The speaker wires are terminated with bananas so that would seem to be unlikely. I'll just keep my fingers crossed that it was an anomaly.
Plenty of air flow. Hasn't happened since. Only external thing I can think of is one of the speaker cables was loose. Sounding great with the CW IVs.
Gotta admit I’m a teensy bit disappointed with Amir’s measurements but when I listen to the SA-10 in my system it still sounds very pleasing.
Why? ASR knows how to measure everything but knows the value of very little, it seems. Like a kid given a ruler for the first time, running around measuring the world and casting judgement and deciding its worth. Right. Being able to measure something does not make you an engineer. Give him/ASR time. Maybe one day he'll grow up.
I'm not the least bit disappointed by that review or the reviewers measurements. I scrolled through the "review" and saw nothing but an endless amount of measurements. I didn't look to closely but did he even do any listening tests? I judge a component on how it sounds. In my system the SA-KI Ruby playing music sounds excellent. Maybe some would prefer to have a player or DAC that measures well over one that sounds good. To each his own I guess.
I agree that our ears should be the final deciding factor and many of the “issues” Amir identified were not in the range of audible frequencies. There was a section where he talked about playing music through the SA-10 but it was very short and focused on measuring output. Very true. I do think there’s some value in his approach, though, and Amir seems to be open to accepting feedback on his testing methodologies. To me he just seems like someone who’s interested in how things work. Again, I 100% agree how a piece sounds in our system should be the final factor but I still find it interesting to see how measurements do or don’t reflect what we’re hearing.
There's value in everything. It's in the wise combination and constellation of many solutions (all measure in decidedly different ways) that an engineer achieves a desired outcome that meets a design objective(s). Amir can't sit with Ken Ishiwata now, of course, and have a chat. That would have been fun to watch although I'd wager KI wouldn't have given him much time. But I'd love to see him on a panel with Marantz and Philips engineers and condescend to them the way he seems to do so in his article. He'd be laughed off the stage. Or he may learn something: ASR: 'Blah, blah, blah... that's not very good'. Marantz: 'Please show us your implementation of DSD with multi-tapped filtering that produces an analogue output so we can compare solutions and peer-review.' ASR: [crickets] I blame my generation for allowing the fallacious idea to spread among those younger than us that if something is 'digital' it is somehow exact or more truthful.
So, I fell asleep last night reading this entire thread, and I found it very informative even the live updates on the KC Chiefs playoff game. Currently my setup is PM8006 Bi-wired into B&W CM9 S2s and my TT is a MoFi Ultradeck with Master Tracker. I am looking into upgrading my amp and demoed the Yamaha AS-2200 with a studiodeck and ortofon 2M Black but Focal towers and the sound was great, but a few YouTube videos and a poster in the Yamaha thread all warned that it could be to bright with my speakers. I really enjoy the warm sound of the PM8006 but always wonder if it is providing enough power for my speakers. I can pickup a used “like new” KI Ruby for $2600 less than a month old, I wonder if the owner did not know they need to break it in but they said the sound did not work for them in their system. I would also need to get new speaker wires as my Canare 4S11 have 4 terminals at each end and the Ruby only has 2, so that adds another $160 to the upgrade price. I have tried 3 different entry level Phono amps with the PM8006 like the Zen and Schiit and find that PM8006 blows them away. Another way I could go is to get the Parasound Halo JC 3+ and keep the PM8006. A few of you have done this exact same upgrade so would like your thoughts on if the Ruby upgrade would be worth it. My primary and most likely only use for the Ruby would be in a 2.0 setup for listening to vinyl using the Ruby’s onboard MM Phono stage.
I really liked the Ruby, but I think the 8006 is more fun, and the AS-1200 sounds better with Harbeth P3s, so I ended up not keeping it.
Oh is that it? Disappointed to see he may have sold Ruby. Ruby in my listening test on different level than 8006 as well as AS-1200 Yammie. But associated gear in mine and his systems are much different. Some times its very much possible to not get the best out of reference gear because of associated gear.
From my experience, fake bi-amping by using the A and B terminals of the same amp is going to result in wondering if your speakers are getting enough power. Even if you don't get the Ruby I'd get new speaker cables. I use the same Canare just 2 x 4 on each run.
I've been meaning to write you about it, but haven't had a free moment. Totally agree with you that the Ruby is better than the 8006--separation, detail, balance. The 8006 has more punch and warmth, though, probably because the midrange is more prominent, and I'm a midrange guy. I think it's also smoother. And after doing a bunch of AB comparisons between the A-S1200 and the Ruby, I liked the Yammie more, especially with Harbeth P3s (I think the Ruby sounds better with the 5s). No lack of love for the Ruby from me. Just didn't make sense to keep it since I liked the other two chains more.
Hoping to revive this thread a bit after nearly a year. I received a Marantz PM-KI Ruby amplifier a couple of days ago and thought I would share my thoughts. A while back, I moved on from the Dynaudio Heritage Special loudspeaker to the Fink Team Kim loudspeaker . After owning all sorts of systems and speakers new and old over the years, I have been absolutely amazed with this speaker designed by noted designer Karl Heinz Fink, who recently started making his own speakers. Further reading indicated that Mr. Fink was a very good friend of the late Ken Ishiwata and Ken had commissioned a speaker from Herr Fink (scroll down to bottom of this page for the story: About us – Fink Team ) This consequently led me to look more closely at Marantz equipment and resulted in the aforementioned KI Ruby amplifier. The KI Ruby, of course, matches very well with my speakers and after only a couple of days, is revealing extraordinary sound for the price paid. One thing of note about this amplifier is the incredible amount of resolution, particularly in the low end and midrange while still sounding, for lack of a better term, “musical”. It really is quite something. Also looks much better in person than in the photos. It’s beautiful. These days, I am interested only in integrateds that perform well and with great phono stages and believe I have a couple great examples (see profile) that will be compared with the Marantz. I haven’t done that yet though. I currently have no desire to do so! I am now tempted to try the PM-10 although some comments here indicate may not necessarily be better. There is also the matter that Hifi+ reported that Ken said the phono stage in the KI Ruby is superior. I am not sure of the truth in the statement as it does not seem to make sense to me. Anyone knows, please share.
Do you have a link to the Hifi+ article? News to me if true! The PM-10 is a special piece, better to my ear than the Ruby although it's very close and only audible in loud and complex / dynamic passages. I'm intensely interested to see what Marantz will do with their reference line after the PM-10. I wonder if they will do something with Purifi? I don't see how they could squeeze any more performance out of Ncore.
The PM-10s was somewhat less "musical" than the PM-KI. I bought them both but didn't keep the PM-10. I want more of what the PM-KI does than what a Mark Levinson Does, the PM-10 is much like the Mark Levinson. Im rather pleased with the PM-KI and it will hard to replace. Maybe with a powerful McIntosh or a Hegel 390 thats closer to the PM-10's price range. But Boy can the PM-10 Impress the Schitt out of anyone!
Marantz PM-KI Ruby integrated amplifier “Ken has long been a tube fan so it’s not surprising, but the fact that it’s a superior phono stage to the one in the PM-10 according to Ken is surprising.” Unless I missed something, Marantz doesn’t seem to explain any differences in design other than that the phono stage in the PM-10 is more flexible (high and low mc setting). I wouldn’t be surprised if the above quote from Hifi+ is incorrect or a misunderstanding but what do I know. And also, there are other design factors that may ultimately make the Pm-10 better sounding (fully balanced, etc…). Lots of other factors as well…room, speakers, source, etc….
I had this B-stock PM-10 in my Safe&Sound cart for a couple of weeks, and when they dropped the price $300 over the weekend I went ahead with it. Marantz no longer lists the champagne finish on their website and I didn't want to miss out on it. Letting it warm up a bit before I give it a listen, I felt the 30 sounded its best when left on all the time.
I too own the SA 8004 along with the matching PM 8004. Got em new in 2012, and they have served me well since.
