Marantz Model M1 Single Zone Amp

Marantz MODEL M1 Streaming Amplifier: 100 Watts Per Channel in a Compact HEOS System

The Marantz MODEL M1 is a wireless streaming amplifier that puts a complete hi-fi system – amplification, streaming, TV sound and subwoofer management – into a chassis just 217 mm wide. Built at Marantz’s Shirakawa Audio Works in Japan and tuned by the Marantz Sound Masters, it delivers a rated 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms (20 Hz to 20 kHz, 0.05% THD) and 125 watts per channel into 4 ohms, figures that cover the great majority of bookshelf and floorstanding loudspeakers. HEOS Built-in provides the streaming platform, with high-resolution playback up to 24-bit/192 kHz PCM and DSD 2.8 MHz and 5.6 MHz from network shares, USB storage and supported services. For listeners who want proper stereo sound without a rack of separate components, the M1 is the entire system apart from the speakers.

Key features

• 100W per channel into 8 ohms and 125W per channel into 4 ohms
• HEOS Built-in streaming with AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and Bluetooth
• High-resolution audio support up to 24-bit/192 kHz PCM and DSD 5.6 MHz
• Marantz Musical Digital Filtering (MMDF) for the house Marantz sound
• HDMI eARC input with Dolby Digital Plus decoding for TV sound
• Subwoofer output with adjustable high-pass and low-pass filters for a true 2.1 system
• Compact 217 x 84 x 239 mm chassis, designed and built in Shirakawa, Japan

Power and sound character

The M1’s rated output is measured across the full 20 Hz to 20 kHz band at low distortion, which is the honest way to specify an amplifier and the reason it drives demanding speakers with more composure than its size suggests. Frequency response is 20 Hz to 20 kHz within plus or minus 1 dB, and signal-to-noise ratio is 105 dB on digital inputs. Marantz Musical Digital Filtering, the company’s proprietary oversampling and filtering approach developed for its reference digital products, shapes the digital signal path before conversion. The connected loudspeaker impedance range of 4 to 16 ohms covers most domestic speakers, and the four-way binding posts accept standard speaker cable terminations.

Streaming with HEOS

HEOS handles multi-room playback and groups the M1 with other HEOS-equipped Marantz and Denon products around the home. Music can come from streaming services through the HEOS app, from a NAS or network share, from a USB-A storage device, or from a phone over AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect or Bluetooth. Supported file formats for network and USB playback include WAV, ALAC and FLAC up to 24-bit/192 kHz and DSD at 2.8 MHz and 5.6 MHz, alongside AAC, MP3 and WMA. Dual-band Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) and a wired Ethernet port give a choice of network connection, and Roon Ready support integrates the M1 into Roon systems.

Television sound and bass management

Connected to a TV over HDMI eARC, the M1 replaces television speakers with a genuine stereo system: volume follows the TV remote, and onboard decoding handles Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital and LPCM from broadcast and streaming sources. Sound modes include Stereo, Direct, Virtual, a Dialog Enhancer and a Night Mode for late listening. The subwoofer output is more capable than the simple fixed outputs found on many compact amplifiers: both high-pass filtering for the main speakers (40 to 250 Hz) and low-pass filtering for the subwoofer (40 to 120 Hz) are adjustable, so a subwoofer can be blended properly rather than approximately. A stereo RCA pre-out is also provided. A stereo analog RCA input accepts a turntable fitted with its own phono stage or an external phono amplifier, and an optical TOSLINK input covers additional digital sources.

Installation and control

The M1’s small footprint and cool-running design suit shelves, sideboards and rack installations. Capacitive touch controls on the unit handle volume and playback, with a multi-colour LED status indicator. For integrated homes, control system compatibility over TCP/IP covers Crestron, Control4 and AMX, and an IR input with IR learning is provided. The unit weighs 2.2 kg.

The MODEL M1 is for listeners who want one compact component to cover streaming, television and a subwoofer-equipped 2.1 system, with Marantz’s established tuning and Japanese manufacture behind it. It removes the component stack, not the sound quality.