Marantz Imperial 7G
- Thread starter VintageDutch
- Start date
Blue Shadow
Waiting for Vintage Gear from this century
Well maybe you get a good price on the parts units and can cobble together a set of 7s that match, all blue or not.
Why the desire to grab speakers from a company that doesn't make a lot of well known, high quality speakers. I wouldn't have a use for most Marantz speakers as there are other brands that generally sound better.
My 7s were loaned out and came back then sold off for about what I had in em. Would not have bought them but wanted the tt in the system so bought the system.
My HD44 were given to a neighbor for his garage. They are better than my garage speakers.
Why the desire to grab speakers from a company that doesn't make a lot of well known, high quality speakers. I wouldn't have a use for most Marantz speakers as there are other brands that generally sound better.
My 7s were loaned out and came back then sold off for about what I had in em. Would not have bought them but wanted the tt in the system so bought the system.
My HD44 were given to a neighbor for his garage. They are better than my garage speakers.
VintageDutch
Active Member
Well... gonna let you in on a little secret ...
The 7G in good condition will sell in Europe for very good money...The Marantz name still does wonders...
So my idea was... Buy cheap, restore, learn lots, make solid decisions and If the speaker is not what I would like to hear , they will be parted for use in other speaker units like the 8G or sold of as whole in good condition.
The speakers where cheap enough, Speaker Components need work but function, cabinet needs work but is doable...
But indeed maybe it is not economical to buy in the USA and have them shipped.
I know about the shipment cost ... it is idiotic....and unreal...then again.... we are in a strange world
The 7G in good condition will sell in Europe for very good money...The Marantz name still does wonders...
So my idea was... Buy cheap, restore, learn lots, make solid decisions and If the speaker is not what I would like to hear , they will be parted for use in other speaker units like the 8G or sold of as whole in good condition.
The speakers where cheap enough, Speaker Components need work but function, cabinet needs work but is doable...
But indeed maybe it is not economical to buy in the USA and have them shipped.
I know about the shipment cost ... it is idiotic....and unreal...then again.... we are in a strange world
Last edited:
VintageDutch
Active Member
No the seller was not specific about the two different drivers...Yet it is a Marantz driver although not Blue...but has the 841-1020 and 137 and 7339 numbers...
Guys just to make sure...My living room speakers are Audio Event 8.1 from Onkyo.... Not widely know, and specific made for the German market in Germany by the Japaneese Onkyo... But these sound really well
specialy with a Medium power (36 Watts) Push Pull Tube amp with some KT 88 in Triode mode.....Driven by a nice Sony srq 6650 as a preamp. But also with a Harmon Kardon 730 twin power... they are mind blowing.... but thats the living room...
Back to the Marantz...
The little blue Mid range just received it's new Foam surround.
The blue 12 inch speaker received a new dust dome...it was lacking..
Experiments to clean the blue speaker are on it's way... looks promising ... what a quick wipe with some good "dry cleaner" can do...
Tomorrow I hope to pop back the tweeter dust domes.. and clean up some more... also pick up some caps....MKP
Guys just to make sure...My living room speakers are Audio Event 8.1 from Onkyo.... Not widely know, and specific made for the German market in Germany by the Japaneese Onkyo... But these sound really well
specialy with a Medium power (36 Watts) Push Pull Tube amp with some KT 88 in Triode mode.....Driven by a nice Sony srq 6650 as a preamp. But also with a Harmon Kardon 730 twin power... they are mind blowing.... but thats the living room...
Back to the Marantz...
The little blue Mid range just received it's new Foam surround.
The blue 12 inch speaker received a new dust dome...it was lacking..
Experiments to clean the blue speaker are on it's way... looks promising ... what a quick wipe with some good "dry cleaner" can do...
Tomorrow I hope to pop back the tweeter dust domes.. and clean up some more... also pick up some caps....MKP
Blue Shadow
Waiting for Vintage Gear from this century
Restoring them for profit if you don't like the sound is just fine. I did that with the 7s I had. Refoamed the mids, new grille cloth and a cabinet refinish both these last two were with help of the next generation to show em how to. Hopefully you can find the parts you need to make a matched set.
The G models had the funky 70s foam cube grills, that is the only difference as far as I can see.
VintageDutch
Active Member
Picked-up 6 pieces 3Uf 200v Poly Props
Those will replace the funky 6uf + 3 Uf cap in it's filter and improve sound a bit.
As it stands today (tomorrow might be totally different) the ladie will be out Saturday evening, Nice moment to test these suckers...and make decisions.
Also..... I might buy an other set of 7G speakers (and filters) as components for another € 50,-- .... still thinking about Building a 8G or even 9G set of cabinets.....
Those will replace the funky 6uf + 3 Uf cap in it's filter and improve sound a bit.
As it stands today (tomorrow might be totally different) the ladie will be out Saturday evening, Nice moment to test these suckers...and make decisions.
Also..... I might buy an other set of 7G speakers (and filters) as components for another € 50,-- .... still thinking about Building a 8G or even 9G set of cabinets.....
VintageDutch
Active Member
I'm Gobsmacked 
Did a small listening test 5 minutes ago......
This is horrible by any standard.....
But first... This evening I replaced the caps...and tested the filter circuit. All fine...
I hooked them up to my Harmon Kardon.730 expecting not to much with enthusiasm tempert by your stories...
My experience was even less... It was horrible....
Lacking mids, lacking High... I know Phenolic tweeters.... but this is Yuck......
, ugly lows...
After some tweaking with an EQ I got the playing somewhat nicer...but I hat to EQ the hell out of them...
Indeed the woofer way to big for the volume it lives in...
But the surprise that after some tweaking the tone settings on the HK 730 the Woofer does seem to able to produce nice lows if the Volume was optimized....
But the 7G is no way near a pleasant and usable Speaker cabinet...
I say project failed...
Disappointed but lessons learned
Did a small listening test 5 minutes ago......
This is horrible by any standard.....
But first... This evening I replaced the caps...and tested the filter circuit. All fine...
I hooked them up to my Harmon Kardon.730 expecting not to much with enthusiasm tempert by your stories...
My experience was even less... It was horrible....
Lacking mids, lacking High... I know Phenolic tweeters.... but this is Yuck......
, ugly lows...After some tweaking with an EQ I got the playing somewhat nicer...but I hat to EQ the hell out of them...
Indeed the woofer way to big for the volume it lives in...
But the surprise that after some tweaking the tone settings on the HK 730 the Woofer does seem to able to produce nice lows if the Volume was optimized....
But the 7G is no way near a pleasant and usable Speaker cabinet...
I say project failed...
Disappointed but lessons learned
I'm Gobsmacked
Did a small listening test 5 minutes ago......
This is horrible by any standard.....
But first... This evening I replaced the caps...and tested the filter circuit. All fine...
I hooked them up to my Harmon Kardon.730 expecting not to much with enthusiasm tempert by your stories...
My experience was even less... It was horrible....
Lacking mids, lacking High... I know Phenolic tweeters.... but this is Yuck......
After some tweaking with an EQ I got the playing somewhat nicer...but I hat to EQ the hell out of them...
Indeed the woofer way to big for the volume it lives in...
But the surprise that after some tweaking the tone settings on the HK 730 the Woofer does seem to able to produce nice lows if the Volume was optimized....
But the 7G is no way near a pleasant and usable Speaker cabinet...
I say project failed...
Disappointed but lessons learned
Told ya! The CTS phenolic tweeters are very smooth and nice tweeters and I like them very much. Not sure why they dont sound that good. The drivers are fine by themselves but just not together in that box. Marantz produced them at the insistence of their marketing department. They needed a three way 12 woofer to compete with the likes of JBL etc. They also wanted to be able to sell them cheap. So the same thoughtful engineers that produced the superb Imperial 5s and 6s through together the wretched 7s fast and on the cheap. In the showroom they jumped out and sold like crazy while the awesome 6s just sat.
VintageDutch
Active Member
Yeah.... you told me.....
But hey,.... can't blame for not trying...
I know those Phenolic tweeters as wel... they are goooooood Smooth...musical... But I think the filter in its foundation is a bit to simple to make those two work properly..
The woofer has no roll off filtering in 100 up to 250 hz....An produces a pile of Bull Sh..... as lows...
This cabinets/woofer setup even f***s up simpel filter electronics.... As far I can judge the woofer produces not only some kind of sound but prohibited in a way that It starts acting like a generator sending al kinds of unwanted whatevers in that to simple filter, driving the mids en tweeters over the edge....
It's a shame...
These speakers go it to storage.... At some point in time The will come Out then i'll decide what to do....Might go for a 8G sized cabinet..
Thanks all for contributing
But hey,.... can't blame for not trying...
I know those Phenolic tweeters as wel... they are goooooood Smooth...musical... But I think the filter in its foundation is a bit to simple to make those two work properly..
The woofer has no roll off filtering in 100 up to 250 hz....An produces a pile of Bull Sh..... as lows...
This cabinets/woofer setup even f***s up simpel filter electronics.... As far I can judge the woofer produces not only some kind of sound but prohibited in a way that It starts acting like a generator sending al kinds of unwanted whatevers in that to simple filter, driving the mids en tweeters over the edge....
It's a shame...
These speakers go it to storage.... At some point in time The will come Out then i'll decide what to do....Might go for a 8G sized cabinet..
Thanks all for contributing
Yow! it's been 4 years since anyone posting on this thread. I'll givie it a shot. Has anyone tried retrofitting a 10' woofer into a 7 to match the 6. I only brought that up due to the fading supply of these speakers, and to improve what you have. They are now selling 7s on EBay without grills for $450! The reason? I have a pair and never heard the 6s. what do you think?