Can Vintage Stereo Receivers (Pioneer SX-1050) compete with today’s Stereo Receivers?

Echolane

Well-Known Member
Apr 24, 2018
138
16
125
California
Here’s a quote from an article that caught my attention:

“A test of a 1980 Pioneer 270 watt receiver by Innovative Audio shows that it can go toe-to-toe with the newest gear”.

I have two Pioneer SX-1050s hanging out in my house because I can’t bear to part with them. Should I restore one? Or both? I paid $700 for mine new in about 1975. That $700 is worth nearly $3380 in today’s dollars.

Some years ago I had the opportunity to buy an Audiomat Prelude Reference MKII tube Integrated amp that retailed well above the inflation adjusted price of the Pioneer. I decided to do a/b testing so I hauled my Pioneer out and started playing music through both of them. Occasionally, I thought I liked the Pioneer better but in the end I decided to go with the new. That was the right choice for my living room stereo.

But now I have something wrong with a Musical Fidelity A3cr Preamp at my computer stereo, and I have long wanted to replace the ordinary Adcom amp that is its mate. So I am thinking, why not restore my beautiful Pioneer instead? But still........

Am I wallowing in nostalgia? I really want to do this...... Of course, I’d have to find someone willing to do the restore. That might not be easy.

http://
 
Last edited:

still-one

VIP/Donor
Aug 6, 2012
1,633
150
1,220
Milford, Michigan
They may compete but they will probably come in second. Whether the differences are significant enough to offset your nostalgia is another issue.
 

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
20,806
4,698
2,790
Portugal
Here’s a quote from an article that caught my attention:

“A test of a 1980 Pioneer 270 watt receiver by Innovative Audio shows that it can go toe-to-toe with the newest gear”.
(...)

You should have referred that the vintage Pioneer was being compared to a Yamaha RX-V1800 130 Watt - 8 Ohm - 20 - 20000 Hz -- 7 channels (surround) Theater Receiver ...

It is funny that this detail is usually omitted and the rumor propagates on the net as if the Pioneer was being compared with current top stereo gear! :D

Most of the time these nostalgic receivers will have serious problems due to rusty switching boards or commutators, as the signal goes through many switches, and the sensitivity will not be compatible with current high level digital outputs. But yes, they look great ...
 
  • Like
Reactions: DexterMiller

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
You should have referred that the vintage Pioneer was being compared to a Yamaha RX-V1800 130 Watt - 8 Ohm - 20 - 20000 Hz -- 7 channels (surround) Theater Receiver ...

It is funny that this detail is usually omitted and the rumor propagates on the net as if the Pioneer was being compared with current top stereo gear! :D

Most of the time these nostalgic receivers will have serious problems due to rusty switching boards or commutators, as the signal goes through many switches, and the sensitivity will not be compatible with current high level digital outputs. But yes, they look great ...

That link: https://www.cnet.com/news/how-can-30-year-old-receivers-sound-better-than-new-ones/
___

And for stereo test power comparison:
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/denon-avr-5308ci-av-receiver-ht-labs-measures
https://www.soundandvision.com/cont...5-av-receiver-ht-labs-measures-onkyo-tx-sr805
___

http://thevintagehifishack.com/the-beast-a-k-a-the-pioneer-sx-1980/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneer_SX-1980
___

The SX-1050
http://stereonomono.blogspot.com/2012/07/pioneer-sx-1050.html
 
Last edited:

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
10,517
1,774
1,850
Metro DC
Yes and beat them.
It depends on what your needs are. If you are a straight up analog guy with two channel aspiration,s vintage is your thig. If you are a multichannel guy who needs functionality, late model is your thing.
 

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
20,806
4,698
2,790
Portugal

This is the original article: https://www.iavscanada.com/receiver-shoot-out-vintage-vs-high-tech/

Please note that according to Wikipedia, although prices seemed similar in 1978 and 2009 , according to the CPI inflation calculator, the Pionneer SX-1980 would equate to about $3,700 in 2015 and the source in these comparison was a DVD-2900 DVD/SACD player.
 

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
10,517
1,774
1,850
Metro DC
7684-6.jpg 2742-HK-630.jpg
Harmon Kardon 630
 
  • Like
Reactions: DexterMiller

Hi-FiGuy

Member Sponsor
Feb 23, 2015
2,235
754
385
Cool.
___

Back then stereo receivers had two internal powered amplifiers (two channels).

Today this receiver guy has thirteen internal powered amplifiers (13 channels), eleven more!

https://youtu.be/Z1LLb5eB6ms

Sure is a small transformer for 13 channels.
My Karmon Kardon AVR7200 has 50LBS of Toridal Transformer and caps to run 7.1.
Kind of hard to see with the Circuit board on top. Last of the beasts for HK.
Screen_shot_HK-_AVR7300-2010-12-15.jpg
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
That Denon receiver has an 8kg (18 lbs) transformer to drive 13 channels, with two caps rated @ 22,000uf each.

It's for movies from Disney with restricted dynamics...Dolby Atmos. It's for fun, not for serious high end music listening with serious high end speakers that demand serious high end power.

• https://translate.google.com.sg/tra...00/000% 2F409/409760/index-2.html&edit-text=

Nowadays receivers are not what they used to be.
If you want serious home theater power you buy a separate surround sound processor with dedicated power amps for all your speakers.
But remember this too; the majority of people cross all those speakers @ 80Hz. Below that the subwoofer(s) take over. Say you have four subwoofers in your home theater, with 800 watts per sub.

That HK 7200 is from 2003, fifteen years ago. It weighs roughly 60 pounds.
The Denon 8500 is 50 pounds (manual). It has four fans @ the bottom, under the two heatsinks.

But yes some old vintage stereo receivers weigh 80 pounds, and some newer 11.2-channel receivers weigh 30 pounds, some 9.1 ones weigh 20 pounds.
Some mono blocks weigh 500 pounds.
If you have $500,000/pair loudspeakers you won't go really far with a 30 pound receiver, maybe good for a piccolo?

https://youtu.be/3EFLa5dK-nU
 
Last edited:

Echolane

Well-Known Member
Apr 24, 2018
138
16
125
California

Echolane

Well-Known Member
Apr 24, 2018
138
16
125
California
Yes and beat them.
It depends on what your needs are. If you are a straight up analog guy with two channel aspiration,s vintage is your thig. If you are a multichannel guy who needs functionality, late model is your thing.

I’m a straight up two channel analog gal. As proof of that, for my TV room I chose the Arcam SR250, which is a two channel rarity for an AV Receiver. And I bought an OPPO UDP-205 because of its upgraded analog section.

Actually, now that I am focusing on my TV system, it occurs to me my old Pioneer would fit in here much better than at my computer. Yes, the more I think about it, the more I think I should consider substituting the Pioneer for my tube amp. I have much preferred my Audiomat Arpege for music listening to the Arcam, but the Arpege would be a far more perfect mate for the monitor size speakers at the computer than would the powerful Pioneer.

Suddenly, as I am writing this, I’m beginning to feel more serious about pursuing this. Now to see if I can find the right person to restore one of the SX-1050s. And hope it doesn’t cost a ridiculous amount of money!
 
Last edited:

Echolane

Well-Known Member
Apr 24, 2018
138
16
125
California

analogsa

Well-Known Member
Apr 15, 2017
382
122
175
Cascais
Suddenly, as I am writing this, I’m beginning to feel more serious about pursuing this.

As someone who has done a few restorations, the only advice i can give is: don't do it.

Money-wise it is a bottomless pit and the end result will always be limited by the zillion crappy switches along the signal path. And how about the termination? Are willing to retain the spring loaded speaker terminals? And the horrendously cheap phono jacks?

Perhaps a very limited scope restoration may be worth it. Perhaps not. Main PS caps, all coupling caps, output relays. Seems easy and cheap. But there is always the chance that the relays form factor is no longer available, or that really good sounding filter caps cannot be fitted without some surgery.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DexterMiller

Echolane

Well-Known Member
Apr 24, 2018
138
16
125
California
As someone who has done a few restorations, the only advice i can give is: don't do it.

Money-wise it is a bottomless pit and the end result will always be limited by the zillion crappy switches along the signal path. And how about the termination? Are willing to retain the spring loaded speaker terminals? And the horrendously cheap phono jacks?

Perhaps a very limited scope restoration may be worth it. Perhaps not. Main PS caps, all coupling caps, output relays. Seems easy and cheap. But there is always the chance that the relays form factor is no longer available, or that really good sounding filter caps cannot be fitted without some surgery.

I do feel there are risks.

It is limited in input sources. I *really* dislike those spring loaded speaker terminals. I look at them and think to myself - how could they! And try to adapt a set of modern speaker wires to them.....definitely a negative. I was hoping there would be a way to retrofit them to something more modern......
 
Last edited:

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
20,806
4,698
2,790
Portugal
(...) Suddenly, as I am writing this, I’m beginning to feel more serious about pursuing this. Now to see if I can find the right person to restore one of the SX-1050s. And hope it doesn’t cost a ridiculous amount of money!

Finding the right person can really make the difference, but can be hard if do not have some one to trust. If you find a good technician, that can for example bypass most of the not needed circuits and parts, keeping just the basics for what you need and replacing a few connectors, it can become a viable project. But carefully watch for budget.

BTW, sometimes I am also guilty of not being able to resist to vintage - just got two mint Sony TA NR-1 amplifiers this weekend. :D
 

Attachments

  • a1.jpg
    a1.jpg
    36.4 KB · Views: 77

andromedaaudio

VIP/Donor
Jan 23, 2011
8,354
2,731
1,400
Amsterdam holland
Nice , i like vintage too.
I think the high end partly evolved out of the need for high power amplifiers. Ml. Krell etc.
In that time you had a lot of difficult to drive transducers
Nowadays you have a lot of high efficiency easy to drive LS , so i bet a restored up to date old amp might sound may be almost as good.
With a good easy speaker you can skip on the amp more i think
 

About us

  • What’s Best Forum is THE forum for high end audio, product reviews, advice and sharing experiences on the best of everything else. This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. Founded in 2010 What’s Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. From beginners to life-long hobbyists to industry professionals, we enjoy learning about new things and meeting new people, and participating in spirited debates.

Quick Navigation

User Menu

Steve Williams
Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator
Ron Resnick
Site Co-Owner | Administrator
Julian (The Fixer)
Website Build | Marketing Managersing