The receiver (tuner/amplifier) has always divided opinion, in the UK at least. While popular in Europe and the US, the British market never embraced these units to the degree it did separate tuners and amplifiers. And this wasn't because they could not rival a two-box counterpart on performance due to any technical reason. The real issue was that two top-quality units built into one housing could result in an indivisibly expensive product, one many consumers may not have been able to afford.

The major manufacturers of receivers in Europe included Braun and B&O, but as a rule the behemoths produced for the US market were not readily available on UK shores. There were exceptions to this, of course, but the largest selection of models came probably from Marantz.

Power Couple

The company's range of receivers for the 1978 season was impressive for both the breadth of choice and the quality of what was on offer. No fewer than 14 models were listed, ranging from the budget 1515 to the top spec 2600. The same series also featured the mighty 1300DC integrated amplifier [HFN Feb '14] which, on paper, was rated at 150W into 8ohm across the full 20Hz-20kHz audio frequency range.

Impressive as this specification was, Marantz's flagship 2600 receiver doubled that figure. This model claimed a full 420W (at 1kHz into 4ohm) making one of the most powerful receivers available at the time. Furthermore, it backed up this epic amplifier performance with an advanced tuner section that included an oscilloscope display to facilitate the most accurate tuning.

Six further models separated the 2600 from the Model 2226B seen here, but viewed in isolation the specification of the latter could still be considered generous. It was rated at just over a sixth of the power at 26W/8ohm [though higher in practice] but it was still a substantial unit that looked the part.

On The Fly

Over the lesser 2216B, which was built onto a slightly smaller chassis, the Model 2226B offered dual-concentric tone controls for treble, middle and bass, a centre tuning meter and a high (scratch) filter. The 2226B had in fact been a re-design of the previous year's 2226. As well as a re-styled fascia, the new model benefited from simplified internal construction with sensible rationalisation of some of the assemblies - for example, the power supply regulator and power amplifier PCBs had been combined into one. The circuits themselves were largely unaltered aside from a few detail updates, the basic performance parameters of both versions being essentially the same.

Like most Marantz receivers to appear that year, the radio tuning was operated by a flywheel mounted horizontally known as 'Gyro Touch', a distinctive feature that was unique to the company. As well as offering complete coverage of the MW and FM bands, inputs were provided for a turntable (MM cartridge), two tape recorders (one with a monitoring loop) and an auxiliary line level source. This would later become the ideal way to hook up a CD player to the system. Buyers would also have the option of the Model 2226BL, which added LW coverage to the tuner. Additionally, a black anodised fascia could be ordered as an alternative to the traditional Marantz champagne gold.

Damp Proofing

The tuner also followed the standard practice for a quality design of the late 1970s. In particular, the stereo decoder was constructed mainly on an integrated circuit and used the phase locked loop (PLL) principle to give good separation, even when signal strength was less than optimal. Mechanical tuning was utilised with a five-gang variable capacitor (three for FM, two for AM), the bulk of the signal processing being performed by a standard Hitachi chipset comprising three parts.

Aside from the radio, the main source with which receivers were expected to be used was, of course, a turntable. To obtain the best performance, a three-stage RIAA equalising amplifier was employed (two stages were the norm at this level at the time), running from an elevated voltage of 33V to achieve decent headroom.

One of the great things about the Marantz 2226B is that if you didn't know there were seven models above it in the range you could easily believe it was a fairly top-end product. It is pleasingly large, impressively heavy at 11.5kg, and immaculately finished. There are a few ergonomic quirks (why, for example, are the high and low filter switches in separate, unrelated banks and not placed together?) while the split tone controls for each channel are somewhat pointless. But otherwise this is a pleasant unit to operate.

The flywheel tuning system in particular is a joy to use, though I do wonder why the volume control is so small and placed so that the tuning and volume settings can't easily be adjusted simultaneously with separate hands. Connecting other equipment poses no problems, although the loudspeaker terminals suit bare wires only and won't accept cables that are really thick. The 'Aux' and 'Tape 2' inputs are ideal for modern sources, such as CD players and DACs, and as the volume control regulates the signal going into the first stage of the amp, there is no fear of distortion caused by overloading from high signal levels.

Tim listens

Plump, chunky basslines, bright extended treble... there's not a hint of worthy-but-dull dryness about this receiver. Rather, its all about dynamics and fun. The DC coupling gives a fair degree of load control at low frequencies so bass retains good definition, even when the amplifier is working hard. Yet oddly, it is the bass that first falls apart when the amp's limit is reached. Unlike many rivals, treble does not degrade noticeably when the line is crossed, but the low-end turns hard and messy in a way that lets the listener know that the hard working output transistors have no more to give. Nonetheless, the 2226B avoids the 'small amplifier sound' I have commented on in the past. It is therefore, subjectively at least, just powerful enough for serious, critical use.

If the amplifier has a sonic flaw it is that the part of the midrange which encompasses female vocals can sound a little strident, even in combination with forgivingly voiced sources and speakers. True, the effect is slight, and only really evident when compared to best-in-class performance, but it can be difficult to set aside once identified.

Immaculate Reception

As an example, Cyndi Lauper's vocal on 'The World Is Stone' - taken from the compilation album Twelve Deadly Cyns [Epic 447363 2] - sounded as if it had been remixed with the vocal track turned up slightly. The effect is not in itself unpleasant, but it is presumably contrary to the singer's original intentions. This observation aside, the performance of the amplifier section of the 2226B demonstrates that there is no reason to believe that receivers are necessarily the poor relation to separate components.

A performance of Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov by the New York Metropolitan Opera on BBC Radio 3 (90.3MHz) presented an excellent opportunity to assess the quality of the 2226B's tuner section. With a modest rooftop antenna it was possible to secure noise-free reception in stereo. Unlike some, the 2226B's signal strength meter is sensibly calibrated and doesn't swing over to maximum as soon as anything is received. Stereo image width and depth were both satisfactory, although I think listening directly from a CD results in a larger spread of sound. Tonally the tuner's sound was slightly soft when compared to records and CDs, but the rendering of fine detail reached a high standard - one would need a separate tuner of a high calibre to better the 2226B in this respect.

The quality and usefulness of this unit's FM section demonstrated the appeal of the receiver concept. After all, why have just an amplifier when, for no additional complexity aside from the provision of an aerial and (at current values) no extra cost, you can enjoy unlimited and reliable entertainment for free?

Yes, given a choice I think I would opt for one of the slightly more powerful models in the Marantz range, the 2252B looking like it may have been the sweet spot. However, the 2226B is a sensibly specified piece of work, which has much to commend it. I found it thoroughly enjoyable to audition.

Buying Secondhand

The 2226B may have been designed in California but it was made entirely in Japan, which is a good thing from the point of view of reliability. Most have lived trouble-free lives, the most common problem seeming to be the failure of the lamps behind the fascia (of which there are many).

Fine Fettle

The amplifier needs only the occasional checking of its bias currents and offset voltages to keep it in fine fettle, although it should be noted that the only thing protecting your loudspeakers in the event of the failure of the output transistors when it comes to this design is a fuse in each channel.

It is thus vital to ensure the correct type (2.5A, time delay) is fitted before connecting speakers of any value to one of these units. The use of 13A mains fuses, foil from KitKat wrappers, and pieces of sawn-off nail definitely won't do!

Failure of the tuner to receive programmes in stereo despite strong mono reception is normally due to a drift in the setting of the oscillator inside the stereo decoder IC. Fractional adjustment of the VCO preset R301 normally cures this. If this doesn't remedy the issue, replace the HA1196 decoder chip.

Hi-Fi News Verdict

Receivers may not top every audiophile's wishlist, but on this showing it's difficult to see why. The cost when bought new has been neutralised on the vintage market, so you are now effectively getting a free matching tuner when you buy the amplifier. Solid and well made, the 2226B is a refined performer and feels like it will last forever provided it's cared for. It also has just enough power for use in a main system.

Marantz Model 2226B receiver Lab Report

It's 'pick a number' time when trying to interpret Marantz's rated output for the Model 2226B - 44W/8ohm and 53W/4ohm (1kHz, DIN) or 26W/8ohm and 33W/4ohm (20Hz-20kHz, FTC), all with a specified harmonic distortion of 0.1%. In practice, our sample achieved 2x45W/8ohm and 2x63W/4ohm (re. 1kHz/<1% THD) with sufficient headroom in that regulated PSU to support 59W/8ohm under dynamic conditions, struggling slightly thereafter to deliver just 65W, 23W and 10W into 4, 2 and 1ohm loads respectively [see Graph 1, below]. Tested via its Aux input, overall gain was just +38dB - relatively low for the era but far better placed for use with today's 2V line-level sources. The A-wtd S/N ratio is a few dB below modern contemporaries at 82dB (re. 0dBW) while distortion proved only a little higher than advertised, climbing from a very respectable 0.01%/1kHz/1W to 0.085%/10W and 0.2%/40W, all into 8ohm. Versus frequency, there's a slight increase at the extremes to 0.014%/20Hz and 0.023%/20kHz (re. 1W/8ohm), and a more general increase with level [see Graph 2], but a much more significant increase when driving tougher 4 and 2ohm loads [again, see Graph 1].

There's 'colour' from the default frequency response too, our sample showing a -0.5dB/300Hz dip followed by a +0.5dB/40Hz boost and a subsonic -6dB bass roll-off of 4Hz. The top-end shows a broad +0.35dB boost from 2kHz-20kHz (the tone controls cannot be defeated), reaching out to -1.5dB/100kHz. Meanwhile, the 'Low Filter' invokes a broad sub-1kHz slope of -0.5dB/55Hz, -3dB/125Hz and -6dB/65Hz while the 'Hi Filter' rolls the treble off above 2kHz to -3dB/5kHz, -10dB/20kHz and -15dB/100kHz. Plenty here to keep you entertained! PM

Power output (<1% THD, 8/4ohm) 45W / 63W
Dynamic power (<1% THD, 8/4/2/1ohm) 59W / 65W / 23W / 10W
Output imp. (20Hz-20kHz/100kHz) 0.55-0.65ohm / 1.4ohm
Freq. resp. (20Hz-20kHz/100kHz, 0dBW) -0.5dB to +0.35dB/-1.5dB
Input sensitivity (for 0dBW/44W) 36mV / 235mV
A-wtd S/N ratio (re. 0dBW/44W) 82.0dB / 98.4dB
Distortion (20Hz-20kHz, 10W/8ohm) 0.055-0.09%
Power consumption (Idle/rated output) 18W / 165W
Dimensions (WHD) / Weight 440x137x365mm / 11.5kg 

Review: Tim Jarman, Lab: Paul Miller

Source: www.hifinews.com