My Marantz Stack

[preacherJohn]

Here's what I've been working on the last couple of weeks. It sounds GREAT too! The 3200 had a channel out that had me scratching my head for awhile; besides a broken wire (that I thought I had it when I found it), one of those stupid little blue capacitors was bad too, finally found it with my scope. The tuner just needed maintenance for a 50 yr old unit. And a few new caps in the 104, and it had one low gain output transistor, and I replaced that. The offset wasn't that bad, really low but I still took it back to zero or as close as I could get. Bias on both channels set to 10mv. Now I can switch this in for my 2270 in my main system and find that pesty, noisy once in awhile transistor that's been plaguing it the last month.

 

[Stino]

Nice!

 

[Lavane]

Very nice matching stack!
I used to restore and collect a lot Marantz separates through 1975.
I had a 3200 preamp. I sold it a few years ago and the new owner still uses it and loves it. I've had two 140 power ampsnand still have one of them. They're nice neutral sounding amps once restored. They do exactly what they should do. Amplifiy the sound and nothing else. I sold most of the SS Marantz gear when I switched to tubes. But I kept a model 112 tuner, a 1060 integrated amp I usually use as a preamp for the model 140 power amp.
If the sliders on the 3200 get scratchy, or even the volume control, clean them with a good contact cleaner and add a drop or two of Fader Lube to them. Especially the sliders. It Will help to keep them working smoothly and noise free.
Alao those factory bias and DC offset trim pots Marantz used don't age well.
Even after cleaning and adjusting them they tend to drift over time.
I always replaced them with either single turn or ten turn Bourns trip pots.
Replace those flat gray mylar caps in the power amp. Using a good polypropylene film cap like Panisonic ECW's, or even Jantzen Superior Z's will make a difference for the better sound wise.
I really like the 112 tuner I'm using in my main system and the 140 is still one of my favorite Marantz power amps.

 

[malden]

I have the 140, 3200 & 112, beautiful pieces of audio gear

I prefer them unstacked, they are more visually pleasing when displayed individually

 

[Lavane]

I have the 140, 3200 & 112, beautiful pieces of audio gear

I prefer them unstacked, they are more visually pleasing when displayed individually

Agreed. Especially if they have the optional wood cases. I only have the one case, so it's on the tuner since its in my main system. I should have grabbed a few more years ago when they were pretty cheap.
I'm having to use the 1060 as a preamp in my main system at the moment. My tube preamp has developed some problems, again. I'm leaving rhe 1060 in my main syatem for awhile. It sounds really good with my tube amplifiers.
I may have mentioned it before to you?, about those flat gray mylar caps Marantz used in the 140 and the phono stage of the 3200. Using better polypropylene film caps or even Mumdorf EVO foil in oil caps for the phono stage, and decent polypropylene film caps that will fit in the 140 amp boards does make a difference for the better. I had two 140's so I was able to do an A/B test with them. And the 3200 phono stage sounded a little better as well.
The small form 110 and 112 tuners sounded as good or better than a few of the full sized tuners like the 115's, 120. I think the 112 sounds as good as the 125 even though the 112 is minus the high blend switch and adjustable muting.

 

[Oerets]

Also have a stack similar to yours, except for a 112 tuner instead of the 104. All in walnut cabinets and recapped LED's ......
Paired with AR2ax's a real show stopper.

Enjoy them!

 

[Bone Yard]

There was two schools of thought coming out of Japan, the straight up stack or horizontal shelving. I think it had to do with housing limits, you could do what ever fit you home best. Personally I'm a stacker but the photos of the spread out system behind the bed does have some appeal, you just need some Kashmir to pull it off, or is it side I of LZ IV?

 

[preacherJohn]

Very nice matching stack!
I used to restore and collect a lot Marantz separates through 1975.
I had a 3200 preamp. I sold it a few years ago and the new owner still uses it and loves it. I've had two 140 power ampsnand still have one of them. They're nice neutral sounding amps once restored. They do exactly what they should do. Amplifiy the sound and nothing else. I sold most of the SS Marantz gear when I switched to tubes. But I kept a model 112 tuner, a 1060 integrated amp I usually use as a preamp for the model 140 power amp.
If the sliders on the 3200 get scratchy, or even the volume control, clean them with a good contact cleaner and add a drop or two of Fader Lube to them. Especially the sliders. It Will help to keep them working smoothly and noise free.
Alao those factory bias and DC offset trim pots Marantz used don't age well.
Even after cleaning and adjusting them they tend to drift over time.
I always replaced them with either single turn or ten turn Bourns trip pots.
Replace those flat gray mylar caps in the power amp. Using a good polypropylene film cap like Panisonic ECW's, or even Jantzen Superior Z's will make a difference for the better sound wise.
I really like the 112 tuner I'm using in my main system and the 140 is still one of my favorite Marantz power amps.

It's funny you have a 1060 in there. When I bought all these, I bought 4 units; the 104, 3200, 140, and believe it or not a 1060 also. I'll have to go thru it pretty soon, it barely plays at all and definitely needs a refurb. He was selling them separately, and I was looking to just buy the 1060 because it was listed separately and I didn't know about the others. I was going to offer him $150 for it and then he told me about the others, and told me he'd take $600 for all 4. I promptly drove 65 miles and picked them up. My next project will be a Marantz 1070 with the left channel out on it. It looks almost identical to this 3200. The schematic looks pretty similar too except the 1070 has amps. It be crazy if that same capacitor on the tone board was shot too like the 3200, LOL. We'll see. Right now I'm playing this rig thru some Advent Graduate speakers that's my bench speakers. I never heard that much bass out of these, LOL. I can't wait to get them hooked up to my Wharfedale Lintons, and that's what I'm getting ready to do right now.

 

[preacherJohn]

I have the 140, 3200 & 112, beautiful pieces of audio gear

I prefer them unstacked, they are more visually pleasing when displayed individually

When I stick these in my system, they just might have to be separately. I don't think the shelves are quite tall enough to stack these.

 

[malden]

The small form 110 and 112 tuners sounded as good or better than a few of the full sized tuners like the 115

I have both the 110 & 115 as well as the 112.

The 115 seems to be exactly the same as the 110 except it's bigger and has variable level & muting on the front panel

 

[Lavane]

I have both the 110 & 115 as well as the 112.

The 115 seems to be exactly the same as the 110 except it's bigger and has variable level & muting on the front panel

I totally agree with that.

 

[Oerets]

Don't have the 115 rather a 115B and the 125 of mine sounds better. The 112 is a solid performer never had a 110. A 104 and 105 that got sold off that were OK.

 

[Lavane]

It's funny you have a 1060 in there. When I bought all these, I bought 4 units; the 104, 3200, 140, and believe it or not a 1060 also. I'll have to go thru it pretty soon, it barely plays at all and definitely needs a refurb. He was selling them separately, and I was looking to just buy the 1060 because it was listed separately and I didn't know about the others. I was going to offer him $150 for it and then he told me about the others, and told me he'd take $600 for all 4. I promptly drove 65 miles and picked them up. My next project will be a Marantz 1070 with the left channel out on it. It looks almost identical to this 3200. The schematic looks pretty similar too except the 1070 has amps. It be crazy if that same capacitor on the tone board was shot too like the 3200, LOL. We'll see. Right now I'm playing this rig thru some Advent Graduate speakers that's my bench speakers. I never heard that much bass out of these, LOL. I can't wait to get them hooked up to my Wharfedale Lintons, and that's what I'm getting ready to do right now.
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The 1060's really are a nice sounding cap coupled amp, or used as a preamp.
You might see if Leestereo still has the BOM he came up with for them. I used it in the two I had. I lost that list myself. It replaces the small value electeolytic caps with Wima polypropylene stack film caps. The main filter cap, coupling caps and a couple on the power supply board get replaced with a little higher value caps as well. This all does make a difference for the better without loosing the original over all sound. Plus the amp sounds better at higher volumes. The bass is better controled and doesn’t begin sounding flabby and loose at the higher volumes.
I could always pop the top on mine when you get to restoring your 1060 and g2t those cap values. I went as fsr as replacing the carbon film resistors in the 1060 I kept. It really wasn't worth all the time and effort though swapping out the resistors for such little difference.