Strange Question . . .

[JoshT289]

Does the champagne anodizing on CJ equipment fade a bit over time? Both my MF2250, which I bought new in 2000, and my Premier 11A, which I bought used recently, don't seem as gold in color as I recalled when the MF2250 was new. Also, I seem to recall my CA200 and Premier 17LS (both of which I sold many years ago) to have been more gold looking. And when I see marketing material on CJ equipment, the pictures look more like how I remember the color to be.

It is probably all in my head. And it doesn't really matter - I certainly like how they look now. But I'm just curious if anyone else has noticed this before, or imagined they've noticed it, lol.

[AnotherJohnson]

Yes. The color does seem to develop a patina over time, even when used in a temperature and humidity controlled environment.

[JoshT289]

Yes. The color does seem to develop a patina over time, even when used in a temperature and humidity controlled environment.

Thanks! It makes sense. And patina is all the thing these days, lol, especially on vintage watches.

[AnotherJohnson]

If the faceplates are aluminum, aluminum oxide is white, and so the lightening of the gold may be due to that. Anodizing is supposed to prevent oxidation… but all coatings seem to have a life.

[Big Dog RJ]

Yes definitely! The Gold champaign colour does fade over time...
It's quite interesting when you get a brand new item and place it alongside the older CJ gear, the contrast in colour variations is very apparent! When I got the TEA2SE and placed it in the rack, the other CJ gear looks pretty normal but the TEA2SE sticks out like a fish out of water! a gold fish for that matter...

CJ used to offer new faceplate on certain amplifiers, not sure if they still do this.

Best, RJ

[AnotherJohnson]

They have faceplates for random models. You have to call and get them to check for anything specific. I’ve never had any luck … but my sample of trying is small.

[Wildcat]

I had inquired on a pair of Premier 12 faceplates, as well as the rare black faceplate for my PV14L, and they had neither available. I had once seen some Premier 12s for sale that were functionally good, but a cosmetic mess--the front panels were scratched and scuffed, with a couple of deep gouges.

A business that could make new front panels for older equipment, or new tube cages, could do well...only, I don't trust that someone wouldn't order front panels for nefarious purposes. C-J would not like it if someone put a new front panel on the front of a cheap Chi-Fi tube amp and sold it on eBay with their name on it, in other words. (If anything, any such business for faceplates might require the owner send the original faceplate in, as proof of ownership.)

[AnotherJohnson]

The concern for intellectual property in some countries does not exist. Counterfeit Krell case work has been an example.

[admin]

The concern for intellectual property in some countries does not exist. Counterfeit Krell case work has been an example.

Or simply the knock off circuits of vintage CJ units that are widely available on ebay by Chinese importers.

[Wildcat]

Or simply the knock off circuits of vintage CJ units that are widely available on ebay by Chinese importers.

C-J, Marantz, and others have been knocked-off by the eBay sellers. I know they can't hold a candle to the genuine articles, but I wonder if they even sound good. They can copy a circuit, but they are not going to match the component and circuit board quality of the originals by a long shot.

[AnotherJohnson]

Ken Ishiwata once said that his first project as a child was to dutifully copy a Marantz amp. But although he’d copied as close as he could, it did not sound anything like the original.

He said this taught him about the importance of parts quality, topology, and tolerances.

He said this lesson stayed with him as he later entered his career, which ended with him bearing the title of Marantz Brand Ambassador.

[Joe Appierto]

Never knew that about Ken Ishiwata and ironic how his relationship with Marantz would turn out. Thanks for sharing.

A Marantz 4300 receiver was at the heart of my sound system 20 years before venturing into Conrad Johnson territory. Still miss it in a kind of nostalgic way. Have a Marantz 120B tuner I should hook-up.

[AnotherJohnson]

Never knew that about Ken Ishiwata and ironic how his relationship with Marantz would turn out. Thanks for sharing.

It was bitter and sweet. I think he was truly shocked when Marantz decided to part company. He was dead within a year, in my view accelerated by a broken heart.

I was shocked this week when my Music Direct catalog arrived and Rotel is now selling a Tribute series that they claim was his last project. He could not have worked with Rotel for more than a few months, and if he worked with them, it was with NO public fanfare. I would have expected him to be bound by a noncompete clause on termination at Marantz anyway.

Meanwhile, it is not hard to remember that his retirement and death have already been celebrated by the SA-KI and PM-KI Rubies in the Marantz line up.

These were supposed to be limited editions, but one of my industry friends told me over a year ago that more were coming according to the US distributor. Now it turns out he was right. The SA-KI had sold out, but is now appearing on inventories again for purchase.

Marantz and Denon are in the same holding company. I don’t think Rotel is connected.

[JoshT289]

Rotel's website claims private family ownership as of today.

https://www.rotel.com/our-story