2. speakers
  3. 1345201231

Marantz 2270 + B&W DM2000: What subwoofer?

Hello all,

Long time reader, first time poster!

In the past year I've bought a Marantz 2270 receiver, and had it restored to new. I've had the extreme luck to be given a pair of B&W DM2000 (the ones with the pentagonal shape) by someone who just wanted to get rid of them.

The current set-up sounds good as it is, but I can tell something is missing. When I listen to other setups that tend to run for $1k+, I'm usually blown away by the clarity and definition of the sound that I hear. Maybe I am biased against my own gear (the grass is always greener on the other side), but I feel like there's something I could do to make this sound better.

Would I benefit from purchasing a subwoofer? I've done some research and come to the conclusion that I need an active sub, as I do not want to buy another amplifier just to be able to run it. If so, which active sub would pair well with the Marantz amp and the B&W speakers? I am open minded to suggestions, and if something interesting came up with a passive subwoofer, I would not turn it down.

Info:
- My budget for a sub is approximately $500. Willing to go a little bit higher if it's worth it.
- Currently residing in France.
- Would rather have the sub be vintage, so as to follow the rest of my gear.
- I listen to absolutely everything, from Metallica to Eminem, from Michael Jackson to Daft Punk, from Creedence Clearwater Revival to Queen. If possible, I'd like a sub that has flexibility.

I know those are a lot of restrictions, so please feel free to work around them. Thanks a lot!

~a grateful reader
funkymojovibes
onemug
784 posts
 
"When I listen to other setups that tend to run for $1k+, I'm usually blown away by the clarity and definition of the sound that I hear."

A sub isn't going to help in the clarity and definition dept. I don't know how low your B&W's go so it may help in that aspect of your enjoyment.

I have several vintage pieces myself (including a 2270) and tried to find a vintage speaker to complete the system but to no avail. All the ones I tried were pretty fuzzy. A friend of mine combined a pair of Altec Valencia cabinets with a modern mid and tweeter combined with a vintage JBL alnico woofer. That's how I made it work for me.
rar1's avatar
rar1
1,784 posts
 
A sub is not the way to go. The 2270 was a bit of an odd duck as its output into 4 ohms was not terribly more than its output into 8 ohms (46 watts per channel into 4 ohms, where you might expect closer to 70 ohms per channel into 4 ohms. The 2270 was rated as 35 wpc into 8 ohms).

How loudly do you play your music? The Marzntz may be running out of gas. Or the B&Ws may not be a good match.

When I had a 2240, my best match-ups were with Nht and Wharfedale monitors. The worst were B&W 302 and Epos Els 3.

Rich
abucktwoeighty's avatar
abucktwoeighty
1,079 posts
 
The 2270 is rated at 70 watts rms per channel into 8 ohms.
rar1's avatar
rar1
1,784 posts
 
So much for posting using a iPhone in a laundromat in Brooklyn. I also would have done a bit more research.

See the attached discussion regarding power output of the Marantz 2270 . The point is the same, there was some anomaly with the power output into 4 ohms.

But back to the DM2000. It was an 8 ohms rated speaker at a minimum of 50 wpc (so much for the 4 ohms argument). Depending on when the DM2000 was manufactured, you have a 30 year old speaker. In what condition are the speaker surrounds and do they require replacing?

Rich
More to discover