I was poking around the GW one afternoon while running some errands for my wife's birthday party that evening and I saw a large receiver on a trolly in the receiving area of the store (employee's only). It looked like it was ready to come out so I waited 10 or 15 minutes. It didn't and there was nobody around to ask and I couldn't wait any longer so I left. The next day I dropped by and saw the beast in the display cabinet but there was some other stuff tacked on top of the unit so I could not see the price. I figured if it a) was still there and b) was behind glass, they probably, as this GW tends to do, priced it quite high. I asked an employee what they wanted for it and she said $600! :lmao: I actually laughed in her face. I walked away knowing that it would be there for some time to come.

Several days later I dropped by on may way to work (had some business with a retailer nearby) and I noticed it was a half price sale day. It was early in the day, so I had a quick poke around and sure enough the Pioneer was still there. Well there was still no way I was going to pay even $300 for the unit but I strolled up to the counter anyway and to my surprise they had dropped the price to $100. Well I got my trusty calculator out to crunch the numbers :D and quickly realized it was now a really good deal. After a quick test for sound, lights, etc. it was mine.

Well, after a necessary Deoxit on the controlls... :music: This receiver is mint, all the lights work, the faceplate is like new, and the cab does not have a flaw. Fortunately they had it behind glass or all of the knobs would have vanished between the fist time I saw it and when I brought it home.

My main listening rig before I got the Pioneer was a QUAD 405/34/FM4 rig, which I have been enjoying. I have been meaning to recap the amp and maybe more, and now that I have the Pioneer in place I hear that it is long overdue. The sx-1010 simply blows away, in terms of detail, sound stage and listenability, my quad in every area. Even though the FM4 is fairly well regarded, the tuner of the Pioneer is better. CDs sound better and so does vinyl. I am sure my quad will sing again after the operation, but... wow.

Anywho, I did not intend just to gloat as I do have a question. I am currently using some older Celestion 100 speakers (quite nice and a good match with the QUAD) but I do have some real big guns in the basement that probably would match up nicely with the Pioneer. Here's my list of pairs I want to try:

JBL L100 Century
JBL L26
Large Advent (both utility and walnut cabs)
Dynaco A25
Mission 707
Pioneer cs-66

So, my question is, what do you think will match up best with these? I know: "try them all and see what you like," and I will. I am just curious what you guys think or have experience with.

Also, the above list notwithstanding, what would the "ideal" speaker choice be?

Dave

p.s. will try to post some pics tonight :thmbsp:

Pics aren't so great... but here are a few.

Whew...that thing is seriously clean. Very nice scroe. Beautiful condition.

Pics aren't so great... but here are a few.

Why so modest? Those pictures are great!

Congrats on your find...and nice work with the persistence! The 1010 is my favorite Pioneer. Wasn't it the first of the monsters? Or at least one of them that started the watt wars? I only ever owned the next one down the line, the 939, but it sounded fantastic. I always have my eye out for a 1010. It's just a classy looking, and sounding, example of that era.

Great price for a Pioneer SX 1010

i have the 939 and love it and hope to get a 1010 at some point, great find. i'd hook up those L100's real quick if i had a pair.

Yah, great pics and a super clean unit ...WOW ! Pristine...what more can one say ?

Enjoy it !

Super deal there. I've always loved that Pioneer blue face and that's the king of the hill.

Oh yea I hate that with GW. The printout of doom or what not. Not that they have not sold a few things. But I do know you can talk them down sometimes. One new thing I notice is a b/w tag. I do not believe the b/w tag ever goes 50% off. You know the color of the week. I guess I can't blame them. Most of the stuff in the glass case or other places are cleared out I notice by half price week. The lady told me the local gw changes every sunday. Also I found out for black friday. Everything is in the store 1/2 price. So I got to remeber that day. Honestly I wish sometimes the items they put out at those prices sell for those prices. I would do alot more ebay selling.

TTFN,

Josh

that thing is just plain beautiful....congrats....

might humbly suggest that you add some Infinity RS4b to your list of prospective speakers?:D

Definitely ok to exult when finding a unit like this. Beautiful and powerful.

Definitely try the JBL 100's. That's what I have in my main rig and they work well with SX 1250, 1280, 727 and SPEC 2 & 4.

Awesome score!!! I would like to get one myself.

As Stevie said: "Isn't she lovely....":yes:

OUTSTANDING SCROE! Just remember 1010's are a lot like wimmen. They LOVE attention(play it often), presents(new bulbs, caps, etc.) and makeup(wax, veneers, polish). Mess around on 'em and they blow a fuse or WORSE! But take care of them and they'll play happily damn near forever.

Larry

My experience would suggest the L-100s as well.

It would seem that the L-26s would be a bit overpowered, as well as the A25s would be.

You might prefer the Advents, depending on your listening preferences.

Lots of good choices there.

Congratulations on your great find! :thmbsp:

Been awhile since I first posted this but... L-100s...yup!