Best Marantz Receiver for Walsh2 Ohm speakers

[parkerg]

Hello, I will preface by saying that I am an entirely new audiophile and appreciate any advice or suggestions you have to offer! I recently inherited a Marantz 6300 TT and set of Walsh2 Ohm speakers. This was my grandparents set that they purchased new in the late 70s. Unfortunately, their receiver was accidentally given away before I got ahold of it. I know it was a Marantz unit as well. It actually could've been an integrated receiver or an amplifier/tuner combo, nobody seems to remember. It appears from my research that this set of speakers require a fairly powerful amplifier.

I would like to get this set up and running with other matching vintage Marantz equipment. I am looking for advice as to whether a receiver or amplifier/tuner combo would be preferred, as well as what models of Marantz equipment from this era would be powerful enough to run these speakers. I would prefer spending at most about $1000 as I already have quite a bit into the repair of the turntable and still need to purchase a new cartridge and stylus. Although I could stretch a little more if necessary.

For reference, the space the stereo will be in is pretty small at about 14x14 with 8' ceilings. Although I wouldn't mind a more powerful system that would give me the option to grow into it in a larger space in the future.

Thanks in advance,
Parker

 

[Chrisxo55441]

i dont have ohm 2 speakers but i have the 2XO and 4. the 2XO from what ive read are suppose to be a bit less demanding then the 2. i use my 2245 to drive the 2XO with no issues so that may be an option for the 2 under $1000. ive had my 2270 and 2275 in rotation the last few weeks driving my 4's so those would most definitely drive those 2's but restored units are north of $1000

 

[ray-1019]

I own a pair of Ohm Walsh 2’s, so I thought I’d weigh in with my experiences with these speakers. John Strohbeen, the affable fellow who runs Ohm Speakers, recommends at least 100wpc for these speakers, and they have a nominal impedance of 4 ohms.
I have tried these speakers with the following receivers:
NAD 701 (25wpc into 8 ohms/60wpc into 4 ohms) - Surprisingly good results, I suspect due to the headroom these units are known for. Nice full sound, and although not really loud it does not feel underpowered.
Marantz 2235b (35wpc into 8 ohms) - Much more refined sound than the NAD,very warm and clear, but without some of the punch the NAD has.
Macintosh Mac4100 (75wpc into 8 ohms/100wpc into 4 ohms) - Now the Ohm Walshes have some authority. Very powerful sound, with great detail and bass. More power is definitely better. John knows his product!
Anyway, vintage Marantz definitely pairs up nicely with the Ohm Walsh 2s, but get the most power output you can afford. Btw, my room is 12 x 18 with 10 foot ceilings. Hope this helps.

 

[Moby Dick]

I would agree with the above comments.
The more power, the better due to the 4ohm rating.

I have been tempted to pick up a set of Walsh 2 speakers but my 2265b has a difficult time driving a pair of elac uni-fi ub5 so I no longer consider 4ohm rated speakers.

 

[blhagstrom]

I was going to suggest 2275 but those are 75wpc. It sounds like the 2325 is the ticket.

I don’t think you can get a well restored 2325 on your budget.

It would be worth saving up while hunting.

If you find a good one in nice condition, there are many good Marantz restorers here in AK.

Go that route and live happily ever after.

 

[Moby Dick]

You can find a 2285b in that price range.
I think 85wpc should be enough.

Another option is a pioneer SX1050 or some other triple digit rated receiver from the era.
Yamaha 2020,

The hunt is half the fun.
Good luck.

 

[quadmatrix82]

Some great advice above I’d say get as much power as you can afford as your speakers like power a 2325 or similar plus-minus a few models receiver feels like a good option if you stick with Marantz