The Marantz felt like a light weight compared to my Onkyo and Denon. My perception was that the build quality (both inside and out) was not any better than the Denons (two older units now used in bedroom system for the kids) or Onkyo that I own. Maybe even slightly less. Just my opinion but I'm no expert. I will say that the Marantz was pretty.
one thing for sure is that weight is not an indication of quality; but it certainly influences judgment.
what would you think about some amps today that weight about 12 lbs. and put out hundreds and hundreds of Watts?
how about the Crown XLS1500, at 8.6 lbs or 3.9 kilos?
Crown info here:
http://www.crownaudio.com/amp_htm/xls_drivecore.htmmy QSC amp is more powerful than my Hafler, yet it weighs around 25 lbs compared to the Hafler's 50 lbs.
and my guess is that they're both of about the same quality: very durable. in fact, if you ever hold a QSC amp in your hands, you will be very impressed...just holding it; it exudes solidness and quality.
another example: one of the first microwave ovens i bought around 1973 weighed about 50 lbs; today, they weigh less than half of that, with the same quality too;
why? because they found out that microwave ovens did not NEED to be so heavy and solid; and that makes the prices go down too.
have a look at my equipment photo, the address is in my signature.
below the TV/monitor, you'll see 2 amps.
the black one is the Hafler, the one on top is the QSC. (lots of space saving too).
Last edited by J. B.; 10/23/11 06:00 PM.
