Looking to purchase a Vintage Marantz receiver and need suggestions.....

SKOT FREE

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May 16, 2019
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Georgia
Ok so I know, I Know just last year I bought a Marantz SR 6008 that I thought was pretty awesome until I heard a Marantz 2270 the other day and was kind of floored by how great it sounded. I tried to fight the urge but I’m giving in and want to purchase a 22XX Marantz but I’m not sure where to begin.....

So let me start with what I’m looking at....First there’s the 2270 and 2275. I’ve tried to read impressions and it’s like a back and forth. For every person that loves the 2270 there’s another that likes the 2275 more or vice versa. Also what’s a good price on fully serviced and recapped 2270’s and 2275’s? I won’t over do it for the first post but as people give their answers I might have more questions. As always @HiFi Guy your opinions are always welcomed as well as others who may own these 2 models. Thanks in advance.
 
First- caution. It's easy to get burned. @craigdino wanted a vintage receiver. We spoke and I told him what to look for. He asked the seller (supposedly a tech) all the right questions. He got all the right answers and bought a vintage Yamaha. The problems started inside of a week. The receiver was supposedly recapped, gone through, etc. It actually needs to be recapped and also needs a replacement FM board. $600 in repairs. Major bummer.

The need for caution escalates with Marantz due to the higher popularity (and cost) of Marantz models of this vintage.

That said, I doubt you'll hear much of a difference between the 2270 and 2275- certainly not in volume as there's only a 5 watt per channel difference between the two. I owned a 2270 back in the mid '80s and liked it a lot.

There is a guy that sells on eBay and Reverb that often sells them with new black faceplates. He "seems" to do all the right things. I'm sure he could make a new silver faceplate if desired/needed. I think he charges around $1500.

Given the expense, I can't recommend it. But I understand that the heart wants what it wants.
 
Yeah I 100% agree with the above. A lot of slimy people selling “vintage audio” on eBay to capitalize on the IG popularity of the gear. Even lots of local techs can be incompetent or unqualified, and unfortunately I’ve met my share of them.

Personally I think if you’re looking for a piece like this, find a competent local tech that will put a guarantee on their work, and let you demo the unit. IMO you really want to get an in person demo to check out any used unit, and hopefully compare it to others. You want a Marantz now, but perhaps a well restored Pioneer, Sansui or Yamaha would suit your taste better, something you’ll never learn from eBay. This last purchasing experience I had was great; the restored unit I got has had zero issues, and was an excellent value thanks to the tech I got it from. Unfortunately the wrong “tech” can turn the experience into the money-sink described above.
 
First- caution. It's easy to get burned. @craigdino wanted a vintage receiver. We spoke and I told him what to look for. He asked the seller (supposedly a tech) all the right questions. He got all the right answers and bought a vintage Yamaha. The problems started inside of a week. The receiver was supposedly recapped, gone through, etc. It actually needs to be recapped and also needs a replacement FM board. $600 in repairs. Major bummer.

The need for caution escalates with Marantz due to the higher popularity (and cost) of Marantz models of this vintage.

That said, I doubt you'll hear much of a difference between the 2270 and 2275- certainly not in volume as there's only a 5 watt per channel difference between the two. I owned a 2270 back in the mid '80s and liked it a lot.

There is a guy that sells on eBay and Reverb that often sells them with new black faceplates. He "seems" to do all the right things. I'm sure he could make a new silver faceplate if desired/needed. I think he charges around $1500.

Given the expense, I can't recommend it. But I understand that the heart wants what it wants.

@HiFi Guy yeah I’ve seen that guy that fixes and sells the Black Face plates on eBay. With the 2275 I was looking at, at least the seller has documentation of all the work done on the receiver which is a total rebuild. Here’s a pic of the receipt

7DCC914E-4869-470A-9C99-995899342974.png

So looking at this and yes I’m keeping in mind that even after all this, there could be a problem would this be a solid purchase?
 
@HiFi Guy yeah I’ve seen that guy that fixes and sells the Black Face plates on eBay. With the 2275 I was looking at, at least the seller has documentation of all the work done on the receiver which is a total rebuild. Here’s a pic of the receipt

View attachment 4327

So looking at this and yes I’m keeping in mind that even after all this, there could be a problem would this be a solid purchase?

How much for this 2275?

Everything on the receipt looks good. I do see one thing missing- replacement of panel lights or LED upgrade of same.
 
How much for this 2275?

Everything on the receipt looks good. I do see one thing missing- replacement of panel lights or LED upgrade of same.


Ahhh we think alike. The ommision of the LED upgrade caught my eye too. I think I can get that upgrade done at an AV repair near me. As for price tho and this is what has me thinking really really long about this is 1200 with wooden case, 1000 without it.
 
Ahhh we think alike. The ommision of the LED upgrade caught my eye too. I think I can get that upgrade done at an AV repair near me. As for price tho and this is what has me thinking really really long about this is 1200 with wooden case, 1000 without it.

If the wooden case is nice- you'll want that. They just don't look right to me without it. I've had numerous of that series and the ones without the case just didn't seem complete. My brother also had a 2220 with the case and my brother in law had a 2230 without. The 2230 sounded better.

Considering the restoration bill, the price isn't unfair. I like that he upgraded the power supply as well- bigger power supply capacitors.

A few more things- those had a lighted dial pointer for the tuner- just the bottom tip. Is this working? I also noticed he rebuilt the power supply, tone control board, and phono board. He set the DC offset, idle, etc. All good signs. I see nothing about the tuner. That board should be gone through as well and the tuner aligned.

I'm not trying to rain on your parade. I just don't want to see anyone get burned.
 
IMO the LED “upgrades” are nice-to-haves, and only a subjective improvement. Not all techs like to do this upgrade as it’s a bit revisionist like the black faceplates. I do think with a filtered faceplate like Marantz it’s not a bad look though.

As for overall price, you’re paying the eBay Marantz tax there. For a 100% cosmetically sound model that has had the work put into it as described, that’s going rate for the site.

Not trying to be a buzzkill either, but I would still urge you to look for local sellers first for the peace of mind if anything is wrong, and cost-savings. Even in my insanely overpriced metro-area, that kind of money will get you closer to the monster receiver category, or decent vintage separates at the shops here. The demand is just so high on eBay, and most local shops can keep prices down by purchasing units on the cheap, then putting their own labor costs into them. I know the urge is to buy online, but it’s worth looking around locally first, especially as that kind of deal is up online frequently.
 
You really need to set a budget.

2230 recapped etc will be around 450-550 if you're patient
2245 add another $200-$250
2270 add another $200-$250 over the 2245

I settled on a 2245 and absolutely love it. Any of these will drive even relatively inefficient speakers. People with 2230's swear by theirs as well. I would love a 2270 but I'm glad I saved the money. The 2245 does everything I need. Take your time. Be patient. Read a lot of reviews on the shops that service/restore them.

I really like/trust this website: http://www.classicaudio.com/forsale/ Most are at the top end of pricing but they publish their bench tests for everthing and stand by their work.
 
You really need to set a budget.

2230 recapped etc will be around 450-550 if you're patient
2245 add another $200-$250
2270 add another $200-$250 over the 2245

I settled on a 2245 and absolutely love it. Any of these will drive even relatively inefficient speakers. People with 2230's swear by theirs as well. I would love a 2270 but I'm glad I saved the money. The 2245 does everything I need. Take your time. Be patient. Read a lot of reviews on the shops that service/restore them.

I really like/trust this website: http://www.classicaudio.com/forsale/ Most are at the top end of pricing but they publish their bench tests for everthing and stand by their work.

Thank you and everyone. I passed on the $1200 2275 and I am indeed going to just take my time choosing to buy a vintage receiver, that is if I decide to buy one. I already have a Marantz SR 6008 and it’s not that I’m unhappy with it at all.
 
Thank you and everyone. I passed on the $1200 2275 and I am indeed going to just take my time choosing to buy a vintage receiver, that is if I decide to buy one. I already have a Marantz SR 6008 and it’s not that I’m unhappy with it at all.
My local in Opelika, Al just posted this. I saw you’re in Georgia so maybe it would work out? 4683
 
Look at all that nasty. I would pass.

Yeah first thing catching my attention is the Phillips head screws in place of the original bolts for the faceplate and that alone makes me want to pass.

Ok and onto other news...I literally stumbled upon a Silver face 2285B in near mint condition. Fully recapped, clean and working for $2150 which compared to the 2285 to me is a great deal. I get a warranty on it if anything goes wrong too, so I bought it. When I get it l’ll post pics
 
My local in Opelika, Al just posted this. I saw you’re in Georgia so maybe it would work out? View attachment 4683

Wow you stay in Opelilka??? I’m down there all the time. Auburn or Alabama fan? Thanks but as I said above I found a super clean 2285b for $2100 so I literally just bought it 10 minutes ago. I’ll post pics when it arrives. Now the real challenge....Getting my Fiancé to not go off on me about another audio device. I think i’ll Butter her up by giving her my Marantz SR6008
 
I can't recommend vintage Marantz enough. I was lucky enough to stumble on a a fully restored and recapped 2230 with a refinished wood case for $575 from a local craigslist vintage audio hobbyist. Sound is phenomenal and there's plenty of power for my needs. I don't miss my modern tube amp at all. Good luck on your search!


5831
 
@SKOT FREE - if vintage is the route you want to go, do yourself a favor and get an Audiokarma subscription ($25/year). From there, you'll have access to Bartertown, their B/S/T boards. Marantz receivers pop up there, and a lot of times, folks will have done some work on them.

You can also post a [WTB] thread asking for exactly what you're looking for - you'd be surprised how many beautiful pieces are sitting on an audiophiles shelf :)

EDIT: Just saw you picked up a 2285B, nice grab - excited to see how you like it. Keep AK in mind if you're looking for anything vintage/restored in the future.
 
@SKOT FREE - if vintage is the route you want to go, do yourself a favor and get an Audiokarma subscription ($25/year). From there, you'll have access to Bartertown, their B/S/T boards. Marantz receivers pop up there, and a lot of times, folks will have done some work on them.

You can also post a [WTB] thread asking for exactly what you're looking for - you'd be surprised how many beautiful pieces are sitting on an audiophiles shelf :)

EDIT: Just saw you picked up a 2285B, nice grab - excited to see how you like it. Keep AK in mind if you're looking for anything vintage/restored in the future.

Thank you for the info. I still may look into that subscription. Yeah I got a full recapped and beautiful 2285B and I forgot to mention it has the wood cabinet that is equally pristine. It should be here by Monday, so i’ll Post my impressions of it then.
 
Whew! Ok just got my Marantz 2385b but I haven’t unpacked it yet. Might do it later tonight or might wait till the morning. Wanted to do a comparison in sound to my Marantz SR6008 so I was going to put on a record before unhooking everything but as soon as I have it up and running i’ll Post my impressions and some pics.
 
Ok so you know I wasn’t going to wait. Fiancé went to bed and I started unpacking the Marantz 2285b from its well protected packaging. That took longer than hooking the thing up. Anyway so first off the seller did not exaggerate the thing is CLEAN. A little bit of dust in the creases of the cabinet but besides that clean.
So I did as I said and threw on Tom Scott’s “The Honeysuckle Breeze” While I took a breather listened to side 2 on the Marantz SR6008. Sounded good.....Or so I thought. I hook up my Technics 1200-G, my Wharfdale Denton 80th Anniversary speakers, put Side 2 of The Honeysuckle Breeze on And was absolutely blown away. There are no words I can use to describe the difference in sound. Where the SR 6008 was crystal clear and almost neutral sounding, the 2285B added the crystal clear sound plus a ton of detail and warmth. The 2285 sounds so good after side 2 of the album ended I felt compelled to flip over to side 1 and continue as I write this. The other thing I noticed is that I didn’t even turn it up halfway before it was Too loud. The SR 6008 I could turn up to 60 which is past half and it wasn’t as loud as the 2285 a quarter turn up on the Volume.
This is definitely my last receiver I’m ever going to buy. I can’t say enough how great sounding this receiver sounds paired with the Wharfedale Denton’s. If I had to give the Model 2285B a score it would be a 99/100 only because nothing is perfect but this is damn near close. Below are pics

D066B9BA-33CC-43DF-A3C2-AF3FA8BAE320.jpeg9286DF9E-1AA1-462B-BBC9-9D8657486C53.jpeg
 
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