Vintage Marantz receivers

halo71
halo71 Posts: 4,632
edited February 2010 in Electronics
I stopped at a local TV/PC repair place the other day looking for a PS2/PS2 cable to run a guitar preamp with. Got to talking to the owner about audio equipment. He takes me into his "junk" room in the back and there are several old receivers, amps, preamps. I was SO hoping there would be some old Polk's sitting in the corner but there wasn't. Anyways, most of the components were Marantz. I did see a few old Accupause preamps and the remnants of a old Rotel amp. He says some work some don't, make a offer on anything you are interested in and you can test it out or whatever. He says, most people are not interested in the old stuff anymore. I'll let stuff go cheap. I thought humm, might be some jewels in the rough here. But I am not sure.

My question is, are there any particular models to look at? Sadly I didn't see a single tube anything back there.
--Gary--
Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
Post edited by halo71 on
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 35,029
    edited January 2010
    There's a Marantz forum at audiokarma; you might want to ask there.
    The Japanese-made Marantz solid-state hardware from the 1970s fetches better-than-average prices on that big ol' auction site but in my far-from-humble opinion that's more due to the somewhat Rococo cosmetics than the sonic performance. Some of the integrated amps (e.g., 1060) were pretty decent sounding. They made some very decent tuners throughout the company's up-and-down history (to date).

    scan0011.jpg
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    Disclaimer: I do own a couple of pieces of vintage Marantz ss hardware, and regularly use a couple of modern pieces (TT-15S turntable and a CD player which model number I can never recall; CD-48, maybe).

    Here's an "as found" 1060 that's buried somewhere in the basement:

    M1060.jpg
    P1030127.jpg

    On the other hand, most of the Saul Marantz-era vacuum tube Marantz equipment was hardware for the ages (with commensurately straospheric prices when new and today, too).

    HTH.
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  • AudioFilet
    AudioFilet Posts: 235
    edited January 2010
    Very cool post. I love that stuff.
    2 Channel rig:
    LSi9"s (modified xover's) & HSU Sub
    Harman Kardon HK 990 Amp
    Onkyo C-S5VL SACD
    Music Hall MMF 5.1
    Furman Elite 15

    HT rig:
    HK AVR-745 & Polk Monitor Series
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 35,029
    edited January 2010
    well, he asked... :-)
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  • Polkersince85
    Polkersince85 Posts: 2,883
    edited January 2010
    Which shop was this? If you didn't look close sometimes the tube Marantz stuff can fool you.

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  • halo71
    halo71 Posts: 4,632
    edited January 2010
    Hardy, thanks for the information. He had at least one receiver that looks like those 2200 series ones in the pics above. Those the ones to have?

    Damn, Ken's gonna beat me to them. lol Ken they are in that little TV repair shop on Augusta highway. Coming into Lincoln County. After you cross the Little River bridge its about a mile up on the right in Lincoln County. Forget the name of the place now. The old man is pretty cool and will talk to ya, but the younger dude is kinda an ****.

    Its about 4 miles west of where you and I met up the other day. :)
    --Gary--
    Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
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  • Erik Tracy
    Erik Tracy Posts: 4,673
    edited January 2010
    MMMmmm.... vintage Marantz '****'.... :D

    I used to collect the brochures trolling the stereo stores as a teenager back then dreaming someday I could buy the 'good stuff'.

    Sadly, I didn't keep the brochures...

    H9: If you don't trust what you are hearing, then maybe you need to be less invested in a hobby which all the pleasure comes from listening to music.
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  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,343
    edited January 2010
    That 2600 looks so cool. Couple of my uncles had some nice Marantz gear and they used to give me that meanest look when I wanted to "play" with them when I was a kid LOL!
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 35,029
    edited January 2010
    Erik Tracy wrote: »
    MMMmmm.... vintage Marantz '****'.... :D

    I used to collect the brochures trolling the stereo stores as a teenager back then dreaming someday I could buy the 'good stuff'.

    Sadly, I didn't keep the brochures...
    I did (cameras too) :-P

    The "blackout dial" Marantz receivers are held in somewhat higher regard, I think.
    Again I am not an expert, nor particularly a fan, of Marantz electronics of the 1970s.
    The 1980s stuff is by and large best avoided; by the 1990s (and several changes of ownership, I think) there was again reasonable-quality equipment bearing the name Marantz.

    FWIW (and decidedly off topic) this is my current turntable (which is an OEM version of the Clearaudio Emotion, with better feet, a bigger (thicker) platter, and (?) maybe a better bearing, too.

    DSCN5296.jpg

    My (adult) daughter liked the looks of it, opining its style was Apple iPod-influenced :-P
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  • Polkersince85
    Polkersince85 Posts: 2,883
    edited January 2010
    halo71 wrote: »
    Its about 4 miles west of where you and I met up the other day. :)

    If I get any closer to the lake I will go fishing and forget why I was out that way.
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  • halo71
    halo71 Posts: 4,632
    edited January 2010
    Well, I live on the lake. Come on over and we'll go wet a hook. :D
    --Gary--
    Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
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  • Ranger0912
    Ranger0912 Posts: 50
    edited February 2010
    Halo, there's a cult surrounding the Marantz stuff. You can never tell what something might be worth and there's usually a market for any of it (especially the separates). Case in point; last year I put a vintage PM-94 integrated on eBay hoping to pick up a few hundred from a Marantz junkie. A week later the thing sold for $1600. I couldn't believe the level of interest. You might want to head back there and make a list of what he's got. Could be some diamonds in the coal pile.
    McIntosh MA-7000 Integrated
    Cambridge Audio Azur 840C CD
    B&W 805s
    Logitech Transporter Wireless Link
    Mac Mini Music Server
    Furman Elite Power Conditioning
    Signal Cable, Magic Power Cables
    Signal Cable, Silver Resolution Balanced Interconnects
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  • halo71
    halo71 Posts: 4,632
    edited February 2010
    Thanks! I'll be back there for sure. As soon as I can swing some extra cash. Just bought another guitar preamp (don't tell the wife! ;) ) so my fundage is low.
    --Gary--
    Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
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