When it rains, it pours! I picked up a very clean Marantz 2238 at my local GW today. It is a 1976 model with the dark dial with aluminum lower border. This is the transition look from the original to the later silver dialed models. This example is exceptionally clean with a near mint face. I replaced four fuse bulbs and that was it.

The 2238 is plenty powerful enough to drive bookshelf speakers. The 38 watts is the minimum power needed to deliver full sound. IMO, the 2230 and lower struggle with bass, which means the sound is a little strained. Anyways, the 2238 sounds great and becoming my favorite low powered Marantz.

You lucky dawg! . Everyone in Tucson with the lower-tier Marantz's seem to know what they have and ask $$'s accordingly . I use my 2270 as a pre, I'd say most of the magic 3 martini sound is intact however, every once in a while I hook up the 'Logans directly (keeping the volume lowish). Ahhh! That's nice, and it hasn't been gone over in it's life.

A lot of folks say the lower 22xx's have the magic in spade's in the phono section, so I keep looking for something....

Congrat's,
Craig

Thanks! My local GW is catching on to the Marantz craze so I didn't exactly get a deal but $60 is good enough. Agreed, the 22xx sound is wonderful. I'm running a Dual 1219 through my 2285B and the sound is tasty. I'll have to the try the phono amps in the 2238 and 2270.