hcnelly Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Ive been looking at getting one of these for a while now to use with my Belles....i was wondering what a good price would be for one in a decent condition?...i can always get my own tubes...i just don't want to overpay without knowing what these tube amps go for $$$....i plan on getting it restored if I purchase one...thanks, Chad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebes Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 I paid $50 for mine, but that was ten years ago so I dunno, maybe $75 today. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 I walked by one in unknown condition at a yard sale once. I made a mental note of the model and then looked it up later that day on the computer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hcnelly Posted March 12, 2016 Author Share Posted March 12, 2016 Hahaha $75 would be great Nice score! Yeah, I have seen lots of different prices on ebay...living in South dakota, I don't know if Id be lucky enough to find one for sale...my fingers are always crossed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fjd Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 I paid $50 for mine, but that was ten years ago so I dunno, maybe $75 today. With the cost of shipping tube amplifiers with those heavy transformers these days, $75 might cover the shipping aspect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Dumb question time..... I understand that is a nice amp. Why can't "Joe Backyard Engineer" (or someone who has the skills to solder) recreate something like that and get all the nirvana that it creates?? I understand with McIntosh, the transformers are bi-folar (or something funky) wound where they interleave something together.... (still, I would think someone could come up with some way to do that too) When you have "X" amount of wires going from point A to B to C.... what's it matter what the brand says on front? What is it that makes some of these amps so coveted and special with their sound??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfbane Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Dumb question time..... I understand that is a nice amp. Why can't "Joe Backyard Engineer" (or someone who has the skills to solder) recreate something like that and get all the nirvana that it creates?? I understand with McIntosh, the transformers are bi-folar (or something funky) wound where they interleave something together.... (still, I would think someone could come up with some way to do that too) When you have "X" amount of wires going from point A to B to C.... what's it matter what the brand says on front? What is it that makes some of these amps so coveted and special with their sound??? I've heard Bob Carver's always up for a challenge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fjd Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 (edited) Dumb question time..... I understand that is a nice amp. Why can't "Joe Backyard Engineer" (or someone who has the skills to solder) recreate something like that and get all the nirvana that it creates?? I understand with McIntosh, the transformers are bi-folar (or something funky) wound where they interleave something together.... (still, I would think someone could come up with some way to do that too) When you have "X" amount of wires going from point A to B to C.... what's it matter what the brand says on front? What is it that makes some of these amps so coveted and special with their sound??? You have to consider the "collector" factor with the Marantz 8b, which essentially creates a "premium" on the price, especially when a seller understands how to navigate the international market. While you are not paying that premium price for the sound, I've had two Marantz 8b amplifiers and one Marantz 8 amplifier over the years and if they are brought up to date they are very nice sounding amplifiers. If a person was in the market to buy during 2008 - 2009 there were many great deals out there as there were many people trying to stay afloat and the Marantz amplifiers were for sale everywhere. I picked up my Marantz 8 for $1,000 and a complete restoration of a Marantz 8b for $1,500. I had a collector bugging me for my other Marantz 8b because it was still all original and had the original box; and I finally broke down and sold it to him since I had an abundance of Marantz tube amplifiers then bought three First Watt single-ended amplifiers (J2, F3 and F2J) with the proceeds. Regarding the Marantz output transformers, I believe that these transformers used separate windings in order to return the feedback to the first stage cathode, instead of the more common method of taking feedback directly off the windings for the speaker. While I'm primarily in the learning stage on how various aspects of amplifier circuits work, I'm not aware of a similar transformer out there that is designed this way; therefore, to use different output transformers I suspect that a person would need to redesign the feedback circuit of the amplifier. Ive been looking at getting one of these for a while now to use with my Belles....i was wondering what a good price would be for one in a decent condition?...i can always get my own tubes...i just don't want to overpay without knowing what these tube amps go for $$$....i plan on getting it restored if I purchase one...thanks, Chad Regarding pricing of the Marantz 8b, I haven't followed pricing very closely these days; however, looking at eBay "sold" prices I see that one with the original box just sold for $4,199 in January, while a couple of beat up examples where one listing indicated a hum and repairs were needed, sold in the $1,600 range, and an older Marantz 8 sold for $2,300 at the end of February. In general, I typically see nice examples of the 8b listed on eBay around $2,400 - $2,900 fairly regularly; however, I haven't been following prices in a couple of years now to really determine how many have actually sold at those prices. Edited March 12, 2016 by Fjd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang guy Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Dumb question time..... I understand that is a nice amp. Why can't "Joe Backyard Engineer" (or someone who has the skills to solder) recreate something like that and get all the nirvana that it creates?? I understand with McIntosh, the transformers are bi-folar (or something funky) wound where they interleave something together.... (still, I would think someone could come up with some way to do that too) When you have "X" amount of wires going from point A to B to C.... what's it matter what the brand says on front? What is it that makes some of these amps so coveted and special with their sound??? I've heard Bob Carver's always up for a challenge. Bob Carver is a freak of nature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 I paid $50 for mine, but that was ten years ago so I dunno, maybe $75 today. You just love to rub that in...now tell everyone one what you left behind in your haste...I should have told you the 8B was worthless but I'd give $50 for the tubes when you called...LMAO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Dumb question time..... I understand that is a nice amp. Why can't "Joe Backyard Engineer" (or someone who has the skills to solder) recreate something like that and get all the nirvana that it creates?? I understand with McIntosh, the transformers are bi-folar (or something funky) wound where they interleave something together.... (still, I would think someone could come up with some way to do that too) When you have "X" amount of wires going from point A to B to C.... what's it matter what the brand says on front? What is it that makes some of these amps so coveted and special with their sound??? He has and then some... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hcnelly Posted March 12, 2016 Author Share Posted March 12, 2016 I have yet to hear a marantz 8b, which is why I'm hesitant to pay the premium price...all I know is that I love my scott 340a with my belles and that makes me want to check out other flavors of tube gear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrickdj1 Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Most vintage amps are no bargin. They can sound great, look great and be a gem to own. Most need to be re-built to bring them back to full function. If you are sure it is a keeper, then do the work to restore it and be in audio nirvana. If you are a flipper, maybe let it past. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 (edited) I have yet to hear a marantz 8b, which is why I'm hesitant to pay the premium price...all I know is that I love my scott 340a with my belles and that makes me want to check out other flavors of tube gear Thing you have to realize is stepping into a 8b is not a singular endeavor. The 8b's actual performance will be hugely effected by what you use to drive/control it...it requires some type of preamplifier. It also will not fair well with passive it needs a real preamplifier..once you go there you have to find one that plays well with the 8b..IMHO the only real reason to buy an 8b is if you can get a deal on one...other wise you going to spend some serious cash just to try something...not everyone is as lucky as Thebes! Edited March 12, 2016 by NOSValves 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hcnelly Posted March 12, 2016 Author Share Posted March 12, 2016 I have yet to hear a marantz 8b, which is why I'm hesitant to pay the premium price...all I know is that I love my scott 340a with my belles and that makes me want to check out other flavors of tube gear Thing you have to realize is stepping into a 8b is not a singular endeavor. The 8b's actual performance will be hugely effected by what you use to drive/control it...it requires some type of preamplifier. It also will not fair well with passive it needs a real preamplifier..once you go there you have to find one that plays well with the 8b..IMHO the only real reason to buy an 8b is if you can get a deal on one...other wise you going to spend some serious cash just to try something...not everyone is as lucky as Thebes! Hey Craig, thank you very much for the response...yeah, getting a nice preamp that pairs well is going to be the kicker for me, and I'll probably have to look for a more affordable option....if I purchased the model 8b, I was going to use the preamp section of my marantz 2275 receiver, that I had completely restored by Paul hovenga...it's not meant to be a dedicated preamp, so I'm not sure if it would suffice as a solution, until I get the money for a nice preamp....I'm guessing I would need a tube preamp? Solid state may not be an ideal match I'm thinking.... Oh, I wanted to say thanks for restoring my 340a! I absolutely love it...my first dip into tubes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 I understand that is a nice amp. What is it that makes some of these amps so coveted and special with their sound??? Harmonic distortion and noise profile. Everything else is about the name/model/and that it's old, so it must be better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Using the Marantz for the pre-amp would work but be a huge bottleneck...the 8b deserves better. Thank you for allowing me to restore your 340A those sweet receivers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fjd Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 (edited) then bought three First Watt single-ended amplifiers (J2, F3 and F2J) with the proceeds. Being a fan of Firstwatt amplifiers of the 3 you have used which one did you like best with your horns? Not that I’m dissatisfied with anything but more out of curiosity, I am always looking to explore new things in order to expand my frame of reference and perspective on stuff. I started reading about the single-ended solid state amplifiers that Nelson Pass was making under the “First Watt” banner. Since I already had a Harman Kardon Citation 12 that incorporated Nelson’s Mosfet modification and thought it was a fairly significant upgrade, I decided I wanted to explore more of the single-ended solid state designs. I started checking the usual audio sites that were popular at the time and it seemed that I was checking during a period when the Rawson F3 clones were everywhere so I decided to pick one up that had been listed on Audiogon for $300. After listening for a little while, the F3 clone piqued my interest and that experience was enough of a sample where I decided to explore these designs further. I had built several tube amplifier kits over the years, but wasn’t very well versed in sourcing all of my own parts, but did manage to build a F5 clone and Aleph J clone. I decided I wanted to focus on the single-ended designs for the most part, as I personally found them to be more interesting, rather than the push-pull designs; however, when Duder1981 decided to move in a different direction with amplifiers, I bought the parts he had accumulated from the big turbo F5 group buys since I thought a little more class-A “grunt” would be nice in certain situations and proceeded to find a new home for my F5 clone. The big turbo F5 is almost done and once settled again, I will finish it up. Now it is a good question as to why would I sell a very collectible Marantz 8b (not to me when sometimes someone just wants to throw too much money at you) and turn around and buy three different First Watt single-ended solid state amplifiers; and it certainly begs the question when buying three different styles, which First Watt amplifier I like best. Actually, I didn’t buy the three to compare with each other and I haven’t abandon tubes; and once I get settled again, since the parts bin is almost complete, I’m going to resume where I left off on Maynard’s little sweetie design. In addition, I still have my single-ended tube amps and a very nice pair of VRD mono blocks that I picked up on the used market that are all staying where they are and get regular time in the rotation depending upon the listening experience I’m trying to create. Essentially, I bought three different First Watt amplifiers because each seemed to have something different and unique to that specific amplifier that I felt would be key in matching with specific systems set up for near-field listening. First Watt F3 is used to drive the top section on my Jubilees (after listening to the clone, to me, it just seems like it was designed for the TAD 4002 compression drivers and K-402 horns so I found the clone a new home and bought the First Watt F3). First Watt J2 is used full range to drive my Klipschorns with the passive crossovers (J2 being single-ended with more traditional output ohms and input ohms). Plus the J2 seems to play nice with my various experimental top hat configurations and especially sweet sounding driving JBL 2440 alnico magnet/phenolic diaphragm and the more robust EV T350 tweeter (with the larger alnico magnet/phenolic diaphragm vs. the smaller version K77 (EV T35) used by Klipsch). In an unusual audio picking surprise find, next on deck for something different are Community M200 and VHF100 compression drivers (still need to think more about a horn set up to physically time-align the drivers). First Watt F2J is used to drive a pair of Oris horns with Lowther PM2A full range drivers that I stumbled upon on a chance “audio picking” expedition (I was looking for current-source amplification rather than voltage amplification for this system and the F2J fit the requirement nicely). Aleph J clone is used full range to drive my Cornwalls. I have yet to hear a marantz 8b, which is why I'm hesitant to pay the premium price...all I know is that I love my scott 340a with my belles and that makes me want to check out other flavors of tube gear Thing you have to realize is stepping into a 8b is not a singular endeavor. The 8b's actual performance will be hugely effected by what you use to drive/control it...it requires some type of preamplifier. It also will not fair well with passive it needs a real preamplifier..once you go there you have to find one that plays well with the 8b..IMHO the only real reason to buy an 8b is if you can get a deal on one...other wise you going to spend some serious cash just to try something...not everyone is as lucky as Thebes! Craig has good advice to consider to look at how well each piece [pre amp] will match up in the overall system. While I can agree that the Marantz 8b has gained a type of “iconic” or “mythical” status, the prices these amplifiers sell for is driven more by collectors lusting after the internet status that has been conjured up in people’s minds rather than being the “perfect amplifier” with the “perfect sound.” Like the unicorn, no such beast exists in real life. However, if you are still determined to pursue a Marantz 8b as your next amplifier and are focused on looking for that special “deal,” the following has worked for me when I decided to place an item on my “audio bucket list.” Patience (e.g., don’t be too infatuated where you jump at the first example you see, unless of course, it meets ALL of your criteria regarding price budget, condition, location, etc.). Diligence in figuring out how often to check the various markets you intend to shop (e.g., be very disciplined in how often you check the new listings on Craig’s List, eBay, Audiogon, Audio Asylum Trader, U.S. Audiomart, etc.). When a person checks one a week or occasionally, the deal will have been snagged while you were not watching, long before you check again. Build flexibility into your schedule (e.g., the great “deal” very rarely comes to you, unless of course your name is Thebes, and you need to be ready to act fast and go to the deal, if necessary, that meets your criteria). Keep quiet about what you are specifically considering until you have it at home. Stalkers and lurkers are everywhere and if you are not quiet enough, you will probably have provided the "tip" and someone will jump in and snag the deal in front of you. All the best to you in your search. Edited March 13, 2016 by Fjd 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 Let me clarify a bit just to save confusion. The Marantz line of tube amps top to bottom are very special in many ways and Sonic quality is indeed one them for sure..the 8B is the entry level in the Marantz tube world. It was the answer to the Dynamo ST70 and other cheaper options of the time. It literally trounced everything in that power range and class. But it was never cheap in comparison. I just no from experience the performance can easily be reproduced today for less if the right iron and circuit is properly put in place. So paying some super collector pricing unless you plan to collect just doesn't make sense to me. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 (edited) Exactly! What Craig just said. Edited March 13, 2016 by JL Sargent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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