About the Company
Marantz is best known as a high-end audio brand famous for amplifiers, receivers, and tuners (especially the golden-era models from the 1960s–1970s), but its involvement in reel-to-reel tape recorders was brief, late, and limited compared to specialists like Revox, Teac/Tascam, Akai, or Sony.
Corporate Background
Founded in the USA in 1953 by Saul B. Marantz, initially focusing on premium hi-fi components.
In 1964, Superscope Inc. (a major U.S. importer/distributor, notably of Sony products) acquired Marantz.
Production gradually shifted: by the mid-1960s, many Marantz products were manufactured in Japan via partnerships (e.g., with Standard Radio Corp., later leading to Marantz Japan Inc.).
Reel-to-reel efforts came much later, during the declining phase of open-reel consumer formats (as cassettes gained dominance).
Reel-to-Reel Production Overview
Marantz entered the reel-to-reel market very late—primarily in the late 1970s—and only produced a small number of consumer-oriented models. Production was short-lived, roughly 1978 to 1983, with manufacturing reportedly in the USA (unusual for the era, as most consumer decks were Japanese-made).
Key points:
Targeted the home/consumer hi-fi market rather than professional/studio use.
Focused on stereo, 4-track (quarter-track) configurations, supporting standard speeds like 3¾ and 7½ ips, with features like logic-controlled transports, pitch control, and sometimes editing-friendly designs.
This was during the tail end of reel-to-reel popularity; by then, cassette decks (where Marantz/Superscope excelled) had largely supplanted open-reel for most consumers.
Main Models
The lineup was small. Documented consumer models include:
Marantz 7700 (or 7700-2 variant): The flagship/most referenced model. Reviewed positively in Stereo Review (April 1979) for smooth operation, reliable transport, full editing features, and good sound quality. It supported 4-track stereo, auto-reverse in some configurations, and was positioned as a high-end consumer deck.
Marantz 5020 / 5040 / similar 5000-series variants: Occasionally mentioned in vintage listings, often as entry-to-mid-level 4-track stereo decks with basic features.
Some sources note limited production or prototypes (e.g., a planned model that never reached mass production, with only a handful built).
Marantz did not produce reel-to-reel tape recorders in the 1950s–1960s (unlike its core amplifier/tuner lines). Earlier Marantz gear was strictly electronics, with no magnetic tape involvement until the Superscope era.
Legacy and Context
Marantz's reel-to-reel foray was minor and not a core focus—unlike brands that built their reputation on tape machines.
Surviving examples appear occasionally in vintage markets (eBay, collector forums), valued for their build quality and Marantz branding, though less sought-after than contemporary Teac, Pioneer, or Akai equivalents.
By the early 1980s, reel-to-reel consumer production wound down industry-wide; Marantz shifted fully to cassette decks (e.g., popular 5000-series like 5020/5220), receivers, and later CD players.