Offering a hi-fi-focused proxy to mass-market fare, the Marantz M1 is a smart compact amplifier that fits many roles.

The Model M1 has been parachuted right in the middle of a highly contested market battleground, and Marantz has chosen a different set of priorities compared to its rivals.

The M1 sits apart from more conventional Marantz amps but it brings some of the same virtues to the smart streaming amp space. Clunky app aside, it's a very slick and well-realised device.

I love this little amp and I think that for the vast majority of music lovers and open-minded audio files it actually has everything that you need in 2024 so there you have it that is now my review

Thus, I see the M1 is a bit of a Swiss Army knife in sound tech terms, a jack of all trades in terms of how you live your life. Flexible, adaptable, the Morance M1 is a truly modern piece of hi-fi equipment, and it just happens to sound great.

It’s a bold move for Marantz to release a product like the Model M1, because while the market is obviously gravitating toward offerings with similar form factors and functionality, it’s already a crowded space.