Marantz PM-54 amp and ST-440 tuner

I met someone how is selling a Marantz PM-54 integrated amp and ST-440 tuner in champaign finish w/ factory boxes for $75. The tuner is nice looking but the amp is badly scratched on the face.

I found out the amp is made in 1984 and is at the bottom of the PM-94, -84, -74, -64, -54, -44 series. All I know is that it is 60 wpc and does not have the 1/4 Class A like the 94, 84, 74 have.
The 1984 tuner is a digital, not an analogue tuner.

Is this amp/tuner worth buying and how good is it? Anyone have experience?
How much should I pay, or stay away?

never heard them, but unless they are sub-par pieces (i have no idea if they are or not), $75 aint bad for an integrated 60wpc amp and tuner. for a decent amp, $1 per wpc is a good price.

I´d pass. Better deals are bound to come up your way.

Thanks, I will be patient and keep looking. I am waiting delivery on a Yamaha CR-620 to use as an intermediate receiver so I can wait until something better shows up.

Stay away. 1984 was Philips and they really butchered Marantz.

Philips paired with Marantz turned out some nice stuff but only at their top of the line models- and only in a very short window. Some of the SC amps and pres are very nice. I own one of the SC-80 pres- copper lined, nicely built, pricey when new.

Most (perhaps even 99%) of the Philips/Marantz stuff is a mere withered shadow of what Philips, and more disturbingly, what Marantz was in their heyday.

QUOTE (thedelihaus @ October 13, 2009 03:08 pm)

Philips paired with Marantz turned out some nice stuff but only at their top of the line models- and only in a very short window. Some of the SC amps and pres are very nice. I own one of the SC-80 pres- copper lined, nicely built, pricey when new.

Most (perhaps even 99%) of the Philips/Marantz stuff is a mere withered shadow of what Philips, and more disturbingly, what Marantz was in their heyday.

The SC-7 and 9 were holdovers from the glory days. Versions of the 300DC and the 2130 scope tuner were also cosmetically re-worked by Philips. I think Philips was also responsible for the awesome SM-1000 power amp. Although the consumer stuff were lemons with some of the BOTL receivers farmed out to Sanyo, the high end stuff stayed true to Marantz.

QUOTE (socal sam @ October 13, 2009 07:14 pm)

QUOTE (thedelihaus @ October 13, 2009 03:08 pm)

Philips paired with Marantz turned out some nice stuff but only at their top of the line models- and only in a very short window. Some of the SC amps and pres are very nice. I own one of the SC-80 pres- copper lined, nicely built, pricey when new.

Most (perhaps even 99%) of the Philips/Marantz stuff is a mere withered shadow of what Philips, and more disturbingly, what Marantz was in their heyday.

The SC-7 and 9 were holdovers from the glory days. Versions of the 300DC and the 2130 scope tuner were also cosmetically re-worked by Philips. I think Philips was also responsible for the awesome SM-1000 power amp. Although the consumer stuff were lemons with some of the BOTL receivers farmed out to Sanyo, the high end stuff stayed true to Marantz.

The SC-80 and SM-80 are actually in lineage with the PM-80 series.

The vintage knob is a bit hard on the SC-80- Never calling it bad but not really giving it what I feel are it's just desserts.

There's a design flaw regarding heat management that can affect caps and may have influenced the review- once modified and updated with new caps that don't suffer the thermal extremes anymore, the pre is a very pleasant listen, and usually fetch a good price used.

Nonetheless, Philips had changed it's business model and the dreck that wore the Philips and the Marantz badges for years after were nothing of the once fantastic product to have graced audiophile living rooms.