Antique 1970s-era Marantz receivers and integrated amplifiers

[Neddy]

The early Marantz receivers, and even the first few ranges out of the SRC (Standard Radio Corporation) factory in Japan are seriously over-valued and honestly not that good. I'd take an early, unmolested Sony receiver over a Marantz, apart from the looks, which have become so classic and desirable.

The pick of the early 1970s Marantz is the 2275 IMO, but things really improved when I believe there was a shift in the manufacturer for a period. I am convinced that the twin 1978 range came out of both SRC and Matsushita, something that nobody talks about. The range that included the 2218/26B/38B/52B was SRC and I believe the 1515/1530/1550 (model MR250/255 in the US) was Matsushita.

My pick if you want a Marantz receiver, with excellent performance, better reliability and not paying through the nose, is the 1550.

I could go into all the whys and comparisons, but then the 'internet' will 'discover' it as a sleeper and the bargains will disappear.

Great comments!

I have one of these tuner preamps (apart for rebuild currently)

Sony STC-7000 on thevintageknob.org

vintage Sony's only pre-ceiver : an ST-5130 with a preamp section added, MOS-FET charged !

www.thevintageknob.org

Perfect for use with powered speakers.

And one of these (the home market version for Japan, smooth knobs, F badge, walnut case):

Sony TA-2000F on thevintageknob.org

vintage Sony high-end 1971 pre-amplifier from the 2nd Sony ES series !

www.thevintageknob.org

The 2000 appears to still work well, but haven't scoped it yet.
I'll probably offer that one up for sale soon anyway.

I had several of the mid range marantz's - none of them lasted more than a few years; all failed eventually, so I stuck w/Sony pre's.

 

[restorer-john]

Great comments!

I have one of these tuner preamps (apart for rebuild currently)

Sony STC-7000 on thevintageknob.org

vintage Sony's only pre-ceiver : an ST-5130 with a preamp section added, MOS-FET charged !

www.thevintageknob.org

Perfect for use with powered speakers.

And one of these (the home market version for Japan, smooth knobs, F badge, walnut case):

Sony TA-2000F on thevintageknob.org

vintage Sony high-end 1971 pre-amplifier from the 2nd Sony ES series !

www.thevintageknob.org

The 2000 appears to still work well, but haven't scoped it yet.
I'll probably offer that one up for sale soon anyway.

I had several of the mid range marantz's - none of them lasted more than a few years; all failed eventually, so I stuck w/Sony pre's.

The 2000 is a lovely preamp. Absolute classic early Sony.

 

[Timcognito]

Not much said about Yamaha. I remember that stuff sounded great back when all I could do was audition everything as engineering student in the mid-late 70's and my hearing was good.

 

[MAB]

The 2000 is a lovely preamp. Absolute classic early Sony.

It's what so many companies are trying to mimic these days. I'm loving the full-monty input selector, tone controls, tape loop and mode controls!

 

[Timcognito]

Yamaha A-1 Vintage Amplifier Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Yamaha A-1 vintage integrated amplifier. It is on kind loan from a member. He tells me that it has been serviced and restored a couple of years ago. The Yamaha A-1 came out in 1977 during a competition to produce the best spec audio products...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[lateralous]

Really? You make that broad statement without objective proof? Forget where you are?

I do respect the knowledge and skill you possess with electronics, don't get me wrong, but be specific and provide us with proof.

I also get that circuits were more complex, components durable and all that, but does all that automatically translate to better product?
And by better, what do you mean? More power, higher SINAD, reliability? Maybe repairability...
In the end, I am not defending modern Hi-Fi equipment, but there are so many devices made today, out there, that it is hard to judge.

IMO, those vintage recievers are valuable as their looks look the part of what a 70's reciever should look, whatever that is... but that's me...

Agreed, this is an incredibly broad statement to accept with no backing or specific context. Based on the multiple replies of deference and even a comment of "bowing" to this statement, we should take a step back and take this as a stark reminder we are all susceptible to bias, and statements from those with perceived authority should be subject to the same rigor we expect of anyone else.

 

[MAB]

Not much said about Yamaha. I remember that stuff sounded great back when all I could do was audition everything as engineering student in the mid-late 70's and my hearing was good.

That would be another thread for sure! I'm partial the Yamaha gear from the late '70s. I have a CA-2010 integrated amp that I use daily. It has such great understated style, is a beast, has the classic functionality, and the controls that are a joy to operate. Plus a Class A mode so I can make more heat! I also have a CR-1020, which has worked un-serviced since bought, just needs some time to replace the incandescent bulbs. Yamaha didn't seem to go for the dreadnought receivers that others did, but the gear is awesome. Even my CT-810 budget tuner looks like fine furniture and still works flawlessly! It does seem that there were a few brands back in the day (Yamaha, Sony, etc.) that were making gear that had performance equivalent to contemporary, were loaded with features, and were reliable and serviceable enough to last for 40+ years. Especially since these old pieces had lots of functionality typically absent from modern gear.

 

[mhardy6647]

That would be another thread for sure! I'm partial the Yamaha gear from the late '70s. I have a CA-2010 integrated amp that I use daily. It has such great understated style, is a beast, has the classic functionality, and the controls that are a joy to operate. Plus a Class A mode so I can make more heat! I also have a CR-1020, which has worked un-serviced since bought, just needs some time to replace the incandescent bulbs. Yamaha didn't seem to go for the dreadnought receivers that others did, but the gear is awesome. Even my CT-810 budget tuner looks like fine furniture and still works flawlessly! It does seem that there were a few brands back in the day (Yamaha, Sony, etc.) that were making gear that had performance equivalent to contemporary, were loaded with features, and were reliable and serviceable enough to last for 40+ years. Especially since these old pieces had lots of functionality typically absent from modern gear.

You are - ahem - not quite unique alone.



(and thanks for giving me yet another excuse to post a photo of some of the collection that's accreted here)

 

[Ken1951]

You are - ahem - not quite unique alone.



(and thanks for giving me yet another excuse to post a photo of some of the collection that's accreted here)

An accretion disk of Yamaha?

 

[MAB]

You are - ahem - not quite unique alone.



(and thanks for giving me yet another excuse to post a photo of some of the collection that's accreted here)

That's a really nice stack of gear, appreciate the photo!

 

[mhardy6647]

That's a really nice stack of gear, appreciate the photo!

... it gets worse
(a cautionary tale)

 

[mhardy6647]

Believe it or not I am really not trying to pull this thread off its rails! But I will take the liberty of putting a penny on the metaphorical track and mention, in all seriousness, that the 1970s (and at least some subsequent) Yamaha hifi equipment does do a nice job of looking good, sounding good, and being at least reasonably well designed and constructed. I'd argue that on the basis of value, Yamaha was (perhaps) the best of the massmarket hifi brands in the big boom era of home hifi (i.e., before video and later digital things pretty well scuttled the mass market).

I don't, unfortunately, own any of the statement Yamaha hardware (past or present) -- and (again, in full disclosure, and without mounting any sort of defense!) I do currently use a rather undistinguished (if fairly physically impressive) bit of Yamaha multichannel equipment* as my active preamp, source selector, and tuner -- and also the default power amp for those days when I am listening to less sensitive loudspeakers.



___________
* As found at the Grahtham, NH town dump

 

[roog]

Having grown up with a 1973 era Marantz 1030, thought to be a quality amp, its replacement (a different brand) less than a decade later proved to be a revelation, gone was the lackluster performance of the low powered Marantz, in came dynamics and detail.

Its amazing what 1973 marketing and a nice facade could achieve

 

[Neddy]

I had the same 1030, it only lasted a year or so and died. I think I replaced the preamp with the Sony 2000F. Not sure, but think I replaced the amp wiht a Marantz 125 or simlar? That also didn't last long, and soured me on Marantz for good. No recollection of what came next. Maybe the Bryston 3BNRB? No, I think I used the JBL SA660 as a power amp for a while first.

 

[Joe Smith]

You are - ahem - not quite unique alone.



(and thanks for giving me yet another excuse to post a photo of some of the collection that's accreted here)

I rotate/use my Yamaha CR-240 and CR-420 receivers...both unrestored and still sounding very good...dial lamp problems the only issue. I will probably get the 420 reworked some day but holding off for now... I like both the Yamaha sound (neutral), quality and appearance...they are definitely the "silverface" champs!

 

[Timcognito]

(and thanks for giving me yet another excuse to post a photo of some of the collection that's accreted here)

Hey what about me #43. Started this trend

 

[mhardy6647]

Hey what about me #43. Started this trend

Duly noted.

 

[Neddy]

And one of these (the home market version for Japan, smooth knobs, F badge, walnut case):

Sony TA-2000F on thevintageknob.org

vintage Sony high-end 1971 pre-amplifier from the 2nd Sony ES series !

www.thevintageknob.org

The 2000 appears to still work well, but haven't scoped it yet.
I'll probably offer that one up for sale soon anyway.

For Sale: Vintage 70s Sony 2000F Preamp (Home market)

Time to let go some of my vintage gear, and clear up the clutter! I'm mostly judging interest here. This preamp was brought in by an aquaintence from Japan back in the early 70s. It includes the original Japanese owners manual, the English version (US, presumably) and US service manual. The wood...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[mhardy6647]

Having grown up with a 1973 era Marantz 1030, thought to be a quality amp, its replacement (a different brand) less than a decade later proved to be a revelation, gone was the lackluster performance of the low powered Marantz, in came dynamics and detail.

Its amazing what 1973 marketing and a nice facade could achieve

View attachment 243491

Two 1060s here -- never have thought much of them, but I keep them as speculative properties, 'cause some folks do [think much of them].
They do look nice, in their own, somewhat Baroque Rococo way, though, of course.

 

[bigfeller]

After using the search tool, I could not find discussion or testing specifically about the 1970s-era Marantz receivers and integrated amplifiers, dating from the era of Superscope ownership. These units sold in very large numbers back in the day, and have become increasingly desirable over the past five years on the second-hand market. No doubt part of the popularity of these units is the styling, including the blue-lit tuning display, Gyro-Touch tuning wheel, solid feel of the control knobs, overall styling and appearance cues, and "snob appeal" for want of a better word. There seems to also be a perception/belief that these units provide better-than-average sound quality than other 1970s-era mass-market audio products and many current-era audio amplifiers.

I still own and use a 1972-vintage Marantz 2230 receiver in my living room. I purchased it fully reconditioned from a used-stereo store in 1998, it has not been refurbished since. My Marantz 2230 has been a pleasure to enjoy, though the tuner's blue lights need replacement and it could doubtless use a bit of intelligent refurbishing after 24 years. I've had other vintage amplification units over the intervening years (i.e. Sansui 881 and Pioneer SX-750 receivers, both of which now need repair, and a fondly-missed NAD 3020 that finally blew up in smoke and was exiled to e-cycling).

How do these sought-after Superscope-era 1970s Marantz receivers and amps measure out today in objective testing?

I’m not sure if I qualify as an audiophile by the standards of some people, but I used to sell audio gear for a living, have owned gear from H/K, NAD, Onkyo, and Marantz. I also used to work for the Canadian distributor of Parasound, Dynaudio, and many other high-end products and have listened to some of the “best” gear you can buy for less-than-house money. I currently have an astoundingly mint 2250B that I paid waaay too much for, and I love it. Currently paired with Elac DB62s, and previously with Paradigm Reference Studio 20s. I also have a set of Totem Dreamcatchers that I sometimes hook up. Of all of the gear I’ve owned, this may be my favorite piece. It is absolutely silent at idle and runs very cool. It has that transparency and sparkle, along with nice weighty bass that I personally enjoy. As you can see from the pic, I have it set up on my desk, so not exactly a listening room with the attendant imaging possibilities, but it still sounds pretty great to my ears, and much more detailed than the NAD 3315 that previously occupied the same function. Compared to my H/K AVR55 (the last of the Korean-made amps) it’s more involving and less laid back, which I like. I have never heard an audio system that duped me into thinking the performers were in the room with me, and this is no exception, but it does sound sweet.