It’s not often that a man and a brandare synonymous unless, of course,they’re really eponymous. But the

name Marantz is, if anything, moreprominent in today’s world of consumerelectronics than it was when Saul B.Marantz founded the Marantz Companyin 1953.

Although others certainly aided theearly growth of the consumer electron-ics industry (or the “hi fi” business, asit was then known), perhaps no one wasas recognized for his passionate pursuitof high quality sound reproduction aswas Saul B. Marantz.

As is the case with many people, Saul’saccomplishments were more the resultof being in the right place at the righttime and having the vision and skillsnecessary to inspire others. If any onething stood out from the beginning, itwas Saul’s insistence that good indus-trial design was as important as superi-or performance. It was the cosmeticdesign, he felt, that would play anessential part in bringing electronicsout of the garages and into the livingrooms of music lovers everywhere.

His history, and that of the company hefounded, forms an extraordinary pictureof individual accomplishment and cor-porate evolution.

Although certainly not complete, thestory we’re presenting here is unique.We’ve interviewed many people in theconsumer electronics industry whowere close to Saul during his life. Theygave generously of their time andknowledge and we thank them for their

input. In particular, we’d like to thankEd Woodard, a long-time associate ofSaul’s. Through Ed, we even spent timewith Saul’s daughter, June Chamberlainand her husband Mark as she remi-nisced about her child’s-eye view of hersoon-to-be-famous father. Mark con-tributed many photos from the familyarchives, photos that we suspect havenever appeared outside family gather-ings. We’re fortunate to have them.

We hope you enjoy this fascinating lookinto the life of one of the industry’s truepioneers.

The BeginningSaul B. Marantz, perhaps the man mostresponsible for the birth of the high-endaudio industry, was born the oldest of

three children on July 7th, 1911, inNew York City.

Much of Saul’s early childhood wasunremarkable and unrecorded.Although he showed an early aptitudefor technology, experimented with crys-tal radios, crafted a microscope in hisearly teen years, and hoped to pursuetraining as an electrical engineer, hisfamily’s fortune (or, more accurately,the lack of same) dictated otherwise.Although he was accepted into anexclusive Rapid Advance program inthe New York City public schools, hehad to leave after the 8th grade to helpsupport his family.

His first job was as a messenger for anow-unknown firm in the NYC finan-cial district. This experience was notaltogether positive as he was firedafter taking an unauthorized holidayon the “friendly advice” of a jealousco-worker. Fortunately, the youngMarantz had spent much of his downtime at the same firm’s art departmentand was immediately accepted as anapprentice.

Although Marantz’s years of atten-dance and curriculum are largelyunknown, he continued his art trainingwith courses at Pratt Institute inBrooklyn. After his formal training, hebecame a commercial artist servingsuch clients as Hanes (for whom hemay have designed the logo) andGeneral Electric. He met his future wife, Jean Dickey, inNYC at a St. Patrick’s Day party in1939. A friend who was dating anoth-er resident of the “women only” hotel

Marantz:The Man and the Company

This picture was most likely taken inBrooklyn when Saul was about 1 yr. old.(Photographer unknown.)

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where Jean lived had issued the invi-tation. Saul and Jean were engaged onValentine’s Day, 1940, and married inOctober of the same year in BaskingRidge, NJ.

Jean was to play a pivotal role inbringing the name Marantz to thepublic’s attention. She had graduatedfrom Vassar College with a liberal artsdegree. After Vassar, she returned toher family’s home to attend graduateschool in architecture at theUniversity of Minnesota. She left onesemester short of her degree after theDepartment Chairman suggested that,as a woman, she would not be takenseriously in her chosen field. Afterworking for a Persian art dealer, shemoved once again to NYC in 1938,where she worked in the accountingoffice of Macy’s. (Although this seemsan unlikely preparation, her proficien-cy with math, particularly calculus,proved invaluable to Saul as he read-ied the “Audio Consolette,” his firstproduct, for sale many years later.Jean’s ability at solving complexequations allowed her to calculate theproper values for many of its internalcircuit components.)

Saul joined the Army TransportationService in the spring of 1943 as acivilian employee. (During this time,Jean Marantz stayed with her familyin Minnesota.) He was sent to SanFrancisco in August, then to NewOrleans where he began service on achartered oil tanker. From NewOrleans, he went through the PanamaCanal to the Pacific theater. Duringthis initial journey, he was awarded a“Shellback Certificate,” a documentgiven to everyone crossing theEquator for the first time. The certifi-cate states his nickname as “KingKong,” a reference to his hirsutephysique.

Although Marantz did not partake inany battles, he spent time in NewGuinea, where an Australian pilot,much against regulations, flew himover the Owen Stanley Mountains fora reunion with his brother, Charles,who was stationed there as a memberof the military.

Things were not entirely calm for theyoung Marantz, however. While taking thetanker through the Great Barrier Reef, hediscovered that both the Captain and

First Mate were “under the influence.”Marantz confined both to their quartersand assumed temporary command. Nomutiny charges were filed, however, asthe Captain later admitted that Marantz’sactions were “correct.”

Saul at his drafting table. Photo taken in the early 1930s.(Photographer unknown.)

Jean and Saul Marantz. Photo taken immediatelyfollowing the wedding. (Professional photographerunknown.)

This photo was taken on the day Saulreturned from the Pacific theater. Hisdaughter, June, is behind the stroller.(Photo most likely taken by JeanMarantz.)

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During his employment with the ArmyTransportation Service, Saul earned hisGED (Graduate Equivalency Diploma)and, though he was technically a civil-ian, rose to nominal rank of Major.

After his return, Saul and Jean lived inWoodside, a suburb in the Borough ofQueens, New York City, and later movedto Kew Gardens, another Queens neigh-borhood.

Saul Marantz’s musical interests blos-somed in the late ‘40s and early ‘50swhen friends Karl and Ginny Noellinvited Saul and Jean to a meeting ofthe New York Society of ClassicalGuitar. The couple soon joined theGuitar Society, as it was called bymembers, and Saul began guitar les-sons shortly thereafter. During thisperiod, the couple met and developeda strong friendship with guitar maes-

tro, Andres Segovia. (Their daughter,June, remembers sitting on Segovia’sknee when Segovia visited her parents,probably at the Woodside home. Shealso remembers a large empty speakerenclosure in the house which she usedas hiding place when she was 3 or 4years old and suggests that this is evi-dence of her father’s co-developinginterest in music and electronics.)

Vladimir Bobritzski, also a member ofthe Guitar Society, later authored(under the shortened name “Bobri”) abook entitled The Segovia Technique,originally published in 1972.

Saul took many photographs ofSegovia’s fingering style for this bookand received the following acknowl-edgement for his work in the book’sPreface: “SAUL MARANTZ who tookmost of the photographs and spent

hours in the darkroom experimentingwith prints to achieve a maximum ofbrilliance and clarity.”

Marantz’s Segovia photos also appear inthe booklet accompanying the 4 CD setcalled “Andres Segovia – A CentenaryCelebration” released on the MCA label(MCAD4: 11124).

The “ClassicMarantz” Period:1951 to 1964The arrival of the monaural LP recordin 1948 and general post-war pros-perity contributed to the rising inter-est in high fidelity equipment.Among many other companies,McIntosh Laboratories, Fisher Radio,and H.H. Scott began to manufacturecomponents.

The Segovia Technique, by Vladimir Bobri. This edition published by The BoldStrummer, Ltd., Westport, CT

This four-disc set from MCA is now acollector’s item.

One of Saul’s photos, this one frompage 45 of The Segovia Technique.

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Saul Marantz, however, was not satisfiedwith the commercially available compo-nents of his day and he began to buildhis own. One of the major problems fac-ing music enthusiasts at the time wasthe large number of different equaliza-tion characteristics used by record com-panies. These disparate “EQ” curvesmade it difficult to fully enjoy recordsfrom different labels as most recordcompanies adhered to their own in-house standards.

To solve the problem, Saul Marantzdesigned a preamplifier (the original“Audio Consolette”) that incorporatedmany equalization curves. It created asensation among his friends and he wasadvised to start mass production. Jeanencouraged him by suggesting “Howabout making 100 sets by way of trial?”Production, or, more accurately, handassembly, began in 1952 in the base-ment of the Marantz home in KewGardens (Queens), New York.

Enter Sidney SmithInterestingly, it was during this periodthat the now-legendary Sidney Smithappeared at Saul’s home. A trainedelectrical engineer and ardent vocalstudent, he had seen an ad for theModel 1 and was looking for workafter moving to New York fromChicago. After demonstrating his abil-ity by modifying the Consolette’s cir-cuitry to solve some noise problems in

early units, he stayed to become chiefengineer.

The first 100 units of the AudioConsolette sold quickly through HarveyRadio’s (now Harvey Electronics) mainstore, then on 6th Avenue in Manhattan.However, because of an ever-increasingreputation and a large backlog of orders(estimates vary from 400 to 800 units),Saul established the Marantz Companyin 1953 and opened a factory inWoodside. The Model 1, the successorto the “Audio Consolette,” appeared in1954.

The Model 1 was ground-breaking inseveral respects. Although it greatlyresembled the “Audio Consolette,” itwas the first preamplifier to includethe brand-new RIAA (RecordingIndustry Association of America)standard equalization curve in addi-tion to a large number of older andnon-standard curves. The Model 1also had a tape monitor switch and a“TV” input.

The Model 2 power amplifier followed in1956. Largely completed by SidneySmith, it was a very successful tubedesign using EL34s in “ultra-linear”(push-pull) configuration.

Although some sources cite the Model2 as the beginning of Smith’s exclusiveconcentration on power amplifierswhile Saul focused his attention on pre-amplifiers, the truth is that SidneySmith was intimately involved in thedevelopment of many products, eventhe vaunted Model 10 and 10B tuners.Although Marantz was a talenteddesigner, his formal education was inthe graphic arts. Consequently, hisunderstanding of electronics, whileextensive for a non-professional, waslargely self-taught. Smith, on the otherhand, benefited from the disciplinedknowledge resulting from his militarytraining in electrical engineering.

Other products followed soon after theModel 2 as the company evolved: theModel 3 electronic crossover and theModel 5 power amplifier, a revised andmore attractive version of the Model 2.However, it wasn’t until 1958 that theMarantz Company and the entire indus-try was inspired by the appearance of thestereo LP record.

As all previous Marantz componentswere designed for monaural systems, thecompany knew that new products wereneeded. Later in 1958, Marantz intro-duced the Model 6 stereo adaptor.

The house that started it all. In thebasement of his Kew Gardens home at81st Avenue and Austin Street, SaulMarantz began to hand assemble the“Audio Consolette,” the first in a seriesof products that now spans over 50years. (Photo from http://www.oldkew-gardens.com/)

The Marantz Model 1 Preamplifier: The first product of the newly formed MarantzCompany (1954)

The Model 2 power amplifier, the firstof Sidney Smith’s designs.

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Designed to unite two Model 1s forstereo use, the Model 6 featured a 2-channel input selector and volume con-trol. The Model 6 connected to twoModel 1s through their tape monitorinputs and was cosmetically designed toflank a stacked pair of Model 1s.

In December of 1958, a true stereo pre-amplifier, the Model 7, was released.The circuitry was basically different frommost preamplifiers of the day as theModel 7 used a unique three-stagephono preamp/equalizer that laterbecame known as the “Marantz circuit.”The Model 7 dominated the high fidelityindustry as no other product before haddone. Over its life, more than 130,000units were sold and it was honored as thepremiere example of preamplifier designfor many, many years. The front panelwas pure Marantz and featured a sophis-ticated asymmetrical arrangement ofknobs and switches directly traceable toSaul Marantz’s intimate knowledge ofindustrial design.

With its popularity came legends,including that of the so-called “Model7C” variant. In reality, all Model 7s wereessentially identical, except for minorrunning production changes. The “7C”designation refers to a Model 7 in a cab-inet, hence the “C” suffix. (Marantz didproduce a few Model 7s with an extend-ed 19” rack-mountable front panel withhandles. These were sold primarily forprofessional use but the circuitry wasidentical to the more popular consumerversion.)

In 1959, Marantz released the Model 8.With the soon-to-follow 8B, it was theonly tube stereo amplifier the companyever produced. Although most regard theModel 8B (introduced in 1962) simplyas a modified Model 8, there are signifi-cant differences between the two. Forone thing, the 8B featured a SidneySmith-designed transformer, and wasmore stable and phase-accurate, thanksin part to a negative feedback circuitoriginally developed for the Model 9monaural power amplifier. (See the next

paragraph.) The power output of boththe Model 8 and the 8B was 30 wattsper channel.

The Model 9 monaural power amplifierwas released in 1960. Using EL34tubes, this ultra-linear parallel push-pulldesign produced 70 watts of power, asignificant accomplishment for its time.1

The increased power resulted, in part,from the strong rivalry with McIntosh,whose power amplifiers were generallymore muscular than otherwise compara-ble Marantz models. In addition to highpower, the Model 9 reached new cosmet-ic horizons thanks to a bias meter cen-tered on the front panel and a drop-downfront panel door that concealed adjust-ments and connections. The meter, inaddition to allowing a user to easily com-pensate for different tube characteris-

tics, extended the Marantz tradition ofintegrating functionality with high styleand provided an aesthetic template stillused by Marantz today.

The combination of a Model 7 and twoModel 9s is, even now, recognized as ahigh point in the history of high fidelity.

Richard Sequerraand The PerfectTunerAs the Marantz reputation grew, dealerdemand for a Marantz tuner increased aswell. After making faceplate and knobkits for Fisher and H. H. Scott tuners sothey would match Marantz preamps, thecompany began an extensive R&D pro-gram to produce a tuner of its own eventhough FM stereo broadcasting was stillin its infancy. Richard Sequerra, a high-ly trained and knowledgeable engineerwith extensive experience in radio fre-quency design, joined Marantz in 1961.

His goal was simple: Produce a tuneras exceptional in its category as werethe Models 7 and 9 in theirs. It tookmore than three years of costlyresearch and the efforts of additionalconsulting engineers, includingMitchell Cotter, to reach fruition.Although Sequerra rightfully deservessubstantial credit for the design, hiswas not the only chef’s hat in the

The Marantz Model 7 Stereo Preamplifier, one of the most honoredcomponents in the history of home entertainment.

The Marantz Model 9 monaural poweramplifier – still a classic almost 50years after its introduction.

1 Among other qualities, the Model 9 was exceptionally stable. In fact, the young Marantz Company was startled when itbegan receiving orders from NASA contractors for a slightly modified version called the 9120. To its amazement, the company found that multiple Model 9120s were specified as the amplifiers of choice to drive precision arrays of trackingantennas for the then-embryonic space program.

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kitchen. In the end, Sidney Smith con-tributed his considerable talents also.As retold by a close associate, SaulMarantz said “Yes, Richard designed itbut Sid made it work.”

The result of this effort, the Model 10,didn’t appear until 1964. One of themost innovative features of the Model10 (and the Model 10B that soon fol-lowed) was the front-panel oscilloscopethat replaced the conventional signalstrength and center channel meters ofthe day. Not only did the ‘scope showsignal strength in a graphic way, it alsoallowed a far more accurate method ofcentering the tuner on a particularbroadcast frequency. In addition, the‘scope provided precise information ofthe amount of stereo separation provid-ed by the broadcaster as it displayedthe differential L/R information direct-ly instead of merely indicating thepresence of a stereo “carrier” signal.

Although superb in many ways, theModel 10 posed a significant alignmentproblem that was eventually traced tothe equipment used to solder theinductors in the tuner’s IF (intermedi-ate frequency) stage. These inductorsbecame so heavily magnetized thatfinal alignment became next to impos-sible. However, only about 100 Model10s were produced before an improvedversion, the Model 10B, appeared laterthat same year. In addition to a minorchange in the dial mechanism, theModel 10B used different inductorsthat were far more resistant to the mag-netization problems than had plagued

the Model 10. An interesting side noteabout the Model 10B is that final align-ment took place in an oven. This simu-lated the actual operating temperatureand resulted in far more accurate per-formance under real-world conditions.

Perfection’sProblem

The Model 10B did have one substantialdownside. It was so expensive to manu-facture and so under-priced that its verysuccess put the company in severefinancial difficulties. In fact, the Model10B depleted the working capital to theextent that Saul was hard-pressed tomake his weekly payroll.

Obviously, this situation was untenableand Saul began to think of alternativesolutions, one of which was selling thecompany. Joseph Tushinsky, one of fourbrothers and the president ofSuperscope, Inc., expressed interest

after a meeting of the Board of Directorsof the Institute of High Fidelity, a tradeorganization both men belonged to.

Tushinsky, an avid musician, had beenlooking for a way to insure Superscope’sfuture. Originally founded to providewide-screen camera and projector opticsto Hollywood’s film industry, that efforteventually fell victim to other film for-mats. In the meantime, Superscope’sconnections in Japan led to a distribu-tion agreement with Sony under which

Superscope imported and distributedSony tape recorders in the UnitedStates. Tushinsky, while appreciative ofthe quality of existing Marantz compo-nents, saw an immense opportunity inacquiring the Marantz name. In hismind, the brand could then be used formore affordable components manufac-tured in Japan by another companySuperscope already had a relationshipwith – Standard Radio.

The sale was completed in late 1964and presaged a significant change inthe focus of Marantz as a company. Forits $3 million investment, Superscopemoved from being simply a distributor(and thus vulnerable to Sony’sexpressed desire to forge its own des-tiny in the United States) to being amanufacturer with direct control of itsbusiness future.

Although the Marantz Company wouldeventually move from New York to a lav-ish headquarters building in Sun Valley,

The Model 10B, often considered thepinnacle of FM reception.

The Marantz Model 18 Receiver, the first Marantz product with “Gyro-Touch” tuning, featured an oscilloscope to aid in tuning accuracy and signal analysis.

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California, an immediate change was amore modest relocation from the old5,000 square foot factory in Woodside,NY to a new 35,000 square foot facilityin the same neighborhood. The cashinfusion also helped the MarantzCompany grow from approximately 60employees to well over 150.

The SuperscopePeriod (1965 to 1980)

Based on R&D projects prompted bythe rapid rise of transistor technology,the company moved successfully fromits previous tube-based product line.The Model 7T preamplifier and Model15 power amplifier (actually two Model14 monoblocks united by a commonfaceplate) appeared. But the mostimportant product during this “transi-tion period” was the Model 18 receiver,a collaborative effort featuring SaulMarantz’s cosmetic design, Sid Smith’saudio circuitry, and Dick Sequerra’stuner expertise.

The Model 18 was the last product tobenefit from Saul Marantz’s directinput. Towards the end of the transitionperiod from ownership by Saul Marantzto ownership by Superscope, the newmanagement’s desire to broaden thebrand’s appeal exacerbated the already-existing friction within the company.Given the differences between thevisionary/entrepreneurial spirit thatgave birth to the Marantz Company inthe first place and the new owners’hard-nosed pragmatism and a strongdesire for more affordable products,this friction, however unfortunate, wasinevitable. After being offered thelargely ceremonial position of“President Emeritus” in the fall of1967, Saul Marantz resigned inDecember of that year and had no fur-ther direct relationship with the organi-zation he founded. His last project wassecuring a new engineering team tocontinue product development for newMarantz-branded components asSidney Smith, Dick Sequerra, and therest of the “old guard” left with him. Even though Marantz the person hadleft, Marantz the company grew substan-tially in the years immediately following

Saul’s departure. In fact, some havecalled this period (1965 to 1980)Marantz’s “Second Golden Age” as theMarantz brand appeared on far moreproducts than it had ever done before.

In 1966, Superscope began exploringmanufacturing possibilities with severalJapanese manufacturers with a view toproducing these lower cost Marantzproducts. Eventually, Standard RadioCorporation was chosen as a partner andproduction began. Superscope eventual-ly purchased a 50% interest in StandardRadio and, with the exception of thehigh-end separates manufactured inCalifornia, more and more Marantzbranded components were manufac-tured in Japan.

The most successful expansion of theMarantz brand was the receiver line.In fact, the “2200” receivers becameone of the most successful productofferings in the history of consumerelectronics. Ranging from a mere 10watts of power per channel to well over70, the new receivers brought theMarantz mystique to tens of thousandsof consumers.

From its U.S. manufacturing facility inCA came many new separate components– the so-called “A” line. 1970 saw theintroduction of the Model 32, a modestlypowered stereo amplifier (60 watts/chan-

nel) and the last Marantz product with asequential model number. The more pow-erful – 125 watts/channel – Models 240and 250 (the 250 with power meters)soon followed. In 1973 the companyreleased the Model 500, a power amplifi-er with output capability of 250watts/channel and forced air cooling.Marantz followed that with the slightlymore powerful Model 510 two years later.Matching preamplifiers included theModels 33, 3300, and 3600, all pro-duced under the guidance of ChiefEngineer Dawson Hadley (the founder ofHadley Labs and recruited by Saul beforethe company moved to CA), JamesBongiorno (later head of GAS and Sumo),and other engineers.

The LoudspeakerChallenge

Joseph Tushinsky’s interest in expandingthe Marantz brand did not stop withelectronics. Under Tushinsky’s urging,Superscope began to push loudspeakerdevelopment with the aim of becoming amajor player in the this business.Although company records are some-what clouded here, it appears that sever-al Japanese-designed speakers hadalready reached the Japanese domesticmarket via a distribution arrangementwith Mitsubishi Electric Corporationbefore U.S. design began.

The Marantz 2270 Receiver. The model numbers of the “2200” series receiversincluded power ratings. In this case, power output was 70 watts per channel.

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In the U.S., the Marantz Imperial Six,2

designed by Hadley and Bart Locanthi,had reached the market prior to 1971.It featured an extremely flat frequencyresponse curve and was well-reviewed.The Imperial Seven, designed to com-pete with JBL’s very popular L100,was the first Marantz speaker to fea-ture a foam grille cut in a large dia-mond pattern.

Another innovation used by some of theAmerican-designed Imperial speakerswas a technique called “Vari-Q,” imple-mented with a removable port plug forthe bass-reflex enclosures. This allowedthe listener to “tune” the speaker tomodify bass response. With the plug out,the speakers produced substantialthough uneven bass. With the plug in,the enclosure emulated an acoustic sus-pension design with lower and moreeven bass output.

Interestingly enough, this technique wasthe result of an extended listening ses-sion attended by Doug Sax and LincolnMayorga of Sheffield Lab fame(Sheffield was one of the first successful“direct-to-disc” LP producers). While lis-tening to a pair of Marantz ImperialSixes mounted well off the floor to simu-late common placement in studio con-trol rooms, both men noticed that thebass produced by the speaker was some-what less extended and flabbier thanthey remembered hearing at the originalrecording session. Hadley then stuffed

rags into the Six’s ports and everyonenoticed a surprising – and very welcome– difference.

In 1976, Edmund (Ed) May, one of themost respected speaker designers atJBL, joined Marantz and was given thecharge of developing a speaker line tocomplement the company’s other highend offerings. Superscope built a newR&D facility for May to work in. Theresulting “HD” speakers were highlypraised and enhanced the brand’s repu-tation substantially. Unfortunately, Maydied in 1980 and later design effortsmet with considerably less success andall efforts to design and market loud-speakers ceased.

The SuperscopeHeritage:Snatching Defeatfrom the Jaws ofVictory

Based on the success of the receiver linein the United States and a greatlyexpanded separate components line inthe Far East, Superscope, which owneda substantial interest in Standard Radio,

changed the name of the Japanese man-ufacturer to Marantz Japan, Inc. in1975. Despite strong sales, however, allwas not well with Superscope’s steward-ship of the Marantz name.

Although interpretations differ, some ofthe problems resulted from poor finan-cial controls and a tendency towardsprofligate spending. Not all the problemswere monetary, however. Among otherthings, Marantz embarked on a programto develop a straight line trackingturntable, one that would, in theory atany rate, eliminate most of problemscaused by trying to track a record groovewith a pivoted tone arm. Saul Marantzhad argued vigorously against this prod-uct prior to his departure, citingmechanical problems in the initialdesign. However, the company intro-duced the SLT-12 in 1968 or 1969.

The original SLT-12 was available onlywith a Shure V-15 phono cartridge but alater version (the SLT-12U – for “univer-sal”) accepted virtually any cartridge.Regardless of the version, the mecha-nism proved to be as cranky as SaulMarantz had predicted and by 1970 theturntable was out of production. Genericproblems with this unit soured many

The Marantz Imperial SevenLoudspeaker with Vari-Q and the dia-mond pattern foam grille designed byPatrick Hart.

The Marantz Model SLT-12 turntable: Despite the theoretical advantages ofstraight line tracking, the “Rube Goldberg-esq” mechanism was somewhat lessthan reliable.

2 Marantz Imperial speakers designed in the U.S. had model numbers spelled out (i.e., Imperial Six). Marantz speakersdesigned in the Far East used Roman numerals (i.e., Imperial IV).

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customers as there was virtually no wayto ensure the turntable’s continued oper-ation. Other less-than-successful intro-ductions included Marantz-brandedopen reel and cassette tape decksintended to ameliorate Superscope’s lossof distribution rights for Sony’s taperecorders.

On the positive side, receiver sales con-tinued to be strong and products devel-oped primarily for the Asian andEuropean markets did well. Integratedamplifiers (combining preamp andpower amp in a single chassis) wereparticularly successful. The compara-tively little-known SM1000 poweramplifier, in fact, won the prestigious“State of the Art” award from StereoSound magazine in 1979. Marantz alsointroduced power amplifiers with aswitch to allow users to select Class Aor Class AB operation, depending onpower needs.

By 1980, Superscope’s financial condi-tion had become so tenuous that itdecided to sell rights to the Marantzname for the Asian and European mar-kets as well as the Japanese manufactur-ing facilities to Philips, the Netherlands-based mega-manufacturer. However,Superscope retained the name for theNorth American market, thus setting the

stage for a somewhat schizophrenic per-ception of Marantz around the world.

1980 – 2001: The PhilipsExperiencePhilips saw the acquisition of theMarantz brand in a very positive light.Despite considerable R&D and manu-facturing capabilities in almost allareas of consumer electronics, Philipshad little success in addressing thehigh end audio market. It viewed theMarantz name as the most practicalway to broaden its appeal to quality-conscious consumers. Marantz benefit-ed also as the affiliation with Philipsput Marantz squarely in the loop ofPhilips’ extensive knowledge of digitalaudio, which had begun to appear inprofessional circles about 1970.

As the co-developer (with Sony) of theCD, Philips had proprietary knowledge ofwhat was soon to become the fastestgrowing product categories in the field –the CD player. In 1982, Philips releasedits first unit – the CD-63 – under theMarantz banner. Although Sony was tech-nically first to market with its CDP-101,the Marantz CD-63 was the first publiclyannounced CD player.

As with most new technologies, pricesof CD players dropped substantially inthe following years. For example, theCD-34, released in 1985, sold for one-third the price of the original CD-63but used many of the same internalcomponents.

1985 also saw the introduction of theLV-1CD, a laser disc player, and theDPM-7, an all-digital amplifier thateventually saw the light of day in 1991as the AX1000 “audio computer” alongwith the first Marantz CD-R (recordableCD) player/recorder.

On the analog front, Marantz’s “Quarter A”amplifier technology became known forexceptionally smooth sound quality at anyvolume level. Quarter A, which premieredin the PM-6A integrated amp, used auto-matic switching to move the power ampli-fier section from Class A to Class AB oper-ation when power output exceeded onefourth of its maximum rating.

HDAM,3 an important technology forMarantz, first appeared in 1992 and wasused in the PM-99SE (“SpecialEdition”) and the CD-15. CurrentFeedback power amplifier technology, asonic advance over less sophisticatedvoltage feedback designs, also appeared.1994 saw the SC-5 peamplifier and SM-

Marantz Model 7700 Tape Deck(1978), a three speed auto reverseunit. (Photo courtesy of http://www.classic-audio.com)

The CD-63 used a top loading mechanism for convenience and featured “over-sampling,” an advanced digital technique that resulted in less analog filteringand thus improved sound.

3 This proprietary Marantz technology replaced conventional operational amplifier ICs (integrated circuits) with discrete low-noise components housed in a single module optimized with short signal paths. HDAM modules were specifically designedto amplify and buffer line-level signals and preserve music’s subtle details and wide dynamic structure so that even minutehigh frequency details are reproduced accurately.

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6 power amplifier as co-winners ofStereo Sound’s top honors, the first suchawards given to Marantz since theSM1000.

Meanwhile, Back In The USA

Superscope continued to marketMarantz components in North Americabut the similarity between its list ofproducts and those offered in Asia andEurope continued to diverge. With theexception of some separates pur-chased from Marantz Japan, Inc.(MJI), Marantz in North Americaoffered little that could be describedas inspired – or inspiring.

Instead, Marantz drifted more andmore towards “rack systems” of com-paratively inexpensive componentshoused in glass-door furniture styleequipment racks. The componentsthemselves were manufactured forSuperscope by a variety of OEMs (orig-inal equipment manufacturers) andthe quality varied widely.Consequently, these systems depend-ed far more on cosmetics than on per-formance for their appeal and wereoffered primarily through variousdepartment stores and credit cardcompanies (notably AmericanExpress). Their impact on the brandwas nothing short of devastating asMarantz became known in NorthAmerica as a “has-been.” Car stereocomponents, another failed experi-ment, further diffused the brand’s rep-utation.

By 1987, even these modest effortsproved too much for Superscope’sdeclining stamina. It sold the NorthAmerican rights to DynascanCorporation, a Chicago-based companybest known in consumer circles for itsCobra brand of CB radios and radardetectors. Marantz’s North Americanheadquarters was moved from SunValley, CA to Aurora, IL, a Chicago sub-urb, and the company started to regroup.

Unfortunately, Dynascan’s lack ofinternal engineering and manufactur-ing resources put the Marantz brand

in the same position that had hobbledit under the Superscope banner.Product offerings and marketingdirection suffered the same lack offocus as before. A new equipmentline called the Century Series includ-ed receivers manufactured by Sansui,a once-respected Japanese manufac-turer that, like Marantz in NorthAmerica, had fallen on hard timesand was struggling for survival itself.Dealer response was lukewarm atbest.

In late 1990, two Dynascan seniorexecutives, Jerry Kalov and FredHackendahl, flew to Philips’ head-quarters in Eindhoven, theNetherlands, and signed a contractthat reunited Marantz’s NorthAmerica marketing efforts with thoseof the Philips/Marantz network in therest of the world. Dynascan’s interestin the Marantz brand ceased and itsonly further involvement with Marantzwas to sell off its remaining inventoryof Marantz branded components.Philips would wait until this wasaccomplished before starting to revivethe brand. But there was reason tocelebrate: For the first time in tenyears, the Marantz brand was under asingle management and the destruc-tively schizophrenic existence wasended.

One area was left somewhat divided,however. MJI, or Marantz Japan, Inc.,was still a largely autonomous unit inthe Philips empire. As MJI was thedesign and production arm for

Marantz worldwide, there was still aminor disconnect between it andPhilips marketing efforts for theMarantz brand. Although this situa-tion was far better than what had pro-ceeded it, senior management at MJI,many of whom personally knew SaulMarantz, felt very strongly that totalintegration was needed. In short, theysaw the advantage of uniting design,manufacturing, marketing, and salesunder MJI’s control. Until then, theyfelt, Marantz would not be fullyreborn.

Home Theater,Saul’s Death, andthe Birth of theSuper Audio CD

The appearance of laser disc players in1985 eventually began to transformthe idea of home theater into reality. InJapan, initial enthusiasm for the con-cept declined rapidly after early excite-ment but grew substantially in theU.S. where high powered A/V receiversbecame more and more popular.

Marantz entered this exciting field withthe energy and dedication that camefrom restored corporate unity. Thecompany introduced the SM-80, itsfirst THX-certified amplifier in 1992followed that with the critically-acclaimed SR96 THX-certified receiv-er four years later. The ‘90s also sawthe VP8770, Marantz’s first LCD videofront projector, and the PD4280, the

Marantz’s SA-1 player brings new life to conventional CDs and plays the newhigh resolution SA-CD discs as well.

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first of its highly-praised flat-screenplasma TV monitors.

Sadly, the industry lost Saul Marantzwhen he died in January, 1997.

In early September, 1999, Sony andPhilips launched the SACD (or SuperAudio CD) as a replacement for the con-ventional CD which by then was 17 yearsold. Marantz, still benefiting from itslong relationship with Philips, intro-duced its first SACD player, the SA-1,two months later.

A Fully UnifiedMarantz

2001 marked a momentous time forMarantz Japan, Inc. It acquired thetrademark and distribution rightsfrom Philips and so became solelyresponsible for everything related toMarantz from initial product develop-ment through marketing. All Marantzsales subsidiaries, originally estab-lished by Philips throughout theworld, came under the control of MJIalso, thus paving the way for a trulyunified brand expansion.

In 2002, responding to ever-increas-ing competitive pressures, MJIbecame affiliated with D & MHoldings, Inc., an internationalinvestment and management groupthat now controls Denon, McIntoshLabs, Escient, Boston Acoustics, andseveral other brands in addition toMarantz.

Recent ProductAccomplishments

Since its acquisition by D & M,Marantz has found even morestrength. Recent product introduc-tions include a new Reference Serieswhich marries the aesthetic consider-ations so important to Saul Marantzwith advanced technology that prom-ises the finest in sound quality.

Examples include the MA-9S1 poweramplifier, the SC-7S1 preamplifier, andthe SA-11S1 CD/SACD disc player. The

choice of model numbers, particular-ly the first two, was not done care-lessly. Both power amp and preampwere conceived and designed to be asvisually exciting and sonically reward-ing as the Models 7 and 9 fromMarantz’s “classic” period more thanfour decades earlier.

A Look TowardsThe Future

Marantz is over 50 years old. Few com-panies in the home entertainmentindustry can boast of that longevity orof the tradition of high quality thatdrives the company today. Despite acomplex history, Marantz today is clos-er to its roots in high performance

home entertainment than it has beensince the 1960s.

Marantz is proud of that tradition butrecognizes that the true test of its com-mitment will be judged by every con-sumer who places trust in the companyby purchasing a Marantz component.

As a member of the Marantz Owners’Circle, we hope you’ve enjoyed thisunique company history. As we men-tioned in the Introduction, most of ourresearch in preparing it involved exten-sive interviews with people personallyassociated with Marantz the person andMarantz the company over many years.We thank them for their time and efforts.Again, our thanks also to Saul’s familyfor their invaluable contributions.

The Marantz Reference Series MA-9S1 Monaural Power Amplifier draws cosmetic inspiration directly from the classic Model 9 power amplifier.

The Reference Series SA-11S1 CD/SA-CD player extends the original Marantzaesthetic to the finest audio playback format available today.

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