Marantz PM-8mkII (c. 1980)
The Marantz PM-8mkII is a stereo pre-main (integrated) amplifier made in Japan around 1980, near the end of what enthusiasts often call the golden era of Japanese audiophile hardware. It sat at the top of Marantz's PM series and was refined from the earlier PM-8. The company described it as its highest-grade integrated amplifier. The original price was a hefty ¥255,000.
The design brief was aggressive for its time. Rated output is 150W + 150W into 8Ω and 190W + 190W into 4Ω (20 Hz-20 kHz). Total harmonic distortion is rated at 0.01% or less, and damping factor is 100 or more into 8Ω. Output bandwidth runs from 5 Hz to 100 kHz at 0.05% THD. To hit those figures, Marantz used its own low-TIM circuitry in both the control and power sections. It also used newly developed power transistors with a 90 MHz ft rating in a parallel push-pull configuration to cut switching distortion. The power supply is split, with separate transformers for the preamp and power stages. The output capacitors are custom, high-capacity units, configured independently for left and right channels. Signal-path shielding uses coaxial cable, and oxygen-free copper wire is used elsewhere.
Marantz was particularly proud of the phono stage. The MC head amplifier uses a DC-configuration, low-noise FET pair feeding a DC equalizer with a three-stage direct-coupled SEPP output. A cartridge load selector lets you match both MM (1kΩ, 10kΩ, 27kΩ, 47kΩ, 100kΩ) and MC (10Ω, 47Ω, 100Ω, 220Ω) inputs to your pickup. RIAA deviation is held to ±0.2 dB from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Past the phono section, there is a three-band tone control (bass and treble ±10 dB, midrange ±6 dB) with selectable turnover frequencies. High- and low-cut filters sit at 9 kHz and 15 Hz, respectively, both 18 dB/octave. Two tape decks are supported, each with its own record selector, so you can record different sources independently. Tone correction can be mixed into recordings. The protection circuit is an energy-sensor type, built to guard the output transistors without interrupting music playback.
It is a big, heavy unit: 474 mm wide, 172 mm high, 450 mm deep, and 27.5 kg. It runs on 100 VAC and draws a rated 400W.
The archive's record on the PM-8mkII is otherwise thin. No production years beyond "around 1980" are documented. No independent period reviews have turned up in the available sources, so there is none of the measured commentary that exists for other Marantz models. Collector listings suggest it remains desirable, often described with its original wood case intact. One seller called a unit "serviced" and "rare" with that case. Common failure points, maintenance guidance, and current market pricing are not documented here.
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