Marantz Sc 1000

Whereas other brands were diving deep into super high-tech componentry or far-out topologies (Kenwood KA-1000), Marantz, under the Philips banner since 1980, just made a naturally excellent preamp.

Copper-plated chassis, humongous (and discrete) power-supply, shunt regulations and large heatsinks (60 to 80W dissipation !), OFC wiring, 70µ tracks, metal-film resistors and polyproylene caps, deported input selector, 4-gang volume attenuator and fixed-resistors tone controls with buffer amps and dedicated power supplies.

The balance control is replaced by a dual L/R output level pot which has to be pulled to access the right channel, the left channel being the normally visible part of the knob.

The balanced output plugs, however, as for the Sm 1000, are not balanced and only hold a single-ended connection. They are set at a low 50 Ohm nevertheless.

Likewise, the MC input mentioned on the diagram drawn atop the Sc 1000 was not included - hence the availability of the xxx-rare Mc 1000 outboard step up.

"The two equalizer amps and the flat amp are 2-stage DC unit amps each made of push-pull circuits.

The 1st stage of each amplifier unit uses a low noise, high gm FET ; a cascade bootstrap circuit employed in the 1st stage prevents performance from being degraded by impedance variations.

The 2nd stage is a push-pull circuit with an interstage emitter follower. The output stage is a 2-stage SEPP without a bias circuit.
Class A operation is ensured at large output levels because ample idling current is supplied to each stage."


Marantz Japan advertised the Sc 1000 with the Sm 700 and not the Sm 1000 because the latter was too old and still a pure Marantz USA product while the former was a newer version of the latter but emanating from the japanese Marantz.

The original japanese versions had a wood enclosure and a bare front flap ; the export versions had rack handles and the typically ESOTEC black center handle.
Both were built in the old Kumamoto Marantz (ie. SRC, Superscope etc) factory and both are very rare items : Marantz sold very few Sc 1000.


A real (japanese) Sc1000 here.