HD-AMP1 from Marantz

HD-AMP1 from Marantz

Housed in an elegant compact chassis that occupies just over 1 square foot of desktop or shelf space, the HD-AMP1 digital integrated amplifier features high resolution D/A conversion and compatibility with a wide range of uncompressed high resolution audio formats, including WAV, ALAC, FLAC and AIFF, and is also capable of decoding DSD tracks with compatibility of all 3 DSD sampling frequencies – 2.6/5.2/11.2-MHz (DSD is the audio format of SACD).  The powerful digital amplifier section features cool-running wide bandwidth and wide dynamic range Class D audiophile amplifier technology, delivering 35 watts per channel into 8 ohms and 70 watts per channel into 4 ohms, providing compatibility with the widest range of speaker types and impedances.

Featuring 2 USB ports, 1 on the front and 1 on the back, the HD-AMP1 lets you connect your favorite iDevice or USB drive to the front panel USB port, and your PC or Mac to the rear panel USB-B port to stream your high resolution audio tracks, and it features advanced noise isolation to guard against digital noise from degrading the high resolution sound.  Equipped with Marantz Musical Digital Filtering, our proprietary DSP filter technology, the HD-AMP1 lets you choose from 2 digital filter algorithms so you can precisely tailor the sound to your liking. The reference-class ESS SABRE DAC features 32-bit/384-kHz decoding for the highest resolution and widest dynamic range with today’s advanced audiophile hi-res tracks. The analog sections feature our exclusive HDAM-SA2 modules, including the analog front end block, the D/A converter block and in the dedicated headphone amplifier block.  There are 2 optical and 1 coaxial digital inputs, along with 2 analog inputs, so you can connect the widest range of source components.

Marantz again amplifies its dedication to pure musical performance with the rebirth of MusicLink, a product series launched in 1990 with the focus on reproducing the music essentials from small-size, rarely-seen design components. The aim is simple: to bring the listener all the emotion and musical detail of the original sound studio, combined with an elegant appearance and luxuriant feel. It is not a coincidence that the creator of the delightful new MusicLink Series is once again Ken Ishiwata.

Equipped with the reference-class ESS SABRE DAC that’s paired with our exclusive HDAM-SA2 technology, the HD-AMP 1 delivers the ultimate high resolution listening experience with today’s hi-res audio formats, and is capable of decoding uncompressed audio tracks up to 32-bit/384-kHz as well as DSD tracks (2.6/5.2/11.2-MHz). For optimum D/A conversion with virtually any sampling frequency the HD-AMP1 is equipped with dual master quartz clocks.

Listen to your favorite iDevice via the front panel USB port and charge it at the same time. When the HD-AMP1 is put into standby mode your device continues to charge until the battery reaches full capacity and then charging is automatically shut off. The USB port delivers a full 1A current output, the same current output provided by smart device USB chargers.

For maximum enjoyment with the widest range of audiophile high resolution lossless audio tracks, the HD-AMP1 can decode WAV, ALAC, FLAC and AIFF audio file types. It can also decode popular MP3, WMA and AAC tracks as well.  Via the front panel USB port, the HD-AMP1 supports up to 24-bit/192-kHz high resolution files, while the rear panel USB-B port supports up to 32-bit/384-kHz ultra high resolution tracks.  And, the HD-AMP1 is one of the very few digital audiophile components that can decode all 3 DSD sampling frequencies – 2.6/5.2/11.2-MHz. DSD is the high resolution audio format of SACD.

A recommended review is available from https://andreweverard.com