Marantz PM-99SE (1992–1996)
The PM-99SE is the Special Edition of Marantz's PM-90. It was introduced in September 1992 at ¥330,000 and built through roughly 1996. It sat at the top of Marantz's Japanese integrated amplifier line in the early nineties, above the PM-88SE, and it updated the earlier PM-95. It weighs 26.0 kg. Outside Japan it was sold in black as the PM-90SE, without the stamped Marantz logo.
The 99SE has a dual-mode output stage, which makes it essentially two amplifiers in one chassis. The Class A section is rated at 30W + 30W into 8Ω (40W into 6Ω, 60W into 4Ω). The separate Class AB section is rated at 130W + 130W into 8Ω (160W into 6Ω, 200W into 4Ω). You switch between modes by hand - it's not automatic. The cascode power stage uses selected MOS-FETs in parallel push-pull, fed by a large toroidal transformer. All that Class A heat gets dissipated through a 3mm aluminum top plate.
The design uses ten HDAM modules, Marantz's high-speed voltage amplification modules. Two of them handle the "active" volume control, a four-gang Panasonic attenuator that balances input and output levels to keep residual noise low at any setting. The chassis takes resonance and shielding seriously. It has a copper-plated zinc die-cast base, die-cast aluminum side panels (shared with the CD-95 and PM-95), 70µ copper-foil PCBs, a silicon steel shield plate, and low-foil electrolytic capacitors with copper shields. Three CCNE "noise killer" filters sit on each transformer secondary. There's also a Line Phase sensor on the back, which thevintageknob.org described as "very Luxman."
Rated specs are strong for the era: 0.005% THD, frequency response of 10 Hz to 100 kHz (+0/-1 dB), 111 dB S/N on high-level inputs, and a damping factor of 200. The phono stage handles both MC (180µV/100Ω) and MM (2.5mV/47kΩ) cartridges. Inputs are a balanced CD connection, a second CD input, two aux, tuner, and three tape loops. Tone controls are ±6 dB. One known problem: the Panasonic four-gang attenuator has been noted as aging rapidly, so units today may need attention there.
Owner reviews from the period praise its musicality, particularly in Class A mode. One Drive2.ru owner called it "a very pleasant device... musical and surprisingly with very beautiful vocals." The same owner noted the tone controls don't degrade the sound the way most do. The built-in phono stage is reportedly very good, though that's owner hearsay rather than verified measurement.
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