elitehifi.com http://elitehifi.com A place for vintage hifi audio enthusiasts Sat, 29 Oct 2011 06:35:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 http://elitehifi.com http://elitehifi.com/wp-content/themes/arthemia/images/favicon.ico elitehifi.com Pioneer SX-3900 Stereo Receiver Review http://elitehifi.com/pioneer-sx-3900-receiver-reveiw http://elitehifi.com/pioneer-sx-3900-receiver-reveiw#comments Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:54:24 +0000 Chris http://elitehifi.com/?p=81 The Pioneer SX-3900 Receiver was the top of the line Pioneer Fluroscan receiver. It featured the Pioneer Non-Switching amplifier, this time delivering an earth-shaking 120 watts per channel with less than 0.005% total harmonic distortion. It offered a number of additional features over the Pioneer SX-3800, including 2 high pass filters, tone turn-over controls for bass and treble, an adapter loop switch, FM de-emphasis, tape duplicate, and 2 phono inputs. As far as silver iron goes, this was it, the best of the last, weighing in at 44 pounds. The SX-3900 was available from 1980 to 1982 at an $800 suggested list price. If you have experience with this amplifier please Click here to add your review.

If there are any Pioneer SX-3900 amplifier tuner receivers for sale they will be listed here :

]]> http://elitehifi.com/pioneer-sx-3900-receiver-reveiw/feed 11 PIONEER SX-1280 Tuner Receiver Amplifier http://elitehifi.com/pioneer-sx-1280-tuner-receiver-amplifier http://elitehifi.com/pioneer-sx-1280-tuner-receiver-amplifier#comments Wed, 10 Jun 2009 05:50:54 +0000 Chris http://elitehifi.com/?p=62 The Pioneer sx-1280 is legendary. Made by Pioneer from 1975 to 1979 the pioneer SX-1280 receiver is considered the baby brother of the infamous pioneer sx-1980.   The amplifier is conservatively rated 185 WPC into 8 ohms, this receiver amplifier is considered by many audiophiles to be one of the finest sounding Pioneer tuners ever built.  If you have experience with this amplifier please Click here to add your review. 

If there are any Pioneer SX-1280 stereo tuner amplifier receivers for sale they will be listed here :


Here are some other pioneer stereo amplifiers :
]]> http://elitehifi.com/pioneer-sx-1280-tuner-receiver-amplifier/feed 8 Pioneer SX-3700 Stereo Receiver Review http://elitehifi.com/pioneer-sx-3700-stereo-receiver-review http://elitehifi.com/pioneer-sx-3700-stereo-receiver-review#comments Thu, 11 Jun 2009 05:25:17 +0000 Chris http://elitehifi.com/?p=92 The Pioneer SX-3700 Receiver was available starting in 1980. A little brother of the Pioneer SX-3900 and SX-3800 it still featured the infamous Pioneer Fluroscan display. It also featured the Pioneer Non-Switching amplifier, this time delivering  45 watts per channel with less than 0.005% total harmonic distortion.  This was a classic silver face unit weighing in at about 30 pounds. The Pioneer SX-3700 receiver was available until 1982. If you have experience with this amplifier please Click here to add your review.

If there are any Pioneer SX-3700 amplifier tuner receivers for sale they will be listed here :

]]> http://elitehifi.com/pioneer-sx-3700-stereo-receiver-review/feed 10 Pioneer Elite M-90 Stereo Amplifier Review http://elitehifi.com/pioneer_elite_m-90_amplifier_review http://elitehifi.com/pioneer_elite_m-90_amplifier_review#comments Mon, 07 Mar 2011 02:35:58 +0000 Chris http://elitehifi.com/?p=299 When the Pioneer M-90 power amplifier was introduced in 1987 it was billed a a “super high power stereo amplifier” conservatively rated at 200 watts per channel into 8 ohms and delivered 800 watts of dynamic power into 2 ohms.  Whoa, talk about some solid bottom end sound. The M-90’s high current capacity of 47 amps could handle the most complex speaker loads of its time.  Besides that, its sexy urushi finish with rosewood side panels when paired with the C-90 pre-amplifier made for quite a “I’m a connoisseur” statement in any living room. 
pioneer_m-90_amplifier_rear
With an M.S.R.P of $950 the Pioneer M-90 amplifier was only in production for three years and then replaced by the M-91 in 1991.  Perhaps most astonishing was not only the impressive power capability but its ability to deliver it in a virtually distortion free manner having only 0.003% total harmonic distortion from 20hz to 20khz @ 8ohms. 
The M-90 featured two mono amps in one design, non switching circuitry, separate left and right power supplies (like the M-72 and M-91 power amplifiers) direct connection  and CD direct with volume control which eliminated the need for a pre-amplifier for CD players. Lets look at the  dynamic power specs. The M-90 breaks down as follows : 300 watts at 8 ohms, 550 watts at 4 ohms and a staggering 800 watts at 2 ohms.

The pioneer M-90 measured 18 inches wide, 16 15/16th inches deep, and 6 1/16th inches high. It weighed a solid 49lbs.

The M-90 is still a sought-after Pioneer amplifier today. If you have experience with this amplifier please Click here to add your review.  

If there are any Pioneer Elite M-90 amplifier's for sale they will be listed here :

]]> http://elitehifi.com/pioneer_elite_m-90_amplifier_review/feed 6 Pioneer SX-1050 Stereo Receiver Review http://elitehifi.com/pioneer-sx-1050-stereo-receiver-review http://elitehifi.com/pioneer-sx-1050-stereo-receiver-review#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 06:13:49 +0000 Chris http://elitehifi.com/?p=230 The Pioneer SX-1050 Receiver was available starting in 1976. Rated at 120 watts RMS per channel into 8 ohms and 170 watts RMS into 4 ohms the SX-1050 marked a significant design change from the SX-950 and SX-850. Many of the features incorporated into the SX-1250 are also found in the SX-1050 including a Toroidal Power Transformer, Step Attenuator Volume Control, Massive Power Supply with Step-Start Circuit,Improved FM Section and a Shielded Multi-Gang Tuning Capacitor.  The Pioneer SX-1050 stereo receiver was the little brother to the SX-1250 in both 1976 and 1977. These where classic silver face units sporting the walnut veneers and corners that were so hot at the time and weighing in at 51.50 pounds this unit was a heavy weight contender that any audiophile would be glad to call their own. If you have experience with this amplifier please Click here to add your review.

If there are any Pioneer SX-1050 amplifier tuner receivers for sale they will be listed here :

Here are some other pioneer receivers you might like :

]]> http://elitehifi.com/pioneer-sx-1050-stereo-receiver-review/feed 4 Pioneer A-91D Stereo Power Amplifier Review http://elitehifi.com/pioneer-a-91d-stereo-power-amplifier-review http://elitehifi.com/pioneer-a-91d-stereo-power-amplifier-review#comments Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:21:44 +0000 Chris http://elitehifi.com/?p=184 The Pioneer A-91D stereo power amplifier is an amazing amplifier that’s ready for digital reproduction.

With the Pioneer  A-91D, program signals go through the shortest direct path from circuit to circuit, to minimize chances of noise pickup and to maintain musical purity. We’ve made this possible by having actual switching and control occur near circuits or input terminals. A “LINE DIRECT” switch lets you further trim the signal route; it runs the input selector direct to the power amplifier, bypassing all intervening circuits (except volume control) physically as well as electrically. It lets you enjoy unusually clear and clean reproduction from any program source.
Subtle vibrations can cause subtle sound degradation by microscopically moving parts and devices. So we’ve shut them out using a non-resonating frame chassis, insulators and a heat sink, all with a honeycomb construction. They also add to the rigidity of the entire chassis. Using separate circuit blocks contributes to clarity by keeping interference to a minimum.
Our now Non Switching Circuit Type III features excellent low impedance driving capability combined with low distortion. Our exclusive power-amp design offers more advantages. One, it puts an end to switching distortion to add clarity to the sound you hear. Two, it fully stabilizes idling current, so that distortion due to thermal fluctuation is reduced to zero. Three, distortion created by power transistors is reduced to 1/50th the original value. Four, load variations are suppressed, and dynamic response is improved when large currents are drawn a low impedances, thanks to separation of the voltage- and current- amplifying stages.
The A-91D is designed to drive low impedances of 6 or even 4 ohms with low distortion over a wide frequency range. Backing it up are two high-capacity power transformers. They are contained in finned die-cast iron cases, filled with a damping agent, which dissipate heat to prevent the increased resistance and impedance that high temperatures can cause. They are also solid and non-resonating, and magnetically shielded to prevent magnetic radiations from affecting delicate signals.
In the A-91D, we’ve extended the digital advantages by including independent digital conversion circuitry. There are two glitch-free D/A (digital-to-analog) converters (one for each channel), a digital filter which uses four times the normal sampling frequency (176.4kHz), and analog low-pass filter built from quality discrete parts. Use the A-91D with a CD player with digital output such as the Pioneer PD-M90X, and you’ll get digital sound in its purest form. There are six digital inputs and three digital outputs, of which two inputs and one output have optical interfaces to permit electrical isolation. An Optical Transfer Distortion Canceller is added to eliminate jitter for accurate optical transmission.
The A-91D delivers a continues average power output of 120 watts per channel, min., at 8 ohms, from 20Hz to 20,000Hz with no more than 0.003% total harmonic distortion.  If you have experience with this amplifier please Click here to add your review

If there are any Pioneer A-91D Stereo Power Amplifier's for sale they will be listed here :


Here are some other pioneer stereo amplifiers :
 ]]> http://elitehifi.com/pioneer-a-91d-stereo-power-amplifier-review/feed 3 Pioneer SX-1980 Vintage Stereo Tuner Amplifier Receiver http://elitehifi.com/pioneer-sx-1980-vintage-stereo-amplifier-receiver http://elitehifi.com/pioneer-sx-1980-vintage-stereo-amplifier-receiver#comments Wed, 10 Jun 2009 04:01:28 +0000 Chris http://elitehifi.com/?p=30 When the Pioneer SX-1980 stereo tuner amplifier was introduced in 1978, it was the most powerful receiver in the world. It was rated at a staggering 270 watts per channel. It was literally in a class by itself with a level of power, performance and sheer weight that marked the apogee of Pioneer's two-channel stereo receiver development.

pioneer_sx-1980_meters

Everything about the pioneer SX-1980 receiver was on a grand scale, including its price tag. The M.S.R.P. was $1295.00, making it the most expensive receiver Pioneer had ever built. Nothing like it had ever been built by Pioneer before, and nothing has been built like it since.

The pioneer SX-1980's beauty was more than skin-deep. As Pioneer's best receiver, the careful and logical layout of the receiver's hefty toroidal transformer and four massive capacitors were flanked by the component circuit boards, a layout that was shared by the SX-1250 and SX-1280. This receiver had 12 Field Effect Transistors (FETs), 11 Integrated Circuits (ICs), 130 transistors and 84 diodes!

pioneersx1980inside

Pioneer designed large heatsinks to dissipate the SX-1980's full-tilt operating temperature. The SX-1980 was the largest and heaviest receiver Pioneer had ever built. The receiver measured 22.0 inches wide, 19.50 inches deep, and 8.25 inches high. It weighed a staggering 78.0 pounds.

The SX-1980 was not for everyone; Pioneer had receivers for consumers who did not need the power and performance this receiver was capable of. But then, Lamborghinis and magums of champagne are not for everyone either. The SX-1980 is the most sought-after Pioneer receiver today, often times being bought over the internet at more than its original list price. If you have experience with this amplifier please Click here to add your review.

If there are any Pioneer SX-1980 stereo tuner amplifier receivers for sale they will be listed here :

Here are some other Pioneer SX model receivers for sale :

]]> http://elitehifi.com/pioneer-sx-1980-vintage-stereo-amplifier-receiver/feed 2 Pioneer SX-780 Vintage Stereo Tuner Amplifier Receiver http://elitehifi.com/pioneer-sx-780-vintage-stereo-tuner-amplifier-receiver http://elitehifi.com/pioneer-sx-780-vintage-stereo-tuner-amplifier-receiver#comments Mon, 14 Feb 2011 04:40:37 +0000 Chris http://elitehifi.com/?p=261 When the Pioneer SX-780 stereo tuner amplifierwas introduced in 1978 it was introduced as the last of the 700 series silver face amplifiers. These units are still very popular today with collecters. The production only lasted two years until 1980. The 780 was a two channel receiver rated at 45 watts per channel. 

pioneer_sx-780_meters

Everything about the pioneer SX-780 receiverwas sleek and easily accessible, When introduced at the time its original price tag of $325 M.S.R.P made this one of the more affordable Pioneer units of its time. A token of the era this unit was a great seller and performer in pioneers line.

The pioneer SX-780's beauty was in its simplicity. As Pioneer's last of the 700 series, the careful and logical layout of the receiver's controls made for a great looking unit as well beauty to listen to.

pioneer sx-780 inside

The Other models featured in the 700 series are the SX-727, SX-737 and SX-750. More information on those models can also be found in our archive.  If you own a Pioneer SX-780 or have experiences with this receiver please take a moment to rate its performance and share your comments below.

 

Click here to add your review.

If there are any Pioneer SX-780 stereo tuner amplifier receivers for sale they will be listed here :

Here are some other Pioneer SX model receivers for sale :

 

 

]]> http://elitehifi.com/pioneer-sx-780-vintage-stereo-tuner-amplifier-receiver/feed 4 Pioneer SX-950 Stereo Amplifier Review http://elitehifi.com/pioneer-sx-950-stereo-amplifier-review http://elitehifi.com/pioneer-sx-950-stereo-amplifier-review#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 06:41:47 +0000 Chris http://elitehifi.com/?p=239 The Pioneer SX-950 Receiver was available starting in 1976. Rated at 85 watts RMS per channel into 8 ohms the SX-950 was introduced to replace the pioneer SX-939.  The Pioneer SX-950 stereo receiver was the little brother to the SX-1050 in both 1976 and 1977 and had a list price of $650.00. This was a classic silver face units sporting the walnut veneers and corners that were so hot at the time and weighing in at about 43 pounds this stereo receiver was no slouch. The  Pioneer SX-950 am/fm stereo receiver was retired in 1977. If you have experience with this amplifier please Click here to add your review.

If there are any Pioneer SX-950 amplifier tuner receivers for sale they will be listed here :

Here are some other pioneer receivers you might like :

]]> http://elitehifi.com/pioneer-sx-950-stereo-amplifier-review/feed 2 JBL L112 Loudspeaker Speaker Review http://elitehifi.com/jbl-l112-loudspeakers http://elitehifi.com/jbl-l112-loudspeakers#comments Wed, 10 Jun 2009 06:13:01 +0000 Chris http://elitehifi.com/?p=69 The JBL L112 loudspeaker system was released in 1980 as an improved version of the original L-100 Century/4130 control monitor. JBL speaker engineers reexamined and reworked every single aspect of these already exquisite systems with the benefit of years of valuable feedback attained from recording engineers and other audio professionals. By staying attentive to this input and implementing state-of-the-art circuitry and components JBL successfully built upon their strengths while addressing their weaknesses, thus creating an enormously improved system while remaining faithful to the stringent performance standards of the original versions.

The JBL L-112’s are so well designed and constructed they are virtually sonically identical to the JBL monitors used in top recording studios such as Capitol, RCA, Warner Brothers, Vanguard, Elektra and MGM. Even today, with the enormous selection of speaker systems available, many discerning audiophiles prefer the L-112’s. The reason for this is simple. Statistics show that more than likely 70% of your music collection, whether old or new, have been mixed and mastered with a pair of JBL monitors in the 4300 series. Since the L-112’s are sonically similar to these studio monitors, you are hearing exactly what the sound engineers, musicians, and producers heard in the recording studio when they were doing the final mixdown, and you are hearing it precisely the way it was intended to be heard. Other speaker systems –including the high dollar speakers of today-add color or accentuate a particular frequency range that doesn’t reflect the true intent of the recording.

The JBL L112’s reproduce music with stunning accuracy; voice and instrument are utterly natural. The bass is tight, clean, and thoroughly musical; it dips down to freq ranges other speakers can only dream about. The highs are smooth and sweet with extreme clarity divulging even tiny details at low volumes; music sounds balanced and articulate. Distortion levels are extremely low. Frequency response is incredibly smooth and effortless throughout the entire audio spectrum. As the listener, you have the ability to adjust mid range and high range frequency levels according to personal preference, room acoustics or program material.

In all truth, place the JBL L-112’s next to any speaker system, regardless of price range, and very few can perform on the level these can. Some of the many features of the L112’s include:
"Mirror-Imaged" Driver Configuration The L112 is a "mirror-imaged" loudspeaker; the driver configuration of one channel is a mirror image of the other. This provides an exceptionally good stereo image and sense of acoustic space, adding to the realism of the sound.
Superior Low-Frequency Driver Each cabinet contains a 12 in driver with a powerful 10 ¼ lb magnetic assembly. This precisionly crafted woofer provides deep, powerful bass reproduction. The unique SFG (Symmetrical Field Geometry) design reduces second-harmonic distortion to levels far below those found in drivers using conventional magnetic structures. The cone is coated with a precisely controlled amount of a specially formulated material that provides optimum mass as well as better damping, for smooth performance at the upper end of the driver's range. A 3 in edgewound copper voice coil helps produce the high efficiency and remarkable transient response of the driver.
Superior Mid-Range Driver The 5 in midrange loudspeaker, housed within an isolated subchamber to prevent interaction with the low frequency driver, also delivers undistorted reproduction even at extreme volume levels. Its 7/8 in copper voice coil is large for a loudspeaker of this size, yielding exceptional transient response and efficiency. A very stiff cone reduces the possibility of cone breakup at very high power levels.
Superior High-Frequency Driver Designed specifically for the L112, this exquisite 1 in high frequency dome radiator accurately reproduces the highest harmonics, yet cleanly handles the largest musical peaks with authority. The dome is formed of a lightweight phenolic material, coated with aluminum by means of a vapor deposition process. It has the optimum combination of strength, mass, and rigidity; the copper voice coil drives the full circumference for smooth, low-distortion response across its entire operating range.
Superior Frequency Dividing Network The innovative frequency dividing network gives the L112 superior transient response, so that music retains the full clarity and total impact of the original source. This performance was achieved through the creative application of a principle typically found only in active high frequency electronics, a principle that greatly improves the resolution of complex musical waveforms. Additionally, the sophisticated L112 network controls each driver throughout its operating range, so that the output of the individual drivers is smoothly blended with no perceptible shift from one driver to the next. The network is mounted on a heavy-duty printed circuit board to assure reliability. If you have experience with these loudspeakers please Click here to add your review.

If there are any JBL L-112 Loudspeakers for sale they will be listed here :


Here are some other vintage JBL loudspeakers for sale :
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