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Marantz 33 advice needed!

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Posted on March 31, 2001 at 10:58:29
gware


 
The Marantz 33 seems to not fetch much money, which could mean I can maybe afford one; would it be a dramatic mismatch to an 8B tube amp? Does it have any kind of phono stage?
Can the 33 also be used for bi-amping?
Any advice most appreciated!!

 

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Re: Marantz 33 advice needed!, posted on March 31, 2001 at 13:23:03
Gannet


 
The 33 is only a bit newer than an 8B, so it should be an excellent match. It has dual phono inputs and dual outputs, so it will biamp your turntable just fine. :)

I think it would be a good unit for your purposes. For more specs, see the entry at the Classic Marantz site, below:

 

Re: Marantz 33 advice needed!, posted on March 31, 2001 at 20:07:10
Brian Levy


 
Forget it. As preamps go, it is typical for its generation of poorly designed and executed preamps. The earlier 7t (Sid Smith/Saul Marantz design) was better sounding, though not up to snuff with the 7c, the tube preamp of the same vintage as the 8b. An alternative is the ARC SP-3 series preamp. Similar to the 7c but not fetching the $. Another inexpensive match would be the Van Alstine Super PAS3X modified Dynaco PAS3X amp. This preamp is somewhat more neutral and dryer sounding than the Marantz or ARC but, tube life seems forever and it is both well made and as good sounding as preamp costing several times its modest price. None of these alternatives to the 33 seem to be fetching big dollars on eBay. Oh, I've tried all on a model 8.

 

Re: Marantz 33 advice needed!, posted on March 31, 2001 at 21:11:05
overclocker


 
It would be tantamount to towing a yacht with a VW... The 8b is a standard for fidelity and sought after the world over- it really deserves at least a tube preamp. It's a shame the 7c is so expensive- I had one and couldn't resist the lure of the big $$$ and sold it for enough to buy another preamp, and 2 power amps.

A used CJ can be had for a moderate price if you can tolerate the lush, slightly dark sound. ARC can also be found but for a little more money, and they are the opposite side of the coin-detailed to the point of the analytical.

If you are on a tight budget, and aesthetics are less important than the music, try a Bottlehead Foreplay- that'll get you a couple thousand dollars worth of musicality for a $200 +/- pricetag. Of course you have to build it yourself. It's DEFINITELY worth the effort!

 

Re: Marantz 33 advice needed!, posted on April 1, 2001 at 09:22:20
gware


 
Many thanks to all of you that replied!

 

Thanks to all for advice given., posted on April 1, 2001 at 23:58:22
gware


 
Thanks to everyone for the advice, much appreciated!!

 

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