Decision Time: Marantz PM6005/PM7005 or Rega Brio-R

Okay, audio experts, it's decision time for me. I'm new to the hi fi audio game and have a light wallet, so last week I started a thread looking for suggestions for the best budget integrated amp (with or without phono stage) and phono pre-amp totaling $800 or less. I received excellent suggestions ranging from brand new gear to "if you could find this vintage amp on eBay it would blow you away" equipment. After looking through all the posts, I narrowed my choices down to either a Marantz PM6005 (I discovered the PM7005 while doing research over the weekend) or a used Rega Brio R. As I began shopping, I found the following prices:

• Marantz PM6005 - $499 factory refurbished with full warranty, $699 new
• Marantz PM7005 - $750 factory refurbished with full warranty, $999 new (and out of my price range)
• Rega Brio R - $799 new (the only reason I can find for this relatively low price is the fact the amp is in silver and not black)

I will primarily be playing vinyl on a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon DC Esprit with an Ortofon 2M Red cart. Small Pioneer bookshelf speakers now, but will look to seriously upgrade in the future. Despite my vinyl focus, I have a fair amount of CDs and digitized music, so having digital inputs is a bonus.

My newbie head is about to explode trying to decide the best bang for my buck and something I can keep for awhile with the flexibility to expand and upgrade my system. Thanks in advance for your time and recommendations.

 

As you can see from my profile I am a bit of a Rega convert. Though I haven't heard the Brio R I bet its going to give you the best sound satisfaction out of your other two choices and its new out of the box (not refurbished) and especially if the price is for real.

 

I like the Marantz stuff. I'd go for the PM6005 from accessoriesforless. I have a PM7001 on the way

 

The silver Brio-R is cheaper? That surprises me. It looks way better than the black, in my opinion. I'd get that.

 

If your plan is looking at future upgrade paths - you should make sure the integrated amp has pre-outs. This way when you eventually want to go to separate preamp and power amp you don't have to sell your integrated and buy two components at once - difficult to afford. If the integrated amplifier has pre-outs your integrated will serve as a preamp and then you can buy a dedicated power amp.

I would not buy any of these if they don't come with at least pre-outs. Even my Marantz NR 1504 has preouts and in the world of $500-$800 integrateds the sound quality of receivers in that same price band is negligible. When you factor in all the numerous other things that receivers bring to the table I would seriously not rule them out. I have never much been a fan of receivers but they have gotten a lot better over the years and Marantz is one of the better ones for two channel music as is apparently Onkyo.

Phono stages can be bought for less than $50 and will be just as competent as most of the add on stages inside sub $1k integrateds.

 

It seems most of the integrateds out now under $1,000 don't have pre-main jumpers. The Marantz SR4021 receiver I just sold has those. You have to move up to Marantz PM8005, Yamaha A-S1000, Onkyo A-9050 (pre-outs only) to find pre-main connections.

 

I'd always pick Rega over Marantz!

 

From someone that lives everyday with a marantz pre/pro I can say the quality is excellent and the sound is beautiful. You will not be disappointed.

 

Brio-R. Fantastic phono stage and build. Very punchy, fun and fatigue-free sound. This integrated with the Apollo-R and DAC-R down the road as you can afford them with a pair of Harbeth P3ESR speakers and you have a superlative, British, hand-built system that will provide years of upgrade-free satisfaction.

 

All solid.

...I know you've whittled it down to these two but I'd also add the suggestion of a Cambridge Audio 651A if not considered already. Personally prefer it to either (though only heard them all demoed in store) - cracking amp with a lovely clean, full sound and a host of inputs (inc USB). And it has pre-outputs. No phono stage though. Not sure of price over there but should be thereabouts.

 

I'd always pick Marantz over Rega!

 

I don't think you can go wrong with either, good press and reviews abound for both.

I will say people tend to regard the Marantz as good performers, while the Rega tends to get the more elusive "special" label. I haven't heard either myself.

 

I can't comment on the Marantz's but I owned the Brio-R and it is truly a special amp at it's price point and the internal MM phone stage is really nice for an integrated unit.

 

You were right! ^

 

After doing audio for almost 50 years, I've never once wanted separates so the pre-outs thing is not a feature all of us care about. A few years ago, when I was putting together a system for my living room, I looked at everything in the $1000 price range for an integrated. I bought a Marantz PM8004. I was so pleased with it, I ended up buying a PM6004 for my office, and just recently, a PM5005 for a little TV room. I know there are other forum favorites but in the real world, a Marantz integrated amp is the baseline which all others should be compared to at their various price points.

However, the refurbs from Marantz include one year warranties. A4L had an after market warranty on the PM5005 that made it three years included during a sale last month for $370. But it wasn't Marantz's three year warranty that came with my new 8004 or 6004.

 

BTW, it you're interested in having any control over your sound other than people telling you to adjust the room and/or your speakers, the Rega has no tone controls. Marantz gives them to you along with a source direct function so you can bypass them and still come to an audio forum and brag how you never need them (but they're there when you do need them).

 

I went with Yamaha over Marantz (and Cambridge).

AS-501 would fit nicely in your setup.

Bill

 

Yes it's a shame that they don't. I have found that separates always sound better when apples to apples. Just by taking the integrated and separating the same components out to power amp and preamp the latter sounds better. My Arcam Delta 290 was better serving as a power amp and could turn into the 290P. Generally I have found this is more of an ideal than having a cheap integrated being a preamp as the preamp tends to impact the sound more. With receivers - they are often weakly powered so adding an external dedicated power amp can be a big upgrade. There is only so much money to go around and at 10-1 retail to parts cost ratio there is only so much to spread around.

Plus power amps on the second hand market can be had dirt cheap. He could probably find a decent $500 preamp and a more than decent $200 power amp that would probably utterly destroy the integrated's he's looking at. Probably less.

He could probably pick up a Sugden Au41 Preamp with an excellent on board phono stage + an Arcam Delta 290P (or two of them uses as monoblocks) all for $700. I've heard the Brio amps. There are any number of $500 tube preamps on the second hand market as well which could be had for $500 and mated to a solid sounding SS power amp - even a Bryston 2B LP (maybe the best actual sounding Bryston) are options. Further their depreciation factor is largely already gone so if you buy this stuff for $700-$800 you can sell it all for about what you paid.

Sugden Au41 preamp with power amp below

 

I am happy with the Rega Brio-R that I own.

 

Experience has made me disenchanted with Rega manufacturing.

Not their tables, just their electronics.

 

Once again, members of the forum have proven to be most gracious, helpful, and informative. After much thought and rereading of suggestions, and after discovering that my MacBook Pro offers digital audio out via a 3.5mm to mini-TOSLINK cable, I decided to go with the Marantz PM6005. I went with the factory refurbished from A4L with a 3 year warranty for $499. I'll sock the rest of my budget away for a future speaker upgrade (be on the lookout for that thread in the coming months). For those interested in how I like the Marantz, I'll update this thread after I get everything up and running. Thanks again for all the feedback.

 

Congrats on the purchase, Marantz makes great gear IMO!

 

Congrats! And best of luck with your purchase.

 

I think you'll really like that PM6005. I wrote of my experiences a few posts up. I love, love, love what Marantz is doing with these sub-$1000 IAs.

 

FYI, NAD C356BEE. Pre-out jumpers.