Scored a very rare Marantz today

Arkay

Lunatic Member
Okay, so this isn't a 7 or a 10b or even tube gear at all, but I scored a very rare Marantz today... a CRS-8000 boombox. This is the TOTL model for the CRS series, which was Marantz's best "gold" series of portables. It is VERY similar to the PMS-7000 that I have, except the CRS-8000 has an additional (second) cassette tape drive, the second one being just a "slot" near the bottom, for dubbing purposes. Some of you will know the PMS-6000; its the golden box with the fold-down turntable. These are the "big brothers" in the same design series, but without any turntable. It seems that Marantz changed the name of the series from "PMS" to CRS" at some point, probably when someone told them about the English connotations of PMS!?!?! LOL :D But many of the models from these two series were virtually indistinguishable; it is substantially the same series.

Google returns very few page hits (about six) to a search for this model: one patent listing, and a few links to Japanese Yahoo, where one of these is/was being sold (and another was sold without any speakers). You can see pics of this model here (and almost nowhere else online):

http://page10.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/m43913821

It has two way "active" speakers: what Marantz did with these was put the pre-amp in the main box, and the power amp circuitry for each channel into the speaker boxes themselves. The speakers are removeable so they can be positioned apart for better stereo separation and speaker placement. There is an open enough vent-work behind the woofers to make them almost open-baffle in sound. The speaker connection wires are shielded and use RCA jacks to plug into the speakers. It has Dolby NR, and the classic Marantz cassette carrier with the bar across with the holes in it. The faceplate is aluminum, like the classic Marantz gear, but the speaker boxes and much of the case are plastic (albeit a high-quality plastic that has survived the years remarkably well). There are graphs showing the flat response of the speakers and other things printed on the box, too. The faceplate is silver (aluminum) in color, but the speakers are a golden-ish shade in front, and a ruddy brown (vaguely chocolate-like) shade in the back. A refined and elegant volor combination that says "class", especially in comparison with the usual gliitz and chrome of a typical "boombox".

Sonically, it is never going to compete with the 3650+300dc, or even the 2285b, but for a boombox, well... it sounds very "Marantz" for a portable, which ain't such a bad thing at all. :no: :music: That nearly open-baffle effect gives it a nice airy, open sense of soundstage, too. :yes::thmbsp: True audiophile sound it is not, but neither is it typical "portable" sound; not by a long shot.

Oh, why do I call it a score? I paid about $38 for this. I ddint' even haggle. I have no idea what it might sell for on ePay, as I don't know if any have ever even been sold there. I think I remember one, about three years back, but it was probably a PMS-7000, which is marginally more common [but still rare; I'm the only person I know of with two of those, and one of mine is a parts junker]. Based on what other boxes can bring, a CRS-8000 would at least be a few hundred dollars, and very possibly over a thousand bucks. It is much rarer, and probably about as attractive to many collectors, as the JVC M90 which has sold for up to $2000.] I think even if it would only sell for $500, that ratio is good enough to call it a "score". Heck, just FINDING one of these in the first place is a "score", to me!

Okay, so after all that talk of rarity, who else here has one of these (I won't be surprised if a couple of people here do... because after all, this is AK! :D).

Still hunting for one of those PMS-6000 boxes, with the fold-down turntable. Seemingly more common than either the PMS-7000 or the CRS-8000, but I haven't found one yet.
 
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