Putting Together A Vintage Stereo System Part 2: The Amplifier

When I began assembling my vintage stereo system, deciding on an integrated amplifier or receiver was much more difficult than deciding on the turntable. When it came down to deciding on a turntable, I knew what I wanted. The amplifier was another matter altogether. It took some time for me to find out what would work best, but I'm glad I spent the time making the decision, as the amplifier is possibly the most important component in a system.

As usual, I did quite a bit of research to find out what others paired their AR-XA turntables with. One amp that was consistently matched with the AR-XA was the Marantz 1060. By this time I was already thinking that a classic silver-face Marantz amp or receiver of one kind or another would be what I'd ultimately get, and after being indecisive between getting a receiver (an amp with a tuner built in) or just an integrated amplifier, I decided on the 1060. I really don't ever listen to the radio anyway, so eliminating any extra bells and whistles would help focus on what mattered- the sound.

And what a great amp it is! There is a warmth, richness, and clarity to be found in the old Marantz that I've never heard in any modern day amplifiers. The combination of this and my AR-XA is perfect. The sound of these two combined is hard to describe, but I would call it both "old school" yet liquid sounding. The 1060 cranks on classic rock yet can get oh so smooth on jazz ballads or classical music. Some amps were known for being only good for this or that type of music, but the Marantz really does it all, and does it very well. It truly has great tone and volume to spare.

My Marantz 1060

The 1060 is rock solidly built and has just the right amount of controls on the front. There are also plenty of inputs on the back to hook up almost any audio source that uses RCA cables. Though I am a firm believer in never using EQ, the amp does have very usable tone controls, and also has a classic feature not found on modern amps- a "loudness" button. These buttons send the signal through a circuit that boost highs and lows so that listening at low volume levels will supposedly sound more similar to listening at more normal volume levels. All I really use on the amp is the on/off button, input selector, and the volume knob! Everything else is left alone, as it should be, in my opinion.

The only downside to owning an amp this old is that sooner or later you will need to get the electronics refurbished or replaced. My Marantz is starting to show some signs of needing a complete capacitor overhaul, but this kind of thing comes with the territory of owning an amplifier that was made in the very early 1970s. The cost to have a shop do this can be from $75 to around $200, but after the work is done there should be no further need for servicing for the rest of your ownership of the amp.

The Marantz 1060 is a fantastic integrated amplifier that is still relatively affordable. The sound of the amp and its synergy with the other classic components in my system- an AR-XA turntable and Dynaco A25 speakers- make this a perfect amp for my needs. Though all of these amps will need some service work at some point, I'd still highly recommend one to anyone looking for that classic 70s sound. I agree very much with others that most of the best stereo components were made during that era, and the Marantz is a perfect example.