What to pair with a Marantz 2275...

[Meddle]

This is my first post, so be kind.:)

I'm not an audiophile as much as a music nut. I have a solid understanding of how stuff works, but nothing compared to some of the brainiacs around here.

I just came into a sweet Marantz 2275 and I was wondering what would be some nice speakers to go with it.

I'm looking for something versatile. I play all kinds of stuff and will probably be playing LPs and CDs.

It's a small 12x12 room with warm acoustics.

Here's a list of what I have on hand at this time...

Snell KII
Canton Ergo 80
Canton Plus F
Paradigm Mini Monitors
Paradigm 7SE MKIIs
Polk M30 (with powered sub)
Advent Mini (with or without passive sub)
Bose 501
Design Acoustics PS-10
Vandersteen Model 1b


So, I guess I'd like to hear what folks think would sound best from that list, but also what folks think I should be looking for.

Thanks!

[Feanor]

This is my first post, so be kind.:)

I'm not an audiophile as much as a music nut. I have a solid understanding of how stuff works, but nothing compared to some of the brainiacs around here.

I just came into a sweet Marantz 2275 and I was wondering what would be some nice speakers to go with it.

I'm looking for something versatile. I play all kinds of stuff and will probably be playing LPs and CDs.

It's a small 12x12 room with warm acoustics.

Here's a list of what I have on hand at this time...

Snell KII
Canton Ergo 80
Canton Plus F
Paradigm Mini Monitors
Paradigm 7SE MKIIs
Polk M30 (with powered sub)
Advent Mini (with or without passive sub)
Bose 501
Design Acoustics PS-10
Vandersteen Model 1b


So, I guess I'd like to hear what folks think would sound best from that list, but also what folks think I should be looking for.

Thanks!

Yikes! You mean you actually have all those speakers lying around? I don't know the particulars of each of these models, but I would say the 2275 can drive any of them without any issues. So try 'em and see which you like best. The size of your listening room will be a factor. The Marantz is smooth, fairly full-bodied sound, (judging by the 2252B I owned for a while), so you might want to avoid the warmer, blander models for starters.

[markw]

First, try what you have. With that assortment you should be busy for quite a while. but, lacking that assortment, I've found that JBL speakers of the era work great for a rock/jazz type of sound (I use L 26's with my 2270) and AR-5's or 2's do well for light jazz/acoustic or classical.

But, I haven't heard wacha got and, who knows? Maybe I'd prefer yours over mine.

[Meddle]

Thanks guys.

Yeah, for sure I'll try most of what I've got.

I wondering more about what the best fit for the amp was. If anybody else has one, I'd love to hear what their favorite speakers were.

[Meddle]

Yikes! You mean you actually have all those speakers lying around?

:ciappa:

Well yeah, but they all get used. I have two rooms with surround and a few others with sets-ups and a sound room over my garage. Mostly used stuff. I've never broken the bank or anything.
What can I say. I'm a speaker junkie on a beer budget.

[Feanor]

:ciappa:

Well yeah, but they all get used. I have two rooms with surround and a few others with sets-ups and a sound room over my garage. Mostly used stuff. I've never broken the bank or anything.
What can I say. I'm a speaker junkie on a beer budget.

You have some decent, if not extravagant, speakers there. Nor I see any reason that the Marantz counldn't handle any of them, so it boils down to your personal preference. The listening room will be a bigger factor than the Marantz.

Gosh, I love the looks of those vintage Marantz models!!
...

[bobsticks]

Welcome to the forum. What a great receiver...there definetely is something special about the old Marantz units. Obviously, the best choice will be made by your ears but I would look for the Snell and the Canton to be good performers. I have heard this model with some old Kefs and the sound was big, warm and enveloping. Have fun.

[Meddle]

You have some decent, if not extravagant, speakers there. Nor I see any reason that the Marantz counldn't handle any of them, so it boils down to your personal preference. The listening room will be a bigger factor than the Marantz.

Gosh, I love the looks of those vintage Marantz models!!
...
I found it at a garage sale and I could not resist. I pumped a few hundo into restoration from a good technician who uses the right parts.

I'm fired up to fire it up.

Well put on my speakers as I have never broken the bank for anything. I prefer to look for targets of opportunity. That keeps my wife happy. It's amazing what folks are getting rid of these days as IPODs take over.

Works great for me. I say ... Save sound not space.

I was hoping to find a nice vintage set of acoustic suspensions, but those bad boys are holding their value and I've not lucked on to a reasonably priced pair yet. I may end up buy a broken pair and rebuilding. We'll see.

I was just hoping to see what you more experienced gents thought.

And I agree that, given the size and symmetry of the room, I may end up with the Snells - which were amongst the better pick-ups that I’ve made. Those bad boys expose poor source recordings like nobody’s biz. In a way, that is the weakness of the speakers since I listen to a lot of 60's stuff. Power-wise, they seem a good match for the Marantz. Though I hear that the power ratings on those units are rather conservative versus today's.

[bobsticks]

One thought for usage wit the snells might be to use a player with a tube stage. Maybe check out the 'Gon or ebay for a used Jolida to take the digital edge off. Maybe even a Scott Nixon tube DAC would resolve a bit of th eunforgiving quality of the speaks.

[Feanor]

I found it at a garage sale and I could not resist. I pumped a few hundo into restoration from a good technician who uses the right parts.

I'm fired up to fire it up.

...

2275's in very nice condition are going for US$400 on eBay; closer to $500 with a undamaged original wood veneer case.

[Meddle]

One thought for usage wit the snells might be to use a player with a tube stage. Maybe check out the 'Gon or ebay for a used Jolida to take the digital edge off. Maybe even a Scott Nixon tube DAC would resolve a bit of th eunforgiving quality of the speaks.
I'll look into that. Thanks for the idea.

[topspeed]

Boy, you've got some great speakers in the stable already! As mentioned, the 2270 is a warm, musical amp. I inherited my Dad's 2230 and promptly took it to a tech I know who specializes in vintage equipment. A few bones later and I had restored 2230 glowing in my bedroom :). What a fantastic piece of equipment these beauties are!

When I was looking for speakers, there was a part of me that wanted to stay vintage. Something like AR9's or Advents. I even considered finding a pair of Klipsch Heresey's or KGII's. I never did find the Klipsch's, but I think the horns would have worked famously with the Marantz sound.

Instead, I started looking for newer designs. From DefTech Powermonitors to Focal 706's to Paradigm Studio 20's, I tried to audition everything I could find. I ended up with Von Schweikert VR1's, a speaker that just seemed to lock in with the amp. Highs are extended, mids really bloomed, and the dynamics are stunning (especially for a mini-monitor). My room is a bit larger than yours and I have absolutely no need for a sub. The sound is enveloping. If you don't go vintage with the speaks, you might want to consider auditioning the VR1's.

Hope this helps.

[jrhymeammo]

how about some old McIntosh?

http://www.oaktreevintage.com/Stereo_Speakers.htm

Ay?

[geojap]

From those in your list, I'm very much a Vandersteen person, although I own Apogees ribbon speakers myself. I would hook up the 1B's and throw out most of the others, especially the Bose.

[Meddle]

From those in your list, I'm very much a Vandersteen person, although I own Apogees ribbon speakers myself. I would hook up the 1B's and throw out most of the others, especially the Bose.

Throw out? I have serious issues with throwing anything away. :6:

I finally got the unit hooked up ... WOW! It sounds great. The lab I went to did a phenomenal job with it. Right now it's pumping out the DA PS-10's and it sounds great. But I think you may be right about the Vandersteens. I'll be trying them out shortly.

Thanks for all the advice guys.

The BOSE 501's are way warm, but they are pretty good for my garage and poker night. I have them paired with some Cambridge Soundworks Ensembles and the two work well in combo.

Speaking of BOSE, I landed a pair of mint 301 II's for twenty bucks at an estate sale. They are a whole lot nicer than the 501's. They actually do a nice job speading sound. I might use them in my kitchen. I'm not a BOSE fan at all, but I like their old stuff better than the new stuff. I also hear that the 901's sound sort of cool. Never listened to any myself.

Another pair of speaks that I just got on the cheap are these Infinity bookshelves.

Has anybody ever heard Infinity Reference Two's? I have to tell you, I grabbed because they were practically free. They have theses awful looking poly-cell tweeters and they are in retro faux wood cabinets. I had zero expectations with them. Then I hook them up and they sound really good. I was very susrprised. Anybody ever heard these things?

Also, has anybody ever heard a pair of Criterion 2001+ ? I have a guy who is is selling a pair for $25. Is it worth the 20 minute drive to pick up?

Peace out.

[2325fan]

the 2275 well i agree with the first reply will drive all of those speakers with out a problem.

[Meddle]

Thanks for all the help, guys. Does anybody have a feel for whether a 2275 would be able to power a pair of Canton HT2000's? I just got a pair for cheap and they are massive and are 4ohms.

They handle up to 300 watts at 4ohms, but sound decent with my 100 watt Rotel driving them.

My issue is that they are really more stereo speakers and I'd love to hook them up to the Marantz, but I do not want to take any chances damaging the receiver.

The CT2000 are 3-way with very large drivers as they pre-date the sub craze.

Any advice?

BTW, right now the Marantz is driving the Vandersteen 1bs and it sounds great, but I have other plans for the Vandys.

[O'Shag]

And now for something completely different. How about a pair of Altec Lansing 846A Valencias? Horns and compression drivers. Sounds goofy, but I heard a pair of these driven by Marantz Electronics and was utterly blown away. They run about 1,100 on the used market for a pair in great nick. They would suit the Marantz receiver a treat. If you really wanted to go crazy, how about the JBL Hartsfield? They cost about 10k on the used market but boy do they sound amazing being driven by the Marantz 7C and 8B with Gold Lion tubes.