Apro wrote:

Hello! I am looking at purchasing either a marantz 4230 or h/k 430 twin to be the amplifier for my pioneer pl500 turntable which I just added a sure m97xe cartridge to. Which one should I purchas? It will mostly be used for phono but occasionally also the FM radio.

Those units are both rated for a relatively small amount of power.

They will not be adequate for most speakers.

Some very sensitive speakers will work with them; those with a sensitivity rating of 90 db per watt or higher.

When purchasing this type of vintage equipment, it is normal to spend several hundred dollars to get them back in good working order, because coupling capacitors are almost always in poor condition, and volume and tone and balance potentiometers are quite often worn out and noisy.

Proper replacement parts can be very hard to get and expensive.

One can buy a better-quality modern amplifier new from NAD or Cambridge Audio for less money, really.

If you are really into retro stuff, that's one thing, but don't assume you will get something really great for a low price; it usually does not work out that way.