One is a streaming all-in-one and the other is an amplifier. Judge them on how many boxes you want and what you already own, not on the spec sheet alone.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Power | evenly matched | Effectively the same output - 60W against 70W into 8 ohms is under 1dB, which is not an audible difference in loudness. |
| Room size | depends | We rate Marantz Model 60n the better fit for desk or near-field listening and a small room, and Marantz PM8006 for a mid-size room, a large room and a very large room. Match the amplifier to the room you actually have, not the one you want. |
| Grip on hard loads | evenly matched | Both behave much the same into 4 ohms - output increases modestly (80W and 100W). |
| Noise floor | A | Marantz Model 60n is the quieter design on paper - 113dB against 106dB. Audible mainly with sensitive speakers in a quiet room. |
| Built-in DAC | A | Marantz Model 60n has a DAC on board; the other needs an external one, which is another box, another power lead and another purchase. |
| Streaming | A | Only Marantz Model 60n has AirPlay 2, Roon and HEOS. |
| Analogue inputs | B | Marantz PM8006 takes more analogue sources - 5 against 3. |
| Room to grow | evenly matched | The same expansion options on both. |
| Price | B | Marantz PM8006 costs less - $1,499 against $1,600 at list. |
A Marantz Model 60n B Marantz PM8006
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both amplifiers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
The usual trade-off: Marantz Model 60n measures better, Marantz PM8006 costs about 6% less. With most speakers in most rooms that gap is smaller in practice than it looks here. If you already own a DAC or a streamer, the built-in one is money you are paying twice for, and Marantz PM8006 becomes the more rational buy.
What a spec sheet cannot show: how either sounds with your speakers, how the controls feel day to day, and what the app is like to live with - which is where most all-in-one amplifiers are actually won or lost. Power figures are the manufacturers' own and are not measured to a common standard, so treat small differences as noise. If you can hear both, that will tell you more than any row above.