Hi everyone.

Complete noob here... I am a the proud owner of an old Marantz 2245. This thing was built well before I was born, haha.

I live in the Huntsville, Ontario area, which is only minutes from Axiom's factory location, and I'm interested in purchasing a pair of speakers mainly for music listening.

I am looking at M3s and M22s, but I'm afraid the M3s won't cut it at high levels, even at the 175 watt rating. Am I crazy or should I be looking at the M22s instead, or neither?

I am currently running an 80s-era pair of Mitsubishi SS-7600 speakers. 100 w per channel, 8 ohm impedance, and they sound fantastic, if that helps.

I like a lot of different music, mainly old hardcore and metal, Led Zep, Sonic Youth, the Pixies, classic rock, etc., and I like to turn up the volume...

Any opinions?

Thanks,
- Tom

Oooh, pretty. Let's start with the room size. Both of them should be quite adequate in a smaller room.

It's set up in my living room, which itself is about 15x15, but also opens up into the dining room which is about the same...

I suppose you could say that it is roughly 15x30.

Well, since you're unlikely to be adding a sub, my first inclination would be the M3s, since they have a bass hump that will help with the perception of bass--they don't actually go lower than the M22s, but they sound like they do.

Actually, my first inclination would be towers, but that's just me.

When you say towers, is that because the old Marantz 22s are so sexy, and it would be a shame not to? Or because the M3s or M22s won't cut it?

I suppose that is difficult to say.

I like towers. And I like bass. The M3s and M22s are very, very good bookshelf speakers, but I really prefer at least the M22s with a sub. M50s, M60s, M80s, you don't necessarily need one.

M3s I would listen to without a sub, but when I've listened to M22s back to back with and without a sub, I really miss one.

Bear in mind that my primary speakers are M80s, before that M50s. I also use a sub all the time. I have M22s, but they're on extended loan to my parents...

Good to know.
Thanks for the advice.

Do you have the wooden cover for your 2245? I never had one of those for my 2220 or 2252.

I'm curious where you're getting this 175 watt rating... I thought Marantz 2200 series meant that the last 2 digits were the wattage.

Actually I do have the WC 22 cover, but I removed it because I couldn't slip this behemoth into my entertainment unit with it on, and I am about to take the receiver in and get it serviced in Toronto (has two lamps out, needs bias adjusted, etc). Not sure I will put the wood cabinet back on...

About the 175 watts, I was referring to the M3 speakers, not the receiver. That is the max rating of the M3s, right??
The receiver cranks out 45 per channel (1970s mind you)...

Ah, the wattage rating on speakers is largely irrelevant. What you're looking for for loudness comparisons is sensitivity aka SPL. 96dB at 1 watt/1 meter is pretty darn sensitive.

Is 1970s WPC like or unlike 1970s HP?

Nice to meet a fellow Marantz 2200 owner on here, btw...
You are spot-on though, the last two digits are the wattage.

My dad has the same 2270 he bought brand new in Detroit after he got married, and just had it fully serviced last year. It still gets jealous glares at the service shop actually.

I'm not a current owner, sadly... mine broke many years ago and I didn't have the means to fix them. I wish I had managed to keep the 2252, though. I like all silver face ones.

I have a 1990s vintage Marantz stereo receiver, but that doesn't count for much.

I wish I could say, but it was before my time, and like I said, I'm a noooob.
I suspected that using wattage alone to compare modern gear with antique gear would be foolhardy since the manufacturers of old equipment were measuring "continuous" power output for sustained listening, not perfect laboratory conditions for only seconds at a time.
Then again, what do I know?

Tom, welcome. Yes, I sense that you really are a proud Marantz owner. I'd suggest the M22s for use with your 2245. While a sub would be desirable, I found that mine did a fine job for most music(not including pipe organ)without a sub.

As to power ratings, you may have read something from someone who knows almost nothing about how they're measured. All receivers and separate amplifiers have to comply with FTC regulations for amplifier power ratings. Among the specific requirements is that the unit has to be driven at the rated maximum power for at least five continuous minutes. This is a very severe test which would never be duplicated in actual home listening, and no type of short term power rating is allowed for the basic rating.

It would be a crime to not pair that receiver with M80's!

That's a very desirable amplification source. The vintage Marantz market has exploded this past year or so. They are very, very excellent sounding receivers... and becoming highly sought after.

So much better for two channel listening than any modern HT receivers (despite what a lot of the "amps do not matter" crowd say) that has all those crappy dsp/digital processing whoo-ha.

And the Marantz tuner section is infinitely better than the modern ones.

I believe HT AV receivers are best for movies and surround music. For two channel, purist "stereo hi-fi", what you have (and the higher end stuff) is better...

And if you want to get rid of your Marantz, let me know, I'll buy it right now!

If you are in Huntsville and near Axiom, I would make the trip to the factory and have a listen to all the speakers Axiom has to offer and then you can make your own fully informed decision as to which speakers you prefer.

Hmmm. I wonder if Shania Twain is in her summer home yet?

She's in town(T.O.) to do some talk shows, so Chesseroo's chances of getting arrested again are good

2245 A classic receiver!! My sister had one and I asked to be first in line if she ever sold it. She still runs it in her den 2 channel rig. I run 70's era Pioneer seperate integrated amp and tuner in my workshop and love the sound coming thru some vintage JBL's.

AGAIN?!?! Did I miss something on Ian's dock?

The dance police certainly looked angry but I didn't see an actual arrest. Just a lot of threatening night stick tapping.

I think that I did okay.

Picked this Marantz up a few weeks ago for $160 from a guy who only had a fleeting notion of what it was about. I'm fairly pleased, although it needs a thorough service job since it was clearly in a smoker's home, and has several pounds of dust bunnies inside the cabinet. I was originally looking for something in the 2270 model range, or higher, but these models are typically fetching $400 or more right now...

I really don't give a rat's ass about surround sound or movie use, I'm a music lover and that is why I have opted for a 2-channel dinosaur receiver. Speaking of which, J Mascis' guitar howl sounds excellent through this machine

I have to say, it's pretty cool to jump on these forums and have a bunch of you audio experts giving it the two thumbs up or whatever.

Everyone seems to have a different opinion of which speakers to run, but I appreciate the tips. Maybe I need to shell out the extra cash and opt for the towers... and I'll definitely be popping into the factory soon

As for Shania, she still likes to pretend that she never got her start in Huntsville, haha...

Ya, what exactly did i miss?

Hi everyone,

Recently picked up a Marantz 2245 as well...I'm a noob myself and am wondering what the proper gauge of speaker wire would be to power a pair of M80s. Thoughts?

Depends on e distance, if it's close (<6 ft, I think), 16ga. <10, say 14 ga. 12 or 10, otherwise,

You can find speaker wire so cheap these days, just use 12 awg wire for everything.

If you need a lot of wire buy some from here. Dirt cheap.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10239

If you don't need a lot go to your local hardware store or a big box store like walmart and get some 12 awg from there. It won't cost much.

Lots of older receivers don't accept either banana plugs or 12awg wire. I'd still use it and simply clip some strands off the bare end until it is narrow enough to fit.

JM, welcome. For a good explanation of speaker wire in general, and a table of suggested gauges in particular, study this information from a veteran audio professional.

Use string.

and 2 tin cans.

I'm using 14 gauge lamp cord with my 2245 and it sounds fantastic. Lamp cord is cheap and effective.

By the way, I opted for a pair of Paradigm Studio 9 v3s that I found on Kijiji...
Don't shoot me for being a traitor guys! I got them for $350 and they are in excellent shape.
At least I bought Canadian speakers

Nice find! You can still get the QS-8s and be an Axiomite.

Traitor, burn him and his Paradigms


As long as you are happy with your purchase, that is all that matters. Nice find BTW.