Marantz MR 250 (1980)

A 50-watt sleeper from the transitional series that sat between Marantz's classic receivers and the 2000 line.

Overview

The Marantz MR 250 is a solid state stereo receiver rated at 50 watts per channel into 8Ω. It belongs to a short-lived Marantz series that preceded the 2000 line. According to French-language listings, that series had only three models: the 215, the 230, and the largest of the trio, the 250. Three receivers, one brief window, and then Marantz moved on.

Dating is murkier than it should be. Classic Receivers lists the year as 1980. A well-known restoration video series from Jan Beta describes it as a "receiver from the 1970s," while a Finnish dealer listing calls it "80-luvun alusta" - early 1980s. The safest read is that the MR 250 sits right on the 1979-1980 seam, which is where you'd expect a transitional model to live. No confirmed start or end production year has surfaced, so treat any specific date range with skepticism.

The 50 WPC into 8Ω figure is the headline, but at least one source, Blexen Collectibles, lists it as 2 x 50 watts into 8 ohms and 2 x 55 watts into 4 ohms. That 4Ω rating is a useful detail. It suggests the power supply has enough current headroom to hold together when the load gets harder, which you can't assume from every budget receiver of the era.

Frequency response is quoted at 18 Hz to 30 kHz, and total harmonic distortion at 0.05%. Those are respectable numbers for the class. The bandwidth is wider than the 20 Hz - 20 kHz window you'd hear, and 0.05% THD is clean enough that it won't limit a modest system. Damping factor is listed as 41, but that figure comes from a single source (Hifidealer) and isn't corroborated elsewhere, so take it as indicative. Input sensitivity for moving-magnet phono is quoted at 2.8 mV, but the source is truncated mid-spec, so the full input list is incomplete.

The MR 250 was sold in multiple markets under slightly different spellings - "MR 250," "MR-250," "MR250" - and the type designation shifts depending on where you look: "receiver" in English-language sources, "viritinvahvistin" in Finnish, "amplificateur" in French. Same machine.

Key Features

50 Watts into 8Ω, 55 into 4Ω

Fifty watts per channel is not a headline number, but the 4Ω rating of 55 watts per channel is the tell. Receivers in this class often quote an 8Ω figure and quietly fall apart below that. The MR 250's published 4Ω number suggests the output stage and power supply were built with some margin. One owner on the HiFi Engine forum noted that even at the volume limit, "the output seems quite high for 50 watts, the sound is still remarkably undisturbed."

FM and MW Tuning

The tuner covers FM and MW (medium wave). Per vintage-audio.com.ua, the FM range is 87.5-108 MHz and the MW range is 525-1605 kHz. Radio sensitivity is listed at 1.3 mV in the hifigoteborg.se spec sheet. Without a stated reference condition, it's hard to compare directly against other receivers. There's an FM muting selector on the front panel for suppressing inter-station noise.

Front-Panel Control Set

The MR 250's front panel is dense, the way late-70s Marantz receivers were. According to the hifigoteborg.se spec page, selectors include mono/stereo, loudness, low filter, high filter, tape monitor 1, tape monitor 2, FM muting, and speaker 1 / speaker 2 selection. There's also a balance control with a grip handle, and separate controls for bass and treble, described in the source (via translation) as "control for bottoms, high means." A Russian-language listing adds that the receiver offers treble, mid, and bass adjustment, loudness compensation, and indicator lamps. The midrange control is worth noting, since a lot of receivers in this bracket gave you only bass and treble.

Bi-Wiring Provision

The hifigoteborg.se spec sheet mentions separate output terminals "for two braces of diffusers (predisposed for bi-wiring)" with "exited caps separate." The phrasing is a translation artifact, but the intent seems to be that the MR 250 provides separate output paths suitable for bi-wiring. You'd more often associate that with higher-end separates than with a mid-tier receiver.

Inputs: Tape, Phono, Aux 1, Aux 2

The hifigoteborg.se spec page lists "Incomes" (inputs) as Tape, Phono, Aux 1, and Aux 2. That's a standard complement for the era: one phono stage, one tape loop, and two line-level inputs. The phono input's moving-magnet sensitivity is quoted at 2.8 mV, though the source is truncated, so the full input specification isn't recoverable from available documentation.

Historical Context

According to a French-language listing, this Marantz series preceded the 2000 series and included only three models: the 215, the 230, and the 250, with the 250 as the largest. That's the entire documented family tree. The 2000 series that followed became the better-known line, which is probably why the MR-series receivers get overlooked today.

Dating remains unsettled. Classic Receivers gives 1980. Jan Beta's restoration series calls it a 1970s receiver. A Finnish dealer describes it as early 1980s. One forum user listed the MR250 as part of a planned "70s setup" alongside a Teac A700 and a Victor SEA50. No production years are confirmed.

Collectibility & Value

The MR 250 is rare enough that you don't see them constantly, but not famous enough to command the prices of Marantz's better-known receivers. Observed asking prices range widely. Blexen Collectibles listed a Marantz MR-250 with woodcase at €479 (recorded on HifiShark, December 2024). Listings on 2ememain.be / 2dehands.be have shown the receiver at €180. That spread, nearly 3x, reflects condition, whether a woodcase is included, and how motivated the seller is. There's no established market price.

Weight is another point of confusion. One listing (2ememain.be) states 8 kg. The hifigoteborg.se spec page lists 15.6 kg alongside dimensions of 44 L x 36 P x 14.6 H cm. Those two figures can't both be right, since 8 kg versus 15.6 kg is not a rounding difference. Because the hifigoteborg page also provides dimensions, the 15.6 kg figure is more likely the actual unit weight, but the conflict is unresolved. Buyers should confirm weight with the seller if it matters for shipping.

Jan Beta's three-part restoration series on YouTube documents the maintenance (the first part, "Inspecting and Cleaning the unit," has around 13,000 views). The restoration covered replacing remaining capacitors, installing new LED lights, and building a smoothing circuit for the LEDs to eliminate flicker. Dial string replacement was also part of the work. Aftermarket support exists: a "Marantz MR250 restoration kit filter capacitor repair rebuild fix" was listed at $147 (HifiShark, August 2022), and an LED bulb upgrade kit compatible with the MR215, MR230, and MR250 was listed at $24. The LED kit is cross-compatible across the three MR-series models, so it is not MR250-specific.

Owner impressions are positive but thin. One HiFi Engine forum user wrote that "the warmth of an old Marantz receiver is something that you never forget." Blexen Collectibles called it an "excellent every day Receiver." A Finnish listing described a unit as "Komea huollettu laite" - a handsome serviced unit - and a Hifidealer listing noted "Tarkistettu, koekäytetty. Kuukauden takuu" (checked, test-run, one month warranty). Catawiki condition notes mention new light bulbs, perfect operation, and small cosmetic marks.

There are no documented common failures specific to this model beyond the general recap and lamp replacement that any receiver of this age will eventually need. No spare parts availability information beyond the restoration and LED kits has surfaced. For a buyer, the calculus is simple: it's a 50-watt receiver with a 4Ω rating, a decent tuner, and a control set that punches above its class — but it's not a collector's trophy, and prices should reflect that.

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