RobertinMn.
I would have to dissagree with you concerning the new TOTL Marantz package. I have been fortunate to spend extensive time with the SC-7 and MA-9's, and they are absolute magic.
You write: "What has gotten better with modern speakers are the passive crossovers"
With this i guess you are saying that passive components have gotten better. That should also then be true for the amplifiers.
I do NOT intend to pun vintage Marantz, by no means. I'm a huge fan. But i do agree with Rolf that things have moved forward. Not as much as some manufacturers want us to believe, but still.
-Tim
2213 + 2435HPL w/aquaplas + H9800 (Matsj edition)
I too have listened to the new stuff--I have spent many hours over at HI-Fi sound in Minneapolis. But I have also spent many hours with my refurbished gear. I stand by my argument. There is no real difference between their tol then and now. It is, after all, the same basic design. I have matched my system against New Mac tube pre-amp/amp set-up feature TOL Piagra speakers. A change in tone arms and carts allowed me to best their system easily enough--especially since I don't need a subwoofer with my vintage speakers. The system was 20,000.00 + when factoring in the fancy cables, clear audio TT, etc.
Beyond all of that, I had the fellow who refurbished all of this stuff for me look through the schematics of the new gear--except for the introduction of proprietary parts which you will not be able to replace down the road (and yes, I know, Marantz and others had components custom manufactured for them, but there were and are, books available which provide generic replacements)--the only real improvement is the copper clad housings--which is not that great of an improvement if you know how to run wire and have good interconnects.
Marantz admits that the tol are rebuilds of original equipment.
As per speakers--minus some improvements by some people where voice coils are improved (but were available 30 years ago) the only real change has been in crossover design. THey use better componants--which again, were available 30 years ago, but the cost was prohibitive.
I use Marantz products with my JBl speakers and enjoy them immensely. As timc pointed out, the new reference products (although now discontinued) sound sublime (to me).
I am using the following:
Marantz MA9S2 mono blocks (300wpc, 8 ohm's/600 wpc, 4 ohm's and 150 amps currents at peaks;
Marantz SC7S2 pre-amp
Marantz SA7S1 Super audio CDP
My speakers are JBL 1400 Array with an JBL 1500 Array sub. In the process of getting some WireWorld Eclipse 7.0 XLR
cables to try out. Currently using RCA cables--I expect to hear a difference but a little skeptical. Can anyone give advise along this issue?
That is it. Sorry to resurrect a dead thread but it seems appropriate to post to it at this point.
Careful man, there's a beverage here!
Hi Tom,
You may have a bit more quiet going from RCA to XLR, but in most shorter runs I don't think XLR makes hella much difference if you don't have a hum/noise issue to begin with. Also depends on if the connected components are "true" balanced or pseudo. Lots of articles around to explain that.
I like WireWorld, but if they don't do it for you I'd recommend trying Morrow Audio cables. http://morrowaudio.com/home
Up until last month I was using my Marantz 2238B (which I bought new around 1976) as a preamp feeding a pair of Crown PS400 amps, feeding JBL 4425's. I just recently acquired a McIntosh C712 to replace the Marantz 2238B.
The Marantz 2238B is now part of a second system feeding a pair of JBL 4311B.
4425, 4311, Control 1 PRO, Cabaret, etc
Nothing too fancy, since I've downsized quite a lot of gear from what I've owned in the past. Right now a H/K 3490 receiver modded by Stereo Dave's (these things are the shit up to a couple grand IMO, drives the 590's very well); Soundcraftsmen RP2215-R EQ; Marantz 6005 CD; online goes through an ASUS Xonar 192k PC card; JBL Studio 590 main speakers; Audioengine 5's on the desktop; Morrow Audio MA1 i/c's and SP4's bi-wired (to avoid those horrible stock jumpers on the JBLs).
for PC sound, I'm running the JBL 120Ti's with a Technics "new class A" 130wpc integrated. (1980's)
It's a happy setup. Also fed by a 7.1 (tho it's only doing STEREO) 24bit/192 khz RealTec
card. With good source WAVES or even good MP3's , it sounds better than many friends
main systems.
Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles
^ Yep, it's amazing how good some of the better PC cards can sound with a good source. I never woulda thunk it until I tried them.
Given my satisfaction with the (now 10 year old) Marantz reference gear (MA9S2/SC7S2), I pulled the trigger on a Marantz PM-10 integrated amp. Going to try it with my JBL 4365 speakers. It should match up well with the SA11S3 cdp.
Careful man, there's a beverage here!
There are currently 3 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 3 guests)