Marantz PM6004 Phono Stage
Hi everyone
I have a Marantz pm6004 amp and would like your opinion on the phono stage in particular, would it get the best out of the Rega RP3. Unfortunately I cannot demo as there are no Rega dealers in my area (North Devon). Any Opinions or advice would be appreciated.
Agree with nopiano.
It would appear however that he already has the amp and its the Planar 3 he is asking about.
I concur that it is the cartridge he should be concerned about and not the deck itself.
The phono stage in that amp should be quite suitable for any Moving Magnet cartridge fitted to the arm.
I would only consider spending out on a phono preamp if I was thinking of moving up to a low output Moving Coil cartridge.
Gulliford Hi-Fi in Exeter are Rega dealers, it's not that far away, I've used them myself (I'm somewhere near Combe Martin).
Gulliford Hi-Fi in Exeter are Rega dealers, it's not that far away, I've used them myself (I'm somewhere near Combe Martin).
Nice shop that (Gulliford). Frequented it on many occasions in my youth.
Its a small world The_Lhc, I once wrote a geological paper of the structure of Wild Pear Beach (not a million miles from Coombe Martin!)
Gulliford Hi-Fi in Exeter are Rega dealers, it's not that far away, I've used them myself (I'm somewhere near Combe Martin).
I don't know whyu this posted twice!
Gulliford Hi-Fi in Exeter are Rega dealers, it's not that far away, I've used them myself (I'm somewhere near Combe Martin).
Nice shop that (Gulliford). Frequented it on many occasions in my youth.
Its a small world The_Lhc, I once wrote a geological paper of the structure of Wild Pear Beach (not a million miles from Coombe Martin!)
Never heard of it! Could you give me the précis?
Many thanks for the info guys I will now try and arrange a demo at the shop in Exeter.
Well, first off, I'm not speaking from direct experience of your amp, but I own (and have owned) older Marantz amps, and Rega arms and phono stage. However, it might prompt some other thoughts.
The RP3 is a turntable, and it is really the cartridge that influences the sound-match. If you have or are considering the 'standard' combination with the Elys 2, then I think you'd be fine, unles you were prepared to pay as much as the amp (say around £300) for a separate phono stage. That would give a noticeable improvement if your listening room and speakers were up to it. But it is quite a big cost imbalance unless you have plenty of money to spare.
To illustrate this, for the cost of a PM6004 + a £300 phono stage you are getting into Rega and Roksan amp territory, which you might prefer for c £600.
As ever, it's all about the best for the cash, so if you want a simple system, stick with standard PM6004 + RP3/Elys 2, but if you hanker for better, start by hearing the Rega amp with the RP3. Their dealer in Exeter was pretty helpful when I visited them last year, and worth booking a trip.
Hope this helps.
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