To be honest, Marantz was the first high-end imported audio brand I ever encountered. I still vividly remember, during my middle school years, being mesmerized by a set of exquisitely crafted audio equipment with champagne gold chassis displayed in a high-end store window. Two design elements left an indelible impression on me: the distinctive Marantz logo and its iconic porthole display. At that time, my knowledge of audio brands was virtually non-existent. When I asked my father about the brand, he told me it was Marantz, a Japanese-made audio brand that he deeply admired.
Over the years, while Marantz has remained true to its core identity in my mind, the brand has also evolved significantly. The consistency I speak of lies in Marantz’s unwavering commitment to its industrial design DNA – those two distinctive elements I mentioned earlier – which have become highly recognizable brand signatures. This successful industrial design approach has resonated with audiences for decades. Meanwhile, Marantz has never ceased to advance both technologically and aesthetically. Last month, I had the privilege of attending and witnessing the launch of their new Reference 10 Series, including an impressive demonstration session. The unveiling of this series, with its luxurious appearance, technological innovations, and relentless pursuit of ideal sound quality, marks a significant milestone in Marantz’s 70-year journey.
Precise Positioning, Magnificent Arrival
The new Reference 10 Series, Marantz’s first high-end stereo reference series since 2016, integrates cutting-edge audio technology with sophisticated design, representing a crucial strategic move toward future markets. The series comprises three products: the MODEL 10 Reference Integrated Amplifier, the SACD 10 Reference SACD Player, and the LINK 10n Reference Streaming Preamplifier. Each product represents five years of research and development and countless precise adjustments, masterfully crafted by Marantz engineers at the renowned Shirakawa Audio Works factory in Japan, striving for perfection in every detail.
Whether you’re a seasoned audiophile or new to high-end audio equipment, the new Reference 10 Series promises an unprecedented listening experience. The series beautifully combines tradition, performance, and modern luxury in its appearance and details, paying homage to Marantz’s design DNA, technical heritage, and classic works.
SACD 10 Reference SACD Player
The SACD 10 stands as an iconic achievement in SACD/CD player design and serves as the perfect companion to the MODEL 10 Reference Integrated Amplifier. Its SACD transport mechanism, entirely designed and manufactured by Marantz, has been meticulously refined and calibrated to achieve exceptional accuracy. Built to the same exacting standards as other components in the 10 Series, it effectively minimizes vibration for optimal performance.
A New Chapter in Audio Excellence: The Marantz Reference 10 Series
Design and Engineering Excellence: The SACD 10 Reference Player
The SACD 10 carries forward the luxurious design heritage of the legendary MODEL 9, featuring a signature brushed aluminum front panel, high-resolution display, and symmetrical layout. At its core lies a fully balanced circuit architecture incorporating Marantz’s proprietary Musical Mastering (MMM) technology and latest-generation HDAM circuits. This design achieves remarkably low distortion levels while delivering pure, authentic sound reproduction with complete channel separation – the hallmark of ideal source component design.
The player showcases Marantz’s exclusive 1-bit decoding technology for SACD and DSD playback, employing digital DSD upsampling combined with analog filtering to achieve exceptionally refined amplification. For headphone enthusiasts, the SACD 10 features a newly upgraded headphone amplifier circuit with advanced HDAM architecture, offering direct access to pristine source material.
Internally, the SACD 10 employs extensive copper shielding and a sophisticated dual-layer design. The lower level houses two symmetrically placed toroidal transformers, each encased in pure copper shields, alongside Marantz’s proprietary SACDM-3 transport mechanism. This placement minimizes the center of gravity and ensures optimal stability while reducing vibration interference. The upper layer, also copper-shielded, contains separate digital and analog circuits, with vertical copper partitioning extending to the front panel circuitry.
The LINK 10n: Redefining Network Audio
The LINK 10n represents Marantz’s first venture into high-end network streaming, combining the role of network player and streaming preamplifier. It inherits the classic Marantz aesthetic while introducing a high-resolution color display and damped control knob. Supporting both HEOS and Roon Ready platforms, it delivers a contemporary Hi-Fi streaming experience with multi-room capabilities through HEOS integration.
Internal architecture mirrors the SACD 10’s attention to detail, featuring extensive copper shielding and separated channel design. The unit supports comprehensive digital playback options, including MQA decoding, AirPlay 2, and Bluetooth connectivity. Uniquely, it incorporates MM/MC phono amplification with copper shielding – a rare feature in digital streamers that bridges the analog-digital divide.
MODEL 10: The Reference Integrated Amplifier
The MODEL 10 integrated amplifier introduces a modernized version of Marantz’s iconic porthole display, now featuring a color OLED screen. Its distinctive mesh top grille, with its wave pattern motif, reflects musical rhythms while allowing glimpses of the copper-plated internals and custom transformers beneath (with optional illumination).
At its heart lies a fully symmetrical dual-mono design utilizing Purifi switching amplifier modules – representing the cutting edge of Class D amplification. These modules, specifically designed for the MODEL 10 and manufactured at Shirakawa Audio Works in Japan, combine Purifi’s exceptional technical specifications with Marantz’s renowned sound signature. The amplifier delivers 250W into 8Ω and 500W into 4Ω, with peak current capability of 30A, ensuring outstanding dynamic range and impact.
Sonic Performance
During demonstration sessions pairing the system with Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Signature Edition speakers, the Reference 10 Series demonstrated exceptional capabilities. Whether streaming via the LINK 10n or playing through the SACD 10, the system revealed extraordinary transparency, detail, and dynamic range. Particularly noteworthy was its handling of complex orchestral works and intimate vocal recordings, maintaining both micro-detail and macro-dynamics while creating an immersive soundstage that transcended the physical space.
The Marantz Reference 10 Series represents not just a new product launch, but a statement of the brand’s continuing commitment to audio excellence. While comprising just three components, each piece demonstrates focused functionality and clear positioning within the high-end audio landscape. Whether used individually or as a complete system, these components deliver both the technical excellence and timeless musical engagement that have long been Marantz hallmarks.
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