Marantz EQ430 (c. 1983)
The Marantz EQ430 is an odd hybrid. It is a ten-band stereo graphic equalizer, a small audio mixer, and an echo and chorus unit in one box. It was sold in Japan around 1983 at ¥69,800. Documentation is thin and mostly comes from a single Japanese database, so some details below rest on that one source.
The input flexibility is the interesting part. The front panel takes two microphones, a guitar or keyboard input, and tape 1/2 and line sources, all mixable in combination. Each mic channel has a pan pot, so vocals can be placed across the stereo image. Marantz suggested plugging an electric guitar into the guitar/keyboard jack and using your own amplifier as a practice amp. The graphic EQ section covers ten bands from 31.5 Hz to 16 kHz at ±12 dB. The echo/chorus effect uses a BBD delay line with up to 100 msec delay and 0 to 2 seconds of reverberation. A master volume controls overall output level.
Specs from the same source: line/tape input sensitivity 150 mV/47 kΩ; mic inputs 2 mV/20 kΩ; frequency response 20 Hz - 20 kHz ±1 dB; distortion 0.03% (line, 1 kHz, 1 V); S/N 70 dB (line, JIS-A). It draws 18W and measures 416 × 128 × 260 mm, weighing 4.4 kg. Production dates conflict across sources. One lists 1985-86, another suggests 1982, so treat c. 1983 as approximate.
Surviving owner comments are scarce but warm. One owner paired it with a Marantz PM520 DC amplifier and called the combination “a pure masterpiece.” Another described acquiring one new in original packaging. Service manuals appear to circulate among collectors. There is no documented record of common failures, positioning within Marantz’s lineup, or current market pricing.
Known Specs
- Type: Graphic equalizer and audio mixer
- EQ bands: 31.5, 63, 125, 250, 500, 1k, 2k, 4k, 8k, 16 kHz, ±12 dB
- Inputs: Mic 1 & 2, Guitar/Keyboard, Line, Tape 1 & 2
- Effects: BBD echo (100 msec delay), chorus, reverb 0–2 sec
- Dimensions: 416 × 128 × 260 mm; 4.4 kg
- Original price: ¥69,800 (c. 1983)
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