Marantz Model 70 Amplifier and Marantz CD 70 CD Player

I hope I’ve managed to convey just how functional and elegant this Marantz combo is. The build quality and finish of both units are truly excellent and certainly exceed what one might reasonably expect in this price range. However, I must admit that I approached the listening session with a bit of trepidation. Why? Obviously, I didn’t think they would have any glaring flaws—after all, the manufacturer’s name is a guarantee in itself. No, what I feared was that they might sound different from a typical Marantz—and that would have disappointed me—but—I’ll tell you right now—that fear was unfounded. Perhaps some of you reading this article are wondering why I had that fear. After all, these are still two devices from a historic brand, so why on earth would they sound any different from the standard we’ve come to expect? The answer is simple: it’s a matter of budget. It’s one thing to devote resources, means, and technology to a product that will be marketed at a price of thousands of euros; it’s an entirely different matter when it comes to budget products that must necessarily contend (and that’s putting it mildly) with significant limitations—otherwise, the price would spiral out of control. I like to think that this is where the legendary figure of the Sound Master comes in—that sound specialist whose expertise has always defined Marantz products. A figure who straddles the line between technician/engineer and artist. This role was held by the legendary Ken Ishiwata from 1978 until his death in 2019, when the position was taken over by another Japanese national, Yoshinori Ogata. The important thing to keep in mind is that these individuals aren’t tasked with making all Marantz products sound exactly the same—which would be impossible—but rather with giving them a recognizable sound. In other words, they’re able to convey that “Family Sound” unique to the brand. Have they succeeded with this combo? Absolutely. Despite their very affordable price, the Model 70 and the CD 70 deliver a sound that I can’t describe in any other way than as “authoritative.” By this I mean that blend of speed, harmonic accuracy, body, and driving power that invites—indeed, compels—an engaged, attentive, and reflective listening experience. Thus, they are not merely entertainment devices, but true instruments with which to explore music. I assure you that for a budget product, this is by no means a given.

The Model 70 integrated amplifier unmistakably embodies the Marantz DNA, which translates into a sense of smoothness and refinement— I’d almost say a velvety sound, thanks to which even the harshest passages of any track are handled in such a way as to make them, if not exactly pleasant, at least enjoyable—without hiding them. This particular balance—which has always been one of Marantz’s strengths—proved especially useful when listening, via the CD70 player, to some of the oldest CDs in my collection, which aren’t exactly flawless in terms of sound quality. Furthermore, the ability to adjust the output filter by choosing between Slow Roll-off and Fast Roll-off allows you to tailor the sound to your preferences to some extent. The listening sessions were conducted with bookshelf speakers, specifically the Davis Olympia One Master 35 and the Paradigm Premier 120B v2; the latter are more in line with the Marantz combo in terms of budget than the French speakers are. In both cases, I was impressed by the sound’s composure, articulation, and low-frequency clarity. Even with the French mini speakers—which are quite demanding in terms of power handling—the Model 70’s 50 W never proved insufficient to produce adequate sound pressure and deliver dynamics that did justice to the recording. The phono stage proved excellent and featured very low background noise.

Given the layout of our listening room, we didn’t conduct tests with a connected TV, but we did test the Bluetooth connection with my iPhone 17 while playing a few tracks from the Qobuz app. The whole experience proved to be stable, fast, easy to use, and sonically pleasing.

Once again, Marantz seems to have hit the mark: offering such an effective combo at a total price of less than €1,500 is no small feat. To do so while staying true to the standards set by the tradition of a historic brand is an even more impressive achievement. Kudos to the American manufacturer for successfully showcasing its unique qualities within a broad and well-structured product lineup.