Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Dedicated Source Components › What's the Opinion on the Marantz TT-15
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

What's the Opinion on the Marantz TT-15

post #1 of 11
5/27/08 at 12:51pm
Thread Starter 
I was wondering what people thought of the Marantz TT-15. Music Direct has a package on there site for $2000 that sounds like a phenomenal starting point and was wondering if it was any good. Is it better then the Rega P3?

MUSICDIRECT - MARANTZ TT-15 TURNTABLE LOVERS PACKAGE


Corey
Reply
post #2 of 11
5/27/08 at 2:27pm
I am afraid that this is not the real deal. It is not a genuine Marantz off the old block, but a badge job. The package price is even more way off the mark. I reckon most of the items in that package are not required, or can be picked up in one form or another at a lower price.
As I mentioned somewhere else before, the P3 is a decent level entry deck that is OK as a starting point for someone who doesn't want to risk their shirt or spend some time snapping up something better.
Reply
post #3 of 11
5/27/08 at 7:38pm
I think clearaudio make these for marantz - I think I'd just buy a clearaudio ....

Fran
Reply
post #4 of 11
5/28/08 at 4:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by zer010gic View Post
I was wondering what people thought of the Marantz TT-15. Music Direct has a package on there site for $2000 that sounds like a phenomenal starting point and was wondering if it was any good. Is it better then the Rega P3?

MUSICDIRECT - MARANTZ TT-15 TURNTABLE LOVERS PACKAGE
It's a way better deal than the Rega P3 but is twice the price. Yes this is made for Marantz by Clearaudio who are one of the leading German turntable makers at the moment (they also make tables for such luminaries as Thorens) so you get the Clearaudio cart thrown in which makes it a bit of a bargain, never mind all the other stuff they are including which makes it even better.

I don't see why it not being a 'genuine' Marantz should put anyone off. Let's face it apart from the TT-1000, Marantz were never exactly renowned for their turntables. Credit to them for going to Clearaudio and getting one on the market a long time before most other manufacturers jumped on the vinyl bandwagon. It's certainly worth considering if you want to blow a few grand on a brand new deck.

The only fly in the ointment is the VPI Scout which is cheaper and also very popular although a bit more fiddly perhaps. Others worth considering are the Michell Tecnodek and Roksan Radius as well as the Pro-Ject, Rega and Music Hall decks in this pricerange.

But if I were to blow this much cash I would want to go and listen first at a dealer and that's what you should try and do. Turntables unlike CD players sound quite different from one another so it's worth checking out the competition before you put your money down.
Reply
post #5 of 11
5/28/08 at 6:03pm
Wow, that's not a bad deal. Then again, I haven't heard one.

I agree that you should really do your homework before getting into vinyl. I spent about a month reading everything I could before settling on a Rega Planar 3. It was a good buy, and I spent a couple weeks digging for info on Michell before buying. That paid off, too. If you haven't read the Vinyl Anachronist columns yet, you should. Google him and he should be the first hit.

Also, be sure to consider the used market. This looks like a good deal considering MSRPs, but you can swing deals on used gear and sellers have been great to me - I've gotten extra stuff (belts, fluids, even MC transformers) with many purchases.

Finally, don't feel pressured by this package. If I recall, they've been running a cart/table special for over a year. They'll probably be offering it in a few more months, too.
Reply
post #6 of 11
5/29/08 at 11:56pm
In my opinion, you can't go wrong with a Marantz product. Although I haven't heard the turn table though. This company does have good ears and they are very solid in their products. Which ever high end turn table you choose, pick one that looks good. After all, we do listen with our eyes as well.

I know, it's a profound statement!
Reply
post #7 of 11
5/30/08 at 12:04am
If it's possible, try to audition it. From being at a headphone meet, I learned a valuable lesson that no matter what other people's opinions are, they really are meaningless. You ears are the ultimate judge.
Reply
post #8 of 11
5/30/08 at 12:30am
Marantz made by Clearaudio makes me drool. Wonder how the TT would sound paired with tube phono preamp?
Reply
post #9 of 11
5/30/08 at 9:13am
That's a pretty sweet package. The Simaudio phono pre is supposed to be the best at its price point, and the Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood MM cart is killer... the cart retails for $800 alone. You'll have a really solid, brand new analog front end hooked up for a bit less than $2K, which is pretty hard to do. On vs. Rega: some love the Rega, some don't. The new Rega P3-24 is supposed to be phenomenal for the money...
Reply
post #10 of 11
5/30/08 at 9:30am
Looks like a decent deal. Clearaudio makes good tables. The little Sim phonostage is very good, and the cartridge is a pretty good MM cartridge. Add the cleaner and this is a package that looks fair in price.
OTOH, A used VPI, with low end Dynavector MC cartridge, and used Dynavector P75 would be the way I would go. But this only because I know the VPI setup is the real deal and have not heard the Clearaudio/Marantz system.
Reply
post #11 of 11
6/21/11 at 9:44am

Bumpity bump... great in-depth review here (of all places):

 

"The Marantz is like the middle product between the ClearAudio Emotion and ClearAudio Performance..."

 

http://www.amazon.com/Marantz-Reference-TT-15S1-Turntable-transparent/product-reviews/B000EI2I76/ref=cm_cr_pr_redirect?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Dedicated Source Components
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Dedicated Source Components › What's the Opinion on the Marantz TT-15