Marantz amplifiers and preamplifiers (1950s)
Audio Consolette Model 2 brochure (amplifier shown)
In 1952, Saul Marantz launched his high-end audio company with the Audio Consolette preamplifier. The product used the typeface Metropolis on its faceplate and Davison Spencerian (in later editions), setting a typographic standard that the Marantz brand followed for at least 30 years. In fact, these typefaces (unsusual styles for audio components) are part of the reason Marantz products are visually distinct from their competitors. See these 1970s receivers, for example.
Incidentally, Marantz recently entered the iPod/iPhone dock market with a revival of the Consolette brand, but replaced the formal Spencerian with a contemporary brush script logo.
Audio Consolette Model 1 (1952 edition) sales sheet
Audio Consolette Model 1 (1952 edition) sales sheet
Audio Consolette Model 1 (1954 edition)
Audio Consolette Model 1 (1952 edition) on eBay
Audio Consolette Model 1 (1954 edition)
Audio Consolette Model 2 brochure
Model 3 Electronic Crossover
1 Comment on “Marantz amplifiers and preamplifiers (1950s)”
Marantz did use Metropolis, but the logo itself (as well as some of the other applications shown here) is custom drawn, and only derived from the typeface. More details in this comment. I’ve added our “lettering derived from typeface” tag.