Hi,
i wanted to but the stereo amp as the yamaha as 501 is available on amazon uk for rs 32000 with good reviews this model is not available in india but amazon uk shipping to india at that price.
Should i buy the amp which is not available in india or should choose marantz, my purpose is music only, as i have separate denon 7.1 setup for movies.
Thanks
There's a starking differences between two amps ;
Marantz pm 6005 vs Yamaha A-S501..
I was in the same confusion as you, these are the excerpts from my online research.
1. Yamaha is 85wpc, Marantz 45wpc - Yamaha uses liberal power rating but that power should be adequate to be least bothered about when selecting a speakers for the amp. With Yamaha ; you can be rest assured that, the amp will not be short of power with most speakers.
2. Yamaha comes with more bells and Whistles - dedicated SW out, Pure direct, Loudness control etc if that matters
3. Yamaha uses TI 5101 DAC (which is more popular in audiophiles - doesn't mean superior) Marantz uses Cirrus Logic DAC
4. Most audio engineers feel that, combining Amp with DAC isn't a good idea ; DAC doesn't perform adequately - whether it leads to a significant difference in SQ is something needs to be emphasized by experienced FMs.
If you remove the on board DAC from the equation ; Marantz PM 5005 (only 5Wpc difference with 6005) becomes a much better and economical choice over both Marantz PM 6005 & Yamaha A-S501.
5. There's significant amount of fan following in the audiophile community who hail Marantz over Yamaha. So purely from SQ perspective Marantz scores over Yamaha. SNR is MARGINALLY better with Marantz too.
6. Yamaha is considered brighter amp of the two (though 501 sounds much balanced than 500) and selection of speakers will impact the final outcome.
7. With Marantz you need crank up the volume with some power hungry speakers, to be able to drive the speakers adequately which could degrade the SQ.
8. I've listened to 500 briefly & PM 6005 leisurely but not 501. Marantz definitely has the edge but Yamaha isn't too bad either. Would love to listen to Yamaha A-S501 if possible before buying => other FMs could chip in their experience
9. Price : Yamaha A-S501 is priced between PM 5005 & PM 6005 if imported. But mind you, with Marantz you will get a yr of Manfacturer warranty. PM 5005 makes lot of sense economically if you are going for a separate DAC as the amount saved in Amp price difference say 10k - you'll be able to get a decent DAC and plethora of options with it.
My Conclusions :
1. Buy Marantz PM 5005 with separate DAC now or buy Yamaha AS501 currently and check if it suits your requirements and add a decent DAC later, when next attack of UPGRADITIS occurs .
2. Listen to other offers like Onkyo (A9030 in the same price bracket) , Nad & Denon 720ae (though everyone feels its a crap in front of 1520) before jumping the gun.
3. Save some more & Up the budget and get CA Cxr60 Onkyo 9050 or Denon 1520 etc instead of investing in cheaper budget Amps which most of Audiophiles advice against.
4. I'm open to suggestions from different FMs - or something else altogether
NB: Marantz is cheaper on Snapdeal with 10% Sbi card discounts