Marantz ST-5 (1978)

Name: Marantz ST-5
Brand: Marantz

The Marantz ST-5 is an FM stereo tuner introduced in 1978, part of the brand's Esotec range. The historical record on it is thin. No end-of-production date, no user reception notes and no documented common issues survive. What is known comes mostly from period equipment listings and directory entries.

On paper, the ST-5 was a serious performer. Sensitivity was rated at 1.6 µV with selectivity at 70 dB, helped by a filter array of three 5-gang and two 3-gang sections. Signal-to-noise came in at 75 dB, distortion at 0.2% mono and 0.3% stereo, and stereo separation at 45 dB. Output was 500 mV from a low-impedance source. It drew just 7 watts and weighed 4.7 kg, with dimensions of 440 × 96 × 280 mm. High Fidelity (April 1970, p.36) ran Marantz advertising around this era that pushed the company's engineering-first philosophy.

The original price is recorded simply as "1998" with no currency specified. It was likely German Marks given the period and the source, but that remains unconfirmed. The ST-5 appears to have been meant for the FM listener who wanted Marantz quality in a standalone tuner rather than a receiver. If you own one or have documentation, the archive would welcome the missing details.