The Marantz 2010 receiver was introduced in 1972 at a retail price of $199.95. It’s known as a ‘Baby Marantz’ due to its more compact design and lower power output of just 10 watts per channel. The 2010 was the lowest priced of the Marantz models at the time and was designed for the budget minded buyer. Even so, it was one of the best receivers in its price range at the time. And, though it has minimal features, it includes everything you’d need for a basic stereo system setup.
The 2010 also has the iconic vintage Marantz look with brushed metal face plate, blue on black dial face and gyro touch tuning wheel. Overall it’s a great looking stereo.
Front Panel
The Marantz 2010’s tuning section has a black background which contrasts nicely with the gold-colored main panel. Light-colored control knobs and buttons also stand out. Convenient center buttons let you switch between tape monitoring, mono/stereo mode, loudness contouring, and muting stations between FM frequencies. A button on the left turns the power on and off, while two buttons on the right select between main and remote speaker pairs. Rotary dials adjust bass, treble, volume and source selection. There is no mid range tone control. A slider balances left/right levels. A headphone jack is located in the bottom left corner.
The 2010’s tuner uses Marantz’s iconic Gyro-Touch flywheel mechanism for smooth and accurate tuning. The tuning scale is well lit in blue though over the years it can turn green due to aging of the vellum paper behind the scale. A large tuning meter shows signal strength, and a stereo indicator light lets you know when a station is strong enough for stereo reception.
Tuner
Overall the tuning section of the 2010 is sufficient. The FM front-end employs a field effect RF amplifier and the IF channel is bipolar with a pair of ceramic filters for selectivity. A pair of symmetrical diode limiters are used for good limiting characteristics, improved capture ratio, and good AM suppression. The design also includes Muting and Auto-Stereo switching circuits and a MPX stereo decoding circuit.
Specifications
- Retail Price: $199.95
- First Year: 1972
- Years Manufactured: 1972-1973
- Produced (Estimate): 50,000
- Power output: 10 watts per channel into 8Ω
- Frequency response: 15Hz to 50kHz
- Total harmonic distortion: 1%
- Damping factor: 45
- Input sensitivity: 2.2mV (MM), 150mV (line)
- Signal to noise ratio: 79dB (line)
- Channel separation: 35dB (line)
- Speaker load impedance: 4Ω to 16Ω
- Wood Case: WC-10
- Channels: Two
- Speaker Connections: Two sets
- AC Switch: Yes
- Switched AC Outlets: 1, @ 60 watts
- Unswitched AC Outlets: 1, @ 200 watts
- Dimensions: 14 11/64 W x 4 23/32 H x 11 1/32 D
- Weight: 17.6 lbs
Reviews
Love this little receiver. It’s power is so underrated, to me it sounds like 20 wpc or more. You won’t be dissatisfied with it especially in a small room.
This little receiver is amazing, especially if you consider it is rated only at 10 wpc. It filled the room without trouble.
This little receiver sounds really nice! Really surprised by the sound quality, very warm and still detailed – plenty of power for nearfield listening, for sure.
Really amazing sound quality for such a small system!
I absolutely love this stereo. For a 10 watt unit I am surprised at what this little receiver can do. It’s not going to blow you out of the room, but it is going to give you a very nice sound that you will be pleased with. I think it’s one of the best bang for your buck receivers out there.
Here is a graphic showing all the Marantz products of the time and their retail prices, including the 2010 receiver. Notice it states 20 watts for the 2010. But, that’s for both channels. Divide by two and you’ll get 10 watts per channel.
Build Quality
The build quality of the Marantz 2010 is very good. The 20xx series receivers were built on a smaller chassis and are more compact than the 22xx receivers. This makes the 2010 an easy fit on most shelves or tables. It’s compact design does make it a bit difficult to work on as some of the boards require wire removal in order to get to the backside.
Back Panel
The back panel of the Marantz 2010 includes tape, phono and auxiliary inputs as well as quick-connect output terminals for main and remote speakers. A fold out AM antenna and two AC outlets (one switched and one un-switched) are present as well.
The Marantz 2010 is a nicely engineered receiver with easy-to-use controls. However, it has limited power, making it best suited for smaller home stereo setups and listening spaces, paired with relatively efficient speakers. Most owners of the 2010 recommend Klipsch speakers as they tend to be very efficient. The tuner and amplifier sections are well balanced and build quality is of Marantz’s usual high standards. While not a powerhouse, it’s a solid choice for an entry-level vintage home stereo system. If you’re looking for a little more power then the model 2015 or 2230 from the same lineup might be a good choice as well.
