The marantz sound?
I have recently been cleaning house again. All the audio components that I have gathered over the years that have not been listened too (because of needing service) have been sent to DelTronics in the Chicago area where Mike works his magic at bringing them all back to spec. So I have been listening too and am stunned at the extreme differences in some preamps, but how similar and different all my vintage marantz units sound.
Restored were a harman kardon Citation 17, Phase Linear 4000 series I, marantz 7C, marantz 24 (preamp tuner) marantz 1030 (integrated with preamp out and engraved face =), Great American Sound Thedra, Sansui CA 3000.
I am comparing these all using the same power amp and could talk for hours about each one, but what gets me here is that the three marantz units are virtually indistinguishable from each other and that while the other preamps put you either in the front row (Phase) the third row (Citation 17, Sansui CA3000, GAS) the three marantz units puts me in like row 15, or twenty. They are not sweet like the Sansui 3000 or my Sansui 9090DB, nor have the detail or dynamics of the Citation, but they are smooth, laid back and never harsh no matter what you're playing. You almost think something is missing, until you listen for awhile then you realize, nothing is missing, its just sooooo laid back.
Are all marantz preamps like this? When I first started listening to the 7C, I thought something was wrong, I like wanted to move my chair closer to the speakers no matter what the volume, same with the 24, then I pulled the preamp outs and inserted the 1030 and it's exactly the same as the other two. Problem is, is that now I'm starting to like it and when you switch in another unit they all seem to sound a little rude for lack of a better word.
Is anyone else using vintage marantz here? Are yours the same?
Norman
Restored were a harman kardon Citation 17, Phase Linear 4000 series I, marantz 7C, marantz 24 (preamp tuner) marantz 1030 (integrated with preamp out and engraved face =), Great American Sound Thedra, Sansui CA 3000.
I am comparing these all using the same power amp and could talk for hours about each one, but what gets me here is that the three marantz units are virtually indistinguishable from each other and that while the other preamps put you either in the front row (Phase) the third row (Citation 17, Sansui CA3000, GAS) the three marantz units puts me in like row 15, or twenty. They are not sweet like the Sansui 3000 or my Sansui 9090DB, nor have the detail or dynamics of the Citation, but they are smooth, laid back and never harsh no matter what you're playing. You almost think something is missing, until you listen for awhile then you realize, nothing is missing, its just sooooo laid back.
Are all marantz preamps like this? When I first started listening to the 7C, I thought something was wrong, I like wanted to move my chair closer to the speakers no matter what the volume, same with the 24, then I pulled the preamp outs and inserted the 1030 and it's exactly the same as the other two. Problem is, is that now I'm starting to like it and when you switch in another unit they all seem to sound a little rude for lack of a better word.
Is anyone else using vintage marantz here? Are yours the same?
Norman