1979 Marantz HD770 speaker system

B

Bradd

Audiophyte
My dad has two of these sitting around in pretty good condition. He bought them original in 1979 and he has all the original paper work and even the receipts from the store he bought it from. He took good care of them, but the woofers had to be replaced in the 90s. He replaced them himself. We cleaned them up today and plugged them in and they sound amazing and still look pretty sharp too. We would keep them but haven't used them in over a decade and they are just holding up space for us. I'm sure there is someone out there who could put some more use into these then we ever have.

My question is this, are these considered pretty good speakers? What would you value them to be worth today?


I apologize, do not have a whole lot of experience with speaker systems like this.. I do however spend a lot of money and time playing around with my guitars/amps so I guess, like you guys I too am a lover of hi-fi sound.


I'll post some pics, but I need to make some more posts first.
 
highfihoney

highfihoney

Audioholic Samurai
When you say your father had the woofers "replaced" please tell me that he had the original woofers re foamed & did not replace the factory woofers with aftermarket parts.

As with all vintage gear value is what a collector will pay on any given day,the HD 770's are pretty rare & are sought after by Marantz collectors,value is also dependant on condition,most non audio collectors/gear heads have a different idea of what the word "mint" really means,using the Audiogon grading scale for used gear mint is only for new & unopened gear,this is the scale that most collectors use as their bible.

The rating scale is from 1 to 10 with a 10 rating being new or unopened,a 9 rating is for the age of the gear,all vintage gear automatically starts off at a 9 unless its unopened,an 8 rating is if the speaker has ever been used at all even if there is no wear & tear & they look new, a 7 rating is if there is one imperfection anywhere at all on the cabinet/grill/drivers/front/top/bottom/rear/binding posts ect,any serious damage like dented or damaged corners or gouges in the veneer drop the rating very quickly,water stains are a killer also as are ciggerette burns.

As you can see what was thought to be a "mint pair of speakers deserving a rating of 10 quickly becomes a 4 or 5 rated speaker,every last nick on the cabinets or snag on the speaker grill effects price,no matter how small the damage is,having the factory packing/box'es & manual are a huge plus in resale price.

With all of this being said the value of them can easily hit over $1,000 to the right person if the speakers are in perfect condition or they can be worth as little as $50 depending on condition.

If you can send me a bunch of well light hi res pics from every possible angle i can give you a ball park figure but i'd also need to know what really happened to the woofers & if the originals are still intact.
 
B

Bradd

Audiophyte
I just spoke with my Dad:
Sorry to say but the speakers have been replaced (I know some of you are cringing right now).

When he had originally told me this a few weeks ago I knew it would really bring down the price, being an appreciator of vintage guitars I know the prices that people will pay for vintage stuff, and I know the effect that an after market part on a vintage piece will have.

Dad says, in the mid-80s the woofers had dry rotted completely and he went to radio shack and bought their most expensive replacement and put them in himself. The polished metal part that surrounds the speaker is original- the speaker is not.

I am going to shoot you an email late tonight/early tomorrow with some detailed pics. No rush at all, but let me know what you think when you get the chance.

Now that I can, here are some pics, (highfihoney, I still plan to shoot you an email later with more detailed pics.)


 
Last edited:
B

Bradd

Audiophyte
Well we ended up selling them today anyway. A guy came over who's speakers had just gone bad and was figuring he would buy these or get his others repaired. He really ended up liking these and he bought them for $300 cash, he seemed very pleased. We are happy.
 
highfihoney

highfihoney

Audioholic Samurai
Cool,did you advertise them on craigslist??
 
B

Bradd

Audiophyte
Cool,did you advertise them on craigslist??
I did. It took about a months time to sell and I had to relist the item a few times. It seemed that every day I would list it on there, I would get some interest. Once the posting went over to the next day, there would be no more interest. I ended up relisting and dropping the price 3 or so times before it sold.

Worked out well though, I've bought and sold on craigslist in the past and I think its great for local deals as well as trying to find a place to live around campus.. which is what I'm doing now. Couldn't recommend it more.

Thanks for your help highfihoney! :)
 

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