Marantz SM-5
Not much is documented about the Marantz SM-5 power amplifier. Almost everything the record shows comes from one detailed review in Audio magazine (January 1996, p.58).
That review, by Bascom H. King in Audio (January 1996, p.58), describes the SM-5 as a stereo amplifier with three selectable inputs - two unbalanced and one balanced. That is handy for anyone running multiple line-level sources without a separate preamp. King measured steady-state power at the visual onset of clipping in stereo mode at 147 watts per channel into 8 ohms and 245 watts per channel into 4 ohms. He tested it with B&W 801 Matrix Series 3 loudspeakers plus subwoofers.
The review also notes that the front-panel controls are two calibrated knobs. The main volume control is a machined cylindrical Alps unit the reviewer hadn't seen in any other equipment. Inside, shielded cabling runs between the main audio board and the moving-coil circuitry section.
Beyond that review, information on this model is thin. Production years, original price, and broader market context are undocumented in the sources available to the Archive.
Known Specs (from Audio review, January 1996):
- Power output (stereo, 8 ohms): 147 W/ch at clipping
- Power output (stereo, 4 ohms): 245 W/ch at clipping
- Inputs: two unbalanced, one balanced
- Volume control: machined cylindrical Alps unit
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