Page 51 - 2022-08-01 Sound & Vision

although that component doesn’t 30 integrated amp has a phono
contain a streamer. Like all of
Marantz’s top products, the 40n
is manufactured at the company’s
Shirakawa Audio Works factory,
115 miles northeast of Tokyo.
Many of today’s streaming
amplifiers have a digital preamp
stage and use class-D amplifica-
tion modules sourced from third
parties. Not the Model 40n. In a
nod to the old school, it’s all analog
and boasts a traditional class-AB
amp section that relies on four
output transistors per channel to
deliver 70 wa s a side into 8 ohms.
It’s also equipped with a 100-step
electronic volume control, permit-
ting the use of a variable gain
se ing at the preamp-level, which
optimizes signal-to-noise ratio,
according to Marantz.
A pair of proprietary Hyper-
Dynamic Amplifier Modules
(HDAM) sit between the volume
a enuator and amplification.
Marantz credits these tiny circuits
with not only lowering noise and
distortion but expanding dynamic
range and frequency response
over traditional operational ampli- pre-echo.
fiers (“op-amps”). HDAM circuitry is
also used for the 40n’s headphone
output, which provides adjustable
gain se ings to accommodate a
wide variety of headphones.
Marantz says the Model 40n is
a good match for speakers that are
difficult to drive thanks to the use of
a linear power supply,
featuring a large,
double-shielded
toroidal transformer
built to deliver high
current on demand.
Whereas the Model
supported on Android, iOS, and
stage that accommodates moving
coil and moving magnet cartridges,
the Model 40n supports only
moving-magnet cartridges but
does so with two amplification
stages, which is said to lower gain
and distortion.
Stepping into the digital
realm, the Model 40n uses an
ESS ES9016 digital-to-analog
converter (DAC) to process PCM
up to 24-bit/192kHz and DSD
up to 5.6MHz (Double DSD), the
la er when streaming through the
Heos platform (more on that in a
moment).
The Model 40n offers a choice
of two digital filters. The default
se ing is Filter 1, which exhibits
a short impulse response said to
reduce pre- and post-echo, while
allowing for the flow of a large
amount of audio information for
improved stereo imaging and
soundstaging. Filter 2 is said to
achieve more analog-like sound by
invoking an asymmetrical impulse
response that results in a post-
echo that’s slightly longer than the
There’s also a Lock Range
feature which, according to
Marantz, improves the perfor-
mance of digital streams by
reducing ji er. Three se ings are
available: narrow, medium, and
wide, the last of which is the default
se ing. Narrow is said to provide
clearer sound, though the se ing
can expose unwanted operational
noise if the quality of the incoming
signal is poor.
Heos, the wireless streaming
platform developed by Marantz
sister company Denon, is natively
Kindle-based mobile devices and
enables the 40n to play the same At a Glance
or different songs in multiple zones
around the home. Heos can also Spacious, rich sound
grab music from a home server via Gorgeous aesthetics
a UPnP (Universal Plug and Play)/
Tank-like build quality
DNLA share and “broadcast” audio
received via its phono or digital Feature-packed
inputs to Heos-enabled devices Small display
around the home.
Limited wired connectivity
The Heos platform provides
options
access to a number of streaming
services, including Amazon Music Lacks room correction
HD, Apple Music, Deezer, iHeart Price: $2,499
Radio, Pandora, Sirius XM, Spotify 800-654-6633
(which is controlled via Spotify’s
own app), Tidal, and TuneIn marantz.com
internet radio. Wireless connec-
tivity is also available via Apple
Airplay 2, Spotify Connect, Blue- says switching off the display (as
tooth, and Wi-Fi. A USB type-A port well as the USB-Type-A port and
allows the Model 40n to play audio Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functions)
files stored on an external USB or reduces noise.
Network A ached Storage (NAS) Below the display is a row of
drive over the Heos network. knobs for selecting an input,
The Model 40n is Roon Tested, turning on the source-direct mode
which means it has been profiled (which defeats the tone controls),
for compatibility with Roon music- and adjusting bass, treble, channel
management/streaming so ware, balance, and volume. To the le of
but there’s no collaboration the center plate is the power bu on
1
between Roon Labs and Marantz. and to the right a / 4 -inch head-
The 40n also supports Control4’s phone jack. The LEDs that create
smart-home control system the so glow around the edges of
and voice control through the the center plate can be turned off,
Siri, Alexa, Google, and Josh.ai dimmed, or even synced to the
platforms. brightness of the display.
Striking is how I would describe Moving to the rear panel,
the Model 40n’s front panel with which is made of steel and do ed
its backlit aluminum center plate, with copper-plated
textured plastic back plate, and screws, there’s a
2-inch round display, which shows centrally located
operation status and contains stereo set of speaker
a remote-control sensor and terminals, which
protection-circuit indicator that accept bare wire
blinks if something is awry. Marantz or banana/spade
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