The Marantz 2330B I have ...?!

ramin_audio

Active Member
Hi friends,

As you may find, I am relatively new to this forum. I have some questions about the Marantz receiver I have:

1- How does Marantz 2330B compares to other Marantz receivers like 2325 or 2385? Is there any significant differences between the sounds?!

2- Can one say Marantz 2330B is a better receiver than Pioneer SX-1280?!

3- With the money I paid for this Marantz receiver, I could buy a 60-watt Rotel integrated amplifier (2008 model). Do you think, I made a mistake?

Personally, I believe, unless you pay thousands, the modern amp you buy will be a disappointment to you. Does anyone agree with me?

What benefits that Rotel amp could have over my vintage Marantz 2330B?

I am really curious to know your answers to theses questions. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks
 
That's an extra rare Marantz you have there :yes: Congrats!

I would agree you'd have to pay quite a bit to match with modern gear - assuming your 2330B is up to snuff.

As for comparisons - I only have a 2220B. Trade ya :D
 
I see that very very few posts in the forums (maybe one or two in the whole site) has been about about Marantz 2330B. I am a little curious about this!

Generally, any information or opinion about this vintage gear is greatly appreciated. What are the weakness of this receiver what are the strong spots?!

Thanks
 
That's an extra rare Marantz you have there :yes: Congrats!

I would agree you'd have to pay quite a bit to match with modern gear - assuming your 2330B is up to snuff.

As for comparisons - I only have a 2220B. Trade ya :D

Thanks. I plan to get one of those smaller Marantz receivers too (in near future). They seem so cool and sexy! :music:

Why is the 2330B extra rare? Is it because few have been produced? Or, is it because it wasn't considered as good as the other similar models (like 2325 or 2385)?!
 
I see that very very few posts in the forums (maybe one or two in the whole site) has been about about Marantz 2330B. I am a little curious about this!

Generally, any information or opinion about this vintage gear is greatly appreciated. What are the weakness of this receiver what are the strong spots?!

Thanks

Welcome to AK again!

Well the 2330b is quite an upgrade from the 2325. For instance the 2330b has a dual power amplifier in it and the 2325 does not. The great thing of having a dual power amplifier is that it virtually eliminates all cross-talk distortion. Also, the other difference between the 2330b and the 2325 is the 5watt difference between the two receivers. 2325 is 125wpc into 8ohms and 2330b is 130wpc into 8ohms. Here are the specs on the 2325: http://www.classic-audio.com/marantz/2325.html
and here are the specs on the 2330b: http://www.classic-audio.com/marantz/2330b.html

Now the only weakness of the 2330b is the big power caps. They are unobtanium and are not made anymore. The power caps in the 2330b are 2 caps in one. So the 2330b has 2 cap in it but it actually is 4 caps in all because since the receiver has dual power supplies, each channel has 2 big caps for each channel (or 1 cap for each channel since each cap counts as 2 caps).
 
The 2330B had a short production run, from 1977-79. Considering that the 2325 was made before it, I'd venture a guess that folks who wanted a high power Marantz already had the 2325 when the 2330B was introduced. It was also quite expensive. It's a beautiful machine, I think it's one of the best looking. The 2325, being from the earlier generation, is known for a warmer sound. I think you made a good choice in picking up a 2330B.
 
Thanks. I plan to get one of those smaller Marantz receivers too (in near future). They seem so cool and sexy! :music:

Why is the 2330B extra rare? Is it because few have been produced? Or, is it because it wasn't considered as good as the other similar models (like 2325 or 2385)?!

It is rare because not that many were made is all. I guess when the 2385 came out, more people opted to buy the 2385 because it had more power than the 2330b (55wpc more actually than the 2330b).

The 2385 is the big brother to the 2330b. The 2385 has 185wpc into 8ohms. Here are the specs to the 2385: http://www.classic-audio.com/marantz/2385.html
 
Welcome to AK again!

Now the only weakness of the 2330b is the big power caps. They are unobtanium and are not made anymore. The power caps in the 2330b are 2 caps in one. So the 2330b has 2 cap in it but it actually is 4 caps in all because since the receiver has dual power supplies, each channel has 2 big caps for each channel (or 1 cap for each channel since each cap counts as 2 caps).

Thank you very much.

So, you mean if the caps go wrong, I have to dump this receiver? No way to find similar caps that works for this receiver?! :sigh:
 
Now the only weakness of the 2330b is the big power caps. They are unobtanium and are not made anymore. The power caps in the 2330b are 2 caps in one. So the 2330b has 2 cap in it but it actually is 4 caps in all because since the receiver has dual power supplies, each channel has 2 big caps for each channel (or 1 cap for each channel since each cap counts as 2 caps).

This can be worked around be a really good tech. The 2285B has these same dual core filter caps in it, I've seen clamps made with rubber inserts to hold two caps in place of one of the old ones. You can see it here, done by catrafter (Tom Williams) Marantz tech extraordinaire--http://vintage-electronics.home.bresnan.net/Photo%20Album.html So really no worries, unless the 2330B lacks the room to accomplish this mod.
 
The 2330B had a short production run, from 1977-79. Considering that the 2325 was made before it, I'd venture a guess that folks who wanted a high power Marantz already had the 2325 when the 2330B was introduced. It was also quite expensive. It's a beautiful machine, I think it's one of the best looking. The 2325, being from the earlier generation, is known for a warmer sound. I think you made a good choice in picking up a 2330B.

Oh yeah! I love this receiver. It is perfect. When I decided to buy a vintage Marantz receiver, I only wanted this one or a 2285b. I feel so lucky in finding this one.
 
This can be worked around be a really good tech. The 2285B has these same dual core filter caps in it, I've seen clamps made with rubber inserts to hold two caps in place of one of the old ones. You can see it here, done by catrafter (Tom Williams) Marantz tech extraordinaire--http://vintage-electronics.home.bresnan.net/Photo%20Album.html So really no worries, unless the 2330B lacks the room to accomplish this mod.

Oh yeah! I forgot about catrafter's (Mr.Williams) work on that 2285b!
 
This can be worked around be a really good tech. The 2285B has these same dual core filter caps in it, I've seen clamps made with rubber inserts to hold two caps in place of one of the old ones. You can see it here, done by catrafter (Tom Williams) Marantz tech extraordinaire--http://vintage-electronics.home.bresnan.net/Photo%20Album.html So really no worries, unless the 2330B lacks the room to accomplish this mod.

That's a problem for me! I know no good techs in Toronto.
 
If I honestly personally comment, I hope my findings, or opinions of the Marantz 2330B won't discourage, or dishearten you.

I've had two of them, yes, two 2330B recievers, Both were in mint condition. I owned the pair about 8-9 years ago. In all, I've owned 9 vintage Marantz Recievers, my very first, was a brand new Maratz 4400 Quad Unit, which set me back $1200 back in '74. Six months later, the CRT Display burned out, and i dumped it, for McIntosh gear.

First, I'll say the good things I personally found. Firstly, this Marantz reciever, like many others, is a quite beautiful looking reciever. With all the nice lights, the beautiful craftsmanship, brushed Dial Face, and beautiful Knobs, this is one very pretty reciever. Most will agree, Marantz had virtually no peer in the reciever dept.

A very heavy reciever, yet, once one picks up a 100 watt vintage McIntosh Amp, you'll then quickly see some differences!

As for sonics, I found both 2330B recievers to be sort of bland, monotonic, not very musical, not very dynamic, and seemed also have rolled off high frequency response.
And these were both tried with my JBL L-65 Jubal Speakers, which IMO are in no way lacking in thier high frequency response performance, with thier 077 Tweeters.

The triad of Tone controls on the 2330B seemed to have no likeable, or usable setting. Once one started to try to dial in better sound, it seemed the sound only got worse from there. Dead flat on all the Tone Controls actually seemed better sounding, than by dialing in any sort of compensation with them, to make up for the shortcomings I previously note.

Did the Reciever have power (wattage) Well, yes it did, but as an old saying goes, and I'll apply it to this reciever, if the first watt doesn't sound good, what good is another 129 watts? In truth, this reciever, somwehat reminded me of a cheap Circuit City Emerson Reciever, I once bought for my mother years ago.

I quickly sold both 2330B's, and moved on.

Of the 9 Marantz recievers i owned, and the ones I thought possessed the sweetest sound, and seemed to be what Marantz was known, and admired for, was a perfect, mint 2265 that I once bought on Ebay, from a woman, for $108, and it was a beauty. Superb FM section as well.

An the other, which i would say was the finest of all the Marantz Recievers I ever owned-had in my possession, and also ever heard, from any other sources, was a absolute dead mint 2285B Black Face Euro Version. I won that one as well from ebay, and in fact, i won the auction on my birthday. I paid $400 for that reciever, and paid an additional $200 off auction site, to the seller, for it's matching companion, a mint Black Face Euro 5025 Cassette Deck.

If you should be curious to see what those two Units looked like, if you can find Ben Blish's vintage Marantz site, and Database, there you will see my attributed-donated pics of the Black Face 2285B, and its 5025 Cassette Deck brother.

Ben's site is pretty cool, and any Marantz Fan should have his site Bookmarked!

As for what Recievers that I like better than the afofmentioned Marantz, others I look highly upon, where the Sansui Eight-Eight Deluxe, the Sansui 7070, 8080, 9090, the G-8000, G-9000, and any other big "G" Series Sansui's.

I always felt, and this opinion is usually shared by many others as well, that Sansui had better designed, and more "usable" tone controls. Marartz was sort of odd in this regard with many of thier Recievers. Mark
 
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Well, if you can pack it to withstand a nuclear blast, you can send it to a tech in the US. Catrafter is in Montana, but his services are in very high demand, you would be on a waiting list. I guarantee you that your 2330B is worth a full restoration. Just look at some of the gear on catrafter's website. As far as an SX-1280 goes, I think there's more unobtainium parts in those than in the 2330B. I'd take the Marantz for that reason only, the 1280 is still a hell of a receiver though.
 
Yet, I've heard quite a few say, that the 2325 was a better sounding reciever.

Of course, the 2385B, and 2500-2600 are probably the most revered of all the ultra rare Marantz's, like the Black Face Units, and as all well know, one will pay quite dearly, for the price of admission. Guess, the collectors really go bananas over those cool CRT Displays. Downside with those CRT's today, is if one goes, they wont be very easy to find. Mark




Welcome to AK again

Well the 2330b is quite an upgrade from the 2325. For instance the 2330b has a dual power amplifier in it and the 2325 does not. The great thing of having a dual power amplifier is that it virtually eliminates all cross-talk distortion. Also, the other difference between the 2330b and the 2325 is the 5watt difference between the two receivers. 2325 is 125wpc into 8ohms and 2330b is 130wpc into 8ohms. Here are the specs on the 2325: http://www.classic-audio.com/marantz/2325.html
and here are the specs on the 2330b: http://www.classic-audio.com/marantz/2330b.html

Now the only weakness of the 2330b is the big power caps. They are unobtanium and are not made anymore. The power caps in the 2330b are 2 caps in one. So the 2330b has 2 cap in it but it actually is 4 caps in all because since the receiver has dual power supplies, each channel has 2 big caps for each channel (or 1 cap for each channel since each cap counts as 2 caps).
 
Well, if you can pack it to withstand a nuclear blast, you can send it to a tech in the US. Catrafter is in Montana, but his services are in very high demand, you would be on a waiting list. I guarantee you that your 2330B is worth a full restoration. Just look at some of the gear on catrafter's website. As far as an SX-1280 goes, I think there's more unobtainium parts in those than in the 2330B. I'd take the Marantz for that reason only, the 1280 is still a hell of a receiver though.

Your right about sending to catrafter! I'll probably be sending my 2230b to him soon after my KA-9100 is restored.

And for the SX-1280, its one hell of a great receiver, but it has a lot of unobtanium parts in it. I think that all the output transistors are unobtanium. If I were to buy a Pioneer lets say, I would take the SX-1250 just because its more serviceable than the SX-1280.
 
Yet, I've heard quite a few say, that the 2325 was a better sounding reciever.

Of course, the 2385B, and 2500-2600 are probably the most revered of all the ultra rare Marantz's, like the Black Face Units, and as all well know, one will pay quite dearly, for the price of admission. Guess, the collectors really go bananas over those cool CRT Displays. Downside with those CRT's today, is if one goes, they wont be very easy to find. Mark

You forgot to mention the other downside to the 2500 and 2600, the transformers. The transformers have such a big load on them that after years of use, the transformer will have to be re-wound. They say, if you have a 2500 or 2600 that hasn't had to have its transformer re-wound you are mighty lucky to have one.

But still, I wouldn't mind have a 2500 or 2600! :yes:
 
Your right about sending to catrafter! I'll probably be sending my 2230b to him soon after my KA-9100 is restored.

And for the SX-1280, its one hell of a great receiver, but it has a lot of unobtanium parts in it. I think that all the output transistors are unobtanium. If I were to buy a Pioneer lets say, I would take the SX-1250 just because its more serviceable than the SX-1280.

Do you think the Pioneer SX-1280/1250 sounds better than Marantz 2330B?
 
...
An the other, which i would say was the finest of all the Marantz Recievers I ever owned-had in my possession, and also ever heard, from any other sources, was a absolute dead mint 2285B Black Face Euro Version. I won that one as well from ebay, and in fact, i won the auction on my birthday. I paid $400 for that reciever, and paid an additional $200 off auction site, to the seller, for it's matching companion, a mint Black Face Euro 5025 Cassette Deck.


Ben's site is pretty cool, and any Marantz Fan should have his site Bookmarked!

I would agree with that assesment. Its the ONLY marantz receiver I still own. And, yes, *I* have that site bookmarked... :D
 
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