Marantz 12U
Not much is documented about the Marantz 12U. What the record shows is a series of Marantz advertisements from 1968 for the SLT-12U Straight-Line Tracking Turntable at $295, placed next to the 7T solid-state stereo preamplifier console ($325) and the Model 15 solid-state power amplifier. Marantz's own ad in Audio (June 1968, p.25) opened with the line that a Marantz stereo component isn't built for the mass market - "and that's what's so good about it" - and argued that the price is exactly why the equipment could be as good as it was. The same campaign ran in High Fidelity (September 1968, p.35) and continued into late 1968.
Past those ads, the record is essentially empty. No manual, no schematic, no independent lab test and no specification sheet has surfaced for the 12U in the usual archives. If the 12U designation refers to the SLT-12U - and the surviving ads are the only evidence connecting the two - then this was a straight-line tracking turntable at the top of Marantz's late-1960s lineup, aimed at the same buyer who would pair it with the 7T and Model 15. The drive system, the tonearm and cartridge compatibility are all undocumented.
Known facts:
- Straight-line tracking turntable, per Marantz advertising (1968)
- Advertised price: $295
- Advertised alongside the 7T preamp ($325) and Model 15 power amplifier
eBay Listings
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.