Marantz 7 tech needed NYC area
- Thread starter cardinal127
- Start date
cardinal127
New Member
Greetings All,
Again, thank you for your recommendations and interest.
The rest of the journey:
In May I packed and crated, with the help of my brother in-law, the Revel Ultima Salon speakers, the Krell amp, preamp, Marantz UD7007, Transparent cables and the Salamander console. Freed the Ampex from the old console and packed 25 + boxes of selected records and more boxes of CDs along with all the other stuff wanted by family members. Rented a truck and drove north.
Aside from the difficulty getting the crated, heavy speakers up the stairs to the house the move went well. I convinced my very patient wife to let me setup the system on our livingroom in front of a fireplace we never use. After bit of modification to the console, casters in the front and feet in the back, I put a piece of masonite on the brick hearth in front of the firebox and leveled the console. This enables me to slide the console in and out for access to the back. Best I could come up with.
Got back the Marantz 7 and Fisher FM 200b from my tech. Aside from a thorough cleaning and replacing the selenium rectifiers, I chose to replace a pair of the bumblebees that were intermittent. I know, I decreased the value of the component. Yes, I kept the original carefully removed parts, should the need ever arise. The Fisher needed a large can cap. The Thorens TD124 arrived from Mr Campbell and remained in its box until I built the plinth. More on that later.
I contacted Krell about using a tube preamp with the 300cx and removed the jumpers to activate the coupling capacitors per their instructions.
I was able to find a nice reproduction case for the Marantz 7 on eBay. My quest for a case for the Fisher has been unsuccessful thus far at a price point I can justify. Perhaps this will be my next woodworking project.
Speaking of woodworking, I rewired the Grado tonearm. After removing the cartridge, I disassembled and cleaned the arm with its supports and removed the old wires. Thanks to Kevin, at KAB Electro Acoustics, who built me a set of Cardas Fine Litz cables with Cardas clips that fit perfectly. I had planned to install a block connector between the two sets of cables but instead I soldered the Tonearm cables directly to a set of shielded Cardas Fine Litz to RCA and ground to grounds. If I were to do it again, I might go with a long length tonearm cable direct to RCA.
On to the plinth.
I came up with a design that I liked and set to work.
I chose to make a 3 tiered plinth out of 1 1/2" Mahogany bucther block. I ordered a 48" X 24" slab, cut the parts and used a jigsaw to cut out the traced hole from the template. Sanding, sanding, sanding. I did a few tests with various stains and found the results to be streaky. (lots of different trees go into butcher block). After a bit of research I came across an oxidizer, potassium dichromate. In my best HAZMAT attire I did some tests and liked the even, rich results. I treated the plinth parts with the oxidizer and a couple of days later gave them a few coats of varnish. Then assembled the layers with dowels. Also picked up a 1/4" acrylic custom dust cover from JMK Display.
Installing the Thorens in the plinth and leveling it went smoothly as did installation and setup of the SureV15 type III cartridge and the tonearm. The tutorials i found online were tremendously helpful.
The setup.
There's the analog side; Marantz 7, TD 124 and the FM 200b And the solid state; Krell HTS, Marantz SACD, and a Bitfrost multi-bit DAC. Both sides got Straight Wire interconnects.
I am currently swapping cables from the two preamps to the amp. All but the amp are powered thru a Power Company isolation transformer. The amp getting it's own dedicated 20amp circuit.
The results.
Throughout my career in film and tv I've worked with some of the finest audio facilities in NY and LA supervising mixing and sweetening sessions of all kinds of concerts, musical performances, dramas etc.
I'd put my living room up against any of them.
At my Uncle's home I've been listening to the solid state system for years. It is wonderful as always. Considering my music collection from the last 30 years is digital, its great.
The analog side is just amazing. The depth, clarity, spatial nuance and warmth, if you will, are truly spectacular. I could go on listing adjectives of how it sounds but its more than just the quality of the sound. It is how it makes me feel.
Music has become ubiquitous. There's 120gb on the phone in my pocket and streaming services that can deliver any genre, any song, anytime, anywhere. I'm listening to music on my computer as I write this. Do I hear it? Does it have my attention? Sometimes.
There's an phrase in my business; Apointment TV. A goal every producer, director and executive wishes to achieve. To get the audience and keep them, to have their full attention, to draw them in again and again.
This system has brought me back to listening. It gains my full attention and allows the music to take me where it will. To be soothed, to be lifted, to be moved.
Uncle Bill gave me many gifts. Yes, this outrageous system, but more importantly love, friendship, counsel, and an example of what it is to be a good and kind and virtuous man. Now, even after his passing, he has given me one more gift. He has given me the desire to take that music out from the background. To make the time to just sit and enjoy as he did. To really listen and find that place where all the meetings and money and kids, all that stuff that your mind relentlessly churns, gradually fade deeper and deeper into the background. Until, it's just the music.
Cheers
Again, thank you for your recommendations and interest.
The rest of the journey:
In May I packed and crated, with the help of my brother in-law, the Revel Ultima Salon speakers, the Krell amp, preamp, Marantz UD7007, Transparent cables and the Salamander console. Freed the Ampex from the old console and packed 25 + boxes of selected records and more boxes of CDs along with all the other stuff wanted by family members. Rented a truck and drove north.
Aside from the difficulty getting the crated, heavy speakers up the stairs to the house the move went well. I convinced my very patient wife to let me setup the system on our livingroom in front of a fireplace we never use. After bit of modification to the console, casters in the front and feet in the back, I put a piece of masonite on the brick hearth in front of the firebox and leveled the console. This enables me to slide the console in and out for access to the back. Best I could come up with.
Got back the Marantz 7 and Fisher FM 200b from my tech. Aside from a thorough cleaning and replacing the selenium rectifiers, I chose to replace a pair of the bumblebees that were intermittent. I know, I decreased the value of the component. Yes, I kept the original carefully removed parts, should the need ever arise. The Fisher needed a large can cap. The Thorens TD124 arrived from Mr Campbell and remained in its box until I built the plinth. More on that later.
I contacted Krell about using a tube preamp with the 300cx and removed the jumpers to activate the coupling capacitors per their instructions.
I was able to find a nice reproduction case for the Marantz 7 on eBay. My quest for a case for the Fisher has been unsuccessful thus far at a price point I can justify. Perhaps this will be my next woodworking project.
Speaking of woodworking, I rewired the Grado tonearm. After removing the cartridge, I disassembled and cleaned the arm with its supports and removed the old wires. Thanks to Kevin, at KAB Electro Acoustics, who built me a set of Cardas Fine Litz cables with Cardas clips that fit perfectly. I had planned to install a block connector between the two sets of cables but instead I soldered the Tonearm cables directly to a set of shielded Cardas Fine Litz to RCA and ground to grounds. If I were to do it again, I might go with a long length tonearm cable direct to RCA.
On to the plinth.
I came up with a design that I liked and set to work.
I chose to make a 3 tiered plinth out of 1 1/2" Mahogany bucther block. I ordered a 48" X 24" slab, cut the parts and used a jigsaw to cut out the traced hole from the template. Sanding, sanding, sanding. I did a few tests with various stains and found the results to be streaky. (lots of different trees go into butcher block). After a bit of research I came across an oxidizer, potassium dichromate. In my best HAZMAT attire I did some tests and liked the even, rich results. I treated the plinth parts with the oxidizer and a couple of days later gave them a few coats of varnish. Then assembled the layers with dowels. Also picked up a 1/4" acrylic custom dust cover from JMK Display.
Installing the Thorens in the plinth and leveling it went smoothly as did installation and setup of the SureV15 type III cartridge and the tonearm. The tutorials i found online were tremendously helpful.
The setup.
There's the analog side; Marantz 7, TD 124 and the FM 200b And the solid state; Krell HTS, Marantz SACD, and a Bitfrost multi-bit DAC. Both sides got Straight Wire interconnects.
I am currently swapping cables from the two preamps to the amp. All but the amp are powered thru a Power Company isolation transformer. The amp getting it's own dedicated 20amp circuit.
The results.
Throughout my career in film and tv I've worked with some of the finest audio facilities in NY and LA supervising mixing and sweetening sessions of all kinds of concerts, musical performances, dramas etc.
I'd put my living room up against any of them.
At my Uncle's home I've been listening to the solid state system for years. It is wonderful as always. Considering my music collection from the last 30 years is digital, its great.
The analog side is just amazing. The depth, clarity, spatial nuance and warmth, if you will, are truly spectacular. I could go on listing adjectives of how it sounds but its more than just the quality of the sound. It is how it makes me feel.
Music has become ubiquitous. There's 120gb on the phone in my pocket and streaming services that can deliver any genre, any song, anytime, anywhere. I'm listening to music on my computer as I write this. Do I hear it? Does it have my attention? Sometimes.
There's an phrase in my business; Apointment TV. A goal every producer, director and executive wishes to achieve. To get the audience and keep them, to have their full attention, to draw them in again and again.
This system has brought me back to listening. It gains my full attention and allows the music to take me where it will. To be soothed, to be lifted, to be moved.
Uncle Bill gave me many gifts. Yes, this outrageous system, but more importantly love, friendship, counsel, and an example of what it is to be a good and kind and virtuous man. Now, even after his passing, he has given me one more gift. He has given me the desire to take that music out from the background. To make the time to just sit and enjoy as he did. To really listen and find that place where all the meetings and money and kids, all that stuff that your mind relentlessly churns, gradually fade deeper and deeper into the background. Until, it's just the music.
Cheers
WOW, that is truly amazing. Thank you for posting this!
cardinal127
New Member
Bill and gadget, thank you for your kind thoughts.
Bass, thank you for getting the ball rolling, giving me Tim at Bristol. He was great. As was Mr Campbell in PA.
This site and others, are an incredible source for information and advice. They helped me make better choices and plans on how to proceed.
I gave Bill a couple of computers over the years, PC and mac. He spent more time reading books about how to use them than actually using them.
I bet if he found AK and VE he'd have done what I've done and restored all these classics himself. I so wish he had. I know he'd have loved the process
as much as me. And the incredible results.
That Marantz 7 is astounding. I have the DAC in the marantz 7 now also. I'll probably patch in the SACD at some point as well. This preamp makes everything sound better.
So, I'll keep reading and learning and listening. I'm sure I'll be improving and adding to this system. As I do, I'll keep you posted.
Cheers
Bass, thank you for getting the ball rolling, giving me Tim at Bristol. He was great. As was Mr Campbell in PA.
This site and others, are an incredible source for information and advice. They helped me make better choices and plans on how to proceed.
I gave Bill a couple of computers over the years, PC and mac. He spent more time reading books about how to use them than actually using them.
I bet if he found AK and VE he'd have done what I've done and restored all these classics himself. I so wish he had. I know he'd have loved the process
as much as me. And the incredible results.
That Marantz 7 is astounding. I have the DAC in the marantz 7 now also. I'll probably patch in the SACD at some point as well. This preamp makes everything sound better.
So, I'll keep reading and learning and listening. I'm sure I'll be improving and adding to this system. As I do, I'll keep you posted.
Cheers