Marantz, a leading manufacturer of high-performance audio and video equipment, is proud to announce the launch of the silver gold finish for its Marantz SACD 30n, CINEMA 40 and 50 AVR receivers. The new color will be available exclusively on Marantz.com, giving customers a unique and stylish option for their home theater systems.
- The silver gold color is a premium finish that creates a luxurious and sophisticated appearance, giving customers one more option to fit their personal style and decor.
- Customers who purchase a receiver with the silver gold finish will receive Marantz’s renowned customer service and support, including a five-year warranty and access to expert technical support
- CINEMA 40 and 50 come with a full range of features, including support for the latest audio and video formats, multi-room audio, and voice control through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
The silver gold finish for CINEMA 40 and 50 will be available for purchase on Marantz.com in the United States and Canada starting May 15th, 2023. For more information visit Marantz.com.
The History of Marantz: From Saul’s Basement to Audiophile Legend
If you’ve been around the audiophile block even once, chances are you’ve come across a piece of gear with the Marantz name on it. Maybe it was your dad’s glowing blue receiver from the 1970s. Maybe it was your first CD player in college. Or maybe it’s the two-channel integrated amp sitting in your rack right now. Marantz is one of those rare legacy brands in audio that never fully left the conversation, even as formats, ownership, and design philosophies shifted over the decades.
But to understand why the Marantz name still carries weight today, you have to rewind to the beginning—and it doesn’t start in Japan or in some multinational boardroom. It starts in a Queens, New York basement with a frustrated audiophile and a soldering iron.
Saul Marantz: The Reluctant Founder
In the early 1950s, Saul B. Marantz was a music lover and amateur tinkerer who couldn’t find a preamp that did what he wanted. So he built his own. That DIY creation, which became the “Audio Consolette,” was the kind of product that would never make it past a corporate focus group today. It was built for performance, not price point. And it struck a chord with a very specific, very passionate group of early hi-fi nuts.
By 1953, Marantz officially became a company. That first product evolved into the Model 1 preamp—tube-based, precise, and built like a tank. This was back when gear was made to last decades, not product cycles. The Model 1 wasn’t cheap, but it was a revelation for serious listeners, and it set the tone for what Marantz would become known for: musicality, engineering excellence, and a little bit of New York attitude.
The Golden Years
The 1950s and early 1960s were arguably the high-water mark for Marantz as a pure audiophile company. Saul and his team followed up with a string of hits: the Model 2 power amp, the Model 7 stereo preamp, the Model 8B, the Model 9 monoblocks, and the Model 10B FM tuner—a tuner, mind you, that’s still regarded as one of the best ever made. These weren’t just products; they were statements. And they weren’t just for engineers—they were for music lovers.
The sound of these early Marantz components was smooth, detailed, and, most importantly, engaging. They weren’t designed to win bench tests; they were designed to make music come alive. And that’s a distinction many modern companies forget when chasing specs and buzzwords.
A Sale, a Shift, and a New Chapter in Japan
In 1964, Saul sold the company to Superscope, which is when things started to change. Not necessarily for the worse—just different. Superscope helped scale the brand globally, and by the late ’60s and early ’70s, manufacturing began shifting to Japan. That move brought with it a level of precision and consistency that defined the next wave of Marantz products.
The Marantz receivers of the 1970s—like the 2230, 2270, and 2325—are still cult classics for good reason. They sounded great. They looked even better. And they were built like they were intended to survive a nuclear war. The glowing blue dial, the brushed aluminum faceplate, the real walnut cabinets—Marantz wasn’t just selling sound; they were selling pride of ownership.
Today, those same models are trading hands on eBay and Reverb for as much—or more—than they cost new. And yes, they still sound surprisingly good when properly restored, especially with some modern speakers.
Philips, Compact Discs, and the Digital Era
The 1980s brought more changes. Philips, the Dutch electronics giant and co-inventor of the compact disc, took control of most of Marantz outside the U.S. This ended up being a smart match. Philips had the tech; Marantz had the tuning.
Together, they released some of the first serious CD players, including the legendary CD-63. These players didn’t just check the “digital” box—they actually sounded musical, which was no small feat in the early days of harsh, sterile digital audio.
Even as vinyl took a backseat in the mainstream, Marantz stayed relevant. Their digital products still leaned warm and smooth—closer to analog in spirit than many of their competitors. If you were a holdout audiophile still clinging to tubes, you could at least live with a Marantz CD player.
The Ishiwata Era
You can’t talk about Marantz without mentioning Ken Ishiwata. For decades, Ishiwata was the face, the ears, and the soul of Marantz’s high-end products. While his official title was engineer and brand ambassador, what he really did was make Marantz sound like Marantz.
His KI Signature models—CD players, integrated amps, and even receivers—were more than just marketing fluff. Ishiwata personally tuned these products, often by upgrading op-amps, caps, and layout. The result was consistently musical gear that offered real performance at real-world prices.
Ken’s influence on Marantz’s sound and identity can’t be overstated. He gave the brand continuity through years of ownership changes and shifting trends. When he passed away in 2019, the audiophile world lost one of its true tastemakers.
Mergers, Modern Marantz, and Streaming in Style
In the 2000s, Marantz merged with Denon to form D&M Holdings. The two companies shared some back-end resources, but Marantz kept its identity focused on two-channel purity. Then in 2017, the brand became part of Sound United, a conglomerate that also includes Polk Audio, Bowers & Wilkins, and others.
Today’s Marantz lineup is a mix of tradition and modernity. You’ll find network streamers, HDMI-packed AV receivers, and full digital-integrated amps—but you’ll also find high-end Reference Series components like the PM-10 and SA-10. These are flagship-level, no-compromise pieces that compete with much more expensive boutique gear.
The sound is still unmistakably Marantz: warm, detailed, never fatiguing. Maybe a touch romantic. And that’s just fine with most listeners.
