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Worth keeping Marantz 2235 Just for Phono Stage?

tlite

tlite

Active Member
Is it worth keeping a Marantz 2235 just for the phono stage? I'd then run it into a more modern receiver (Onkyo NR808) from the pre-outs to an aux in.

One reason is that I have some 86dB sensitivity Elac DBR62's that I really like, but think they need more power to sound good at lower volumes out of the Marantz.

Oh, and admittedly, the 2235 looks cool- I like the idea of keeping it for that reason, too...
 
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Ha! Yeah. Guess I should've seen that coming. The alternative however allows me to shop for a new phono preamp. And it is a given being on this forum that any rabbithole not gone down is an opportunity missed.
 
Marantz phono stages are pretty good and you would probably need to get a $500+ (retail) pre to improve on it. it doesn't do MC carts though so if you are thinking of going down that rabbit hole in the future then a phono pre that can do both would make sense.
 
Chrisxo55441 said:
Marantz phono stages are pretty good and you would probably need to get a $500+ (retail) pre to improve on it. it doesn't do MC carts though so if you are thinking of going down that rabbit hole in the future then a phono pre that can do both would make sense.
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10-4 and thanks. That's helpful. Right now I just am using MM cartridges and no plans to move to MC anytime soon.
 
tlite said:
Is it worth keeping a Marantz 2235 just for the phono stage? I'd then run it into a more modern receiver (Onkyo NR808) from the pre-outs to an aux in.

One reason is that I have some 86dB sensitivity Elac DBR62's that I really like, but think they need more power to sound good at lower volumes out of the Marantz.

Oh, and admittedly, the 2235 looks cool- I like the idea of keeping it for that reason, too...
Click to expand...
I have a bunch of 70's separate systems, all in the 100+ watt range. That being said, if I had a working Marantz 2235 (my friend does have one), they would be selling it at my estate sale. I'm just hoping my friend dies first.
To me, it's a bit like saying, "I have a Porsche Spyder, but I'm looking for something with more power and air conditioning. Should I sell it?" :D
 
tlite said:
Is it worth keeping a Marantz 2235 just for the phono stage? I'd then run it into a more modern receiver (Onkyo NR808) from the pre-outs to an aux in.

One reason is that I have some 86dB sensitivity Elac DBR62's that I really like, but think they need more power to sound good at lower volumes out of the Marantz.

Oh, and admittedly, the 2235 looks cool- I like the idea of keeping it for that reason, too...
Click to expand...


Have you tried the Onkyo on the Elacs yet? I'd do that first before I sold anything.

I have the original Elac B6 Debuts and they are just as power hungry as the References. They do fine with my 2238B. Actually, I really like the pairing due to the way (most) Elac's are voiced.
 
_tk said:
Have you tried the Onkyo on the Elacs yet? I'd do that first before I sold anything.

I have the original Elac B6 Debuts and they are just as power hungry as the References. They do fine with my 2238B. Actually, I really like the pairing due to the way (most) Elac's are voiced.
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I have tried the ELACs with the 2235. They do sound great and can get plenty loud! Do yours work well at low volumes? I feel like i lose the mids unless I turn them up pretty loud. I could also totally be imagining this problem but seems like they perform better at low volume through the onkyo?
 
I think they (vintage + Elacs) sound their best at lower/reasonable volumes to be honest. Modern receivers don't seem to have any "grunt" unless really turned up (and some not even then). A vintage Marantz has a nice full-bodied sound without breaking a sweat or having to crank the dial.

Do you run with loudness on? I like loudness at lower volumes (its intended purpose) but I could see if you like midrange you might not like the smile curve it provides.
 
_tk said:
Do you run with loudness on? I like loudness at lower volumes (its intended purpose)...
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You know, I haven't ever engaged loudness while listening to these. I'll give that a shot next time I have a chance.
 
tlite said:
You know, I haven't ever engaged loudness while listening to these. I'll give that a shot next time I have a chance.
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When I hear debates about the Loudness button, I always think "What is the purpose of the receiver"? Well, it's to give an enjoyable listening experience. To me, it doesn't matter which buttons or knobs I work to give me the most enjoyable listening experience from a receiver. On most vintage Marantz units, at lower volumes, the Loudness button gives me the most enjoyable sound. At higher volumes, it sounds better without it. But some people just consider the Loudness button taboo. I don't get it. Try everything and set it up the way it sounds best to you. :thumbsup:
 
Keep the Marantz.
Who knows what you want or need in a few months.

On loudness on/off.
I prefer it for when listening at lower levels.
 
Steven Tate said:
When I hear debates about the Loudness button, I always think "What is the purpose of the receiver"? Well, it's to give an enjoyable listening experience. To me, it doesn't matter which buttons or knobs I work to give me the most enjoyable listening experience from a receiver. On most vintage Marantz units, at lower volumes, the Loudness button gives me the most enjoyable sound. At higher volumes, it sounds better without it. But some people just consider the Loudness button taboo. I don't get it. Try everything and set it up the way it sounds best to you. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

I could go on for hours with this topic, but here's the gist of it...

With modern audio equipment people don't seem to "prefer" options as sometimes I think it's either too much for them to think about or they place blind faith in that the recording was "the way it was intended to be" and they don't dare alter that with a loudness button, tone control or analog EQ.

It's the dumbest trend I've seen, especially since a lot of manufacturers now sell their amps with "less" in the signal channel and thus claim lower distortion. I still say that no human alive can tell the difference between .0x distortion numbers, so it's the manufacturers way of being lazy/cheap and making no tone controls/loudness button a "feature".

If I want to change the music to suit my tastes I will do so and I want said ability with a knob, button or slider in my audio setup. I don't want to have to pipe it through a DSP/computer/any digital realm to do so either.
 
OK- so now I just feel silly. I kicked on the loudness button and it made a huge improvement. With loudness on I backed off two notches on the bass and it's right in the wheelhouse of where I want it to be at lower volumes.

For the record, despite learning that the best solution can be as simple as pushing a button, I assure you all that I will soon forget the lessons learned on this thread. Accordingly in future threads please anticipate that I will undoubtedly continue to make audio system issues and solutions way more complicated than they need to be.
 
You would have been the very first person I'd ever spoken with who actually preferred the sound of a modern-ish Onkyo A/V receiver over a 70's Marantz for 2 channel. Glad you figured everything out.
 
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