Marantz Model 22J (circa 1970)
The Marantz Model 22J was the company's first AM/FM stereo receiver. It sold for ¥153,000 around 1970. It wasn't designed from scratch. Marantz took the tuner section from the separate Model 23J and paired it with a big amplifier section rated at 40 watts per channel into 8Ω (80W continuous, 20Hz-20kHz). The tuner specs are thorough for the period: IHF sensitivity of 2.4µV, 80dB selectivity, 40dB stereo separation at 1kHz. The amplifier holds harmonic distortion to 0.3% or less at rated output.
The 22J has several signature Marantz touches. The front panel has two meters, one for signal strength and one for center tuning and multipath indication. Tuning is Marantz's gyro-touch, so you spin the flywheel directly to pick a station. The protection circuit is a variable overlap drive (V.O.D.) design with double transistor safety circuitry, intended to guard both transistors and speakers under fault conditions. The tuner section uses two FETs and four ICs. The phono preamp stage also uses two FETs, and the power amplifier uses two ICs. There are two phono inputs, and front-panel tape dubbing jacks let you connect a second deck without reaching around back. An adjustable inter-station muting circuit suppresses FM tuning noise. The usual low and high filters are there, along with a main/sub speaker selector. The wood case was optional. A walnut WC-3 cabinet sold separately for ¥8,500.
The historical record on the 22J is thin. No production years are firmly documented, and no period reviews or owner commentary have surfaced in the archive. One owner description on an image board calls it "heavy metal weight on my board," which fits its listed 13.6kg mass. The same source suggests the amplifier section comfortably exceeded its rated output in testing, but that claim is unattributed and should be treated cautiously.
- Type: AM/FM stereo receiver (Marantz's first)
- Power output: 40W + 40W (8Ω, RMS, both channels driven); 120W IHF music power
- FM sensitivity: 2.4µV (IHF)
- FM selectivity: 80dB
- Dimensions: 429 × 140 × 356 mm (W×H×D)
- Weight: 13.6kg
- Original price: ¥153,000 (circa 1970); WC-3 walnut cabinet ¥8,500 extra
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