[Gardyloo]

Hi I'm new here and this is my first post. So the kids are out of the house now, and I want to listen to my old vinyl records again. None of my equipment has been used for years and I'm looking for suggestions on whether to keep or replace. 

 
I have a Marantz 2220B Receiver and a pair of ElectroVoice Speakers bought new from Warehouse Sound Company in San Luis Obispo when I graduated from high school in 1975. The Garrard turntable is long gone. The set up had warm powerful sound which used to drive my parents nuts .
 
The sound of the EV speakers was great, but they're too big for my house now unless they're really worth keeping. They have a 12” woofer, and made good plant stands back in the 1970’s (well protected from water of course) They’ve been stored in my garage. The Marantz has always been in the den (unused for at least 15 years).  I'm absolutely sure these items will need some sort of overhaul/tune-up due to age. I live in the San Francisco East Bay and have heard there’s a good place in Walnut Creek for repairs.
 

So are any of these worth overhauling and using again? If no on the speakers, can you make some recommendations? And how about a replacement turntable? I just retired, so $10,000 systems are out.

 

One caveat: I have some hearing loss and wear hearing aids for speech, but don’t use them for music because their music fidelity is terrible. So although I love music, I’ve lost some of my high end hearing, and won’t need super performance gear because I won’t be able to hear it. 

 

Looking forward to your replies and opinions

 

[KG Jag]

I still have my Pioneer SX 990 from 1971 and Koss Pro 4AA from the same era.  However my Cerwin Vega speakers and Dual turntable are long gone.
 
Can't speak to your hearing issues, as those are unique to you and it certainly is not my field.
 
Your Marantz is a sweet low power (20 watts per channal RMS) entry level receiver.  You should hook your speakers to it and see how the sytem sounds now.  Over 40 years it may or may not be as you remember it.  My biggest concerns would be the speakers.  Stored in a garage--even in Cali--is not good for maintaining the paper, rubber, etc. of which the speakers inside the cabinet are made.
 
The good news is that you can get a great system for far less than $10,000, if you know what you are doing; have IDed your needs; and know where to look.

 

[Gardyloo]

Thanks KG Jag! I think I may have mis-communicated on a couple of things. What I was trying to say about the hearing loss is I don't need/want a high end system because I won't be able to hear the differences a high end system delivers. Same with the joke about spending $10K: can't hear it or afford it, so why spend it.   $1K is about what I was thinking.
 
I noticed a Marantz 2220 thread on the site, I'm thinking to post my query there and see what those owners recommend.

 

[davidsh]

Want headphones or speakers?

 

[SAINT PEPSI]

I was told that older turntables and stuff were actually higher quality then the newer ones. I don't know because I've never owned a turntable this is just something I was told by a friend who is really into good sounding audio. I'd try and find an old one anyway because they look cooler.

 

[Gardyloo]

davidsh- I think speakers will work best for my situation

 

[ktm]

  I was told that older turntables and stuff were actually higher quality then the newer ones. I don't know because I've never owned a turntable this is just something I was told by a friend who is really into good sounding audio. I'd try and find an old one anyway because they look cooler.

Nope. Not true. Quality is quality. There were lots of so so tables built in the 70's. Newer tables tend to be either very cheap or very good.
So like anything else, do your homework. The only real advantage of old turntables is they are cheap and plentiful. The chances of finding
a $20 gem are much better than a modern table.But the flip side is they are many decades old. Age takes it's toll.
If you're going to use a 20 wpc Marantz, the speakers are a concern. Some speakers need a lot of
power to drive, some don't. As far as the Marantz goes, if it sounds good to you, keep on rocking. It's going to cost $$$$ to
to get a tech to do anything with it. There are some very good sites out there on 70's gear. They can help you pick the right
choices. I have modern stuff here, but still have a Marantz stashed away. I break it out sometimes for a day or two.
I can do a lot of tech stuff myself and plan on recapping it.

 

[KG Jag]

  Thanks KG Jag! I think I may have mis-communicated on a couple of things. What I was trying to say about the hearing loss is I don't need/want a high end system because I won't be able to hear the differences a high end system delivers. Same with the joke about spending $10K: can't hear it or afford it, so why spend it.   $1K is about what I was thinking.
 
I noticed a Marantz 2220 thread on the site, I'm thinking to post my query there and see what those owners recommend.

Good ideas.

 

[ktm]

audiokarma should be a good site for ideas.
They are all about "vintage".