Marantz 2270 issue

[derek244]

Hello everyone! This is my first post here. I am a super novice in regards to the audio field. A couple of years ago, I started buying a few vintage pieces and at the same time got into some vinyl. I grew up in the 70's and 80's and I was feeling nostalgic I guess.

I was not fully prepared for the fact that everything I bought (even at top dollar) was going to be broken or break soon after using it. Duh. The stuff is old, and I was expecting perfection:screwy:. Well, one of the units I bought was a Marantz 2270 with nice wood cabinet. I bought it on Ebay about 2 years ago, from a seller with good reviews etc etc. It well extremely (I mean EXTREMELY well) packed. I hooked it up and it worked fine, until I turned up the volume to 1/2 way. The distortion was terrible. Actually, the 2270 sounds worse than my little 2020. It just ain't right. I had been using a Sansui 9090 with the same speakers (Polk SDA2's) and had no issues at high volume. I tried different speakers, cables, and everything else. So, off to Needle In The Haystack here in Columbus. They said that there was a bad capacitor or something, and 100.00 later and 30 days later I had it back. Now, all this time later, I hooked it up yesterday. Same problem still exsists. The point is I need to know where to get this baby actually repaired. Out of the last three things I have had repaired here, they have failed shortly after being worked on. I have $400.00 in this unit, and it is very nice. Any suggestions? I am just not comfortable with working on it my self.

 

[Markw]

Hello everyone! This is my first post here. I am a super novice in regards to the audio field. A couple of years ago, I started buying a few vintage pieces and at the same time got into some vinyl. I grew up in the 70's and 80's and I was feeling nostalgic I guess.

I was not fully prepared for the fact that everything I bought (even at top dollar) was going to be broken or break soon after using it. Duh. The stuff is old, and I was expecting perfection:screwy:. Well, one of the units I bought was a Marantz 2270 with nice wood cabinet. I bought it on Ebay about 2 years ago, from a seller with good reviews etc etc. It well extremely (I mean EXTREMELY well) packed. I hooked it up and it worked fine, until I turned up the volume to 1/2 way. The distortion was terrible. Actually, the 2270 sounds worse than my little 2020. It just ain't right. I had been using a Sansui 9090 with the same speakers (Polk SDA2's) and had no issues at high volume. I tried different speakers, cables, and everything else. So, off to Needle In The Haystack here in Columbus. They said that there was a bad capacitor or something, and 100.00 later and 30 days later I had it back. Now, all this time later, I hooked it up yesterday. Same problem still exsists. The point is I need to know where to get this baby actually repaired. Out of the last three things I have had repaired here, they have failed shortly after being worked on. I have $400.00 in this unit, and it is very nice. Any suggestions? I am just not comfortable with working on it my self.

Look at the ads at the bottom of the forum pages here. Some specialize in repairing these things and they are members here. It may not be dirt cheap but, from what I've read from other members here, you can rest assured the work will be done right.

I'm hoping to send a unit or two out in a few months myself but am waiting on some $$$.

Hopefully, others will step forward and offer their personal experiences.

 

[airtime]

Contact Terry DeWick or any others below. could be one of a few problems.

charles

 

[SoCal Sam]

Distortion at 1/2 volume but no mention of issues below that? IIRC, the volume control is log so 12 o'clock is likely full power. I wonder if anything is really wrong.

BTW, welcome!

 

[derek244]

Thanks guys. I will do some contacting!

No, there are no problems before the volume knob is at the half way point. However, the actual volume seems to be alot less. All of my other recievers will literally blow this unit away right now, including my 20 watt Marantz 2220B. There is just not something right here.

 

[megawatt]

Distortion at 1/2 volume but no mention of issues below that? IIRC, the volume control is log so 12 o'clock is likely full power. I wonder if anything is really wrong.

BTW, welcome!

I would second this opinion....

 

[Punker X]

Especially if using a CD player with a real hot output. A turntable or something with a variable output might give a different symptom.

 

[SoCal Sam]

Thanks guys. I will do some contacting!

No, there are no problems before the volume knob is at the half way point. However, the actual volume seems to be alot less. All of my other recievers will literally blow this unit away right now, including my 20 watt Marantz 2220B. There is just not something right here.

What speakers are you using for your 2270 and 2220B? Have you eliminated a blown driver as the culprit?

 

[dspear99ca]

Surprised nobody's mentioned it before, but AK member catrafter is da man for Marantz repair/restoration. I'll wager he's got more Marantz parts (spares & OEM) and knowledge of appropriate replacements than anybody alive. I'd PM him if he doesn't chime in here.

Dave

 

[catrafter]

Surprised nobody's mentioned it before, but AK member catrafter is da man for Marantz repair/restoration. I'll wager he's got more Marantz parts (spares & OEM) and knowledge of appropriate replacements than anybody alive. I'd PM him if he doesn't chime in here.

Dave

Thanks for the props, Dave, but I'm far from being the best tech on this forum, nor do I have a huge stash of parts. I have spent a fair amount of time with my nose stuck inside Marantz gear however.

If a 2220B drives the speakers fine, I think a working 2270 would drive them too.
I wonder what the last guys to work on it did to it.
If they worked on the power amps, and messed up the ASO alignment it could cause poor performance.
If they are reputable, they should stand behind their work.

Tom

 

[Robisme]

Since the problem is with both channels (I gather), it has to be something both channels have in common.

I would start by checking power to the driver boards and the protect relay.

Also, just for the heck of it, verify that the output transistors are proper.

Edit: there was a service bulletin for the protect relay. If the serial number is 50261 or above , you should be OK.

Rob

 

[derek244]

You guys know your stuff for sure. The problem is that my knowledge is very limited. I would not know what these parts were upon looking inside. Rather than tinker and destroy, I think I need some expert repair. I have very limited information as to what was done in it's life. I will dig up some paperwork from the Ebay sale and see what I can find though. Granted, I still won't know what I am looking at.

The fact that I waited so long to test the unit out is my fault. I really don't want to mess with them if I have choice.

As far as the volume knob being incorrect and it acutally being at full volume: trust me, it isn't. I have pushed HPM100's for about 18 months with my Sansui 9090 at half volume and they are LOUD. I mentioned that I experimented with components when I first noticed it. I tried two vintage Dual turntables, a new Project Debut turntable, two different tape decks, at least 3 different cd players, and 4 sets of speakers. The problem was the same no matter what combination of units or cables were used. I literally spent hours switching things around. In the end, the little Marantz 2220, Sansui 9090, and a 10 year old Denon A/V reciever sounded just fine. I appreciate everyone's input for sure.

 

[mpholland]

Not sure what capacitor(s) got changed, but am assuming the big power cans. I am wondering if the issue might be something as simple as needing a nice dexoit treatment in the volume pot. Along the same lines, corrosion in some of the other switches and knobs can cause issues in the audio path.

 

[SoCal Sam]

Did you replace the interconnects?

 

[derek244]

Did you replace the interconnects?

Forgive my ignorance, but I am not sure what an interconnect is. Is that the same thing as an RCA cable? If so, I tried about 5 different pairs from cheapies to Monster Cable (which I am sure is a "cheapie" by some standards!) No change whatsoever

 

[SoCal Sam]

Forgive my ignorance, but I am not sure what an interconnect is. Is that the same thing as an RCA cable? If so, I tried about 5 different pairs from cheapies to Monster Cable (which I am sure is a "cheapie" by some standards!) No change whatsoever

Should have been more specific, check the pre-main interconnects on the back panel. I wonder if you took them out and didn't put them back in. In this scenario, you will get very little volume and it will seem like the power is gone.

The other things to double check are the source selectors and the tape monitor switches. Make sure your controls are set properly.

 

[whsh93a]

The other thing to check when a weird problem appears like this is the two screws under the front headphone and tape jacks. Back the screws out that hold the feet to the case and see what happens. They are often too long and short out the jacks causing exactly your problem.

Do NOT clean your volume control. It has nothing to do with the problem - believe me. You will only successfully remove the silicone loading and destroy the "feel" of the control.

DH

 

[derek244]

Well, I took a closer look at the 2270. I think the interconnects are there. They appear to be made of black plastic and are connecting some RCA connectors. I took it out of the wood case and removed the bottom plate/cover. I did not see any butchering or burned spots. The big "can" capacitors look to be untouched. The previous owners paperwork has no information on previous repairs besides a mention of Deoxit. Everything else works on this reciever (lights, balance, tuner, inputs, etc.). However, it is frustrating me.

 

[SoCal Sam]

The other thing to check when a weird problem appears like this is the two screws under the front headphone and tape jacks. Back the screws out that hold the feet to the case and see what happens. They are often too long and short out the jacks causing exactly your problem...

This happened to me. I couldn't figure it out until I hooked it up with the case and covers off.

 

[SoCal Sam]

Well, I took a closer look at the 2270. I think the interconnects are there. They appear to be made of black plastic and are connecting some RCA connectors. I took it out of the wood case and removed the bottom plate/cover. I did not see any butchering or burned spots. The big "can" capacitors look to be untouched. The previous owners paperwork has no information on previous repairs besides a mention of Deoxit. Everything else works on this reciever (lights, balance, tuner, inputs, etc.). However, it is frustrating me.

OK, looks like the basics are covered. Interconnects are present and controls look set correctly. Let's make sure the feet screws are not shorting the signal. Remove the wood case and try again. If no go, we need to isolate the problem. Remove the interconnects and with a known good preamp and amp, test your 2270's preamp and main amp.