Listening
Connected to the JM Renauds Cantabilé (91dB) the PM15S2 sounded highly transparent although a bit distand, lacking a bit of drive and empathy, as if you’re listening to the Music with a curtain between audience and orchestra. At times it seemed even as if you were sitting in the room next door and not in the room.Replacing the JM Renauds by the Piega PMicro 5 (90dB) barely changed the somewhat cooler sound reproduction, regardless of using the CD-player or tuner. So I decided to move the Marantz set to the living room and connect it to the Quad 988 ESLs, to see whether it indeed can drive more demanding speakers and whether the lack of intimacy is still present. Once connected the ESLs appear to get the necessary juice from the PM15S2, although I had the urge to keep increasing the volume. But what a transparant, deep and wide, but in height somewhat limited sound image became available. Even at higher volumes the PM15S2 kept solid, but the lack of intimacy was not coverable. The thick curtain in the smaller listening room became a thinner plastic veil. Using the PM15S2 solely as a pre-amp and using my own, more powerful Odyssey Stratos Stereo Extreme power amplifier barely made a difference. The other way round, using the Marantz as a power amplifier and my own ES Audio-tube pre amp made a World of difference. This sounded marvelous, quite warm actually, lifting the sound image and putting you in the middle of the Music. The cello on the Haydn string quartet disc sounded deep, the violins feisty but never overly Sharp, the voices attractive in the Schubert Lieder (next to the piano that appeared to be standing in the room). Even Mahlerian excessities displayed their own character. Once the pre-amp was disconnected and the PM15S2 used again as an integrated amplifier I had the feeling to have switched from a large voluminous car into a small midlle class vehicle.
Away was the magic, the feeling of space. Contrary to the rather plain CD- and radio reproduction in terms of timbre, listening to vinyl using the MM/MC input was a small revelation. The image was heigher, deeper and wider and gave warmth, interest and sensation.
I seldomly heared Jacques Loussier’s Jazz Trio (Decca) as coherent, fluent and harmonious, with space in between the instruments while still remaining a whole. The bass was deep, one could hear the wooden strings vibrate and every piano stroke was separated from the next and percussion was sparkling.
