Marantz PM-17

Name: Marantz PM-17
Brand: Marantz

The Marantz PM-17 is a stereo integrated amplifier. It is a traditional design: two large toroidal transformers, a dual-mono layout, and gold-plated inputs. Inside, it uses Marantz's HDAM (High Definition Amplifier Module) technology, which the company has used across its higher-end components for years.

The PM-17 is rated at 2 × 60 watts into 8 ohms and 2 × 100 watts into 4 ohms. That's no monster, but it was built to control speakers properly, and the damping factor is spec'd at over 250. Frequency response runs from 5 Hz to 80 kHz, with THD rated at 0.03%. A "CD Direct" switch bypasses the tone controls for a purer signal path. The phono stage handles both MM and MC cartridges, with input sensitivities of 2.5 mV and 0.15 mV respectively. Signal-to-noise is 86 dB on MM, 74 dB on MC, and a claimed 98 dB on CD direct. The RC-17 remote control was included as an accessory.

Audio magazine reviewed the PM-17 in September 1999 (p.87), in a piece that also touched on the amplifier's "unmatched performance" and "ultimate signal purity" claims. The reviewer measured the unit in its Source Direct mode. A letter to Audio (November 1999, p.13) from a PM-17 owner defended the amplifier against a less favorable review from a few issues back. That suggests the PM-17's sound was a matter of some debate, at least when paired with particular speakers.

Beyond that, the record is thin. No original price or production years are firmly documented. The Norwegian site stereo.no offers a detailed spec listing and notes the amplifier "has good bass control and a clear and open midrange," though the treble can come across as "a bit dry and neutral." No collector pricing or common failure information is documented.