Beware Of Vintage Audio 'Experts!'...The Truth About Marantz

A couple relatively new vintage audio channels seem to be attempting to wrongly steer people's thinking when it comes to what is real value in the vintage audio market, as well as what's fading. The recent claim that Marantz is fading in popularity is both wrong, and self-serving. Beware! Marantz is still, by far, the most sought after badge in the vintage collectible radio market. #Marantz #scams #vintageaudio
#radio
#collectibles

[LarryNiles-td]

It seems that there alot of garage sale, thrift shop, flea market " resellers" who think all us Baby Boomers are rich and are way over charging for our beloved Vintage Stereos. Its really rather disgusting!

[melodybrusco]

I like this video and have nothing to comment except that your wall of sound is cool and a great way to fill up a wall for decoration. I love the retro and vintage vibe. My simple Sangean radio has a nice metal front, but I like your style!!

[frankporfidio]

I first saw a Marantz 2270 paired up with a pair of JBL4311s in a recording studio in NY . After having seen this same set up in multiple studios I figured if THEY are using them, there has to be something to this ! Here it is 50 years later and after a recap, it's still one of the best I've heard .

[Parallax]

I'm relatively new to vintage gear, except for when I was a teen (but it wasn't vintage then). I had a 10 watt Kenwood as a kid with Radio Shack speakers. Not the greatest gear but I had so much fun with it.

I had good quality modern gear until recently. That stuff is more accurate but it lacks the warmth of the gear from my youth. So I bought a Marantz 2235, a kind of rare unit first. Paid $350 on ebay maybe a year ago. And I began to get deeper into it. Soon after, I acquired a 2230 with an engraved face plate for, I think, $250. Purchased a gorgeous zebrawood case through Vintage Hifi Audio. Then I found a 2270 in its original wood case. It had been sitting in the same hifi cabinet since it was brand new. The original owner had died a few years back and after his spouse died, his granddaughter put it up for sale. She told me the rest of the family wanted to just toss it in the dumpster. She thought maybe it was worth something.

She had no idea what it was worth so I could have gotten it for less than I paid but that would have felt wrong. I explained that, even without servicing, it's probably worth $1, 000. I had a five hour drive if I was going to get it so I offered $800 and she said yes. Really nice people, she and her husband. They said they would hold it and were good to their word. I was thrilled and they were happy too. Didn't know it when I made the deal but when I got home, I realized it too had the engraved face plate.

Put a bit of effort into all three. Learned how to relamp them and did it in a way that I love, two tone blue LEDs. Then I bought new capacitors for each on Mouser but didn't feel competent to solder them all in, though I had taken electronics classes in high school a million years ago. So I found a tech and paid him to do it. Had to also fix the switch and one set of RCA inputs on the 2270.

Now they all sound gorgeous. I'm listening to the 2230 as I type this, streaming music through a Wiim Pro into a Geshelli Labs J2 with the AKM 4499 chipset and Sparkos opamps on the RCAs (also in a Zebrawood case). The result is a wonderful, detailed open sound stage with the rich warmth of the Marantz 2230. Recently I found a pair of 1968 Coral BX-300 speakers and the combination is to die for. So music is handled for my bedroom. So is TV audio, as my OLED runs sound through the optical out through the Wiim and the J2 to the Marantz.

The 2270 is in our family room downstairs, which is a larger room that opens to the rest of the downstairs space. Probably close to 2000 square feet on that level. There, I have a wonderful old Pioneer Kuro 141FD, that originally retailed for $12, 000. I paid nothing close to that however, as OLED undermined their value. But honestly, I like it just as much as my Sony OLED. It isn't a modern TV so there's no sound channel or optical out. It's essentially a big monitor. So I obtained a 2008 Denon surround sound receiver which I use as a preamp, feeding it a signal through a Firestick and then running the audio preout to the auxiliary input on the Marantz. For streaming, I went with the Wiim Pro Plus, which has an upgraded DAC. Not quite as good as the Geshelli Labs J2 but still quite good. It currently runs to double stacked Original Large Advents. I rebuilt the surrounds on those speakers and refinished the cases and loved them for a while. But now I have my focus on a pair of Klipschorns, which are way better suited to the amount of space I have to fill downstairs.

My last score was a Fisher 500, likely the world's first receiver. It's mono but I didn't feel like spending what it would cost to get a 500B or 500C. Managed to nab this one for $120. A tech had already checked to make sure the expensive parts were good. Now I'm paying him to upgrade the capacitors and any other parts he thinks would make sense. Will need some new tubes too. Mono isn't ideal but it will give me a chance to play with tube audio and, if I like it, perhaps I can score a second to combine them into mono blocks.

Having so much fun with this. I'm buying smart so I know I can sell what I acquire without taking a big hit. Best of all is the experience of listening to great music. I've not had this much fun with music since I was a teen. Sometimes it's hard to go to sleep because I don't want to stop listening. Just like back then. These days my ears ring a bit but I guess that's just what happens as we get old.

[acrossthedial]

I have been a Marantz fan since the 70's and owned or repaired every model over the years. I was restoring 4 or 5 a year until recently, now it's 1 or 2. People seem to be tightening their belts or maybe it's just the way collectibles go through their cycles.

[tothemax]

The only thing I don't like about vintage Marantz is their receivers, their vintage stereo power amps tube amps or mono blocks are the cream of the crop to me. I do own a Marantz model 15 so it can be a bias I guess but receivers just don't cut it in comparison.

[TheInsaneChef]

I bought storage units back in the day for extra cash. I used to come across vintage audio all the time. Really good stuff that would fetch some big money

[bartonpercival]

My very 1st good stereo I bought at Eber electronics in San Francisco in 1975. A marantz 200 watt stereo receiver with marantz & JBL speakers. What a great sounding system

[bobm]

You bring up some great points. And as I get older the resale value of these items is important. If I grow old & senile or die, me or my children & grand kids can pretty much resale my equipment for as much and maybe more than I paid for it (they have been informed of my Marantz's value). So I get to enjoy a great piece of equipment & at the very least, me or someone in my family, will get my money back (or more) for it. It's a win/win for all involved!

[pedrofernandez]

I now use my 2030 as a pre-amp, connected to an Emotiva amp. Sound has improved since I made the change.

[mark]

i didn't get into vintage audio until 2010 probably. back then it was marantz or pioneer that everyone talked about in the forums. i found an akai aa-1050 at a pawn shop for 14.99, and that's what i used for a while.

what i really wanted though was a sony. after lots of reading on forums, and scouring ebay, i ended up buying a sony integrated amplifier. a ta-f444esX. i just have the nostalgia for sony. sony and akai. my dad had an akai aa-1040 when i was a kid, and my uncle had the first cd player i ever saw. it was a sony.

so i let folks fight over the marantz and the pioneers and i'll keep my sonys.

[michaelhayes]

I have to agree with you, have had many Marantz receovers, but my love is the 50's and 60's Mcintosh tube amplifiers and pre-amplifiers and tuners. They are every bit as good looking, and their sound is also wonderful. Right now I have a Mx110 tuner, preamp, and a pair of Mc30's that I will die with, playing through a pair of Klipschhorns. Love your wall of sound!

[OrangeCreamsicle-hk]

I see these receivers all the time at my secret surplus store for less than 20 bucks and most work🤔

[Johnny-ovqe]

Rosie, would you rather have a restored Marantz 2245 with wood case or a totally restored McIntosh Mac 1900 receiver with no wood case? Thinking about trading my 2245 for the 1900

[edwardblake-zp]

Those were the days. That same week I bought a pair of Klipsch Heresy’s at Systems Warehouse down by the wharf 👍🏽

[BStrapper]

Happy new year Rosie ...
All the way from the other side of the big pound!
You are a hell of a Guy!

[jaman]

There is only one thing wrong with a vintage 70’s Marantz. They have become unaffordable. That combination of sound quality and cosmetics creates a huge demand for them. With the popularity of 70’s / 80’s hifi and the fact that folks are holding on to them, drives up the price. People really love the combination of build quality and gorgeous cosmetics. They aren’t the only good receivers. There are still some quality makes that can be had for a very good price. People need to look around and have an open mind.

[alharper]

Could you tell me where you acquired those shelves on the right and left behind you ? I have never been able to find a shelf system that I can stack that high as you have. I’ve only been able see 4 to 5 shelves at most. I’d really appreciate it if you can recall where you found them.

[kevinfestner]

I still have my Marantz 2270. Yes, I was a teenager when I bought it. I bought a brand new in box, a 40 year old Dual cs 708q. I want my ESS amt 1a, which was stolen 15 years ago.

200 pct correct about marantz. But that marantz blue.

Sleepers, Lafayette lr 9090, which was built by setton. If I could get my hands on one. Occasionally the radio shacks and Lafayettes had equipment made by great manufacturers.

On my short wish list is a dokorder open reel.

[wedoshotz]

They're nice looking units & fairly good a lot of fun to work on since they're somewhat compacted when you get up into the 2270 range. The wire-wrapping is a pain. I won't pay the "Marantz tax" just to get one. It's like are Chevy guys, Ford guys, Mopar guys, etc. I like a lot of vintage receiver models. They all have their good/bad points.