I currently have a 1974 Pioneer stereo unit, an sx-535 with a pair of matching cs-33a speakers. Sound is clear and awesome, and I use it for my tv, 360, all the music in my room and for when I have friends over, etc.
So I’m an amateur radio operator, and today I was at a ham radio convention in rochester when I happened upon a nice looking Pioneer set that looked like my 535 but a lot better. I hopped online with my phone and found that it offers over quadruple the power and 8 times less distortion than my 535. Ended up bartering and getting a good deal, a beautiful Pioneer sx-1010, from 1974, serial number 33. The seller was a business associate of my dad’s and said that he’d been running it a few months and it sounded crisp. I’m about to hook it up to my 33a’s, and I’ll give a report on the sound and maybe some pictures as well.
I’m no expert in stereo equipment by any means, but I am pretty sure there has been some advances in technology since 1974…
Any reason for not opting for a newer system?
It sounds beautiful, I don’t see a need to go any newer. Some people will argue tube vs solid state, and I just know that this old Pioneer equipment sounds awesome. I really didn’t even see a need to get a higher power receiver than my 22 watt 535 tbh lol but I had a chance to get an awesome 110 watt receiver and I picked it up.
On a side note, the 33a’s are rated for 35 watts, so I’m checking out some other speaker’s we’ve got kicking around here, looking up wattage on Bose 901 Series 2 speakers at the moment…
Mind you if I need to listen to something newer, our living room/home theater equipment includes a Denon AVR 2807 as well as 2 JBL Pro 1200 Watt Speakers for right and left, not to mention an 800 watt sub and the rest needed for a sick 5.1 system.
My equipment is just for my personal music enjoyment. And I couldn’t do any better for the money I’ve paid.
Got it hooked up with the 901’s and a Bose equalizer and it sounds sooooooooo good. This has bass like I couldn’t imagine with the 535. Very impressed. Turn it up and it is without distortion, and I’m using an FM signal, haven’t hooked up a more pure source yet. Soooooo clean.