2238B or 2245?

R

reeltorock

Active Member
I have a connection to a working 2245 locally for $125, it just needs a couple tuner dial bulbs and a stereo lamp. I'm really considering selling my 2238B to pick it up, I would be left with money to spare (savings for 2275!). I only got a chance to hear the 2245 on little Realistic speakers, how does it compare to the 2238B in terms of tone? Obviously it has a bit more grunt than the '38B, but the B is a bit newer so that could play into things. Is it worth the swap?
 
2245:yes: It should sound like a 2230 on steroids!

(if you pass let me in on it. 2245 is my next target)
 
I have about a dozen Marantz receivers. Everything from a 2230B up to a 2270. The 2245 is definitely my favorite. I'd go for it.

The 2230, 2245, and 2270 are all similar receivers in that their amplifier sections are capacitor coupled which gives them more of a tube-like warmth.

The 2245...YEAH, BABY!
 
I have L-26's also. IMNSHO, they mate perfectly with my 2270, the 2245's big brother. I'm back in the 70's again. ...just something about matchng the speakers to a receiver of the same era, I guess...

The 2245 should do well, but so should that 2230 you have.
:scratch2:
 
So do you guys consider the 2245 better because it has more power or does it sound better because it is built different?
 
In answer to Tmac83's question, I like the sound of the 2245 more than any other Marantz receiver that I own...even the 2270 which is similar in build. In my mind, the 2245 has more of the warm Marantz sound that I'm looking for. Or as someone so aptly put it on a recent post: "The 2245 sounds more comfortable than the others."

But that's ME and that's MY 2245. Somebody else's may sound somewhat different. But if you research it, you'll find that the 2245 has a great following. There are lots of people out there that feel like I do.
 
It sounds like I'll be picking up that 2245. If it sounds better and has a few more WPC then I may as well swap. I'd keep both but I'm shooting for the 2275 from my current source. The sale of my 2230 would basically be all profit (sold the 2230's woodcase for what I bought the receiver for) and I'm a student, need I say more.
 
The 2245 and 2270 were the first of the 22xx's that have direct coupled amplifiers. The 2230 was the largest of the 22xx's that have capacitor coupled amplifiers. I believe the 2216 was the last of the capacitor coupled receivers. My 2216 is capacitor coupled and my 2216b is direct coupled. I had a 2245 and now have a 2270. They sound almost the same but the 2270 has a little more punch when driven hard.
 
oldtubes said:
The 2245 and 2270 were the first of the 22xx's that have direct coupled amplifiers. The 2230 was the largest of the 22xx's that have capacitor coupled amplifiers. I believe the 2216 was the last of the capacitor coupled receivers. My 2216 is capacitor coupled and my 2216b is direct coupled. I had a 2245 and now have a 2270. They sound almost the same but the 2270 has a little more punch when driven hard.
Click to expand...

Oldtubes: I have always thought that the 2230, 2245, and 2270 are all capacitor coupled and your post seems to state otherwise. Can you shed further light on this subject? I think we'd all appreciate it.
 
What is the difference between the direct and capacitor coupled amplifiers in terms of sound? What would they look like if we were to look at them on the inside of a receiver?
 
I hope I explain this correctly. When I said the 2230 was capacitor coupled it means there is a large coupling capacitor (several thousand uf) between the output transistors of the amplifier and the speakers. Most capacitor coupled amps have just a single positve voltage power supply. These style amps require the coupling capacitor to prevent DC voltage of 1/2 the supply voltage from reaching the speakers. The amplified AC signal (the music) is centered about the 1/2 power supply voltage and oscillates above and below that voltage. The coupling capacitor filters out the DC voltage and allows only the AC signal to reach your speakers.
In the amplifier of the 2245 and 2270 the output transistors are a complimentary pair (PNP/NPN) powered by a split power supply (positive and negative voltage). The output transistors are directly wired to the speakers without a coupling capacitor. The coupling capacitor is not required since the amplified AC signal(the music) is centered about zero voltage. There is no DC voltage that needs to be filtered out.
Most direct coupled amps have better damping factors and better low frequency response. There are exceptions, when I had my capacitor coupled ECIO 3570 and Marantz 2245 at a Harman Kardon square wave clinic, the ECIO did a much better job on the 20hz square wave. This means the ECIO low frequency response is better than the 2245. The HK technician said the ECIO was the best non-HK product to go through the clinic and the Marantz 2245 was better than average.
 
oldtubes: thanks for setting me straight on the difference between the 2230 and 2245/2270 and thanks for your great explanation. Unfortunately, I do not have a 2230 although I do have a 2230B, which I do not believe is capacitor coupled. I also have a 2245 and a 2270. As indicated earlier, the 2245 is my favorite Marantz receiver (at least among those I own) but my 2270 is in the shop (Play It Again Sam in Lakewood, Ohio) for some minor R&R.

Who knows how the 2270 will sound when Jason at Play It Again Sam gets done with it. He's done a great job with all of my Marantz receivers and I'm really looking forward to hearing this one after he finishes it. Stay tuned!

And thanks again, old tubes.
 
hellhound94 said:
Who knows how the 2270 will sound when Jason at Play It Again Sam gets done with it. He's done a great job with all of my Marantz receivers and I'm really looking forward to hearing this one after he finishes it. Stay tuned!
Click to expand...
Not to sound like a broken record, but I hope he does a full FM alignment on it. When my tech did mine, it waqs like pulling cotton out of my ears or finally getting the right perscription glasses. ...and I didn't think it was too bad to begin with!
 
tboat4: YES, that is the Play It Again Sam in Lakewood, Ohio. The technician I deal with there, Jason, has been taking care of my stable of Marantz receivers (10 or 12, depending on the day of the week) for some time now and all I can say is he is as anal as I am. Absolutely no problem is too small or too big. They do it all.
 
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