Quality+ construction, appearence and performance.

Only one input for CD or other device

I have had this receiver since high school (1974) and I still use it. The bulbs and potentiometers need replacing and that's it. This vintage of Marantz receivers are near indestructable and you can't find anything today built like them. I remember that Marantz had an advertisement in an audio magazine around 1975 - 1976 that showed a Marantz receiver that survived a fire in an apartment building. The apartment building burned to the ground. The receiver was originally on the 3rd floor and was found in the basement lying in water. The receiver had obvious cosmetic damage along with the power cord being damaged. The unit was dried out and the power cord replaced. It was powered up and sure enough worked perfectly. When I look at today's audio equipment at the local electronics super store, there is no comparison in the quality of construction and components used. It's sad that you really can't find this type of quality anymore. Most things now are built to last just a few years and self destruct so that you can go buy a new one. I haven't kept up on all the latest audio gear, but I would be that you would have to spend a significant amount of money to buy anyting even close to the quality these units. As the saying goes: they don't build em like that anymore.

Good sound. Great build quality

For what I paid for it there are no weaknesses.

I have read different reviews here about a variety of Marantz products from the 70`s. For the most part these reviews have gushed over the products in question.

I came across a Marantz 2230 receiver in a used stereo shop. Now I must confess I was not really that familiar with the name but it did trigger something in me. I went home grabbed my speakers and went back to the store. I hooked up the Marantz to my ARL Precision 620 speakers. The sound was very nice indeed, better than I anticipated. The store owner wanted 70 dollars I offered 50 we settled on 60.

I have gone to countless stereo stores and listened to a variety of products and I have heard products that sounded "better" than my Marantz but they started at ten times the price I paid and went up from there. To be a true review a person would have to do a blind comparison between products using the same source component and same speakers for both receivers by doing this, the reviewer would have to rely on his or her hearing to judge the merits of the products they were reviewing. I know for most people this would be impossible to do.

I enjoy the music from my Stereo and I listen to a very wide variety of it using CD, Vinyl and cassette.I know the sound can be improved upon and some day will be.

If a person is looking for a good sounding receiver at reasonable cost then by all means check out a Marantz from the 70`s but buyer beware most of these products are over 30 years old so be careful when buying vintage products spend accordingly. I have happily used my Marantz for over 5 years and it is still singing along, the lamps have burnt out so only the stereo light works now. Moving I dropped it and the speakers down a flght of stairs one set speaker clips were ripped out, the only real damage other than cosmetic to the speakers. I will use this reciever in some capacity until it dies.

I originally bought the 2220 in the early 80's for my parents for their anniversary---fast-forward to a year ago when my mom moved to FL and didn't want it any longer so I inherited it back and it now sits in my 11 year old daughter's room. This thing kicks ass. I had an old JVC tape deck and picked up a Technics CD player for $40 and she bought an inexpensive set of Sony speakers to use with it. She loves it and doesn't want anything else, like all those mini-systems her friends have. Thank goodness she can't stand boy bands and the Christina/Brittany crap, but I digress. This is one nice sounding reciever... clear and punchy. They just don't make 'em like this anymore.

everything

Hmm,
This reciever is a work of art. I recently aquired a yamaha rx-v520 reciever and a 5.1 surround speaker package. Let me tell you this, the marantz sounds 10x better than the new reciever, you can hear everything, warm, even, tight sounds.

It almost reminds me of the stereotype(hehe, stereo) on old people that BACK IN MY DAY WE DID IT LIKE THIS. Back in the day, they made some kickbutt, strong, well manufactured equipment. And well, this 25 year old marantz 2220B 'sterephonic reciever' sounds more like real music and less like a tin can.

I have this reciever hooked up to a pair of 'Omega' speakers that were purchased at the same time 25 years ago. They are made of solid wood, and are about the size of a 12" subwoofer (they are huge!)

WOW.

I own a Marantz 2220, I have had it for years and I like it alot. It's sound quality is nothing short of amazing- It outpreforms a much larger stereo reciever that I have. It is a severly under rated 20 watts per channel, It sounds alot more like 70 / 80 watts per channel and the sound is very clear. I recomend it to anyone who likes great sounding music.

It still works after 26 years

Noisy dirty pots, delamination of PCB board around buttons, poor speaker wire binding deals (can't call them posts), decent tuner, typical grainy metalic 70's classic solid state sound. Secret internal fuses. Stretched tuner cord that doesn't allow the gyro-touch to travel to the ends of the dial (88 and 106 ends). Not great damping factor or channel seperation. No tone control bypass.

I have owned this unit from new in 1975. It now resides as the power unit for my computer workstation.

As much as we like to look fondly on this era of stuff, it really does not stand up sound wise as some of the offerings of today in the same $200 to $300 range. I have a sub $300 NAD reciever in my HT room and a sub $301 Rotel integrated in my sons room. Both of these offer a more refined sound than the Marantz. The 2220 does sound better than the late 70's early 80's mass fi Technics stuff (one in my bedroom that is NEVER on).

I have used this on all manner of speakers. Large/small/multi, easy loads, brutal loads. Almost all my new creations are first fired up with this unit. If it fries, no big loss in comparisons to my other units.

Shorted speaker wires, dirt dust, years on end and on-off cycles in the teens per day. It still works.

Burnt out dial lights, replaced those, burnt internal power output fuses, tuner dial fuses, system fuses, replaced those. It still works.

The 2220 has one major feature that saves it. The midrange tone control. This along with the bass/treble allows one to dial in a acceptable sound. In my near field computer setup running (whatelse) a DIY speaker set, it clearly trounces any of the computer rattle boxes. Through xover work I can offset the general sound signiture and thereby the wish for tone control bi-pass. I actually listen to this setup than any of my other setups, mostly due to multitasking and the ability to get listening levels I like without impacting the rest of the (studying, eating, watching) family.

The volume pot needs more and more cleaning as it gets older. The buttons also have uncovered a problem with delaminated PCB boards. Most of the buttons are in one position, so not a big deal. The string/cord that loops around the gyro-tunning dial/frequency dial and finally the tuner section drive is stretched/loose so it is very difficult to hit the ends of the radio frequency dial. Since many of the college and NPR type stations tend to be crowed down in the 88 to 90 range it can be an issue. The tuner strength and minute strength instruments are a very big help.

Sure all of the nits and nats can be fixed at some cost, but that defeats one of the main strengths of going for a unit like this. "It don't cost much and it don't sound too bad."

My point is two fold. Don't go into buying one of these units thinking that it is a totally undervalued gem with a refined sound unattainable now days, and that it will not show its age.


This unit will most likely always have a place in my life as long as it functions, but if it breaks in any significant way, I don't feel as if I lost a high refinement gem. It is a solid, but aging, performer of an era of grainy mass-fi solid state.

Similar Products Used:

In the 70's? Pioneer, Technics and SAE

Gound sound for 27 years and still going

I too have a 2220, it was the first piece of stereo equipment I ever bought. I had to make a set of home made speakers to listen to it because I spent virtually all my money on the marantz. (I was a teenage college student at the time and the Marantz back then was a little pricey at $250 MSRP and at that time it was a "Fair Trade" item so there were no discounts. (I am glad that law has gone by the wayside.)) I remember shortly after I bought it, the dealer had one of those McIntosh amplifier clinics. I took it in and had it tested. It put out something like 35 or 37 watts.

I am not sure how to rate it since they can probably be picked up for a song now. I guess I'll give it 5*s just because of the nostalgia.

Anyway, the thing is still chugging away.
I use it as a tuner right now and sometimes it sees duty powering some outdoor speakers. However, I still have fondness for and attachment to it. It still sounds good, better than a lot of the inexpensive (cheap) receivers with gobs of power. I will probably never get rid of it.

Amazing sound, solid build, blue glow.....uuuhhhh

none

I picked this reciever up on ebay for 30$+ shipping. It included the original wooden cabinet. This is a very high quality reciever. It is 25+ years old, and sounds totally amazing. As far as sound quality is concerned, it far surpasses my 500 watt jvc dolby digital reciever. The sound is very warm and natural and delivers a very lifelike presentation. Rated at a concervative 20 watts per channel, it is not the most powerfull reciever I have ever heard, but it still cranks. If you can find one for a decent price, I recomend you get.

Similar Products Used:

jvc dolby digital