Marantz PM-94 Limited

Powerful integrated amplifier available in two versions, both of which sold much better outside Japan. And much later, too.

This gold/champagne/tacky is the 1987 updated and more luxurious version of the regular 1985 black PM-94, the latter being the full-tilt version of the original 1983 PM-84.

This large time lapse between versions may be why the 94s didn't sell too well in Japan : they were both upped versions of an "old" thing from 1983.
Probably why Marantz unloaded its remaining stocks in Europe and the US later in the 1980s which made them suddenly very abundant there - if late.

The availability delay between Japan and some of the export markets ranges from +1 to +4 : +4 being four years after the japanese launch, and, therefore, six years (!) after the original PM-84, which the 94s only were upped versions of.


The PM-94 and PM-94 Limited differ somewhat little : gold looks, wooden sideburns, ceramic powder compound added to the four feet for better vibration damping, more ELNA Cerafine caps, upped phono stage componentry and an added top aluminium plate make the PM-94 Limited.

The rest is the same and both versions make for a bigger PM-84 - sans the power-supply parts and Heat-Pipe inherited from the Sm-8 or Pm-6a for instance.

Quarter-A Class A-A/B system to remain in pure Class A for a quarter of the nominal power output - in other words almost always.
Which is why many PM-94s burned themselves to death due to internal overheating for the PM-94 also is a full-size house-heating service all by itself : there is no output current limiter inside.

Also inherited from the original PM-84 is the AVSS system which is a variant of the dual-rail high/low power output : AVSS stands for Automatic Voltage Shift Supply.
Although taken off the front-plate, replaced by "Mos-Fet" on the shiny badge, and implemented somewhat differently, AVSS still is inside the PM-94, as inherited from the original PM-84.

The output devices are a triple push-pull per channel of MOS-FET K405 / J115, all copper-encased ; the transformer is LC-OFC-wired, the four custom-ordered 22,500µF caps are damped with ceramic powder and low-level signal paths use copper Styrol film caps.

The chassis and all screws are entirely copper-plated ; PCBs use double-thickness copper with variying track widths to control ground current flows.


There were two production runs for the PM-94 :
one with old-style Marantz serial numbers (ie. 59F030048) and only the phono and cd input terminals gold-plated, the other with typically Marantz Japan serial numbers (ie. MZ01624130047) and, at first, only the phono and cd input terminals gold-plated, then, later, all terminals gold-plated.

The PM-94 Limited (and export models) naturally all have the "MZ..." serial numbers.
It is said that only five hundred PM-94 Limited were made but I believe there were more of them really produced - despite a consequent pricetag, both versions sold very well.

Part of my own private all-time best.


Internal views of the PM-94 and PM-94 Limited at the indispensable amp8.com : here and here.