Hi Mr. Marantz!
Today I made a comparison between the Marantz preamps 7T - 33 - 3300 - 3250B - I forgot to listen to my 3200!!
Everything is my own opinion.
Set up was the same with all of them = neutral setting = bypassed filters.
I used:
CD : Denon dcd-3300
Tuner: Marantz 150
Poweramp: Marantz 510M
Turntable: Technics SP-25 / SME III / Goldring electro II MC
Speakers: JBL 4333A
Everything completely stock and unmodified
Warm up time approx. 1 hour
The winner (s) are: 7T - 33 - 3300
The "looser: 3250B
They are all different though.
I give 100 points to the absolutely perfect sound never obtained.
7T:
Stereo-perspective/imaging: 95
Dynamics: 95
Frequency response: 95 ( super low end = 99) slightly crispy in the top end
clean: 95
Total score approx: 96-97
33:
Stereo-perspective/imaging: 90
Dynamics: 95
Frequency response: has a little "hump" in the upper bass (around 200-250Hz) + a little "hump" in the high end app. 8-10K
Clean: 95
total score approx: 92-93
3300:
Stereo-perspective - imaging: 92-93
Dynamics: 95
Frequency response: Straight - but slightly lifted in the top end approx. 8-9K : 95
Clean: 95
Total score: approx. 94-95
3250B:
Stereo imaging: 90
dynamics: 95
Frequency response: "hump" at approx. 400Hz and 3-4 K - otherwise pretty straight: 85
Clean: 85
Total score: approx. 88-89
The three "older" ones are all VERY good sounding and they sound very close to each other - created on the same sound filosophy - Warm Marantz.
All is my own opinion and I'm aware of numerous psycologigal influences during the process + I'm may have a feeling that my loudspeakers have tendency to slightly lift the high end - but the only variable parameter was the pre's. I played the same music at the same volumes during the proces.
Many regards
Freddy
Just discovered this thread. Given my personal experience with these preamps, I would have to agree with Freddy's overall rankings.
As I also have a 3200 (back-up), it would have been interesting to see where it ranked. I would probably squeeze it between the 3300 and 3250.
The reason I brought this thread back is my surprise, given the importants of a good preamp, of the little interest it attracted when it was first posted.
In the end, and inspite of the high quality of your amp, your resulting sound is limited to the quality of the signal coming from the preamp. I would have to say, assuming your amp is of adequate power to drive your speakers, that more systems are limited by the performance of the preamp than by the amp itself.
Anyway, in a Marantz forum, this comparison certainly deserved greater attention than it received when it was written.
Marantz has made many good preamps over the years, and they deserve greater recognition, particularly the 7T. It seems that the 7T has been somewhat over looked due to the recognition of the immediately prior Model 7C tube Preamp, which itself was widely seen as world class. Of course, it still is.
For my money, though, a properly restored 7T is unsurpassed among Marantz's preamps, including the renowned 7C.
Thanks for the great comparison, Freddy.
Jay:thmbsp:
