Need some advice from Marantz amp owners

Cyphr

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Sep 12, 2016
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Mumbai
Hi guys,

I've recently purchased the Marantz PM5005 for a simple stereo setup :

Computer > Dac > PM5005 > Wharfy D225.

Absolutely love the warm, smooth sound of the Marantz, especially since I upgraded from a Topaz AM5, which was kinda dry and on the boring side of neutral to my ears. I like to listen at relatively low volume levels. (10 o'clock on the dial).

Now the problem...I feel the Marantz gets a tab bit hot on the top, just above the heat sink even at 10 on the volume dial. It hasn't gone into protection mode or anything, but I'm a bit concerned. So wanted to know from owners of this amp and other Marantz amps (6, 7, 8 series)..is it normal for the amp to get on the 'hotter side of warm' if it makes sense? I would like to add that living in the sultry Mumbai climate with ambient room temps currently in the range of 30-32C doesn't seem to help. The amp sits above an open shelf over my computer desk. Has loads of clearance on all sides.

The temps are well contained when I turn on the AC, but I wonder if that should become a necessity every time I'm in mood for some audio bliss.

One strange thing I noticed. At first, I had connected the amp to an empty socket on my computer's UPS (APC BackUPS BX600C), thinking it'll atleast protect the unit from surge. But after reading up on forums about do's and don'ts with amps in general, it seems connecting the amp to a UPS is a bad idea. Not sure about the reason. Would highly appreciate any explanation/suggestions on this topic.

So I then connected it to a power strip off the wall outlet. I get a feeling that it now gets a tab bit less hot, although it could be a placebo effect. And if I keep it this way, the amp is vulnerable to power fluctuations, if and when that happens.

What can I do ensure a good long life for my PM5005. Would appreciate any stabilizer suggestions as well. The power consumption for this amp is 350w as per the specsheet. I do not intend to add anything else to this setup. This is purely for music listening at close quarters.

Apologies for the long post.

Thanks.:)
 
My Marantz 8002 gets hot too, but no problem for the last 8 years. I've protected it using a stabilizer having 4 minute delay cutoff in case of rapid voltage fluctuation.
 
It's okay for these amps to get hot. Just make sure there is sufficient ventilation around them. Nothing covering the vents. If they feel they are getting hot, they'll take action. So relax and enjoy the music.

MaSh

Sent from my Redmi Note 3 using Tapatalk
 
Have a 5 yr old Marantz PM5004 hooked to a V-Guard stab. Like you I normally listen at 10'o clock volume. No heat issues so far! Sometimes I crank up the volume just to de-stress myself & stress the amp instead . On those occasions my amp gets a little hot but not scary hot! Keep it well ventilated, hook it up to a good stab & every now and then crank it up :)
 
Hi guys,

I've recently purchased the Marantz PM5005 for a simple stereo setup :

Computer > Dac > PM5005 > Wharfy D225.

Absolutely love the warm, smooth sound of the Marantz, especially since I upgraded from a Topaz AM5, which was kinda dry and on the boring side of neutral to my ears. I like to listen at relatively low volume levels. (10 o'clock on the dial).

Now the problem...I feel the Marantz gets a tab bit hot on the top, just above the heat sink even at 10 on the volume dial. It hasn't gone into protection mode or anything, but I'm a bit concerned. So wanted to know from owners of this amp and other Marantz amps (6, 7, 8 series)..is it normal for the amp to get on the 'hotter side of warm' if it makes sense? I would like to add that living in the sultry Mumbai climate with ambient room temps currently in the range of 30-32C doesn't seem to help. The amp sits above an open shelf over my computer desk. Has loads of clearance on all sides.

The temps are well contained when I turn on the AC, but I wonder if that should become a necessity every time I'm in mood for some audio bliss.

One strange thing I noticed. At first, I had connected the amp to an empty socket on my computer's UPS (APC BackUPS BX600C), thinking it'll atleast protect the unit from surge. But after reading up on forums about do's and don'ts with amps in general, it seems connecting the amp to a UPS is a bad idea. Not sure about the reason. Would highly appreciate any explanation/suggestions on this topic.

So I then connected it to a power strip off the wall outlet. I get a feeling that it now gets a tab bit less hot, although it could be a placebo effect. And if I keep it this way, the amp is vulnerable to power fluctuations, if and when that happens.

What can I do ensure a good long life for my PM5005. Would appreciate any stabilizer suggestions as well. The power consumption for this amp is 350w as per the specsheet. I do not intend to add anything else to this setup. This is purely for music listening at close quarters.

Apologies for the long post.

Thanks.:)

Hi

Firstly to get a better focused opinion...post the query / challenge on the "Marantz Owners Thread"

All electronics get warm when you use them....my younger bro uses the PM5005 which is in a cabinet....we are based in Mumbai....he has put a 5 inch AC cooling fan which keeps the amp in check....he uses Dalis Z1 on them and plays music at 11 clock position...perfect...no issues..

Connecting the amp to UPS....no direct experience here but dont think any major challenges...

As suggested by others try the recommended stabilizers...needed from a power fluctuation standpoint.....
 
My friend has the similar setup. Marantz pm5004 connected to wharfedale 10.2. for the last 3 years it was also getting hot while running at 10' clock position.
Nothing to worry, Since you provided the proper ventilation

Sent from my Lenovo K50a40 using Tapatalk
 
My 5004 gets hot too. But i dont worry too much about it. These are reliable equipment. Never heard of ups problem but i prefer protection.

It's okay for these amps to get hot. Just make sure there is sufficient ventilation around them. Nothing covering the vents. If they feel they are getting hot, they'll take action. So relax and enjoy the music.

Thanks for the feedback, humblebee and MaSh. That certainly was relieving to know that nothing is amiss with the amp. :)

Also, I feel the UPS heating problem is probably because I have a fairly power hungry desktop connected to the UPS which is rated at 600va or 360w. Now the amp's power consumption itself is rated at 350w. So maybe it's because I was overloading the UPS with peripherals. I'm not sure.

Perhaps using a dedicated UPS for the amp should've helped.

My Marantz 8002 gets hot too, but no problem for the last 8 years. I've protected it using a stabilizer having 4 minute delay cutoff in case of rapid voltage fluctuation.


Have a 5 yr old Marantz PM5004 hooked to a V-Guard stab. Like you I normally listen at 10'o clock volume. No heat issues so far! Sometimes I crank up the volume just to de-stress myself & stress the amp instead . On those occasions my amp gets a little hot but not scary hot! Keep it well ventilated, hook it up to a good stab & every now and then crank it up :)

Thanks for the feedback, rishi100 and rraghuram. :) I have purchased the V-Guard Crystal Plus Smart 700va stabilizer to protect the amp. Hopefully will receive it today. Since the power consumption of the amp is rated 350w, the stab should be sufficient, I guess. I do not intend to connect anything else to the chain.

Since you are using a stabilizer, I just wanted to know if you use a home inverter as well. My only concern is that unlike a UPS, when there is a power outage, the transition to inverter battery power isnt exactly clean. There is a delay of a couple milliseconds which can cause devices connected to the stab to restart. Have you experienced this issue? A UPS could've mitigated this issue, by providing enough backup to turn off the amp asap. But the use of your usual run of the mill computer UPS is discouraged for amps probably because of the stepped approximate sine wave. I wonder if it is so bad for a 30 odd seconds or so that you need to turn off the amp?

I'm somehow in favor of a UPS over a stab simply because of the inverter transition which isnt clean and quick. If a dedicated UPS is no problem, then I'd cancel the stab order and get a UPS instead. Would appreciate your thoughts on this. :)

Thanks so much.


P.S. Really sorry for clubbing comments together. Since I'm new here, my posts are still moderated, and it adds a delay. So trying to reduce the number of post to well..reduce moderator approval delay. :p
 
Hi

Firstly to get a better focused opinion...post the query / challenge on the "Marantz Owners Thread"

All electronics get warm when you use them....my younger bro uses the PM5005 which is in a cabinet....we are based in Mumbai....he has put a 5 inch AC cooling fan which keeps the amp in check....he uses Dalis Z1 on them and plays music at 11 clock position...perfect...no issues..

Connecting the amp to UPS....no direct experience here but dont think any major challenges...

As suggested by others try the recommended stabilizers...needed from a power fluctuation standpoint.....

Really sorry about that, Sir. I should've checked the sub-section. Would appreciate if a moderator can move it there.

I have ordered the V-guard Crystal Plus smart 700va stab. I'm in Navi Mumbai (Kharghar, to be precise) and although there are no power cuts, I do have an inverter to be on the safe side. I'm unsure though if a stab+inverter combination is good enough because of the split seconds delay in switching which can cause devices to restart. Or should I get a dedicated UPS for the amp. Just needed to turn off the amp gracefully. Would appreciate your thoughts on the same. :)



My friend has the similar setup. Marantz pm5004 connected to wharfedale 10.2. for the last 3 years it was also getting hot while running at 10' clock position.
Nothing to worry, Since you provided the proper ventilation

I guess, it is the tropical climate we live in which is to blame. Thanks so much for your inputs, mate. Really appreciate it. :)
 
Really sorry about that, Sir. I should've checked the sub-section. Would appreciate if a moderator can move it there.

I have ordered the V-guard Crystal Plus smart 700va stab. I'm in Navi Mumbai (Kharghar, to be precise) and although there are no power cuts, I do have an inverter to be on the safe side. I'm unsure though if a stab+inverter combination is good enough because of the split seconds delay in switching which can cause devices to restart. Or should I get a dedicated UPS for the amp. Just needed to turn off the amp gracefully. Would appreciate your thoughts on the same. :)





I guess, it is the tropical climate we live in which is to blame. Thanks so much for your inputs, mate. Really appreciate it. :)


Hey....no Sir and all....i have still to obtain Knighthood!

No Apologies....obviously you were not aware...now you are....

I am not a professional engineer / technician to 100% comment on UPS etc...but i found this on the net....seems informative and legitimate...

https://hydrogenaud.io/index.php/topic,62012.0.html

We have quite a few members who stay in navi Mumbai etc....i am sure their inputs will help in better understanding what works for them....

Technically from a component perspective, Stereo AMP would be much more stronger than an AVR to bear frequent cutoffs / restarts etc....thats why we have protection circuits....
 
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My PM6004, after 2 or 3 hour playing CD at 10 o'clock vol. knob,
doesn't warm up at all, whereas, instead, my Quad 306 + 34 pre,
that I owned before, went very hot, always with B&W 603 S2 tower...
 
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Thanks for the feedback, humblebee and MaSh. That certainly was relieving to know that nothing is amiss with the amp. :)

Also, I feel the UPS heating problem is probably because I have a fairly power hungry desktop connected to the UPS which is rated at 600va or 360w. Now the amp's power consumption itself is rated at 350w. So maybe it's because I was overloading the UPS with peripherals. I'm not sure.

Perhaps using a dedicated UPS for the amp should've helped.






Thanks for the feedback, rishi100 and rraghuram. :) I have purchased the V-Guard Crystal Plus Smart 700va stabilizer to protect the amp. Hopefully will receive it today. Since the power consumption of the amp is rated 350w, the stab should be sufficient, I guess. I do not intend to connect anything else to the chain.

Since you are using a stabilizer, I just wanted to know if you use a home inverter as well. My only concern is that unlike a UPS, when there is a power outage, the transition to inverter battery power isnt exactly clean. There is a delay of a couple milliseconds which can cause devices connected to the stab to restart. Have you experienced this issue? A UPS could've mitigated this issue, by providing enough backup to turn off the amp asap. But the use of your usual run of the mill computer UPS is discouraged for amps probably because of the stepped approximate sine wave. I wonder if it is so bad for a 30 odd seconds or so that you need to turn off the amp?

I'm somehow in favor of a UPS over a stab simply because of the inverter transition which isnt clean and quick. If a dedicated UPS is no problem, then I'd cancel the stab order and get a UPS instead. Would appreciate your thoughts on this. :)

Thanks so much.


P.S. Really sorry for clubbing comments together. Since I'm new here, my posts are still moderated, and it adds a delay. So trying to reduce the number of post to well..reduce moderator approval delay. :p
According to me you should only go for UPS if it is a online UPS, otherwise stabilizer is better, I wouldn't advise you to go for a separate computer UPS or a home UPS, it will do more harm then good.

Online UPS are expensive, for surge protection you can add a good spike board.

Regards
Bilal
 
Don't know about the newer models...I've been using a PM7000 for the past 16 years with a V-guard and spike buster. It gets a bit hot after running 1-2 hours(9-10 o clock position) but nothing to get worried about.
 
I too have just upgraded to the Marantz SR6012 very recently and compared to my old Denon it too gets a tad hot than the Denon (obviously the Marantz has more power if compared to the Denon) and I too was a bit concerned since I keep the AVR in a closed cabinet, but whenever I use it I keep the cabinet doors open.

Looking at other users posts I now feel that this behavior is ok and there is nothing to worry about. Although I have played the AVR for 4-5 hrs continously, but haven't faced any issues till date, so it looks good.
 
I too have just upgraded to the Marantz SR6012 very recently and compared to my old Denon it too gets a tad hot than the Denon (obviously the Marantz has more power if compared to the Denon) and I too was a bit concerned since I keep the AVR in a closed cabinet, but whenever I use it I keep the cabinet doors open.

Looking at other users posts I now feel that this behavior is ok and there is nothing to worry about. Although I have played the AVR for 4-5 hrs continously, but haven't faced any issues till date, so it looks good.


If its getting hot I suppose, its not ideal to keep inside the cabinet. Amps need some breathing space always. Consider adding Computer Cabinet fans to either side of your cabinet if possible. That'd be a better solution overall.
 
I too have just upgraded to the Marantz SR6012 very recently and compared to my old Denon it too gets a tad hot than the Denon (obviously the Marantz has more power if compared to the Denon) and I too was a bit concerned since I keep the AVR in a closed cabinet, but whenever I use it I keep the cabinet doors open.

Looking at other users posts I now feel that this behavior is ok and there is nothing to worry about. Although I have played the AVR for 4-5 hrs continously, but haven't faced any issues till date, so it looks good.
I had my Marantz SR 5008 running hot with wharfedale floor stands. After 6 months protection mode problem started lead to fail. You can find my posts in Marantz owners thread.

My sincere advice is run the AVR on open atmosphere. Opening the cupboard doors while running would not be sufficient. Providing Cabinet fan also not a good idea.


Sent from my Lenovo K50a40 using Tapatalk
 
Looks a tad difficult considering the space constraints, but will surely try to see what options I have as an alternate space.
 
Instead of doing all these look at the root causes of heating of an amplifier/reciever.
U can start with following mods:
1. Read your amp operator manual for normal operating temperature and confirm weather its overheating or not.

2. Check for impedence of amp supported. Check the RESULTANT Imedance of all speakers connected to amp.
Amps strives quite hard to push low impedence speakers and gets heated.

2A. Change Thermal Heatsinks paste of output transistors (if present) with high quality thermal paste

3. Give it good ventilation. A High Speed Ceiling/Table Fan focussed at amp heatsinks is sufficient for most amps.

4. Dont place/cover anything over amp. Keep it ventilated.

5. A Vintage/aged amplifier usually have power filter capacitors dried or say deficient working. You can change it and reduce it. Also the amps of todays are cheap build and hav very low quality capacitors.

6. Alternatively you can service your amp for any small capacitor/resistance failure wich usually heats up amp quite often. Properly bias your amp approved settings in ur amp manual. Check if any DC offset is there. Ask technician to check for any shortings within amp. So you can service your amp for a better days ahead.
 
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