Vintage Pioneer- Things You Might Want to Know!

Looking at buying some vintage Pioneer gear? You need to watch out for some issues. In this video, Kevin goes over some things to look out for.
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[@RRW276]

Here's an old school youtube saying: I see "Vintage Pioneer" and I click.

[@skylabsaudio]

lol! I like it

[@charlesengert6703]

I by no means consider myself an audiophile. I’ve owned a pioneer sx-1050 and that was my first real vintage audio purchase. I had a pair of advent OLAs that I bought for about a hundred dollars because someone painted them black… but man did that sound good. Furthermore, I started doing research on speakers. I ended up buying a pair of klipsch heresy’s that were in my price range and man it was the clearest sound I’d ever heard, but I wanted more bass. I tried a sub and that helped but was deadset on a pair of cornwalls. Fast forward, I finally got a pair of 1979 cornwalls to pair with the pioneer sx-1050 and WOW!!! Absolute game changer. No sub needed. So I started looking at amps and receivers again and got bit by the McIntosh bug. Shelled out big money for a vintage amp and preamp from the top Mac dealer in the world. That old pioneer blows the pants off that overpriced thing no question. Pioneer sx-1050 Vs. McIntosh 7270 power amp McIntosh c-31v preamp. Buy vintage pioneer. You won’t be disappointed.

[@johnvincent4048]

I've watched a lot of stereo reviews and most are for the high end equipment. Out of most peoples budget. Kevin is more like the "blue collar guy". It's not a slam. It's a compliment!!

[@mguess]

Hi Kevin. Thanks for another fun video. As an owner of a SX650 I can definitely confirm the issue with the power/speaker switch. I was able to repair mine by dismantling the switch and reconditioning the contacts. Now it's working great, hopefully for another 50 years. Definitely a real pain, I considered giving up on it a couple of times. Unfortunately I didn't make a repair video on the switch. I didn't realize that it was a systemic problem.

[@tubical71]

Are you into DIY... : i usually replace these stuff using microswitch mechanics and relays....or LED/LDR a little DIY electronics and also a relay...in order to preserve the original usability but with jellybean electronics, which can be addressed anytime in the future... 😉

[@oldpaint7533]

I currently own a SX 727 that I received about 25 years ago for shipping costs. I knew it needed work so I started work on it a couple months ago. Had to replace the tuning knob since someone tried drilling out the stripped set screws.What a pain. I built a dim bulb tester and bought a variac then spent several hours warming it up. It had been in my barn, wrapped in heavy plastic for that 25 years. Surprise...... it works. Needed lights so put in LEDs, cleaned the contacts and removed all the dust I could. The tuner section works beautifully. In the end it will need some transistors and capacitors. Anyway, just wanted to thank you for giving me some inspiration to try and get it running. Thanks!

[@c.r.sherman1795]

I've been watching you guys for a while now. I'm really thankful for your I formative videos. I got into the vintage receivers about a year ago and I have bought a few. I've also been learning how to refurbish them by cleaning the pots and switches, replacing dead lamps, setting DC offset and bias. I've even made a few minor repairs now. Having expert opinions on what is the best equipment to buy and what to look out for is enormously helpful. Thanks. I'd also like to make a thank you shout out to the guys on Audio Karma. This makes the hobby much more enjoyable.

[@kurtbader9711]

Have an SX980. Clarity and instrument separation are excellent. And, it gets loud enough to scare people while staying clean. Love the thing.

[@louiskuran5651]

I still have mine. Love it.

[@WC0125]

What I learned about the speaker jacks was it was marketed as convenience feature before spring quick connectors. Sure there were banana plugs back then but the unique Pioneer plug prevented phasing errors and was easy to plug and go.I've never had a receiver with issues other than the missing plug. Losing the plugs was a such an issue Pioneer parts department sold them well into the mid 2000's. I'm glad I bought some extras back then as, like you said, the ones people offer now are junk.

[@skylabsaudio]

I like the phasing idea. Very plausible.

[@davidbono9359]

The Pioneer speaker plugs look almost like 2-pin DIN connectors, but the DINs have one flat "blade" contact and a round pin contact. Too bad they didn't use those, but maybe the DINs weren't available back then. Some vintage Bang & Olufsen receivers use 2-pin DIN plugs for the speaker connectors, and fortunately you can still find new replacements.

[@davidbono9359]

@@skylabsaudioAnother possible reason: It looks like you can attach the speaker wires to the plugs, and then connect the speaker plugs to the back of the receiver. That seems easier than trying to reach behind the receiver to connect the speaker wires directly to terminals on the back of the receiver.

[@markvalery8632]

I had purchased a used SX-727 that was missing a speaker jack. I bought replacements on eBay that plug in, although the plugs where about 1/16"-1/8" too long. So I ground down the end. It works fine for me, but I'm nowhere near being a audiophile. What should I look out for if I bought junk?

[@Borgani958]

Thanks , Kevin, for another great video. I got an SX 850 in mint condition and how I just love her.💓 Off - topic I know but I really enjoy listening to your smooth and beautiful voice.😊

[@55benchguy]

Excellent Video. My Wife & I have a small audio repair shop . Your Videos are spot on. I will be sending you our Tee shirt shortly. Thank You for doing these videos.. I know it's tough and takes a LOT of time & patients. Take Care Kevin !

[@MrDoneboy]

Thanks for all you do for vintage audio, Kevin!

[@makon2012]

First receiver i bought in 1976, SX-750, second was a SX-1080 in 1978. Gave the 750 to my brother and sold the 1080 in 82. I bought both at the Army PX for next to nothing. Sure wish I'd kept that 1080. Man did it sound good through some Bose 601s. Love the channel!

[@CraigHollabaugh]

Sunday Morning Coming Down with Kevin. Starting my day off right. Thanks Skylabs.

[@watdanuqta-mf5ms]

This part works perfectly as a replacement for the original(maybe better) speaker connectors; Mouser P/N 538-P-303H-CCT The center pin easily comes out. Click on the photo gives you a blowup of it .Digikey and others also sell it.

[@DakTirCue]

Just turned 50 two weeks ago.. Bought myself a mint condition Sansui 9090 as a present to myself. My family threw me a surprise Bday dinner and then after dinner they gave me a most awesome present.. a mint condition Pioneer 1050! What an awesome day! So now I run my Pioneer with my digital stuff/streamers/cd downstairs.. and the Sansui ( much better phono stage) holds down the analog duty upstairs. I'm currently running the Pioneer with some Technics Sb-L300 three way speakers... Its a good match. Nice all around sound. Nice detail and tight bass. Still looking for my be all end all speaker though.... Probably a Klipsch Heritage.. Cornwall maybe? Although Im not sure I need 110W for those bad boys... LOVE LOVE LOVE the channel... been binge watching and learning a lot!!!

[@RUfromthe40s]

cornwalls are my favorite model, before i had the "forte"

[@Bingbing611]

I bought some Forte ll’s in 1991 Still pay myself on the back for this purchase all these years later Great speakers!

[@SurnaturalM]

You have a wonderful family. I usually disconnect/shut down my phone on my birthday because when my family do something, it's not for me. It's for themselves.

[@SurnaturalM]

I hope you're conscious of the immense privilege you have.

[@RUfromthe40s]

i had a sx-1050 and i notice the volume diference from the sx-838 , the sound was like putting some big celestion ditton from 1970 and i asked my father if he could borrow me his HPM-100 that he wasn't using but as in other times i couldn't touch is hi-fi gear but being older and having a family of my own , hurricane type , as fast as it happened it disapear but being a man he two days later appeared in my house and in the back of a ealy 70's ford taunus van glx in red was the hpm-100 and told me , take them later , let me see your home , after a couple of hours i told him maybe i'll get them now so you can drive home , he than tells me , you have to drive me home , and i was like ,ok but i only understood he was giving me the van and the speakers , was 1.6 engine ,at the time 1.3 engines were already piwerfull mainly because of the roads quality , so i was happy by the second time in my whole life with him and the van was metalized blue , rare to see a metalized paint , but what matters is having the sx-1050 with the big celestions and the hpm-100 and before midle of the scale volume the sound was really loud and not distorted ,this having a professional thorenz with a Sure needle and a x-165d from 1970 akai catalog and a just ofered ct-f1000 because i had bought a ct-f2121 and my grandfather thoughr it was weak but i was happy with it as i only recorded cassetes to play in the car i had already a 1973 bmw 2800 cs coupe

[@mattspokane]

Here is why I can appreciate the pioneer speaker plugs. If you are in a shop and maybe have easy access to the back of your stereo, it's easy to plug in some speaker wires. For me, it's almost always too dark and I have to get light to the area and access to the space to fiddle with it. it would be nice to screw the wires in out in the open in good lighting. Then I just have to worry about getting it plugged in which I could almost do blindly. I think I would appreciate those even if I have to make my own replacements with a lamp plugs. I'm thinking I could send them down nicely so they wouldn't wear out the contacts inside.

[@jimwhite9989]

I love this channel and I thought this video was super informative. I was actually chasing an RT-909 and the entire stack for that matter and never realized the FLD might fade or stop working. I really appreciate those you that keep the old-school electronics running and performing the repairs. Classic audio for me is at the same level as restoring old hot rods. Way to go SKYLABS AUDIO, only wish I lived closer to you.

[@frankflores3948]

Again thank you Kevin!!! I’ve owned vintage pioneer audio gear that fell under the issues you spoke about! I no longer own them, but you have the insight of the why!

[@davealexander59]

I live in the Twin Cities, so I am lucky enough to be able to drive stuff over to Midwest Speaker and drop it off. They also have hundreds of awesome speakers for sale. They have repaired many speakers for me and they have always done a great job. Highly recommended.

[@skylabsaudio]

Thanks for sharing!

[@climbtibet]

Love your channel; bought a 1280 fully serviced and it’s been amazing- keep the the quality videos and kick ass wisdom comin 👍

[@chrishernandez2371]

Always enjoy the valuable information you put out

[@skylabsaudio]

I appreciate that!

[@riflegurlsmom]

Kevin, love your videos - recently got back into vinyl and have learned sooo much from you! Thanks!!

[@skylabsaudio]

Great to hear!

[@ronaldmorris3197]

Great information and excellent presentation. My first Pioneer receiver in 1975 was the SX-550, and it was a nice sounding receiver, and beautiful as well.

[@26Jorgeb]

Thanks for the words of caution!

[@alm5693]

Glad to hear you mention and recommend Midwest Speaker Repair in Roseville (a suburb of St. Paul) MN. In 2020 I had them replace the pots and caps in a pair of 1975 JBL-L100s along with replacing the original AWFUL spring wire clips with 5-way binding posts. They did a nice job. 👍

[@jimmydelux]

Kevin, thanks for another great video. As for the Pioneer speaker jacks, I use binding post adapters that plug right in and take standard banana plugs. Got them on eBay. They work perfectly in my SX-770.

[@nashdrifter3629]

Great info once again. Thank you.

[@haqitman]

External power switch for old receivers with a rotary power switch is the way to go. All mine are connected to a power strip. Fingers crossed for the future.

[@kthermistor675]

I completely reengineered an SX-650 two years ago incorporating a heavy duty relay into a reconfigured power switch circuitry. Worked beautifully!

[@sarahwritehere]

Have wanted a Pioneer receiver for years now and this was extremely helpful. Thank you!

[@Darrylizer1]

I have an SX 850 I found in a used vinyl shop that also does a side business selling vintage gear. I had it serviced and it's my daily driver. Got old tube gear too. Love it all!

[@JuanFlores-mw3lk]

Hello Kevin, very useful info, thanks!

[@anthonylawrence60]

cleaned and lubricated mine and its working well now

[@robgreene3913]

Great stuff as usual! Thanks for all you do!

[@skylabsaudio]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@robgreene3913]

Keep them coming

[@craiglabreche9902]

Greetings I sgot back into vintage srereo equpment during covid and my first purchase was a Piomneer sx6000 and the receiver came with only on pair of speaker plugs. I don't know the answer to the practicality but for me it made it easier to connect the speaker wire the plugs , then insert the plugs, Less fumbling and a solid connection. Othe receivers and amps a bit more of a hassel pushing in the black and red buutons then feeding the wire through a hole or otherwise. I have bought several and was lucky to actuall find extra pugs that worked and others that did not. Odly our families first stereo receiver was a sx 6000 that was purchase in a PX in Franfurt with other equipment. The My mother and I took it to Paris for several years and eventually ended up in Seattle and it still works, never serviced, Your channel is great.

[@karaDee2363]

Great informative video as always. Thank you!

[@skylabsaudio]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@tomday7309]

I still have my Pioneer SX424 I bought new in 1973. I just had it repaired for about what I paid for it new, but I'm happy with the performance with decent speakers. It still has those plugs for the speakers in both the A & B sets. I don't know if they came that way, but the tech who sold it to me had installed resistors on the B set of plugs because he said it avoided switching past the B set on the selector switch with an open circuit. I am not an electrical engineer, but sitting here 50 years later, it sounds bogus. Thanks for your videos as they were great research before finding a repair shop.

[@michaelwright1602]

Another informative video, thank you sir!

[@PB-mr4ze]

Thanks Kevin, love the look and sound of the 50 series. Enjoyed the video!

[@skylabsaudio]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@johnnytoobad7785]

I live in Twin cities area and have dealt with Mid-West Speaker Repair. They are an excellent shop ! 😇

[@marks.2909]

I bought a Pioneer SX-5590 from a widow in my neighborhood , I was interested in her lawn and garden tractor and had no intentions what so ever of buying a vintage stereo receiver however this Pioneer receiver is so beautiful looking I bought it along with some large not yet identified speakers . Everything works , sounds quite good and it’s in remarkably good condition cosmetically .

[@mikecampbell5856]

I really enjoyed this video. I bought my first integrated amp in 1975 and have owned amps or receivers by Sony, Kenwood, Harman Kardon, Technics, Onkyo, Yamaha and Marantz. I unfortunately have never owned a Pioneer receiver. So weird.

[@krowmag69]

I concur on the HPM-900 and DSS speaker line. I had several versions of HPM's and the 900s were a step up from any other HPM speakers with the possible exception of HPM-150/1500 and the HPM-200s. The DSS 7 and DSS 9 speakers were another step up from theHPM-900s, even though the DSS cabinet veneer was vinyl. I was lucky and both pairs of my DSS speakers had good graphite cones. Another cool feature of the DSS-9's was the dual voice coil woofers. I had hundreds of speakers over the years and my DSS-9 speakers were at the top of my list of favorite speakers.

[@sabrowenie]

Was aware of the problem when I was given a 450 that was dead. Turned out it was a blown fuse. The switch was still good. Used fader lube instead of the usual D5. Replaced the lamps (hard wired!!) with LED. It’s in storage now but there’s a note on it to leave on and use a power strip. My main is an SX 3700. Fingers crossed that it lasts.

[@ripjones5294]

Excellent !! Next Week !!

[@davesusek3330]

Thank you another great video.

[@supersportimpalass]

I have a pair of CS-V900D’s which were the video shielded version with a bucking magnet on the woofers. The nice thing about them is they are real walnut veneer and not the cheap vinyl like the rest off the DSS line. And yes they were not fun to re-foam but easily my best sounding speakers I own.

[@JohnnyHawkins-mt9rc]

Still listening to my old Pioneer from the seventy s!

[@Ricky-cl5bu]

Love vintage pioneer I’ve had a few of them

[@TheVintageNewbie]

I’m subscribed and very glad about it. I’ve learned so much from your videos

[@skylabsaudio]

Awesome, thank you!

[@robertsuszek2327]

I am hooked on these videos. Be well Kevin.

[@hjalmarfossi5728]

Definitely gonna be a fun one!

[@jmad627]

I have an SX-780. Sounds great and I love it.

[@rickj1983]

The Vintage Pioneer channel is THE go to information source. I own a Pioneer SX-980 I bought new as a teenager and still have it and love it. The problem I have is finding decent speakers for it. Pioneer HPM 100's are very hard to find and to find an equivalent in today's speakers is hard. I almost wish there was a bookshelf speaker with the same kind of oomph.

[@skylabsaudio]

HPM 60!

[@markfx12]

Wouldn't be Sunday in the fall without football and a Skylabs upload!

[@skylabsaudio]

Hockey, Mark. Hockey... just kidding. Thanks for watching!

[@markfx12]

@@skylabsaudio The puck drops soon, Kevin🏒

[@dtracy03ss]

As far as my SX1280, I had the Shop install a new set of modern Banana Plug speaker Terminals, one of the best upgrades ever. They did a complete Refurb on this Reciever so putting the Good Speaker hook ups didn't cost much at all!

[@beitie]

I own two SX-828's. Both of them have been in the family since new. Back in the mid to late 1990's I went to my local Pioneer dealer (so sad to see how many are gone!), and I bought many pairs of brand new old stock of the speaker plugs. I still have a few spares.

[@dicky7600]

Mouser has a plug that fits that series of Pioneer perfectly. I can't remember the number, but if someone needs it I can find out and repost.

[@scottwhite2757]

Thank you Kevin ..

[@skylabsaudio]

Thanks for watching, Scott!

[@PT-km9jq]

Good tips about the switch of the SX50 series. I bought a SX650 six years ago. Lately the channels were not balanced. At first I thought there was a problem with the balance dial so treated it with some contact cleaner but with no success. I then found out it was the bad contact at the power/speaker selection knob. The problem was fixed by applying some contact cleaner there. After watching this video, I realized that this switch could one day failed to a point beyond repair. I am going to hook the receiver up to a power bar with switch, and use this switch to power on/off the receiver.

[@ronaldfriedline9297]

I've had a little bit of that going on with my sx750. Never thought of it being my power switch. Thanks

[@mikecampbell5856]

My son had two of his JBL Lancer S99 speakers refoamed at Midwest Speaker Repair and they did a great job.

[@davidbailey6350]

Kevin, great video…. Still have my original SX 737 and it’s still going strong….

[@willscott7576]

I love my SX750 and SX950 So far no switch problems.

[@ortopediadeportiva]

Nice video! Congrats 🎉

[@skylabsaudio]

Thanks for watching

[@randelselby9861]

I own a qx 8000, have not used it in years but I sure liked it, going to get it out and use it again. Bought it in So. Cal in the early 7o’s

[@swinde]

I had a lot of experience with the VFD displays. They look great when they are new, but they dim directly with they amount of time they are on. Many VCRs used these displays and since the clocks were on 24/7 they dimmed considerably in just a few years. There was a period when they were on large numbers of electronic products.

[@smelly_elvis]

🎵🎶The warden threw a party in the county jail. The prison band was there and they began to wail. The band was jumpin' and the joint began to swing. You should've heard those knocked out jailbirds sing. Let's rock, everybody, let's rock. Everybody in the whole cell block was dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock.🎶

[@exconmom2464]

I have an sx-3600 and can attest the fluroscan power meters do like very nice when working properly. Mine are still bright, Great video

[@skylabsaudio]

Thanks for sharing

[@pervertedalchemist9944]

Another thing is the excessive price gouging because of the brand. There are sellers giving it high prices just because it's a Pioneer. A few years ago, I almost walked away with a SX-D7000. The person who was selling it wanted a high price for it - despite it having some rust on top and had not been serviced or repaired at all.

[@bikdav]

I have the SX-550. My power switch was acting up somewhat. I sprayed it with contact cleaner and to this day it’s working fine.

[@peterpanx1]

People have complained that Kevin lacks in personality. I disagree. Some complained that he lacks hair on his head,,,well I agree but not much Kevin can do about that l😬 Great content by the way. Love it .

[@Audiorevue]

Actually I had a SX450 and yes the power switch did fail or I should say it was going out, but I followed a great repair video on here on how to fix the issue. All you got to do is look up SX450 repair and it's a British guy and he dismantles the switch and the contacts inside he cleans them and then silver plates them and that effectively solves the issue. I didn't silver plate them like he did, I just sort of bodged a bit and covered them in solder, and then sort of smooth that out and I promise you it worked like a charm, and I know longer have that receiver but it worked flawlessly after that and the guy I sold it to continues to say it's working fine.

[@wooddragon576]

Im about to take my first adventure with speaker jacks. After owning pioneers for 45+ years and having had many of the 3, 5 and 8 series, I finally dipped my toe in the water of the 2 series. Grabbed a 626 and 727 today in phenomenal condition. I use my SX737 and SX7730 daily so curious to see how the older models stack up, Also want to see how they sound compared to my Sansui 7070 and au-5500. Love your videos Kevin, so glad I dont live in Des Moines though, Id be broke and divorced if I did.

[@alvinmarentes3315]

Totally dig the channel. Really liked the last part about the shirts. I saw one you wore in a previous video that had a guy in a chair getting blown away from the speaker with his tie billowing back, where did you get that...Love it!! Thanks for the content.

[@bmboldt]

I had not thought about the power/speaker switch issue on the Pioneers but yeah, it is obvious now. Similar issue with my Sherwood. I just worked on a SX-727 which has that same switch and the speaker connectors. My SX-6000 also uses those speaker connectors. Another thing is the RCA connectors are too close together. It is hard to get decent cables connected to them. Love my SX-780.

[@skylabsaudio]

Yes, the Sherwoods power swich is incorperated with the volume. You're right, its another known issue for sure.

[@davestreet7114]

❤🎉 12:52 12:52 12:52 😂

[@stereoniche]

Great video Kevin! Lots of good insight into some of the weak points of favorite vintage gear although I would challenge the best speakers Pioneer ever made part. 🙂

[@skylabsaudio]

Hey Scott! Have you heard DSS-9s? Man, if you havn't, you need too! Love your reviews. Keep em coming! What Pioneers are better, in your opinion?

[@stereoniche]

@@skylabsaudio Unfortunately, I have not yet heard a pair, I missed a set about 6 years ago, very much would like to add them to my collection. At the moment, the Pioneer TZ9 has the top spot in my speaker reviews. A little surprising to me since it has gone up against dedicated speaker companies' models, but there are some heavy weights coming soon. The TZ9 is about 5 yrs after the DSS-9 series and were developed by the Pioneer TAD group, quite a speaker. When Pioneer put their collective minds to something, they could create magic. One day I'll hopefully have a set of DSS-9 to pit against the TZ-9, will be quite a match! But, I do have some rare HPM series coming up soon, so let's see if they can give the TZ9 a run.

[@turbodrawspeed]

Aftermarket plug connectors for the pioneer speakers are available everywhere.. ebay, Amazon, Ali, etc.

[@joesugarman1355]

You're absolutely right about the Pioneer DSS series being the best Pioneer speakers. I will never part with my DSS-7s. They've beaten out so many other sets of speakers--both modern and vintage--I've had in my listening room. It's just an all-around fantastic speaker. And, yes, I guard the graphite woofers like a fox.

[@skylabsaudio]

Love it

[@alwilliams5177]

Pioneer SA 650 II was my first good sounding amp. Great phono stage.

[@marcdich]

Wow, I did not know about the VFD displays in the pioneers. I actually own the 909 that I’ve got to replace the two idler wheels on which I have the parts for and it still works

[@davidbartochowski7832]

Sherwood has the power switch problem too. I purchased a SX- 590, it was totally rebuilt

[@Mr70hemi]

I've repaired many of those arching power switces, you can take them apart and burnish the contracts, then coat with Craig deoxit...Never had a comeback.

[@eabr2881]

Awesome video.

[@skylabsaudio]

Thanks!

[@davidwell686]

I think the Darlington Packs are a problem too.

[@danielknepper6884]

They don't like low-impedance loads

[@WooferCooker]

He did have a video segment dedicated to STK packs, it probably would’ve been a good idea to talk about it here too, since most lower tier Pioneer’s use them.

[@skylabsaudio]

Almost all brands used STK packs, and since we covered it in the last Buyer Beware video, I thought I'd be beating a dead horse. However, yes. STK packs are a huge problem, and you are all correct about that.

[@jimhines5145]

I have had my SX-780 on a smart plug for a while now. What I am wanting to do is remote control the volume knob. The easiest way to do this that I can come up with is with a digital stepper motor with a belt around the volume control and controlled from a micro ESP32 device. This would allow remote control from a computer or mobile device and also could have a calibration setting for min/max rotation.

[@GiguereSylvain]

'If' your main source is streaming, then, using a Bluesound Node or its equivalent, and feeding it via 'aux' or tape input, setting your amp volume, say at 10 o'clock aprox, then you can control your streamer vol via your app or Spotify, Tidal etc.. that's what I do. But of course, to listen to vinyl, I must get up and.. that's part of the pleasure of using a good turntable, wich I enjoy too. SylvainQc

[@ReginaldDj1]

When it comes to those old speaker terminals people just replace them with update speaker terminals You have to rewire it but it works

[@TheFRiNgEguitars]

Maybe overlooked but not directly the fault of Pioneer, the Darlington amplifier IC Chinese knockoffs blow. So if your Pioneer 80 series receiver needs one, it is hit or miss with the replacements out there.

[@peterheinen6110]

Direct hit ... my first stereo was an 80s Pioneer stereo set.

[@dwight4626]

My 780 has been going strong since the late 70s except for the 8 years it spent in a box in the basement.

[@jmad627]

Mine sits right next to my bed. It’s way too powerful for this little room, but I don’t care.

[@Blink_____]

Have an SX-636 that I replaced the push-in switch on after it seized / failed. After going through that, I just leave it connected to a powerstrip and control power that way

[@spacemissing]

Speaker plugs were a convenience feature, but only if you kept track of the plugs that came with the component and didn't disconnect and reconnect them too many times. [Akai used the same type on some of their stuff, so watch out for those.] I replaced the damm things with spring-lever terminals on my SX-525. Another solution is a custom-cut piece of plastic with binding posts, which is likely to be what I will eventually do on my QA-800A.

[@modelrailroadingrevisited]

I have an SX-525 too. Can you share how you did the terminal replacement?

[@spacemissing]

Sooooo many years ago! I might not remember all of it. I've had the receiver since 1981. First, find an 8-position (2X4) spring-lever terminal set that is as close as possible to the same size as the socket being replaced. Then, unsolder and keep track of the function of each wire. Drill appropriate holes in the terminal base to match the holes for the original socket. Don't drill any new holes in the receiver! Attach the wires to the new terminals and then mount the terminal assembly using small nuts (I had some spare square ones), washers, or some other kind of spacers to prevent the soldered wires terminals from touching the metal panel. The original sockets gave us A-Right, A-Left; B-Right, B-Left. My arrangement is A- Left on top, Right on bottom; B- Left on top, Right on bottom. Make a semi-permanent label to identify the contacts. I put mine on the top of the cabinet at the rear edge.

[@TSUTENKAKU007]

There are some 14" diameter woofer re-cone foam kit available. JBL L55 2 way speaker's woofer is 14" in diameter and foam repair kit is available. Whether the foam height and width will be the same is another question. Yes, just about any woofer foam replacement needs diligent and utmost care when scraping the old foam off the frame and cone.

[@mainebigfoothunter7088]

I picked up a SX-1000TW for $40 about 10 years ago. I found a beautiful set of HPM60's at a tag sale for $40. Pretty great vintage setup for the sum of $80

[@michaeldickson9876]

My HPM1100s had these graphite cones. I re-coned them and it was tricky. The woofer in the video is from an HPM1100 not an HPM900. Thanks for mentioning the later HPM series. They do not get the press coverage they deserve.

[@ratfink1]

I also have a set of HPM1100's that I love. Though had the woofers professionally refoamed. The woofer material is no different than an eggshell...

[@brunoprimas1483]

The good thing about the power switches is that there are two sets of contacts in the switches. Take it apart, flip 'em around, and away you go. Then, use a power strip to to save the new contacts. As far as the speaker plugs, they really aren't a problem. What is a problem with this era, is that fact that the bias trimmers love to short, causing the outputs to blow. Most models use 50 ohm trimmers and replacing them with multi-turn trimmers will save you in the long run.

[@Jonhobbs64]

Pioneer SX 950 is the most reliable receiver I have ever owned and I have had many

[@isoukous1035]

Thank you Kevin for a very informative video. I picked up a pair of Amrita Speakers from a thrift store because they seem to have been well built. Would you please comment on that brand of speakers? Are they worth sending to Midwest speaker repair for evaluation and maybe refurbishing?

[@mrcharliepants]

I had expected a possible solution to the terrible Pioneer speaker jack problem to be removal and replacement of the female plug jacks on the back of the receiver. I would think somewhere out there an after market item that would be an elegant fit and that converted those original plug jacks to something more conventional would.be the ideal solution. Thanks for your insights!

[@raygarafano3633]

Kenwood did the same with the KR6030 which put out 80 w per channel so a lot of power was going thru some chintsy contacts.

[@rickymcintosh4124]

The very first speaker I ever refoamed were some hpm -500's so anything after that has been a breeze 👍

[@tompas11A3n52KkX]

I have an SX 737 and it's considered by many to be one of Pioneer's best, if not the very best because of its outstanding sound. Oh, and one thing more, I subbed!

[@hondaphan4172]

Good for you...the 737 is coveted. I took ownership of my Dad's SX-434 around five years ago after he passed away. Outside of several of the lamps being blown it was in great shape overall. I replaced all of the bulbs with LED's and everything was fine for several years and then I started getting distortion in both channels if I even turned the volume knob past the first mark after the MIN setting. I have it in my basement workshop and I have the volume at the #1 setting so I can hear the music and the distortion is minimal...basically background music. I've watched some of the youtube vids on restoring the 3 series but I'm not sure if I'm up to the task. One day I'm just gonna take the time to tackle the restoration because the "lowly" 434 has sentimental value to me.

[@tompas11A3n52KkX]

@@hondaphan4172 I do hope you will take good care of that SX-434.

[@johnaustin9856]

I still have, and use, my 1974 SX-737! This was the start of building my audio system...added a PL-400 turntable, RT-707 reel-to-reel, and a CT-590 cassette, all played through Bose 301's. I do have a modern 7.1 home theater system, but this stereo system is the best for vinyl!

[@tompas11A3n52KkX]

@@johnaustin9856 I agree.