Marantz PS-17SA (2000)
The Marantz PS-17SA is an odd one: a stereo AV pre-main amplifier released in Japan in December 2000 at ¥250,000. Marantz built it to join their pure audio side to the new home theater surround processing, and they over-engineered it, as usual.
The amplifier section is built like a serious two-channel amp. It uses the same twin-monaural construction as Marantz's Hi-Fi stereo amplifiers, with two channels of full-scale current-feedback power amplification built around Marantz's proprietary HDAM modules. Rated output is 80W + 80W into 6Ω (20Hz - 20kHz, both channels driven). Maximum EIAJ figures are 135W + 135W into 4Ω, 105W + 105W into 6Ω, and 85W + 85W into 8Ω. Total harmonic distortion is rated at 0.01%, and the signal-to-noise ratio at 110dB or better. The power supply uses a super ring core and toroidal transformer, and the speaker terminals are made by WBT. Those are parts you'd expect in a flagship stereo amp, not a home theater receiver.
The processing section is where this model stands out. It was the world's first AV amplifier to include Dolby Headphone processing, and also the first to include SRS Ultra Surround and CS-Virtual technology. Besides Dolby Digital and DTS, it adds a 6.1 ES and Circle Surround decoder. The decoder uses a three-DSP configuration. The chassis is a four-box structure that separates the audio amplifier, DSP, video amplifier, and microcomputer/display sections, all in a rigid, vibration-controlled aluminum case. A learning remote with LCD display and macro functions is included.
The video switching is comprehensive for the era: five composite and S-video inputs and two component inputs, with matching outputs. Audio inputs number four systems plus a 5.1-channel external input. Pre-outs cover 7.1 channels, and there is a 2-channel main-in for flexible configuration. Digital inputs include three optical and three coaxial, with one of each for output. Dimensions are 458 × 166 × 491 mm, and the unit weighs 19 kg.
Documentation on the PS-17SA is thinner than its engineering would suggest. No independent professional reviews or measurements have surfaced, and the "world's first" claims rest on a single Japanese source. The service manual covers both "PS-17 / PS-17SA," which indicates a non-SA variant existed, but no comparative information between them has been found. Market presence is limited but active. A Russian listing asking 55,000 ₽ describes the sound as "excellent crystal-clear," and a StereoNET listing in Adelaide offered a modified example, converted to power-amp-only operation, for 350 (likely AUD). A HiFiShark estimate based on 14 listings puts the median used price around €652. One Yahoo Auctions unit sold as junk for ¥1,628, so non-functional examples do circulate.
Known Specifications
- Type: Stereo AV pre-main amplifier
- Released: December 2000, Japan — ¥250,000
- Rated output: 80W + 80W (6Ω, 20Hz–20kHz, 2-ch drive)
- Max power (EIAJ): 135W + 135W (4Ω), 105W + 105W (6Ω), 85W + 85W (8Ω)
- THD: 0.01% (20Hz–20kHz, 2-ch drive)
- Signal-to-noise: 110dB or more (voice), 60dB or more (video)
- Dimensions: 458 × 166 × 491 mm
- Weight: 19 kg
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Similar items on eBay
No exact Marantz PS-17SA 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.
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