How about a baby Pioneer SX-450 nudie. . .???

You sure that is of legal age to show?

looks like many sections haven't had the chance to fully mature yet... :p:

Lefty

For such a heavy bugger sure has lots of room and not many watts however its watts are jumbo watts. . .

I have a very nice looking SX-450 in da basement with one bad channel (it was a freebie, as found at the swap pile at the town 'transfer station'). If I get ambitious, I'll pop the hood and snap a photo or two. Mark...ambitious... please note that these two words are rarely used together except with sarcasm.

15wpc. Had once since new. It verily kicketh major heiney! :D

That one's nice and clean inside! You just score that one Guy?

I'll have to dig up the nudies I took of mine re-facing it...

TP

My friend bought it for 8 bucks while here in Ohio. . . He was going to put it in the over head on his flight home to SoCal but forgot it so I inherited the thing. Works perfect but the vinyl as usual is peeling and the dial glass is cracked where it is hard to see. Been playing all morning, no scratchy pots etc. . . Would make someone a nice little garage unit. . . . Dont know the size of the caps, knowing Pioneer they are 4400 or so each. . .

They are 4700 Mfd 35 Volt according to pioneer's parts site.

:-)

OK, this morning after church I pulled out the entry level RX's from the late-1970s and thought I'd take a stab at hijacking this thread to compare and contrast a few things.

First, how about a horizontal tasting of two entry-level Pioneers from two different model years: the aforementioned SX-450 and the next entry-level model, SX-580. The latter added power meters and went to STK modular outputs at 20 wpc (IIRC).

Let's see if AOL will cooperate and upload the photo (AOL doesn't seem to like most images on AK for me).

Two STK modules. This weighs noticeably less than the SX-450 (though I didn't actually weigh them).

... not all of exactly the same vintage, but within a year or two of each other (ca. 77 to 79). From the top: Technics SA-80, SX-580, SX-450, and Yamaha CR-240. The Technics is outclassed in all respects by the other three (IMO). Plus, it took me a good 15 minutes to figure out how to get inside the Technics (not simply a removable shell, unlike the other three).

Herewith, the Yamaha CR-240. Probably about 20, too. Two proprietary Yamaha output modules. Big beefy tuning cap (not that this means much)...

and finally, the SA-80. The power supply is screwed to the back of the cabinet, and the rest slides out the front after enough screws (and only the right screws) are removed. Pain in the, umm... neck. Not a terribly impressive piece of hardware. Masonite bottom (as are the other Technics I have). I hope it was cheap when it was new.

I had a SA-80 and it worked perfect but my wife. . . Wanted to take it apart to clean it up. . . I took one look and said "DONT TOUCH IT" then it was very quiet and she was standing in the doorway and said "I guess I am ready for my ass chewing now" I said WTF over and over then found the basket of parts and a string hanging out. . . Oh S%it restriung the tuner. . . Anyway I got it back together and was pretty proud of myself untill I noticed the tuning needle went the wrong way when you turned the dial. . . Still worked good just different., . . Sold her for 50 bucks on a no reserve auction and the buyer never knew the difference, he still writes me to tell me how good that little Tecnics is. . . .
Somethings you just look dont touch. . . .

50 bucks !?! Hmmm...

Well, if you ever have another one, I now know The Secret. Hint: The screws in the back that have to come out are a different color than the ones that don't :-) Second hint, the screw on the bottom that looks like it's holding in a clamp... is holding a clamp! Don't take that one out.

I too came dangerously close to loosing the tuner flywheel... but reason prevailed (i.e., I got lucky).

I didn't much feel like cleaning it up when I finally got into it, thus the 'as is' photo.

I found that SA-80 at the dump a few weeks ago. After photographing it today, I put it back together, checked for DC at the outputs, and then tried it out. It works perfectly.

50 bucks, eh? :-)

We all had the same idea this weekend. Baby receivers! You got one show it. Mine is a Pioneer SX-550. Needed it like a hole in the head. I am the 2nd owner and its in near mint condition. Our church had a yard sale and I went looking for vintage and it followed me home. Never know when you might need one. Its a "test receiver" for now. Twenty five bucks.

I see Pioneer727 has a 650. Fixed one up last year and used it for a test amp and for its tuner when the Marantz 104 got crappy. A neighbor bought it. It was cheaper and better than fixing his 80's Pioneer which was really crappy.

Inside it looks a lot like the 450. Nice units one and all.

Regards,

Eric

Here's the pic. Put the wrong pic here first..ET

At least the 550 looks like a receiver. . .LOL. . . Tell you what though this 450 has been running all day never skiped a beat and with the loudness engaged its sounds much beefer than 15wpc. . . reminds me of my model 26 Marantz (10-14wpc) great untill you get the volume up to moderately loud. . .



I guess this is something to do while everybody is gone. . . Weres VS and YKW we need some lessons about this stuff. . .

Try these lower-power units with really efficient speakers. My 450 sounds killer through the Klipsch Heresies. More volume than I can stand in here...

TP

Not a thing wrong with low power except most low power receivers are entry level or el cheapos to begin with. . . In my mind the classic low power receiver thats king is HK. . . I have owned a couple of their 25 watt models that will bury a lot of 75-100 watt low line jobs. Actually they are very nice receivers.

I hear you there on H/K! I finally made enough room in my garage to unstack and properly situate my Klipsch La Scalas and the H/K 430 I bought to drive them sounds great. Only 25 wpc, but the sound is very, very nice.

I haven't turned it past 9:00 on the volume control and it produces very life like and realistic levels to fill a 22' x 22' 2 car garage.

I see why the folks on the Klipsch forum rave on it!!

Got an SX-580 at a yard sale last week; cleaned it up and am right now listening to it drive two New Advents with Bach organ music. LOUD Bach organ music. I am really beginning to wonder what the point of more than 20-30 WPC is, if the amp is otherwise accurate.

Good tuner, too.

By the way, the 580 has a problem with somewhat high DC offset voltages, around 75 and 90 mv; does anyone know which pots to tweak and where they are?

My Kenwood KR-3200 at 13wpc sounds pretty darn good to me. It also has the best tuner I have ever used. Even beats my Marantz 2270.

This thread is coming up on a birthday!

I had a Sansui G-3000 at 26 wpc that all my friends loved it was are party unit of all the receivers I have had I miss that one.

Ron

By the way, the 580 has a problem with somewhat high DC offset voltages, around 75 and 90 mv; does anyone know which pots to tweak and where they are?
Chances are good that it is non-adjustable.

They have a somewhat similar layout,under the hood, and such. With fairly efficent speakers, the 430 can run you out of a room(or campsite, as I can personally vouch for).

I am really beginning to wonder what the point of more than 20-30 WPC is, if the amp is otherwise accurate.

Basically, to say my reciever puts out xxx watts and yours only puts out
xx. :yes:

If your not into heavy bass orientated music, theres no need for a
high powered reciever. 80 percent of the power will be used for bass.


I own an SX 550, and, SX 450, and its more than enough for my needs.

Some guys try to make concerts in their living room why they need
so much power. Others play in concerts and carry enough power, to
please thousands. Guess which one I fall under :naughty:

The 580 has no offset or bias adjustments...neither does the 680. Those 2 models do have a plus from a service standpoint though - the STK output IC's are socketed.

TP

I have an European version of the 450 and, oddly, the inside is totally different...

There's something like a heat sink in the middle, the tuner part is not the same, and the 2 capacitors seems different, too...

I used this amp for 1 years or 2 and i must say it rocks! It sounded great on my Celestion Ditton 33... totally awesome for a 15wpc amp...

For comparison, i have a Marantz 1030 (15 wpc as well), who sounded bad on the Celestions (big lack of power)

Now i have a sa-9500 II, but i'll always keep the 450. Great receiver...

another "Small Unit" (cf: http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=19969&highlight=small+units )

I happened to be "inside" this li'l guy today (a rainy Saturday) doing a minor repair. Long as I was inside, figured I'd snap a photo. Couldn't think of a better place to put it than this thread. Thumbnail below!

EDIT: You can compare it to the next model year's equivalent, CR-240:
http://audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=17401

sx-450's are really under rated receivers.Mine can drive me out of my room.Then again I have 94 dB Speakers.It can go very loud well being undistorted.Also very warm and natural sounding.

OT.....
" I finally made enough room in my garage to unstack and properly situate my Klipsch La Scalas "

Only problem with LaScalas, very difficult to sneak them into the house without the wife eventually noticing. But do they ever kick butt.

I have a blown-channel 580 with its remaining channel mono'ed out through a RadioShack Nova (later model of the 5b, I think) and the sound is really robust. Got that classic Pioneer sound. The other channel DOES put out sound, but it sounds like it has been run through an Ibanez Tube screamer, set sorta low.

Black needles, shiny, well-built, I'd love to get it back up to par. Perhaps mated with those D-3 Cerwins I got....... :scratch2: