Why Are Vintage Marantz Receivers So Expensive? 

Nice video! As a guy in the 55-64 demographic that started buying stereo equipment in 1982, I will add the Marantz receivers were always on the wish list but to expensive for a middle class college kid. A few of the wealthy kids had them in college, but more ofter Technics, Kenwood or Pioneer were in a dorm room. Adjusted for inflation, the vintage Marantz are not really that expensive now, and us old farts have money and love nostalgia.

This is great information for me. I have a 2270 I have had since 1970s. I still have the original marantz box and that box is inside the original marantz shipping box. I also still have the original plastic sheet cover for the face plate and I also still have the original marantz wood case still in a marantz shipping box..also all the warranty papers and sales receipt..

Couldn't agree more......vintage Marantz holds their value primarily for it's sound, owned several.......but they have a unique appearance that screams Marantz!

Didn’t realize Marantz were getting expensive. I bought a model 4430 like 2-3 years ago in pristine condition from an older gentleman for $180. Worth every penny for sure.

This is a good video, with clearly stated points on why Marantz are selling at what appears to be exorbitant values. I think he nailed it. I'll share this video. Side note: I've recently traded a refurbed 2230 for the real baby of the line - a 2010. I've now refurbed the 2010, and can't get enough of that cap-coupled sound via Klipsch ForteII

I once had a 2285B. I say "once" because I sold it when bills came knocking during my kids' school years. It was the best sounding receiver I've ever owned, hands down. And at that time, I had owned about everything you can imagine. It's still number one in my memory, and I'm saving to buy another one now.

I bought my first marantz system in 1977! Still use it everyday 2285!

As the Electronic Buyer I became a Marantz dealer in 1976. I put it in to 8 David's Stores in Wichita Kansas and Tulsa and Emporia Kansas. Better warranty, Better sound, Better quality and they sold like crazy, I currently own a restored Marantz 2250B. Say what you want the Marantz sound is hard to duplicate, Sansui was the closest to Marantz sound in the 70's.

I have the Marantz 2245 purchased new in 1975 in the walnut case (and no scratches), including the original Marantz owners manual. Everything still works and it looks like new. Only one repair to replace the on off button spring about 20 yrs ago. So refreshing to see someone younger that appreciates vintage gear such as this. Thank you.

Thanks for the info! I bought my Marantz 2245 in 1975 in Okinawa when I was stationed there in the Marine Corps. I still have it and I no longer live in Detroit, I am in Bellingham Washington. My 2245 quit working around 15 years ago however like what you said I did just take it down to Seattle to have it fixed. Its great once again and I'm glad I got it repaired thanks to Condor electronics.

You can replace the lamps with LEDs but you'll need a current limiting resistor, a diode and a small reservoir cap, making sure to limit the current to a sensible level to keep the LED happy. Incandescent lamps of the original spec will look more authentic though :) nice video, 😃

The 2270 is one of the greatest mass produced receivers ever made. The prices for a clean, gone through 2270 with a wood case is now going for crazy prices.

My ex-wife got rid of my 2270 one day when I wasn't home and I never did know where it went. Had that receiver from my teens in the 70s. Just recently I got my hands on a 2285 and it needs new lamps. I'm not too far from Detroit and was wondering if you'd be willing to do new lamps for me, and a general health checkup too.

There are more specific reasons for vintage Marantz pricing. The Model 7 pre-amp, Model 9 amp, Model 19 receiver and the first generation of blue light receivers (2215, 2270) are the last products which Saul Marantz, Sid Smith & Dick Sequerra were directly involved with. Products from the original brain trust are the most sought after. Saul replaced his brain trust in '69 with Dawson Hadley, James Bongorno and others, then left the company. Also, from their first product in the '50's till 1980, Marantz required their dealers to do "Fair Trade" pricing (which was outlawed by Congress). Throughout those years, Marantz products were always higher priced.

This old timer could not afford one in 1976 as I was a teen with a low budget for audio. Today I still can’t touch a nice example as the 2275 is $800- $3,000. So my guardian Angel left one for me to pick up from the curb. A little ding in the cabinet, a full clean and Deoxit. Fallowing your videos for cleaning and LED replacement. Velum being cut tonight and by the weekend it will sit top of my shelf . One Happy Marantz owner 😎 Thank you for your videos ! I’ve fallowed them and watched several times .

Hey bro, older guy here, marantz 4300 in 78, still got it, nice content, interesting to listen to.

I think you nailed it. One more thing - popularity breeds more popularity.

Would Love to find a legit collector to buy my Marantz collection.

I still have my 2238B that I purchased in 1978. Still works great.also still have a pair of infinity QA speakers purchased around the same time as the receiver and they still sound great too.

I got a free 2220B from a coworker a couple years ago. Loved it. Recapped it. Ran into a problem on the P700 board which should be a pretty easy fix...I just no longer have access to proper test equipment. My girlfriend wanted to buy me another reciever & I said it's gotta be a vintage Marantz. She got me a 2245. So I found love twice lol. But seriously they're awesome. I don't want anything else.

Frankly they are not worth the prices they fetch. These were just mass made Japanese consumer grade products. I can understand the original US made Marantz separates being expensive; but not the assembly line receivers they churned out by the hundreds of thousands. When a Marantz 2325 receiver fetches more money (up to $4000) than the iconic hand crafted Marantz 8B tube amp I shake my head in disbelief. Shows some people are unable discern shit from shinola.

I got lucky and found a Marantz 2275 from a thrift store in perfect working condition for 20 bucks

Thanks for making this video are used to have a 2252B I wish I still owned it but I moved up to a 2285B for me they’re just about the same for the amount of volume that I can produce where I live but Marantz top of the line for what I can afford I can’t really imagine it being any better but well worth any amount of money that you spend for them just found your channel and I will watch and comment I know this is an older video but I’ve watched a few of your other ones first and you seem to be quite knowledgeable for young man Keep doing what you’re doing I wish you were closer to San Diego where I live I find stuff all the time and wish I had the knowledge that you do AnyWho thanks for producing I enjoyed it

The stuff works.. I never cease to enjoy mine Original Marantz 10b Tuner Superscope era 2220 2270 2375 Modern Era SA-7 SACD/CD player. This year hoping to add a new modern era Blu-Ray/DVD/ SACD/DAC player by Marantz to replace an aging Oppo.

I don't know how my parents could afford a Marantz 4300 in 1975. Still have it and it is on the restoration bench.

Coool video sir, didn't realize you're a fellow metro Detroiter, have had different generations and variations of the marantz receivers 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾🔥

Calling a 30 watt Marantz receiver underpowered compared to a 50 watt Pioneer, Kenwood etc., is an incorrect statement. Marantz was notorious for under rating their amps while most other companies were overrating theirs. Brand new my 2238 was pushing 62 watts in the right channel and 60 watts in the left. Look at the Marantz/Sonos comparison video on this channel. The Marantz actually tested considerably higher wattage than stated by Marantz. They do look great but they also perform wonderfully. The gyro touch tuning mechanism is a work of engineering art. And Marantz was built to last and built to repair. My 2238 is still original and gets daily use. The only issue is the lamp on the fine tuning meter burnt after four plus decades. They just plain work.

I have many different receivers at home and i gotta agree with you. Though Marantzes sound good (depending on personal tastes), i think the number one reason they sell for such high prices is looks. They do look great. No question. I might add that they're also the only American brand that can rival the japanese ones which makes em desirable too.

My Marantz Karma. I inherited the 2238B that my father bought new in 1977... my buddy and I had a side hustle, and we used the receiver to power our make-shift mobile DJ kit from 1977 to 1983. I would unhook it from it's place in my parents house, throw it in the trunk of my car and drive off to some remote location in Indiana for the gig. I would bring it home and eventually reinstall it in my parents home, but it would sometimes end up sitting in the trunk of my car for a few days. It wasn't abused, but it wasn't pampered either. With the lone exception of it overheating a bit when we attempted to satisfy about 150 screaming girl scouts at an outdoor event, the receiver performed flawlessly. My family and I moved out of state in '84, and the Marantz saw very little use over the next 40 years. Last year I decided to dig the 2238B out of storage and plug it in, some of the lights were out so I had it professionally cleaned and serviced. It didn't require much cleaning or servicing, and it is now powering my mostly vintage stereo system in my house. My Marantz looks good... it sounds good, and the memories are priceless. I just wish my father was here to listen to it again.

I still have my 4270 quad with a 140 power amp for rear channels I also have 4 HD880 tower speakers all bought brand new in mint condition! Nothing sounds as good as my vintage Marantz so powerful and warm. I will never sell it will be passed down to my kids. I have the walnut cabinet for my receiver too

I bought the Marantz 2275 with the walnut cover back in 1974 I believe it was $649 and $50 for the walnut cabinet. It sounded so good with the Marantz Imperial 7 speakers at a top of the line Kenwood turntable.

I have a 2275 and I love it. I think I prefer the looks of the Sansui 7070 I had back in the '70s when I was stationed overseas. Maybe it is just nostalgia but I love watching the output meters bouncing around. I'm looking at a 9090 that I might buy and then see which one I like better.

It s sound audiophile and it s more expensive because of the blue lights!!

I think we are seeing a Marantz bubble right now. The prices are heading into crazy prices. The bubble will eventually bust.

For me it is nostalgia and the pure beauty and construction of the Marantz and a sound that I think is better. I think another reason for higher prices is some younger generation have discovered what we all knew in the 1970s. In 1974 I bought a Marantz 2220 at a stereo shop in the Saginaw Mall in Saginaw, MI. Anyone remember those stereo shops and sound rooms they had to try out equipment? Unfortunately I gave it to my sister in 1978 after graduating college and buying higher end equipment including bose 901s which I still have. A couple months back I picked up a fantastic deal on a 2265 in Columbus, OH that spent most of it's life well kept and not in use. It did have a service 2 years ago and sounds fantastic - gosh I love it. I have it hooked to my PC and 8 Klipsch and Polk bookshelf speakers hooked to it, 4 on each window sill. Hook them up in series parallel and it stays 8 ohms. Just fills my office with warm sound that I listen to as I work out every day.

I have a Marantz 2270 I bought in 1976. Still sounds great and it looks so good too!

The real reason Marantz receivers are so expensive is because the dial indicator is a shard of ice directly from the Fortress of Solitude. :)

My first stereo was a Panasonic AM/FM Turntable that had the pop up turn table, 15 wats per channel and speakers included. (There was a perfect one on Ebay for $320 yesterday, but the cartridge and tone arm were not well suited to safely preserve LPs. ) It was originally $80. During H.S. in 1972, I had my first job and bought Double Advents. Advent large speakers wired in Parallel run at 4 ohms .These speakers are awesome and I still enjoy them. I had to recone the bass cones, for less than $60 for 4.. Then I bought 2 more large Advents, to create triple Advents. The dispersion of the high end over 6' sound like Magneplainers. I added 4 JBL concert tweeters (the kind with the clear blue disperser) using some old realistic separate tweeters circuitry to limit them to being tweeters. The JBL tweeters are quite expensive but oh so sweet, adding the tweeters improved the sound drastically. In 1970, Henry Kloss designed the speakers with a lower high end because LP's, Reel to Reel tapes, and FM started reveling the imperfections in the recording process if the high end wasn't limited. I bought 2 Yamaha750 watt amps to run all of the speakers. I had always loved my Marantz receiver and I found a vintage 2275 that worked well but could not run below 4 ohms. Beautiful receiver, with treble mid, bass, and a useful loudness control and the tuner with the spin dial for radio, You can use the outputs on the back to the other amps to power the speakers. A well built Marantz will stand up to any other make. Like he said, overall it's one of the best looking receivers on the market in the 60's & 70's...and it still is. So, $600 for Advents, $800 for the JBL tweeters, around $700 for the 2 Yamaha amps, $350 for the Technics 1200; so for less than $2,500 I consider it as good as or better than stereo equipment that cost $5,000 to $10,000; or more. I have one of the best sounding stereos ever. Since 1965 bought 2 or 3 albums a a month or weekly and I still do. I'd rather have more LPs than the most expensive strereos you can buy. LPs, I have rediscovered in the past 5 years; sound better and demand attention. I'm glad I always kept obsessive care for my LPs. iPods & even CD players, it's too easy to hit next. I'm glad I got my patience back. My stereo outfit has served me well for over 20 years, and some of it is 40 years old. Vintage is the way to go for the best sound. Steven Pettinga, Indianapolis

Absolutely agree with your assertions on these components, same as with the mid 70's Sansui's. Is there anything built today that will play great 40-50 years from now, with minimal to no service?

"They don't make em like they used to." I disagree. They still make fantastic receivers. I think there's allot of selection bias going on. If it were 1975, you could get a Marantz 2325 (decent specs, about 125WPC) and it would set you back $799 MSRP, or about $4100 in today's money just for the receiver. If you're upper middle class, you'd consider this because you're expected to have nice audio equipment in your suburban home, there's not too much of a middle market (Realistic maybe) and you wouldn't be caught dead with a low end 8-track combo unit in your living room. In 2022, right now, you can get a Yamaha A-S1200, which has all the nice bells and whistles of silver age hifi: a nice thick aluminum face plate, VU meters, 90WPC into 8 ohms (real power with a big beefy transformer), plenty of inputs and excellent specs all around. It comes in silver or black. It costs $3000. Is Joe Public willing to pay $3000 for it, nice though it may be? Or would they rather pay $300-500 for a perfectly good receiver and sink that money elsewhere? Maybe a nice OLED TV or tackle that kitchen project. $3000 is allot to ask when the BPC does a job that's 90% as good for a tenth of the price. It's not the same gap as the low-end of the 70s, at least out of the box. Who cares that it'll be in a landfill in five years? By then they'll have changed all the technology anyway and they'll need to upgrade, and buying a new one will still be cheaper than that Yamaha. So who buys the nice audio gear then? People with allot of money who happen to care about audio; a tiny subset of the market. And what happens in 50 years? All of the plasticky junk from 2022 is gone, those old Yamahas are still kicking around because they were well made and expensive, and people are asking why consumer trash in 2072 isn't made as well as a Yamaha A-S1200.

Bought my 2215B in about 1975-1977 with my first VA check. Still have it and turntable with original manuals. NFS, just bragging:)

I remember in the early 1980s visiting a high end stereo shop and the sales guy said this: "Any manufacture stating their new products are CD ready never were and never will be!" He was saying exactly what you said. If you really want a "CD ready" amp/receiver, look to an upper end 1970s unit. Stereo sales people can say some ridiculous things but this guy was dead on target.

I bought a marance 2230 in 1970 when I was in the service The performance the warm Sound , built rock solid , I replaced a couple lights volume and power switch And yeah they don't make them like they used to cheap c*** nowadays Not built the last

In the '70s there was an all out receiver war going on so you certainly can't assume that one brand is going to sound better across the board. They all took each other's designs apart and improved on them. The tax is only worth it if you need that look. Otherwise, I'd wait and see what turns up affordably from Pioneer, Sony, Sansui, Kenwood, etc.. and give it a listen.

My family had a whole deck of those in the 80´s at home in Sao Paulo, Brazil. We would never imagine they were so valuable. They were given at some point.

I have a modest Marantz collection..9 receiver's, 4 scope tuners, best models, 4 matching component stacks , tuners,preamp, amp(s) cassette decks and those wonderful EddMay Marantz speakers that still sound incredibly good..ehhh think 14 pairs including the super rare M series but I also have. McIntosh, Krell ,several 80s line stage rolling racks .Vintage Avery Fisher Tube ect....I'm a audio junky but I'm getting older and really need to sell off some gear

I think many Rockstar were influenced by marantz the doors for me screams marantz on sounds

Marantz & AR = EXCELLENT SYNERGY

Yes, the Marantz receivers are expensive. What about the old Marantz 1970's speakers?

I don't understand why an LED wouldn't work for the stereo indicator. The only conclusion I can come up with is that the old lamp was part of a circuit and not just an indicator lamp. But that would be a very unique design. LEDs run on DC current. The voltage just has to be higher than the junction voltage of the LED which depends on the color. A simple resistor then limits the current to 10-20ma for most LEDs. Some will work on AC, like dual color red/green. AC makes a yellow glow by alternating between green and red. If you can post the stereo indicator section of the service manual I can then see what is going on.

Great video! I have 3 Marantz 2270's connected with Y cables that are driving 3 pairs of speakers. Stacked Large Advents and RTR 280 DR's. It shakes the building I live in.

I love my 2270 I have other more modern stuff but , when I want to sit back and listen to great music the Marantz is it ..

Saul Marantz was, first of all, an artist and graphic designer. Other manufacturers concentrated on the internals. Marantz made the components look good, feel good to operate (ergonomic controls) and sound better than most of the competition. Marantz also had more premium capacitors, transformers and switches than most audio of the time. 40 years from now, none of the current crop of audio products will be running, but I'll bet you'll be able to enjoy the sound of many an "antique" Marantz. No, I don't have any Marantz equipment for sale. I wish I did!

I have a 1977-78 pioneer 8500 series 2 amplifier that countless audiophiles have tried to get me to sell and I've refused offers ranging between 500-1000

Love me some Marantz gear. I have a nice 2230, which I use _daily_ but I'd love to get the bigger 2270, at least, if not bigger than that. I'd love to have the quad 4440 with the built-in scope someday too, but one thing at a time I guess. 🙂 LED's are the only way to go nowadays.. Never had a problem with mine, other than indicator lamps being too bright, which I remedied with a resistor on each LED.

was at my local record shop, that also carries some new and vintage gear. had a marantz 2225 ( a low powered 25 watt per channel reciever). was always curious about the marantz mystique so got it, even though it was low power. in my office , had a sony 100 w surround from the 90's(?) and some klipsch rp600 speakers. upon changing, the sound improvement was immediately noticeable and could add a turntable. the low power is not a problem in the 11'x12' room, don't blast music anyway. all the inputs, tone controls, in an entry level receiver. the only thing i don't like is the speaker terminals.

I bought my 2325 in 1977 for $280 at the Camp Red Cloud PX, Korea. It still sounds amazing.

They told you it wasn't worth it because They wanted you to get rid of it so they could get their hands on! Willing to bet

Being a lifelong Marantz fan, you only hinted at why the Marantz gear was built to last! I still have several receivers and amps thatI’ve had for 40+ yrs, and they are still operating at or near specs even as I’ve gone from a young man to an old man! Even if you have pieces that need repair and are salvageable appearance wise, it doesnt take a fortune to replace the parts to give them a brand new life. Finally, you did speak to the nice appearance of Marantz gear, but the factor that makes vintage Marantz and Pioneer receivers so lovable is the beautiful brushed silver faceplates. How on earth people will spend lots of $ on black, plastic looking dust collectors is beyond me. If i had a wish about this, it would be to have the means to really repair the faceplate dings, scrapes, and gouges that so many vintage receivers suffer from and really restore their beauty.

Interesting. "Marantz Tax". They do look unique. Original styling. I only differ from the Marantz praise with Sansui original G-series Recievers. G-2000 to their G-2200. Best looking and sounding receivers ever! Also Marantz have that conservative power rating. Head to head soundwise, Sansui "G" receivers are superior. The brushed gold faceplate with soft yellow lighting screams elegance to me. I will admit that 2330b is very desirable! I still would not take it over say a Sansui G-2200 or a G-9000. But, it remains on my bucket list! However, Marantz were built like tanks! Superior to the reliability of Sansui. Some Sansui amplification came become unstable over time, too often incompetent repair shops can't restore to satisfaction? But, I can't enjoy listening to anything else once it's restored correctly! So, the "Marantz Tax" for me is unfounded? I like using the analogy of the Ferrari to the Honda.. Exhilaration vs dependability. Easy choice for me.

Just had my 2235 tuned up. Have it running into a pair of Scott quadrant 101 and a pair of Pioneer HPM100 speakers. Only 38watts a channel but it shakes the house. Run my Pioneer PL71 turntable into it. Bought the Scott speakers in 1976 and the PL71 turntable in 1977.

Wow thats horrible tech shop advice they were wrong for sure. I scored a near mint 4415 from a friend but online and Reverb Marantz prices are outrageous. Miatas were way too small for me. Im 5' 10" and I hit my head on the roof. RX7s were cool like Marantz.

I still have my 2270, and my 88 Mazda MX6 GT Turbo manual. I wish I could find a Lafayette LR 9090 in good shape - one of the best receivers Lafayette put their name plate on, and a Dual CS-608.

Many years ago I threw out a Marantz quad receiver… because the volume control was scratchy. At the time I had zero knowledge of receivers and didn’t know that it could easily be fixed with a little Deoxit.

AH-Fix-It, If you were closer, I would donate you my non-working 2235. For me, shipping is a hassle.

Mom purchased mine for me when I was 12yrs old. Still have it and will be passed down to my son. Used every weekend.

It is basic supply and demand. Nothing more. If you don't want to pay for a Marantz, then don't. Just like vintage muscle cars, they may not perform better than another car, but there is a nostalgia and cool factor, that people are willing to pay more for. This isn't rocket science, just basic supply and demand economics at work.

I payed $350 for mine...about 8 years ago ...i have withdrawls when im out of town to long...love it

I've owned my 2285B since 1978. Still sounds awesome. I love it more than anything else. I also put LED lamps. I prefer the soft blue of the fuse types, but the burn out fast so I live with that bright hard blue. Nothing better than Marantz receivers. I had the "wood" case but it just fell apart.

I noticed that in all the American clips, there are no marantz receivers with the mark B (2252B, 2265B,...) It is a generation later (maybe 1978-1982), similar in features, but in my opinion much nicer design. In Europe, these are the most popular models. Why aren't there?

This video hits the nail on the head! 100% agreement. My Marantz system was stolen in the 1977, so I found replacement period Marantz gear in the 2000's. I now have three mid-70's receivers, a 6300 turntable and 5200 cassette deck--okay, the deck gets little use! Unfortunately, the power transformer in my 2325 cooked, and it is no longer usable. The other gear is still working. Great video.

I have been holding on to my Marantz Twenty Two that I bought on my first Navy Med cruise in 1970 cause it does look good. And the tuner knob is a blast to use. LOL I'm keeping my 20th Anniversary Edition Miata, and my 1967 XR7 Cougar.

You nailed it on each and every point! Thanks indeed….. I have a mint Marantz 2230 in the wood case. I would compare it to the "A" model Sikorsky S-76 from the same era which I have several thousand flight hours on. Slightly under-powered but simple and reliable. It very seldom broke down. Got the job done as the Nova Scotia Air Ambulance for many years. The "A" model has now been replaced; basically with new technology. My Marantz 2230 is like the old S76 A. Simple and elegant with the odd quirk but also a thing of esoteric design and beauty.

I would own nothing but a Marantz from 1970 when I bought my first one. Thanks for your stance on this subject.

Just bought a 2270 on eBay and paired with some AR3s. All vintage. I have to replace the power switch and the tuner string is off the pulleys, (I did that). Now taking it to a repair shop 2 hours away to get it right but cant wait to fire it up. Lost my Marantz 2230 in my divorce 30 years ago. I guess I am still paying for it but have upgraded. Bought my original in college and have been missing it every since.

Great video. If you can barely lift it, it's worth fixing. I refurbished my 2385 and I'm back to using it everyday. Sounds and performs like new. Hopefully my grandkids will have enough interest in taking my whole system over.

Because they are so damn Sexy ! Plus they sound Great . I need to have my 2335 restored but it still plays Great and one light bulb went out last year. I don’t want to send it off. My cabinet is beautiful and no scratches just beautiful ! I run Klipsch K-Horns and Belles, it can shake my 24?x28’ music room. You keep up the good work young man. I’ve been listening to my system longer than you’ve been alive , Hahahahahaha 😂 ! I need restored myself ! You and my young adult children give me hope for the Future ! I don’t worry about my children going WOKE . My Son loved his Miata !

I just bought a Marantz MR 220 an it’s perfect condition, I gave 150 bucks for it an it’s only 21 ways per channel but is just as powerful as my newer 2000s model Sony 300 watt surround sound system , im getting a cassette deck soon to match the 220 and I can’t wait

Because they are the best vintage stereo receivers in the world. Nothing else compares. Take your vintage Sansui. The glue the used on the motherboard loses its adhesion and the boards start to fail. Pioneer? Great eye candy. But their audio quality suffers when compared to a Saul Marantz Masterpiece. Only Marantz could be dropped from a 12th floor apartment in NYC and still works when they plugged it in. Marantz! Accept no substitutes.

I have the Marantz 2325 . Lost power in 1997 and repaired in 2022. I have Klipsch kg 5.5's and Klipsch KLF 30's. I should probably hook it up and give it a go. Just seeing the lights back on was good enough for now. I bought the replacement LED lamp kit but haven't had that done yet.

FWIW, my opinion on the Marantz Tax (and Pioneer Tax, which is also a thing): it's all nostalgia. US folks of a certain age look back with affection to their youth in the 70s, when the family receiver was most likely a Marantz or a Pioneer. Why was it a Marantz or Pioneer? Because those two brands were the most heavily advertised on TV. Objectively, a Marantz or a Pioneer reciever sounds and looks no better than any other vintage Japanese receiver of that era. If you think a Marantz is a work of art, what do you call a Bang & Olufsen?

In the Marantz Stereophonic line of quality sound....where does a 2225 stand? Any thoughts welcome. I understand it's 2 channel@25watts but I just wonder how it stacks up vs. other models. I inherited my father's 2225, the stereo I grew up with as a 70s youth. I do remember it would clip and cut out if the volume was too loud.

LOL!!! Your Marrantz bias is showing. Pioneer, Kenwood, Sansei, and most of the top brand brushed aluminum receivers looked as good...no more like "pieces of equipment," than the Marantz. That com,ent was laughable. On the other hand, Marantz has always had the reputation of superior sound. Only Sansui and McIntosh had the reputation for superior sound. They all sounded good, but those three were generally considered superior (and were priced accordingly).. It's that reputation for top quality build and sound that continues to Marantz mystique and the "tax."

I have a 2225 sitting in the original box in storage, while I listen daily to a 2285B in my bedroom. I don't like commercials so I wear headphones, and then take them off for a couple of minutes when they come on. The Marantz 2285B was about $750 in 2000, now they are triple that on eBay.

IMO again imo, these amps are way overrated and they sound too happy, the high notes are a bit exaggerated (but not distorted) for example you can hear the cymbals more than everything else on music with drums, female vocals are ok and male vocals not so much) and the bass has very little extension but hey this receiver is great for rock music or electronic music (party music) The silver face vintage marantz looks good though especially the ones with dark dial face but the sound is not natural sounding, is just too sharp for my liking. I have a 2238 that I bought in 2018 for $200 and I only listen to it to play a song or two, I've tried listening to it for hours but is just not my sound type (maybe when I was a teenager) but today I like amps that can actually sing and sound even with all the frequencies and very smooth n sweet like my vintage: Sony, Sansui, Onkyo and my most fav which is a tube amplifier that has 4) KT88 Gold Lion Tubes and NOS Sylvania preamp tubes, now this amp I can listen to for days and to me enjoying the sound is the most important thing about audio equipment and looks is 2nd. Oh and my 2nd fav amp is my sony str-7055a (recapped with nichicon gold caps) the bass mids n highs are just wonderful and when used as a preamp to drive my tube amp oh man....

Bought a 2270 in 1975 for about 700-750 bucks. Wish I’d kept it. Sold it for 900 a while back. Of course, $700 back then was about $3500 today…..anyway, that’s my 2 cents.

Nevermind the Beattles, I had many Marantz units including monsters like 2325 and another vintage brand just sounds so much better to me. I really tried to like Marantz sound, it never happened, I will say the Marantz 1060 is one of their better sounding units. Good mid fi stuff, no offense to Marantz owners.

There is a 3rd reason for the Marantz tax and that is they LAST SO LONG. After a few decades or so, a recapping may be called for, along with changing any burnt out light bulbs, changing the yellowed vellum behind the screen because odds are that beautiful blue light has turned to a still beautiful but not quite correct GREEN, clean the switches and replace if beyond needing just a cleaning.

You nailed it. Hope you got your miata. I drive a 2006 NC. I’ve owned all generations. The NC believe it or not is the best of the bunch. I also own several Marantz receivers. Great video!

I have Marantz 4430 4 Quad & Now The Price somewhere around $1,300 U.S. Dollars.

It’s simple. These were the receivers that were the most elegant and prized that you couldn’t afford when you were 18 years old in 1975. Now, to your Miata point I can now afford one. Everything else modern made is crap. This is the real deal.

I think marantz is a crap. Harman/Kardon looks much better compared to the childish wingdings font and the pseudo-modern blue lights, it looks like cheap china knockoff and not cool nor vintage nor anything. A harman/kardon on the other side looks sleek, stylish, has a cool technical logo and is elegant and a well-known brand. I never heard of Marantz before I had a bit interest in the vintage audio amps and now I have a 330c and 730 from harman and they are much better.

Vintage Marantz is gold now close competitor is sansui for entry level...i don't how much are the vintage Meridian 502,505,504 i think is more expensive than Marantz?

6:27 Oh yes you can buy better now, at prices lower (inflation corrected) than your old Mz receiver. (does that have any digital inputs or more than 2 channel reproduction?) And I don't mean super expensive exotic modern equipment that only some cashed up boomer can afford.

I wonder if AH-fix-it as i dont know his name but like the channel,Knows about the history of marantz,and how a US manufacturer of tube amplifiers,became a transistor amp manufacturer,based in tokyo japan. from standard radio corporation to superscope to marantz tokyo.marantz put their name then on their japanese amps when they bought out standard radio corp. in 1975.

I am so fortunate that I ran into people in my teens in the seventies that already had marantz, now in my 60s I find stereo equipment in the trash a lot of AKAI cassette tape decks WOW it's ridiculous I can't save everything help people help☹️

Good video on marantz tax. Use to be at one time 1965 mustangs in people's yards and were scrap or sold for almost nothing. You want see that today. Even some used unrestored condition are worth thousands!

I'm happy that Marntz, Pioneer, Sansui receivers get all the attention and thus the high prices. Not the vintage components that I like best which are still reasonable buys.

my first receiver was a Marantz 2216....sold it for a Yamaha 640. If I only knew.............

Oh another thing is check the real spec's on a Marantz and other receivers and compare the spec's to new receivers and you'll see the THD and other things are a joke except on the most expensive receivers Marantz usually under rated their spec's so Audio and Audiophile magazine would say oh god this is better than rated. I mean some stuff today is way less then garbage. Oh, it's like a record album compared to an apple digital download lol side by side on a good system and you'll be ohhh I hear the difference