Anyone done A / B listening to compare vintage stereo receivers with today’s Amps/Preamps?


I bought a Pioneer SX-1050 new in 1977. It was my first serious audio purchase and set me back around $3000 when adjusted for inflation to today’s dollars. IOW, quite a lot.  In 1985 I made my second major audio purchase when I bought Quad ESL-63 electrostatic speakers and a Quad Amp and Preamp. The Pioneer wound up in my closet where it has set until 2018 (34 years) when I put it to work in my second best system, the TV room. Last month I decided to have it refurbished and I have to confess it set me back way way more than I expected, but it does sound very good indeed.  

But I’m definitely wondering if I made a good investment. And how the Pioneer, specifically the SX-1050, but others of similar character,  compares to present day equivalents.  

Has anyone done any comparative listening to electronics in the $3000-$5000 range? How does the Pioneer compare?  

Answering that question would go at least some way to answering the question whether the vintage electronics are as good or better than those designed and built for today. And whether I made a good investment.

My TV System
Vizio 60” Ultra HD
Spendor FL-6 floor standing speakers
Arcam SR-250 two-channel AVR used for video only
Pioneer SX-1050 used for audio only
Video sources:
1 - Dish DVR
2 - Oppo UDP-205 DVD
3 - Roku streamer
4 - Pioneer Elite CLD-99 Laser Disc Player
128x128echolane

Showing 2 responses by cd318

@echolane, there are some who say that amplifier technology matured as long ago as 1960 - give or take a few subtle tonal variations thereafter.

The only thing of possible concern might be the power rating - but this usually depends upon upon loudspeaker ease of drive.

I used to own a 1970s Japanese amplifier which I gave away about 15 years ago.

As far as I know it's still working fine.

As far as I know it still sounds remarkably similar to a NAD 3020.
@ndevamp,

Great informative post! 

When it comes to amplifiers I must have been lucky to have never suffered with reliability issues. Not with my NAD 3020, nor with my various Naim amps. The Naim 32.5 / 110 appeared to be more or less bomb proof.

Yet rather dusturbingly, considering all the advances in construction, I have known of at least 3 recent integrated designs which have all experienced some form of malfunction. 2 of them were due to leaking capacitors, the other was a transformer. One was a budget design, other a mid, and the last one a £2k design.

Happily in all three cases the manufacturer was good enough to arrange a repair for free or very reasonable cost.