Marantz Melody I
The Marantz Melody I sits awkwardly in the catalog, and in the record. Depending on which source you read, it's either a "stereo receiver" or a "compact music system." As best as can be pieced together, it was both in spirit: a compact stereo system built to look like a classic Marantz receiver, with the styling cues of the early-70s units that made the brand famous. It combined a tuner, amplifier, and cassette deck in one box, with FM/MW/LW coverage and a remote control for the tuner and cassette functions.
Two German sources, Hifi-Wissen and Audio-Tipp, cover the Melody I, and they don't always agree on the numbers. Hifi-Wissen lists amplifier output at 2 × 25 watts RMS into 8 ohms, while Audio-Tipp says 2 × 22 watts. Frequency response claims range from 20-20,000 Hz (Hifi-Wissen) to 40-20,000 Hz (Audio-Tipp). Signal-to-noise figures differ too: 73 dB versus 68 dB. Rather than pick a winner, it's safest to say the Melody I was a modestly-powered compact system, adequate for casual listening and not for filling a large room. The same review praised the retro styling nods to the legendary Marantz 2270 and 2285 receivers.
The look is really the Melody I's main draw today. It traded on the Marantz name and the classic receiver look, rather than on class-leading performance. The record shows a phono input (MM) and high-level inputs, with sensitivity figures that vary by source, plus speaker outputs rated for 4-8 ohm loads.
Production years, original price, dimensions and weight aren't documented. None of that appears in the available sources. A current eBay listing from heide-trading describes a fully functional, freshly serviced example with all controls working, remote control included, but no original box.
Known specs, with the caveat that sources conflict on several values:
- Amplifier output: 2 × 22-25 watts RMS at 8 ohms
- Tuner: FM/MW/LW
- Cassette deck with remote control
- Phono input (MM)
- Speaker impedance: 4–8 ohms
- Frequency response: 20-20,000 Hz or 40-20,000 Hz (source dependent)
Similar items on eBay
No exact Marantz Melody I listings are live right now — these searches show current Marantz and similar vintage audio gear on eBay:
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.
Related Models
- Marantz 1090
- Marantz 10B
- Marantz 1120 (1971–1977)
- Marantz 1180
- Marantz 1200B