Denon, Yamaha or Marantz Receiver

[markw]

Veering even further off topic (or maybe back on topic), how easy is it to find parts for your 2270? I'm about to start refurbing my parents' old Marantz 2275 (from 1976) and have no idea on how much it will cost or whether the parts are even available. I've heard conflicting things about how easy it is to fix up vintage Marantzes. On that 2275, some of the indicator bulbs have gone out, and some of the switches periodically short out. I'm not sure if some simple cleaning will do the trick, or if replacement's in order.

On whether or not it's as well built as today's receivers, I'm not sure if you can really compare given that you had so many manual switches and controls on those vintage receivers whose functions are now consolidated into a single processor board. And a lot of those older switches are prone to shorting out. Whether or not the digital circuitry of today will last longer than those older analog controls, we'll see. Digital circuits just seem to fail without warning, while some analog components audibly age before failing. My parents' Marantz delivers 75 watts into only two channels, yet it weighs 10 lbs. more than my Yamaha AV receiver and it has a higher power consumption. Another thing with those older receivers is that the tuner components (with the manual dial, all those analog tuning gauges, and the analog circuitry) alone could weigh quite a bit. When the tuner on my friends' old Sansui receiver was shorting out and causing interference with the other components, he just ripped the tuner and all the supporting components out, like the dials and indicators. It opened up a LOT of room inside that receiver and those parts must have weighed at least 2-3 lbs. Nowadays, the tuner circuitry's about the size of a matchbook.

Up until a year ago I had a tech do almost all my work for me. He did warranty work for me and other companies for the major brands (Marantz, Scott, Fisher, H/K, etc...) in the 60's when I sold this stuff. Unfortuantely he was forced to retire this year and now I'm in pretty much the same boat you are.

The best place for this info (both sources and technique) is on the vintage page of http://www.audiokarma.org. Shain is the resident Marantz guru.

Yeah, the physical components are prone to wear but the fact that they lasted this long says a lot about 'em. I still say t hat the tuners in these old boat anchors are far, far superior to practically anything sold today. But, when you figure in ther cost back then and factor in inflation, they would cost a heckuva lot more in today's dollars.

[Woochifer]

Up until a year ago I had a tech do almost all my work for me. He did warranty work for me and other companies for the major brands (Marantz, Scott, Fisher, H/K, etc...) in the 60's when I sold this stuff. Unfortuantely he was forced to retire this year and now I'm in pretty much the same boat you are.

The best place for this info (both sources and technique) is on the vintage page of http://www.audiokarma.org. Shain is the resident Marantz guru.

Yeah, the physical components are prone to wear but the fact that they lasted this long says a lot about 'em. I still say t hat the tuners in these old boat anchors are far, far superior to practically anything sold today. But, when you figure in ther cost back then and factor in inflation, they would cost a heckuva lot more in today's dollars.

Thanx for the link, I'll check it out.

Actually, I never thought that the switches on the Marantzes were all that durable. Started getting static on the volume control within the first five years, and one of the tape monitors began shorting out before that. Others switches have followed suit.

Can't deny though the sound quality on those units is superb, and aside from those switches, the overall build quality is very rugged. And the tuners on those vintage Marantzes are indeed better than anything I've used since then. The 2275 that my parents bought listed for $600 in 1976 (bought on closeout for about $350). Taking inflation into account, that would be nearly $2,000 today!