What is the best 70s Marantz receiver?

DirtyDog

New Member
I am considering getting a 70s vintage Marantz receiver. I know there are many models and options.

Which one should I get? I was considering a 2230 but I think I will regret not getting a higher powered model. Also, I think I prefer the classic black dial models.

I am sure there will be varied opinions on this, but which is the best one to get if you could only have one.
 
Marantz 2600.. only 19K now ;) I've got a 2226B, 2230, 2245 and 2285B right now. The 2245 is on the bench so it's not up to par. But the 2230 has some really nice sound. The 2285B wins IF you have big-ass speakers to drive which can work the amp. I don't so I don't think it shows off at it's best at the lower volumes I use. The 2230 sounds very good.. better to my ear than the 2226B which is not a slouch. The 2285B has the best FM sensitivity of all of them.
 
The term "best" is very subjective but I would answer just about all if them. There were only a few 70s models that i would pass on as a keeper.
 
There weren’t any US. black faceplate models in the 70’s as far as I know. Some European models had black faceplates and then Marantz went with black a lot in the 80’s. I think one guide to discussion would be budget. There is a wide gap between the least expensive and most expensive.
 
I didn't mean I like the black faceplate. I like the ones with silver faceplate and black FM tuning dial like most from the 70s.
Ahhhh, of course. For moderate budgets, my fave is the 2245. Simple, beautiful, enough power for most speakers, and not a budget breaker. But like Bryans12v said, I don’t know of a model from that decade that I wouldn’t love to have.
 
2245 gets my vote too, warm sounding good looking plenty of power for most speakers, been my favorite for over 40 years at least for playing vinyl (probably because it was my first) if i ever get down to one again :rflmao:thats the one i keep, i prefer the 2275 when im playing CD's but thats not too often.
 
We(Laffayette Radio in Manchester Ct) sold as many as would get our hands on, esp. the 2270. I had one tested at "The Stereo Shop" In Hartford Ct Mac clinic. It exceeded it's specs for power and distortion as did all of the Marantz units of that time period.
 
You can't go wrong with any of the above mentioned units.I have to agree with Sweeney on the 2285B which is my main right now,they are going for big bucks now as with all Marantz ,but a good investment in the long run.
 
It's always fun to see everyone suggest a different receiver, so I'll throw my facts out there. :D 2285 is the winner, it has the highest build quality of any Marantz I've restored. It has shielded tuner section boards, independent heatsinks and amp boards for each channel, 4 output transistors per channel. Modular amp assemblies and tone board make it easy to service. No silly dual core filter caps in the 2285 either.

The one I restored made 104 WPC into 8 ohms, and sounds great. It's stayed around while the 2275, 2245, 2230, and a pile of others have found new homes.
 
I own a 2275. Love it. Actually hangs with my Pass Labs amp. The Pass is better, but the Marantz really surprised me when I got it. IMHO, anything above the 45 series will make you happy for a very long time. Under the 45 series, you will get the “I need more power bug.” Again IMhO.
 
I'd think a lot of this depends upon what you want to do with it. Are you in a small room with small-ish speakers, is the room larger and you need larger speakers to fill it, are you playing vinyl, CD's, AM/FM, streaming, etc?

For instance, my 2285B would be completely overkill in my dining room area, but something like my 2226B works great with a small bookshelf speaker. But in my larger den area, I need the power of the 2285B to drive my floorstanding speakers.

Also, there are certain models that I'd rather have for vinyl playback.
 
I am considering getting a 70s vintage Marantz receiver. I know there are many models and options.

Which one should I get? I was considering a 2230 but I think I will regret not getting a higher powered model. Also, I think I prefer the classic black dial models.

I am sure there will be varied opinions on this, but which is the best one to get if you could only have one.
What ever you go with I would make sure it's restored.
 
2245 for me. I've had a bunch of the Standard Radio built Marantz receivers from 2215 up to 2335b, IMO 2245 is the one that gets everything right. The others are gone, my 2245 isn't going anywhere!
 
You can’t go wrong with the 2245.

I also enjoy my 2285B. Will make most speakers sing.

Carter
 
If often wondered...is there a chart or list anywhere for the 22xx receivers and what changed between model numbers? Seems like this would be a good thing to have.
 
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