RCVR: Marantz 4430 Quadraphonic Receiver

QuadraphonicQuad

Help Support QuadraphonicQuad:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Quadrockasaurus

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2010
Messages
238
Location
Melbourne - Australia
If you have any more photo's or comments to make on this Quadraphonic unit please feel free to post them in this thread....:)


Marantz 4430 Quadraphonic Receiver (1972)

Rarity: UNKNOWN
Average Sale Price: UNKNOWN

There's only one currently listed for an excessively high price but I can't find a range of prices so I've left it unknown.

This unit was part of the first range of Marantz Quad Receivers's. At a useful 30 Watts into 4 channels I suspect that would put it about the middle of that range. It sold for a hefty $599.95...which is fairly serious 70's money for a mid-ranger without any built in SQ/QS or CD-4 Decoding...(all Optional).

This unit is a bit of a curiosity (..for me) as it seems to be missing from some later price lists I've seen (..not listed on a '75 Billboard Price list) and is not pictured in the Quad Section of the 1976/77 Marantz Catalog I found online. It may have been discontinued fairly soon in favor of the slightly later Marantz Quad units which (...according to the second ad I've posted) mention built in Dolby Decoders in the models from the 4230 up. The 4430 does not appear to have a built in Dolby Decoder.

Note the 4430 Ad below is dated 1972.

The second ad from '73 makes no mention of the 4430 and lists the 4300 as the top of the line.

The penultimate, all-singing all-dancing (..singing & dancing, that is at $1250.00 with optional decoders!!), Marantz Quad receiver with 50 Wpc into 4 and a built in Oscilliscope, Model 4400, must have come along later that year.

Marantz 4430 Quad Receiver.jpg

marantz 73 ad.jpg
 
Last edited:
Did the Marantz receivers only have one 'pocket' for the optional matrix decoder or was there more than one so you could have SQ Full Logic decoding AND QS Vario-Matrix (if they had ever released the planned module) at the same time? It's a shame the Tate IC's took so long to develop because Marantz really wanted the Tate DES for their SQ decoder module - although I wonder if the whole Tate circuit could have been fitted into the module? Marantz was also in talks with CBS about licensing the Paramatrix circuit for SQ but CBS abandoned it and put their all their $$ and resources into development of the Tate System with National Semiconductor and later some money to Audionics to help fund making the defective Tate IC's work.

Also, did any of the Marantz models come with double Dolby circuits - i.e. front and back channel Dolby B-Type NR for Q8 and Q4 Dolby encoded tapes?
 
I've only noticed the one receptical under my 4400 for the Marantz SQ Plug in units. You'd have to use the Aux/CD4 Quad input for any other decoders. I bought mine without the plug in Decoders.

You'd kinda expect that if pre-recorded Quad Dolby tapes were anticipated, then, if a pricey Quad unit had Dolby....it would have to work in four channel. Marantz were always going on about "future proofing" (..as in the ad above)...so you'd hope that a Quad unit with Dolby would have Quad Dolby encoding/decoding.

......but.....see below......

Cheers.
 
Last edited:
All Marantz Quad had only one decoder expansion slot. All Dolby B built into Marantz receivers is only 2ch. Too bad on both counts. And they nickel & dimed you for everything. Even in light of that, Marantz Quad receivers are killer pieces. Sold them in the day and still own a Quad Marantz for one of my systems.

Linda

Did the Marantz receivers only have one 'pocket' for the optional matrix decoder or was there more than one so you could have SQ Full Logic decoding AND QS Vario-Matrix (if they had ever released the planned module) at the same time? It's a shame the Tate IC's took so long to develop because Marantz really wanted the Tate DES for their SQ decoder module - although I wonder if the whole Tate circuit could have been fitted into the module? Marantz was also in talks with CBS about licensing the Paramatrix circuit for SQ but CBS abandoned it and put their all their $$ and resources into development of the Tate System with National Semiconductor and later some money to Audionics to help fund making the defective Tate IC's work.

Also, did any of the Marantz models come with double Dolby circuits - i.e. front and back channel Dolby B-Type NR for Q8 and Q4 Dolby encoded tapes?
 
All Marantz Quad had only one decoder expansion slot. All Dolby B built into Marantz receivers is only 2ch. Too bad on both counts. And they nickel & dimed you for everything. Even in light of that, Marantz Quad receivers are killer pieces. Sold them in the day and still own a Quad Marantz for one of my systems.

Linda

Out of curiosity I HAD to try to find out for myself. I don't have any Quad recorder at the moment so I connected my stereo tape deck to the front, and then later to the rear channels of my Blue Scope 4400 and...yep, Linda your 100% spot on....NO Dolby encoding/decoding on the rears.

What a crock.(n)...and no mention of that in the Manual...!!
 
They didn't highly publicize that it was 2ch. They just said "built in Dolby." For FM, 2ch tape or matrix, it is all you need. Looking at the adjustments, it's obvious that it's 2ch Dolby. If you had a Q4 and/or Q8 deck, built in 2ch Dolby B, it was a huge disappointment. For discrete tape people, it was nearly like nothing. From a cost/marketing standpoint, it made sense. If you had a Q4, it sounded terriffic without nr, even at the lowly 3 3/4 speed. So, who else would even need 4ch Dolby? Most Q8 recorders only recorded 2ch. Only Akai CR80-DSS recorded on Q8.

Linda

Out of curiosity I HAD to try to find out for myself. I don't have any Quad recorder at the moment so I connected my stereo tape deck to the front, and then later to the rear channels of my Blue Scope 4400 and...yep, Linda your 100% spot on....NO Dolby encoding/decoding on the rears.

What a crock.(n)...and no mention of that in the Manual...!!
 
I did have one for several years, also found a wood case to fit it.
But later started acting up and I sold it.
4430a.JPG
New owner also got the sevice manual
4430c.JPG

vinylguy4
 
I used to have marantz equipment, (stereo) and I know then you could not beat the sound they delivered. Warm, colorful sound. how else can you describe what you were hearing? I'm sure you cannot replace that today. I know I'm going to look for a vintage unit myself.
 
Back
Top