New system advice

phire

New Member
Hi,

Noob here, so bare with me. I'm currently looking for a vintage marantz receiver, something along the lines of a 2226, 2230 or 2238. It will get used mostly to play mp3 from a external player or hooked up to the TV. Now then, i'm pretty much sold on getting a Marantz, even if the right deal has yet to present itself, but i have no idea which speakers to get. I'm leaning towards getting a set of used Bower & Wilkins DM302 which belong to a friend of a friend, for around 100€.

Being that my budget for receiver + speakers is around 350 to 400€, what you would advise me to get? I know that this question as been asked before, but around my town there aren't any thrift shops to look for this kind of equipment, so it would probably have to be bought from ebay, hence my many doubts.

Thanks.
 
That era of Marantz receivers is always a solid choice, provided the one you're getting is in working condition. If you can't find a Marantz, 70s Kenwood, Pioneer, and Harman/Kardon are solid options as well.

My best advice is to listen to the B&Ws before you buy them. If you like them, that's a really good price for them and you know they're in great condition. Be warned, however, that the B&W sound is not for everyone.

Once you get the system going, you may find yourself wanting to go with a better source than MP3. Follow your temptations in this case, it's worth it. ;)

Good luck on your journey.
 
I am a huge fan of vintage gear (with the exception of a few DACs, all of my gear is "vintage"), but in this case, I would have to "talk you down" and away from it. The pieces you mentioned are indeed "classic" pieces. But if you are truly a "noob", they might not be "right" for you. Unless you find something restored/refreshed, be prepared to either be able to work on it yourself, or pay dearly for someone else to do it for you $$$. In addition, if your primary use is going to be for mp3 and TV, you may want a new 2 channel integrated (like the new Yamahas and Onkyos). They support digital formats, perform well, and come with a warranty card for very reasonable money. It would be a shame to "waste" a vintage Marantz receiver's phono stage and tuner, if all you want is something to play digital files.

I agree with auditioning the B&W's thoroughly with some music that you are very familiar with--better yet, if you can "borrow" them for a week and listen to them in your own space. Not knocking them in any way, but I am personally not a fan of their sound--but to each his own.

Unless you are truly "hooked" on the vintage aspect, you might be better off with something new that still falls within your budget as a matter of convenience over aesthetics.
 
I agree with you, but the receivers that i'm thinking of would have to be restored. Fortunately, all the deals that i'm currently considering are of this kind. I don't consider it to be a "waste", because one has to start somewhere. :)
 
I agree with you, but the receivers that i'm thinking of would have to be restored. Fortunately, all the deals that i'm currently considering are of this kind. I don't consider it to be a "waste", because one has to start somewhere. :)

This was kind of my point--buy what you "need" to get your system up and running the way you want it to. Upgraditis strikes us all at some time, but for "entry" into the fray, with all digital sources, you might be better off with new/newer gear. I love my 70's and 80's gear, but I also realize that at some point (if not already), that I will have to put money into them. That was my only major point (not a major deterrent if you are prepared). If you are new to this game and don't work on electronics, a beautiful older receiver may end up being an expensive doorstop, unless you can work on it yourself. That is where I was going. And not using the "strengths" of a 70's receiver is a "waste"--if you don't/won't listen to FM or Phono, there is no point in investing in that. If you are all digital, use something designed for mainly digital.
 
And not using the "strengths" of a 70's receiver is a "waste"--if you don't/won't listen to FM or Phono, there is no point in investing in that. If you are all digital, use something designed for mainly digital.
I disagree. A vintage receiver also has a sound quality and a look that is different from a more modern receiver, which are right among its "strengths". Besides, if the receiver has radio built-in, he can always listen to the radio on a whim in the future if he decides to. In fact, it's probably better to go with a vintage receiver/tuner because those will often pull in more stations and have clearer reception so that he can discover and listen to stations he couldn't before. As far as Phono, if he hangs around AK long enough, he'll probably get the "vinyl itch" just like most of the rest of us. I say it's not a waste. Even I, someone who owns a nice turntable and listens to the radio occasionally, have never used the Phono input or tuner on my Kenwood KR-5030 (the tuner is currently broke on that one and my turntable was never in the same room as that receiver once it was in constant use, but that's beside the point ;)), yet that is my favorite of my 2 70s Kenwood receivers.

I say go vintage if that's what you want, especially if you're looking to buy something restored anyway. I did and it's awesome.
 
So, i made a deal, a recently refurbished Marantz 2270 for a very nice price. Unfortunately, the speakers that i planned on getting were sold to a highest bidder. Since the unit is also more powerful that what i had antecipated, can you guys recommend me some speakers for it ?
 
The bigger Marantz gear is nice looking and very collectible. Hopefully it proves to be trouble-free.

Some speaker recommendations:

Boston Acoustic A100 or A150
Infinity Reference Four, Five, or Six
Polk Monitor 7 or 10
JBL L26, L36, L46
Klipsch Quartet, Forte, or Chorus
 
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I can repeat the ADS above also add L880, beautiful sound, and BA A100. Ohm C2 I have upgrades woofers, but originaly were also great sounding and off most radars so reasonably priced.
 
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I have a set of 880's and can also vouch for them. Mine are on a 2238B right now in the bedroom system. Sounds wonderful.
 
As much as i appreciate your input, not only are the speakers mentioned out of reach, they are also out of my price range. For someone who listens to a lot of rock and metal, going from Jimi Hendrix, to The Black Keys to In Flames, could you guys tell me which speakers would be best, from the following list?

Infinity Reference 50
Wharfedale Diamond 10.4
Monitor Audio monitor 3
KEF Q5 Special Edition
Celestion Ditton 15XR

Thanks.
 
Out of range is dependent on where you find them. I found mine at a flea market for $65, other than a couple blown tweeter fuses, they were fine.

All of the speakers you mention are really nice accurate speakers, at least the three I'm familar with, but none are what comes first to mind, when considering rock speakers. If you can be in the $200 to $300 range, possibly try some Klipsch KG4's or the slightly newer variations. Sometimes they can be found for less.

JBL has already been mentioned and would be considered a good rock speaker, I have Lancer 77's, L100's and L36's, and the last two are great for rock music, but they are not any cheaper than ADS's are.
 
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Well i haven't had any luck on the few thrift stores that i've managed to visit so i'm narrowing my choices to what's available on online classifieds in Portugal.
 
I think, sometimes posters forget that everyone isn't from the USA. To forestall that in the future fill out the member information concerning your location. That makes it easier for responders to give appropriate responses.
 
From your list I've only heard the Infinity Reference 50, which appear to be an export version of the Reference Five. They are excellent speakers. They have the EMIT-R tweeter, which really is as fantastic as everyone says they are. Once you've heard the clarity of an EMIT, it's hard to go back to anything else. They also have Infinity's IMG graphite woofers, which are fast and detailed.

The speakers handle power well, and rock out hard. If you can get them for less than the equivalent of $200 USD, you'd be in luck. Keep in mind they will need to be refoamed if they haven't been already.
 
Last question, i promise :)

I've been looking for floorstanding speakers, but there are also some JBLs, specifically JBL LX3 and JBL LX55. Are these better than the speakers i previously mentioned, for my intended use?
 
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