Sriskie
Well-Known Member
Copied from a kijiji ad...
Super rare, one-of-a-kind Marantz 2250 receiver. Only one model of this Marantz prototype is known to exist. This model came as a result of a 1978 "blue sky" meeting of the Marantz engineers and design consultants, who asked themselves, "What should the next generation of Marantz receivers look like?" This is where their vision took them. You'll note that the cumbersome "gyro wheel" is gone, replaced with ergonomically-friendly programmable push buttons that "tune at a touch," and a large LED readout that takes the guesswork away from knowing what station you're listening to, a problem when using that old-fashioned analog dial layout where the numbers were all crowded in and crammed together--and darn near impossible to see when a dial lamp went out, something that happened all too frequently.
The engineers also completely re-designed the front face, moving the buttons and switches and knobs to places more consistent with best-of-class practices at the time. For too long, the Marantz layout of the controls was too predictable and boring--"too balanced" the many critics and detractors said. This Marantz prototype addresses those issues, scattering the controls across the face plate willy-nilly, almost as if they were positioned and placed by random chance, a far cry from "boring" and "predictable" to be sure.
Gone, too, are the barely-readable analog meters, replaced with a stepladder signal strength indicator and dual LED power meters. The guesswork is gone, and with a mere glance the receiver's status is known.
And if you think the changes to the outside are profound, wait until you see the inside of this prototype 2250! Virtually unrecognizable from it's prior iteration. In fact, you can hardly tell that it's a Marantz!
Of course, this is a prototype that Marantz never brought to market, which is why it's unique and rare. But something very close to it did eventually appear. Audio lore has it that MCS, in cahoots with the Japanese electronics company NEC, stole the design and specifications from Marantz, and manufactured and marketed the receiver as a MCS 3249. But as you can see from the pictures I provided, mine is clearly the prototype Marantz model, and not the MCS mass-produced knock-off.
So here's your chance to get a piece of Marantz history for real cheap!
(Note: Since specifications were never published for the prototype Marantz 2250, I'll use the specifications for the MCS 3249, which are said to be identical)
Super rare, one-of-a-kind Marantz 2250 receiver. Only one model of this Marantz prototype is known to exist. This model came as a result of a 1978 "blue sky" meeting of the Marantz engineers and design consultants, who asked themselves, "What should the next generation of Marantz receivers look like?" This is where their vision took them. You'll note that the cumbersome "gyro wheel" is gone, replaced with ergonomically-friendly programmable push buttons that "tune at a touch," and a large LED readout that takes the guesswork away from knowing what station you're listening to, a problem when using that old-fashioned analog dial layout where the numbers were all crowded in and crammed together--and darn near impossible to see when a dial lamp went out, something that happened all too frequently.
The engineers also completely re-designed the front face, moving the buttons and switches and knobs to places more consistent with best-of-class practices at the time. For too long, the Marantz layout of the controls was too predictable and boring--"too balanced" the many critics and detractors said. This Marantz prototype addresses those issues, scattering the controls across the face plate willy-nilly, almost as if they were positioned and placed by random chance, a far cry from "boring" and "predictable" to be sure.
Gone, too, are the barely-readable analog meters, replaced with a stepladder signal strength indicator and dual LED power meters. The guesswork is gone, and with a mere glance the receiver's status is known.
And if you think the changes to the outside are profound, wait until you see the inside of this prototype 2250! Virtually unrecognizable from it's prior iteration. In fact, you can hardly tell that it's a Marantz!
Of course, this is a prototype that Marantz never brought to market, which is why it's unique and rare. But something very close to it did eventually appear. Audio lore has it that MCS, in cahoots with the Japanese electronics company NEC, stole the design and specifications from Marantz, and manufactured and marketed the receiver as a MCS 3249. But as you can see from the pictures I provided, mine is clearly the prototype Marantz model, and not the MCS mass-produced knock-off.
So here's your chance to get a piece of Marantz history for real cheap!
(Note: Since specifications were never published for the prototype Marantz 2250, I'll use the specifications for the MCS 3249, which are said to be identical)
