Is old Stereo equipment still viable?

[Averageman]

I've got a nice old 80's era Sony amp and receiver and four Cerwin Vega Speakers from the same time frame.
is it better to go with a whole new system or does this stuff interface with new gear?
I know zero about modern stereo equipment.

[Nowski87]

You can use the old stuff and it will work with the new stuff depending on what you want to do. Are you looking to do a two channel system for just music or are you looking to set up a multi channel system for for movies, gamming and such?

[ChattanoogaPhil]

The Sony amp should be fine but the foam edge around the speakers is probably deteriorated. Redoing the edging is possible.

As far as interfacing the amp with new gear... about anything is doable. To give you a example... I have an older Sony amp in my office connected to an older pair of Bose bookshelf speakers. I use an Amazon Echo Dot plugged directly into the input jacks on the Sony. Alexa, play Best of the Rolling Stones.

[Nowski87]

Man I was planning on setting up my turn table and stereo this weekend since my workstation is done, this discussion will make sure it happens.

That aside where was everything stored, that will be more of an issue than interface.


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[Averageman]

Ive had the speaker foam replaced once, not a big deal, I will check them out though.
The Amp is set up for a multi-channel system already, so yeah that would be my choice.

[Nowski87]

Ive had the speaker foam replaced once, not a big deal, I will check them out though.
The Amp is set up for a multi-channel system already, so yeah that would be my choice.

So going multi channel your ports will determine what and how you hook it all up. But that’s a give in make sure you don’t get anything that requires a port you don’t have and check your wattage so you get good sound with out running the risk of blowing a speaker.


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[ScottsBad]

Its funny, the demand for the right, quality, old gear has gone up a lot in some cases. I always got rid of my old gear for next to nothing, now there is a market for old stuff. A lot of people are going back to vinyl, which I don't understand because if you have really good equipment and the CD was well produced, a CD sounds far better. And way way better than the MP3 quality recordings (Itunes, etc.), because of the sampling rate and compression algorithms. I digress.

May I suggest AVForums for questions, the forum has sections for everything from stereo systems to full blown high end home theater and everything in between.

If you can pull the covers off your speakers, you can inspect them to see what kind of surrounds they have and if the integrity of the speaker is good. Some of the Cerwin Vega speakers were good sounding, some not as good, but at least you'll know if they will play.

Amps and other electronics can mate to newer equipment, but it depends on what you want to achieve. The main problem with old audio equipment is if the capacitors were good quality and remain good. Also, how hot they ran matters.

There are people who specialize in fixing stereo equipment, take your Sony amp and have them take a look to see if its operating properly.

Old tape drives usually have problems because of the rubber or synthetic rollers, or the motors develop problems.

I've got two buddies who have always maintained their old gear. They have repairs and parts replacements done (like having the capacitors replaced), and fixing tape units. They also buy old gear for their collections.

I think high quality newer equipment sounds better than the old stuff, but that's me. The one thing I don't like is the sound of many of the new speakers. Its sort of a cultural generational difference. I prefer neutral speakers (old school), while the newer speakers artificially color the sound a little too much for me.

Most people these days don't know what good sound is because they listen to crap music from crap sound systems. I guess I've quit worrying about it myself, except when I crank my good stuff up.

Good luck.

You can test the newer receiver/preamp or separates with the old speakers and amp to see how they sound, and if it doesn't sound good swap out piece by piece until it sounds good. Speakers make the most difference in sound if the system is decent. But if the signal is crap, that's what the speakers will play.

[Adrenaline_6]

Its funny, the demand for the right, quality, old gear has gone up a lot in some cases. I always got rid of my old gear for next to nothing, now there is a market for old stuff. A lot of people are going back to vinyl, which I don't understand because if you have really good equipment and the CD was well produced, a CD sounds far better. And way way better than the MP3 quality recordings (Itunes, etc.), because of the sampling rate and compression algorithms. I digress.

May I suggest AVForums for questions, the forum has sections for everything from stereo systems to full blown high end home theater and everything in between.

If you can pull the covers off your speakers, you can inspect them to see what kind of surrounds they have and if the integrity of the speaker is good. Some of the Cerwin Vega speakers were good sounding, some not as good, but at least you'll know if they will play.

Amps and other electronics can mate to newer equipment, but it depends on what you want to achieve. The main problem with old audio equipment is if the capacitors were good quality and remain good. Also, how hot they ran matters.

There are people who specialize in fixing stereo equipment, take your Sony amp and have them take a look to see if its operating properly.

Old tape drives usually have problems because of the rubber or synthetic rollers, or the motors develop problems.

I've got two buddies who have always maintained their old gear. They have repairs and parts replacements done (like having the capacitors replaced), and fixing tape units. They also buy old gear for their collections.

I think high quality newer equipment sounds better than the old stuff, but that's me. The one thing I don't like is the sound of many of the new speakers. Its sort of a cultural generational difference. I prefer neutral speakers (old school), while the newer speakers artificially color the sound a little too much for me.

Most people these days don't know what good sound is because they listen to crap music from crap sound systems. I guess I've quit worrying about it myself, except when I crank my good stuff up.

Good luck.

You can test the newer receiver/preamp or separates with the old speakers and amp to see how they sound, and if it doesn't sound good swap out piece by piece until it sounds good. Speakers make the most difference in sound if the system is decent. But if the signal is crap, that's what the speakers will play.

I'm with you. I like the "warm" sound you can listen to all day with no ear fatigue. The newer very bright highs might sound "nice and clear" for a little while, but you can't listen to it very long without fatigue. The classic a/d/s sound to me cannot be beat.