What's So Special About This Marantz 2330B?

[62vauxhall]

About 7 years ago I located one of those receivers for a friend who had no contact with audio gear since the 1970’s. He used to have Marantz and wanted another. Disposable income was no problem for him so he didn’t balk at the then asking price of $650 CDN. I think he bargained the guy down a bit.

After he had it home, I saw the single filter cap, learned it was double layers and was bothered by that. Like where would you get another if needed?

Fortunately he did not use it often and didn’t experience problems. But he passed away a couple of years ago and his widow wanted to dispose of his gear. She already knew someone who wanted that receiver. When asked it’s worth, I suggested not selling for less than $1500 considering the market. Also fortunately, she has a head for business and got closer to $2K.

I really don’t get the Marantz attraction. I listened to that receiver, presumably one of their best, at length several times, and it sounded OK but there was nothing unique, stellar or superlative about it.

I remember a neighbour who’s bought and sold old audio gear as a sideline for 20/30 years saying that a Marantz nameplate is worth $100 per letter. That was a while ago so maybe it’s more like $200 per letter these days.

The so called Marantz Tax.

 

[reggaenaut]

There is more to Marantz than sound. There are enough people willing to pay the extra dollars.
The phenomenon no longer befuddles me.

 

[superdog]

There is more to Marantz than sound. There are enough people willing to pay the extra dollars.
The phenomenon no longer befuddles me.

I don't get it but I accept it.People want what they want.

 

[slowpat]

...

I really don’t get the Marantz attraction. I listened to that receiver, presumably one of their best, at length several times, and it sounded OK but there was nothing unique, stellar or superlative about it.

....

It has to do with the speakers you match them up with. I have a 2285B which sounded just meh with my JBL 18Ti's. I swapped them out with a pair of Dynaudio bookshelves, and was a believer again. The opposite happened too, when I hooked up my totally restored 2275 to the Dynaudio's and was scratching my head. Hooked up the JBL 18Ti's to the older 2275, and was happy again.

 

[slowpat]

Old thread I know. I just bought a 2330b in excellent condition. Paid 1500. I used a Denon poa 5200 and a lexicon dc2 to drive my PSB SYNCHRONY ONES. In this case the MARANTZ obliterates the separates!. The Speakers sound Alive, smooth, with a much larger sound stage. My attraction to a receiver is convenience. Everything is made to each other. I don't have to buy a phono amp. My Attraction to the Marantz is they send me back to my high school days. They sound like nothing made today, they are In my opinion the most beautiful works of art I have seen in a receiver. Truly one of man's greatest accomplishments..

Congrats! It's a nice receiver. Would sound even better if you have a chance to replace out of spec capacitors and updating some of the noisy transistors in the phono section. Just be aware that Marantz used special large filter capacitors that are "dual caps", two caps in one physical cap which are no longer available. But people have used various solutions and they are documented on AK.

 

[slowpat]

Thank You.... as of the present time I believe this is an Original Marantz.... Nothing replaced... even the lights.. So what do folks do when they cannot get certain parts?

For majority of the parts in a Marantz, they do have modern equivalents. In this specific case, some techs gut out the old filter caps and stuff them with new ones which are smaller, or jerry rig some bracket to replace the two large can caps with four smaller ones...