What Hi-Fi ran the new Marantz Model 70 against the Arcam A5+ and gave it to the Arcam on sound. Fair enough, but I don't think that's the interesting part of the comparison if the amp is going in a room that has a television in it.
On paper these two are near twins. 50 watts a side, moving magnet phono on both, three line inputs each, pre-out on both, headphone socket on both. The Arcam is the better made one, 8kg in a lower and deeper box, and does aptX Lossless and Auracast over Bluetooth where the Marantz does aptX HD. By the review's account it's also the more insightful and dynamically expressive of the pair. If this is a music-only system, that ends the discussion and you go buy the Arcam.
Except the Marantz has an HDMI ARC input and a subwoofer output and the Arcam has neither of those things. In a living room that isn't a footnote, that's the entire product. ARC means the TV remote does volume and the set wakes the amp up, which is the difference between a stereo the household uses and a stereo you use. The sub output means you can run small standmounts properly and let a sub take the bottom, without dragging a full receiver into the chain.
Neither has a USB input, which is a strange thing for both of them to miss in 2026.
So the split is honest enough: rack under a TV, films as often as records, take the Marantz and accept slightly less resolution. Dedicated listening chair, take the Arcam. Has anyone actually put these side by side, or is everyone with a Model 70 just quietly enjoying not needing a second remote?
On paper these two are near twins. 50 watts a side, moving magnet phono on both, three line inputs each, pre-out on both, headphone socket on both. The Arcam is the better made one, 8kg in a lower and deeper box, and does aptX Lossless and Auracast over Bluetooth where the Marantz does aptX HD. By the review's account it's also the more insightful and dynamically expressive of the pair. If this is a music-only system, that ends the discussion and you go buy the Arcam.
Except the Marantz has an HDMI ARC input and a subwoofer output and the Arcam has neither of those things. In a living room that isn't a footnote, that's the entire product. ARC means the TV remote does volume and the set wakes the amp up, which is the difference between a stereo the household uses and a stereo you use. The sub output means you can run small standmounts properly and let a sub take the bottom, without dragging a full receiver into the chain.
Neither has a USB input, which is a strange thing for both of them to miss in 2026.
So the split is honest enough: rack under a TV, films as often as records, take the Marantz and accept slightly less resolution. Dedicated listening chair, take the Arcam. Has anyone actually put these side by side, or is everyone with a Model 70 just quietly enjoying not needing a second remote?
