Description

I have not come across any of these in many years of vintage collecting--they are super rare, one of the first Pioneer amp/receivers sold into the US market. They are really well-made, and sound wonderful--and this one is 12AX7/EL-84-based, which makes it super convenient and inexpensive to retube/keep running, as those are some of the most popular tubes in the guitar amp world. I had this one restored around 5 years ago, with all important signal caps changed, and everything else left as-is if operational. I replaced all the critical audio signal path tubes with new-production matched Russian tubes. I have put about 200 hours on it over the years, and it has always brought joy! You just don't get sound like this in new-production hifi. I recently had the speaker terminal block replaced with modern binding posts, as the old screw-type were really worn and not safe. This work was done by a stereo repair shop in my area with over 50 years of experience, and they commented on what wonderful condition this receiver was in, and how rare it was. Operationally, it works very well--the radio isn't as good as a Fisher, for sure, but it sounds good and will pull in stations given an aerial. I used it mostly like an integrated amp, feeding a modern DAC into it for listening. For a brief period I actually used this in a basement home theater to watch old movies with great soundtracks--"Elevator to the Gallows" was so memorable I remember it clearly to this day. I ended up seeking out a vintage copy of "Jazz Track" which I enjoy to this day. The only niggle I found when using the amp was a "pop" when I changed inputs. This never bothered me. Cosmetically, it is in good condition, although the casework isn't quite a pretty (to my eyes) as similar-vintage US receivers from that golden era. But it's unique, sounds wonderful, cheap to run, and totally rare, which is a winning combination in my book! I expect this unit to give you many years of service, but obviously due to the extreme age and vintage nature of electronics, there are no guarantees. I will pack it exceedingly well, and it will arrive as you see in photos. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, and form your own "Elevator to the Gallows" memories!