I recently posted here about the fact that I kept seeing brown-cased Marantz 22XX receivers online, but the only ones I've ever seen in Hong Kong ALL had black cases. [Thread is here: http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=84210&highlight=marantz+black+red+connectors+case ]

Later on in that thread, ruesselschorf explained the two types of speaker connectors found on the backs of receivers in this series. The earlier units have the smaller, square connectors, all in black. The later models had the wider, rectangular connectors, in red and black.

Well, today I found a 2215B which is the first one I have ever seen in Hong Kong that has the "woodgrain" look on the steel cabinet. Even more unusually, it has the small, square type connectors identical to the usual all-black ones in the earlier types, not the usual wider red-and-black types found here, BUT these are in RED AND BLACK. My guess is that this was one of the earlier ones to introduce the red, but before the switch-over to the wider type of connectors.

Still not sure what that tells me about when this particular one was made. I wonder when I'll ever figure out these variations on Marantz 22XX models... :headscrat

Hhhmmm, beyond that, I wonder when I'll stop buying them? This one is only a 2215b, a relative "runt", it doesn't match any of my (all black-cased) other ones, and the power (on/off) switch isn't working right... but I got it anyay. Paid $25 for it, too. Guess I must be Marantz-addicted, quite badly... :D

My favorite Marantz 22xxx rcvrs are the 2215B/2216B and 2238B.

They work nicely with my vintage high efficiency speakers.

The bigger rcvrs kind of lose that vintage type sound I like so much.

Ron

I had a 2216B before, but I didn't like it. Someone had messed it up, replacing the power transformer with three cheap, smaller Chinese ones, doing a very messy soldering job on the boards, etc.. so I sold it. [Revealing its flaws, of course.] This one at least looks original, so I have something better to work with.

I tend to think you are right about the sound; I have the feeling that the smaller models have a softer, sweeter sound than the big boys (less "metallic"). After I get this cleaned up and (one day) get them all recapped, I'll do some careful comparisons to see if this is really true. It might just be differences of aging(?). I remember someone said the 2230 sounded especially good; perhaps that is the optimum balance-point?

The only reason I joke about "why did I buy this?" is because I now have five 22XX receivers around here, but I only regularly listen to one, and don't have room for five systems. I'm not tryiing to multi-amp an HT system with them, either. I had decided to pass on all the lower-powered ones, but then I go and get a 2226B, and now a 2215B. If I keep getting one of each new model I see, I'll eventually end up with 30 receivers, which might be considered obsessive/overkill. :scratch2: But it's hard to decide which ones to get rid of, since they each have their appeal. Maybe I'll wait until I have ten or twenty, then weed out the ones I don't like as much, or are too close to each other in appearance/sound/features. On the good side, I never pay more than $25 for the smaller ones or $50 for the larger ones [but 23XX are much more], and can always resell them for a profit, usually within a few days. I don't worry about the prices falling lower, either.

Arkay, Marantz addiction is tough, and there is no way to beat it..*_*
I have now: 2270, 2265B, 1530, 2220B, and a 2216B.
My goal is a 2385 of course, or even a 2500/2600.
Then one day I plan to mortgage the house for a paragon and a set of model 9 marantz monoblocks...

If I were you, i'd keep them all...!