Marantz Model 7 Vintage Tube Preamp - SUPER Collectible - Holy Grail Collection

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From one of our recent System of the Week features "...The Holy Grail of Vintage American HiFi", we are very pleased to offer one of these collectable and rare beauties for sale, along with a full video review from our YouTube channel.

Check out our video review for the full breakdown on this unique piece of vintage audio history (Please note the Model 7 in our video below is not the same Model 7 offered in this newer listing).

Restoration Description:

This piece underwent a full SkyFi Preservative Restoration. This involved a complete rebuild of the power supply - featuring new silicon rectifiers, reproduction modern equivalent mutli-section can capacitors, and all new resistors.

The Axial electrolytics on the main board were replaced with high grade Vishay components. Reproduction shock absorbers were also installed to restore the main preamp PCB's suspension. All other main preamp PCB components were left completely original.

We also swapped the original volume control for an Alps unit. This greatly improves the channel tracking and offers a smooth feel to the front panel operation.

A fresh set of tubes were installed, consisting of (2) carefully matched pairs of GE JAN 12AX7WA, and (2) Triode Matched 12AX7's from Sovtek for the tubes that are split between left and right channels.

This restoration focused on making the unit safe to operate while preserving its original sonic signature.

If you're interested in having the signal path components upgraded with modern offerings, please contact us for more information.

Tested in our listening room where it performed beautifully driving vintage Tannoy speakers.

If you are looking for Holy Grail Collection companion pieces for this Marantz Model 7 preamp, such as the Marantz Model 10B Tube Tuner or Marantz Model 8B Stereo Tube Amplifier, as of this writing they are all currently available for sale on our site.

Lastly, we found this fantastic website that has over a dozen documents available for download related to this tuner.  Manuals, Service Manuals, Vintage Reviews, you name it and it's there.  Click here for the full listing available for download.

The SkyFi Testing Process for Preamplifiers:

We start with a visual inspection of all internal components to make sure there are no signs of stress or aging. Capacitors are checked for telltale sings of bulging or leaking, resistors are checked for signs of overheating or cracking, and transistors are checked for signs of stress or damage. Special attention is paid to the power supply which is the most common source of failure for preamps. We then power up the unit and run a simple 1k sine wave while monitoring the low voltage output on an oscilloscope for signs of distortion or noise to get a baseline.

At this point we will lubricate and clean all switches and potentiometers (that are not sealed) with a high quality contact cleaner, and then re-test all functions for any signs of noise or scratching.

Final testing involves putting actual music through the preamplifier We have learned over time that some issues are only noticeable to a trained ear while listening to a familiar source material. Our test bench has reference vintage KEF speakers that we are super familiar with which will quickly reveal any discrepancies. Some preamps will then move into the listening room where they will be tested with our in-house reference system.

Please click here for detailed specifics regarding our specialized packing process that separates us from the rest.