Marantz PM-5 (1970)

Name: Marantz PM-5
Brand: Marantz

The Marantz PM-5 is an integrated amplifier built for the Japanese and European markets, introduced around 1970. The record agrees on one central point: the PM-5 is the export equivalent of the US-market Marantz Model 1060, with the same output stage and much of the same circuitry. Sources call it a "clone," a "slightly upgraded" variant, or a re-rating of the 1060 for markets where specifications were measured differently. In Japan, Marantz recalculated the 1060's 30W rating as 35W into 8 ohms at 0.3% THD under Japanese measurement standards. That explains the most commonly cited figure for the PM-5.

Past that relationship, the documentation gets thin and sometimes contradicts itself. Most sources list the PM-5 at 35W per channel into 8 ohms. One vintage listing claims 45W into 8 ohms and another shows 45W per channel into 4 ohms. The amplifier is direct-coupled and all-silicon, with output protection circuitry, and it uses no integrated circuits in the preamp section. Owners point to that when they talk about its warm analog character. Front-panel controls include bass, treble, balance, a high filter, two tape monitor selectors with dubbing between Tape 1 and Tape 2, and an input selector for phono, tuner, and aux. The PM-5 has no loudness contour switch, which the 1060 does have. Some owners have complained about that omission.

Phono input sensitivity is given as both 2.5 mV and 3 mV, depending on which manual the spec comes from. Aux sensitivity is 200 mV. Damping factor is 40 at 8 ohms. Speaker impedance is rated 4-16 ohms, though the manual advises 8-ohm speakers for normal two-speaker operation. Power consumption is listed at 100W for the 220V version. No original price, production years, or PM-5-specific dimensions and weight have been found. The dimensional figures that circulate belong to the 1060. Photos suggest an identical chassis layout, but that is inference.

Owner commentary, largely from AudioKarma forums, describes the PM-5 as very nice-sounding, with the same clean Marantz character as the 1060, and remarkably clear at low volumes. One collector said it performs "much better than its price suggests," though no actual price was ever documented. As with most 1970s solid-state amps, the common repair today is replacing dried-out electrolytic capacitors. Units built for the Japanese domestic market run on 100V, so check the voltage before powering one up.

Known specifications: