Marantz PM8100SA ver.2 (2003)
The Marantz PM8100SA ver.2 is a Japanese domestic market integrated amplifier, released in July 2003 at ¥75,000. It's a refinement of the earlier PM8100SA, with Marantz applying its "Absolute SA Technology" circuit-speedup approach to the design. The amplifier was built around a 6-channel preamp section. That gave it multichannel support, which was unusual for the era: add a power amplifier like the SM6100SA ver. 2 and the unit could grow into a multichannel system, with DVD-Audio and SACD just emerging at the time. One forum observer noted that it seemed "a more purist amp for DVD-A and SACD multichannel."
The engineering focus is high-speed, low-noise circuitry. All six channel circuits use current feedback. The power amp section uses a current feedback circuit that lowers feedback impedance, which allows less phase compensation and a high-speed design. The power devices are LAPT audio transistors, and the power supply uses a super-ring-core toroidal transformer. A low-noise Schottky barrier diode in the power block helps with efficiency and low noise. Marantz also used audio-grade capacitors for the 17 decoupling capacitors across the pre and power sections. The volume control is a motor-driven 6-gang unit in a die-cast frame, chosen for better channel-to-channel consistency than electronic volume controls. The speaker terminals are WBT units from Germany. The CD and DVD inputs route through a dedicated relay to connect directly to the preamp section.
Rated output is 90W + 90W into 4Ω, 75W + 75W into 6Ω, and 60W + 60W into 8Ω (20 Hz-20 kHz, both channels driven). THD is rated at 0.01% and the damping factor at 100. A phono MM stage is included (2.4 mV/47kΩ sensitivity, 130 mV max input, RIAA deviation ±0.2 dB). S/N is 85 dB for phono and 110 dB for high-level inputs. The unit measures 440 × 124 × 340 mm and weighs 9.0 kg. It runs on 100V AC, so it's Japan-only.
Documentation on this model is thin beyond the spec database — no period reviews, production-run details, or common maintenance information have surfaced. What's clear is that it represents Marantz's late-era approach to the multichannel transition: a stereo amplifier with multichannel aspirations, built with parts philosophy borrowed from separates.
Similar items on eBay
No exact Marantz PM8100SA-ver.2 listings are live right now — these searches show current Marantz and similar vintage audio gear on eBay:
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.
Related Models
- Marantz 1200 (1972–1975; some sources say 1974–1976)
- Marantz Model-1030
- Marantz Model-1040
- Marantz Model-1122
- Marantz Model-1150mkII
- Eico 3150 (1967)
- Fisher CUSTOM-ELECTRA-I (K-14/K-15) (1957)
- Fisher CUSTOM-ELECTRA IV (E33/E44) (1960)
- Akai AM-2400 (1978)
- Akai AM-2600 (1977)