to have got my hands on the Mint Marantz PM4 and never thought in my wildest dreams that I'd own a pair of mint Yamaha ns1000m's ( well I collect them next week ) now I'm thinking that these 2 will be a match made in heaven , am I right ???
Your VERY valued opinions would be very interesting.

[walpurgis]

I don't know the power output of the Marantz, but there are those who suggest that the NS-1000 require upwards of 50 watts behind them. However, They are not particularly insensitive and I have heard them sounding very good with relatively modest valve amps driving them.

The same is said about big Tannoys, but I get pretty damn fine and solid results from 25 proper Class A watts.

I personally reckon you'll get some nice enough results.

[andyrlb]

Thanks Walpurgis, the Marantz puts out 15w in class a and 60w otherwise ( I think ) , otherwise I could try my Accuphase e203 (75w)

[dantheman91]

Give them a try i think they will be a match made in heaven but who knows....vintage HI-FI at its best all you can do is try and hope for the best.

I wish you luck....:)

LUCKY SOD......:eek:

[andyrlb]

Can't believe it myself!!
Thank you

[Macca]

That is a combo I have always wanted to hear. Let us know how it goes, with pictures if possible.

[andyrlb]

I will do , and you'd be welcome to pop in and listen for yourself.

[YNWaN]

It will be interesting to hear how you find the class A versus the amps A/B option. As stated above, the NS1000M is quite efficient but it isn't as benign a load as one may think. I also have a pair (a really great speaker in my opinion) but choose to drive them with a lot of wattage (75wpc on the mid/tweeter and a further 300wpc on the bass) - but I have heard them driven by low wattage valve amps.

[andyrlb]

I just hope the 2 work together as I'd be loathed to get rid of either of them , but I've always got my Accuphase to fall back on which in my opinion comes close to the Marantz.

[Ali Tait]

You could go active, using both amps, folk on here have done this.

[YNWaN]

When I've heard valve amps driving the NS-1000Ms I've always found the bass lacking a bit in 'grip' and having a different character to the rest of the frequency range - you may find quite different though and I've not heard the Yammies with a PM4.

[andyrlb]

I'll let you know this time next week

[oldius]

I agree with Mark; they like something good up them!

The PM4 should be a great match. I was surprised, given their quoted efficiency, how much difference extra power made. A great speaker nevertheless; truly great.

[ScottL]

Nine times out of ten, when you've reached a moderate sensitivity level with the speakers, it's the system impedance load and how reactive it is that tends to have the greatest impact. If the amplifier can't swing sufficient current, that's where you get dynamic compression. Based on fallible memory, the NS-1000m isn't the friendliest load on the planet, but it's nothing to cause major issues either; sensitivity is lurking around the mid-high 80s, there's a ~25ohm peak around 500Hz presumably due to the electrical offset of the low-pass & the HF leg of the midrange BP. LF range has the charateristic single peak of a sealed box, again lurking around 30ohm point. There are far more unpleasent loads on the planet. If you want to drive them loud in large rooms, they'll need a big amp of course, but for more moderate sized rooms & SPLs, you should be fine with > 40w, accepting a bit of LF compression on large dynamic peaks.

[Macca]

Why is it that people who only listen to girl with guitar and other hi-fi noodling, quietly, in small rooms, never get that if you want Sabbath the way it was meant to be heard you are going to need more than 20 watts? And think just because the amp has no power it must intrinsically be better than one that can actually drive the speakers without clipping?

Rhetorical rant over, please drive on by.

[oldius]

I can only speak about audible differences because I don't understand the science. I own both amps so I have no reason to prefer one combination than another.

[YNWaN]

I think it is much as Scott outlines above. At the end of the day, irrespective of the specs, the NS-1000M is a 12" driver sealed into a box with quite a small internal volume and it has to compress that air to get the driver moving.

[Arkless Electronics]

Why is it that people who only listen to girl with guitar and other hi-fi noodling, quietly, in small rooms, never get that if you want Sabbath the way it was meant to be heard you are going to need more than 20 watts? And think just because the amp has no power it must intrinsically be better than one that can actually drive the speakers without clipping?

Rhetorical rant over, please drive on by.

I usually find the exact opposite!!! People who listen to "girl with guitar and other hi-fi noodling, quietly, in small rooms" with say 30 WPC RMS or more asking me "don't you think it would sound better if I get a 100WPC amp to 'drive the speakers properly with plenty of current'?" .... NO it would make no difference as you are never using more than 2W anyway!!

The logarithmic nature of hearing is what gets people... loud may well be 10W but if you want it twice as loud again you need 100W! Hence the issue is when it's already pretty damn loud but then you think "I'll turn it up just a bit more".....

I suppose to paraphrase it's surprising how little power it takes to give volumes where it's difficult to talk without raising voice/mild shouting but also surprising just how much power it takes to go up from there to "live band levels" ;)

[YNWaN]

This next will be a little controversial - but I think that often people actually like the sound of their amp as it goes into clipping (as long as it isn't too severe).

[Macca]

Maybe that is speaker-dependant? - Some are so stodgy-sounding that a little distortion just livens up the sound a bit. Yams would be the opposite. I'd say you want the signal as clean as possible with them.

[Simon_Nottingham]

Maybe this (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Legendary-Marantz-SM1000-Stereo-Power-Amplifier-42-kg-of-High-End-/111877121557?hash=item1a0c656615:g:4fQAAOSwqrtWmuL 9) would provide enough grunt!

[andyrlb]

Oh yes very nice !! Now who can I rob ? ��

[Firebottle]

Fook me! £5000 and knackered speaker terminal shrouds :eek:

[walpurgis]

Fook me! £5000 and knackered speaker terminal shrouds :eek:

Funny how those weren't mentioned. I expect they've been cut back to accept hefty spades, but he should have said!

[andyrlb]

Well spotted

[StanleyB]

The thing that worries me with that particular amp is those dark spots on the top cover. That is normally an indication of some sort of liquid spillage over the amp.