ALL IN ONE AMP WE LOVE! MARANTZ MODEL 40N REVIEW
MODEL 40N REVIEW BY ANDREW ROBINSON
ALL IN ONE GREATNESS! MARANTZ MODEL 40N REVIEW
Have we found the all in one amp we’ve been looking for this year? Will the Marantz Model 40n finally take down our beloved Naim Uniti Atom? Be sure to watch the full review to find out!
MODEL 40N SPECS
The new Model 40 is as an all-inclusive stereo integrated amplifier, in that all one really needs to worry about when building a system around the 40 is loudspeakers. For starters it possesses a 70 Watt per channel, Class A/B amplifier that is capable of driving low impedance loudspeakers dipping down into 4 Ohm territory. It has analog and digital inputs, not to mention HDMI with ARC, making it easy to connect the Model 40 to a TV. It also has a subwoofer out with internal bass management, meaning the Marantz can serve as the centerpiece of a 2.1 hybrid stereo and home theater setup. Along with HDMI support, the 40 has a built-in moving magnet phono preamp, and the internal DAC supports high-res audio formats, including DSD files.
While the Model 40 is rife with physical connection options, it also supports a wide range of wireless ones as well. It has support for AirPlay, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, though admittedly some of these options are only available through the HEOS App. The inclusion of HEOS also means you can easily integrate the Model 40 into an existing Marantz or Denon whole-home audio system, which I appreciate. Control over the 40 can be handled one of four ways; using the included remote, through the HEOS App, via voice commands using Siri, Alexa, Google and Josh.ai and lastly, through Control 4 if you’re an existing Control 4 customer.
MODEL 40N DESIGN
If you’re thinking the Model 40 looks familiar, you’re not wrong. It’s more than a little reminiscent of Marantz’s existing Model 30. I never got the opportunity to demo the Model 30 so I cannot say for certain where the two differ, suffice to say I think the Model 40 is a looker –especially in its black finish. In terms of setup, the 40 is rather easy to integrate into one’s system and get connected to both your physical and wireless devices. The inputs/outputs are clearly labeled and positioned along the back panel in a way that makes cable management easy. Connecting to Bluetooth is easy, though admittedly HEOS is another story. Now, I was sent an early production unit and the HEOS integration is, well, very beta. Does it work? Yes, but it’s pretty buggy on both Android and iOS devices. While I’m confident this will get sorted by the time units ship, as it sits, it ain’t ready.
TESTING THE MARANTZ (ASSOC. EQUIPMENT LIST)
I tested the Marantz with two different sets of speakers, the KLH Model 5 as well as my trusty Klipsch Heresy IVs. I always like to pull out the Heresys, especially with all-inclusive products like this one, because they tend to have marginally higher noise floors, and high efficiency speakers like these can shed light on that. Pleased to report, when connected to high-efficiency speakers, the 40 is silent. No real audible hiss from either the tweeter or midrange drivers when at idle, which is impressive. As for other sources, they included my reference turntable setup, the Audio Technica LP140 with the Ortofon 2M Black LVB cartridge as well as our Sony X95J connected to the Model 40’s HDMI input.
MARANTZ MODEL 30 VS MODEL 40N
Before we get to the sound, understand that I have NOT heard the Marantz Model 30 and its Hypex-sourced amplifier, so I have NO IDEA how the new, Class A/B Model 40 compares to the 30. With that giant disclaimer out of the way, how does the Model 40 sound?
MODEL 40N SOUND BREAKDOWN
Starting with the bass. First and foremost, the only other amplifier that we’ve had on this channel recently that I believe compares to the Model 40 with respect to its bass performance –or should I say control, is the FAR COSTLIER McIntosh 7200 stereo receiver. The Marantz’s low-end is grippy, with terrific depth and control throughout! While the Model 40 has a mild roundness to its low-end tone, this slight fattening or accentuation doesn’t mean the Marantz smooths over the detail and subtle textures in the bass, quite the opposite, as it keeps them on full display; something I noticed when listening to Two Lanes and Lastlings. Truthfully, the 40 sounds more powerful down low than its spec sheet would likely lead you to believe. The KHL Model 5s are not an outright difficult speaker to drive, but it can sometimes take the right amplifier to wring ALL the performance from their large woofers, a test the Model 40 passed with flying colors. It was the same story for the smaller, less bass-heavy Heresy IVs. If you need more bass one can always add a subwoofer, in which case I doubt anyone would be left wanting for more.
MODEL 40 MIDRANGE
In terms of midrange the Model 40 is ever so slightly romanticized, again in the same vein or style of the MAC7200 which I adore. Is it absolutely neutral? Eh, maybe not entirely, but honestly I don’t care because everything I listened to was utterly captivating, not to mention easy on the ears. This is an amp that pairs well with the widest range of music genres, not to mention loudspeakers. Even connected to the Klipsch speakers, the mids never sounded forward. I wouldn’t classify the Marantz as laid back; there is an effortless quality that allows for both instruments and performers to simply appear without a great deal of editorializing in the form of an accentuated presence or overt coloration. Traits like intelligibility and detail are high on the Marantz’s list of strengths without any of it sounding the least bit artificial.
HIGH FREQUENCY PERFORMANCE
As for the high frequency performance, well the highs are just about perfect for me. Airy, extended, but possessing a bit more heft, so wind and reed instruments don’t come across as flat or two dimensional. Singers like Beth Hart, who’s Joplin-esque tone can sometimes come across as more sibilant than breathy when reaching into her upper registers, sounded wholly organic through the Marantz in ways that, well, moved me emotionally. Seriously, on the track “St Teresa” the lyric “The good die young, that’s why I’m getting so old” gutted me, for every nuance locked within Hart’s vocals rang true through the 40 and I couldn’t get enough. Even with brighter-leaning speakers like the Heresys, the Marantz proved to be the model of composure. But should you want a little more sizzle, or perhaps a mellower tone, there are tone controls present on the front so you can adjust its sound to taste!
40N SOUNDSTAGE AND DYNAMICS
With respect to soundstage and dynamics. The Marantz isn’t going to rob your speakers of either, if anything it may provide for a bit more focus, delineation and absolute definition should your speakers have it to give. The soundstage does not extend forward of the speakers’ front baffles, but rather sits right in line and extends well behind with good lateral dispersion side-to-side. Dynamics were unconstrained and sprung forth in a way that always felt natural rather than showy. For a 70 Watt per channel amp, it sings with 200 Watt per channel confidence, making it interesting –even arresting –at both low and high volumes.
MARANTZ PHONO PREAMP
Other qualities to note, the internal Marantz phono preamp is fantastic and of a high enough quality that pairing it with a cartridge like the 2M Black LVB doesn’t seem like a mismatch –if anything, the pairing proved to be among the best we have in house and frankly have heard to date. The DAC is also quite good (with a fair amount of adjustability inside the menus) and I love the inclusion of HDMI as watching films through the Model 40 was cinematic AF, and among my favorite aspects of its performance!
HEOS, AIRPLAY AND BLUETOOTH
So what’s not to like? Well, for me, the Model 40 borders on perfection. I’ve never been the biggest fan of HEOS, but like Play-Fi, I try not to let an App outright spoil my enjoyment of a piece unless that piece is 100 percent reliant upon the App, which the Model 40 is not. AirPlay and Bluetooth work flawlessly, not to mention you can hook up any number of streaming devices to it. Again, the HEOS App I had to use during my review was a beta build, so while I didn’t care for it, I’m confident the bugs will be hammered out. Aside from that, I honestly do not have a complaint when it comes to the Marantz.
MARANTZ VS MCINTOSH
So how does it compare to the competition? While I’ve referenced the McIntosh 7200 a few times, I doubt the two would ever be cross-shopped given the MASSIVE delta in price. That said, the Model 40 gives me McIntosh 7200 vibes, and while it may lack the 7200’s vintage appeal, the Marantz more than holds its own sonically –so much so that I’m not entirely sure which I would pick were money not an issue.
MARANTZ VS NAIM
As for my former reference all-in-one, the NAIM Uniti Atom, I think the Model 40 can go toe-to-toe with the Atom and even bests in many respects. The Atom is a great piece, but it doesn’t have all the same features and functions of the Model 40. It is a little noisy when paired with high efficiency speakers, something the Marantz doesn’t suffer from and then of course there is the issue of power, of which the Model 40 has nearly twice as much. Oh, and the Marantz retails for almost a grand less so…yeah. Compared to the Cambridge Audio Evo 150 it’s not even a question for me, I’m team Marantz Model 40 all day.
MARANTZ VS AUDIOLAB
And finally with respect to our 2021 Product of the Year, the Audiolab 6000A Play, the Marantz is better, but for roughly a thousand dollars less, the 6000A still gets my vote as a potentially more viable option for those of you who may be on a tighter budget. The 6000A Play and the 40 have a lot in common, but should you be looking at the Audiolab and wondering how much would you have to spend to get appreciable benefits and better sonic results, the Marantz is your answer. I feel the same about the Audiolab Omnia, though if you need a built-in CD player, the Omnia may be worth considering over the Model 40.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I absolutely adore this machine. I think Marantz hit a home run with the Model 40. It looks great. Sounds great. Has the right set of features for today’s modern music and movie enthusiasts. It’s priced competitively and should be enough integrated amp for those of you just looking to enjoy your favorite music at a high level without a great deal of fuss. Seriously, I think I may have just found the perfect amplifier FOR ME.
