Marantz' HD-AMP1 referencing their HD-DAC1

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Indeed, it's displaying « USB-DAC DSD11.2M »

 

As reported, in June, by Steve Withers :

Leading the way into this brave new world is Marantz HD-AMP1 high definition amplifier and DAC, which will is pictured at the top of this article and will be released in January at an as yet unspecified price. The HD-AMP1 is designed to sit at the centre of your digital world, connecting with your high res audio sources with your speakers or headphones. It manages to squeeze a real Marantz HiFi amplifier into its diminutive chassis and incorporates their Musical Mastering technology, which applies customised filters to deliver the best audio performance. Much of the technology is derived from premium Marantz amplifiers like the NA-11S1 and there are also brass machined RCA terminals, high quality speaker terminals and aluminium die cast feet.

 

The HD-AMP1 includes 2 x 70W of digital amplification and a dual clock design, it also has a USB-B input for computers that supports 384kHz. 32-bit and DSD (2.8/5.6/11.2 MHz) and a USB-A that can handle MFi, WMA, MP3, AAC, FLAC 192/24, WAV 192/24, ALAC 96/24 and DSD 2.8/5.6. There are two optical inputs and one coaxial digital input, an RCA input and a HDAM headphone amp with gain control. You also get a pre-out, a subwoofer output, a porthole display and remote control. If all you want is the digital to analogue conversion capabilities, then Marantz also offer the HD-DAC1, with similar features...

And the best insight into their HD-DAC1 is a 7 part engineers' interview in Japanese. And (due to my lack of time to discuss the text) here's some photo examples (of course, you yourself can try Google or Bing translator) :

HD-DAC1は、きっとシングルエンドのヘッドホンアンプでは一番音が良いと思います。マランツのポリシーというのは「何も足さない、何も引かない」ということです。出た音をそのまま出すというポリシーなんですよね。そういう意味で、音源に入ってる音をそのまま100%表現できるような製品になってると思います。そこは自信もってお薦めできますよね。たまに誤解されるのですが、うちは悪い音は良くしませんということです。悪い音は悪い音のまま出します。そして良い音は良い音で出しますよと。そこはやっぱりマランツの特色なんですよね。

 

 

[realhifi]

Nice looking piece! If it's anything like the Dac it's based on it will be a winner!

[徐中銳]

David, I'll write my thoughts of their global-distributors' peculiarities when I've more leisure time

 

Japan release of HD-AM1 will be early December, some photos and graphs :

Regarding USB (Type-B) / coaxial digital / optical digital input

Regarding USB (Type-A) input

Internal view

[wgscott]

Why is ALAC limited to 96kHz? I thought once the player software processes the data, the container is irrelevant.

[kumakuma]

Why is ALAC limited to 96kHz? I thought once the player software processes the data, the container is irrelevant.

 

This appears to be one of the formats that the unit can play directly using the USB jack on the front. No idea why they would cap ALAC at 96kHz though.

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Well, for example, over at Marantz DAC / Disc Player 'Special Edition' SA-14S1 SE (SRP £1799) I find that I've mistyped « 4x over-sampling digital filter » into « 14x...

 

Concerning ALAC, perhaps it too was a typo-omission ?

 

And, at Ryuichi Sawada's listening room, here's an interesting photo of what the HD-AMP1 is driving :

マランツの開発用試聴室では「802Diamond」が使われており、HD-AMP1のリスニングテストにも使われた

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Japan has started selling HD-AMP1, its references to their HD-DAC1 may be of only external styling and « the Marantz sound » because as photo showed previously, internal layout of components are vastly re-worked. And, a side-by-side external view :

 

I'm going to wait for its New Zealand release and audition how it drives speakers, for minimalist setups such as exampled by :

 

[trappy]

Any news on an NA release for this?

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Any news on an NA release for this?

 

I've had some conversations... PCM-optimised Melody Media M-CR611 (MSRP $699) [and Melody Stream M-CR511] are their answers, say—at least the next 12 months, for Network Audio Mini Systems

 

 

Also, quickly, I wanted a MSRP : $799 HD-DAC1 due to favouring it as Pre-amp (through its RCA Variable-outputs feature) to my 1990s MusicLink Mono Amps... Photo showing 4 of 5 in my room :

Top to bottom, SC-23 (rear), MA-23 (rear), MA-23 (front), SC-22 [indeed—I bought earlier version too] (front)

​

Yes, am especially attracted by its « extended isolation around the USB-B input » :

The USB-B works in asynchronous mode to support not only 192 kHz / 24bits high-resolution audio but also the DSD 2.8MHz and 5.6MHz for maximized performance and the most direct way to enjoy excellent quality. To safeguard quality when connected to a computer, we built extended isolation around the USB-B input to eliminate the chance of a high frequency noise being generated by the computer when entering the HD-DAC1. We even included a jitter remover and Dual Clock for extreme accuracy.

 

Of course, I can just plug HD-DAC1's RCA Fixed-outputs to SC...

 

 

Incidentally, stand-alone HD-AMP1 Thread : 11.2 MHz DSD＆384 kHz 32 bit PCM (¥140,000)

[HiFiInsider]

so does the HD-AMP1 have the same or better headphones amp as the HD-DAC1?

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Greetings Mike, I've just woken (New Zealand's Sunday morning). So, brief answer, theoretically, HD-DAC1 would be the more dedicated-headphones-amp (for your well over 200 pairs)

 

Of course, dedicated may not sound better to you if you're into customising by switching between HD-AMP1's 2 musical digital filtering :

 

Which leads us to how HD-AMP1 uses Ess' ES9010K2M chip :

 

While HD-DAC1 uses a Cirrus Logic CS4398...

Actually, do you happen to already own a HD-DAC1 ?

Well, Overview for HD-AMP1 :

« Dedicated Headphone Circuit with Adjustable Gain and HDAM-SA2

Designed to deliver the ultimate listening experience with the widest range of headphone types and impedances the HD-AMP1 features a dedicated headphone amplifier block that employs our exclusive HDAM-SA2 technology. There are 3 gain settings available in order to provide optimum matching with the widest range of headphone impedances. »

 

so does the HD-AMP1 have the same or better headphones amp as the HD-DAC1?

 

[gmgraves]

Wilhelm, do you work for Marantz? Seems like you reference them in every post. I'm not complaining, mind you, I'm just curious.

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Friendships...

As Post #123 of this Thread may not have reached you' date=' I'll explain it afresh.

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It's true, I've only 7 or 9 good friends. Acquaintances, of course, don't count ?

 

And Ken is one of my good friends whose work I study...

 

 

Why don't you see me supporting Mike who (was the previous Marantz importer and) still imports Hi-Fi into New Zealand ? Because importers are, metaphorically, messengers-who-deliver rather than are the-writers-of-letters.

 

 

Do you know, personally or not, who led the engineering of every product that are in your music system ? Well, I know mine.

 

 

Here are some already made public photos proving the 2001 demonstration when I was introduced to Ken :

 

 

 

 

 

And link here for brands Mike now distributes (yes, he still has rights to Jamo loudspeakers) :

 

You know, people/engineers-are-behind-products And you yourself are friends with many in the industry ? But me, it'd be too conflicting now if I befriend other behind-the-scenes-designers because there's only so much money/time to listen/live...

 

Wilhelm, do you work for Marantz? Seems like you reference them in every post. I'm not complaining, mind you, I'm just curious.

[徐中銳]

 

Evidently, they've used a thick metal plate as anti-vibration/shielding side measure for the above 3 MusicLink designs :