Pioneer had some of the cleaner looking receivers, design-wise, and great FM stereo receiver performance...their separate tuners are pretty classic, but like most of the Japanese products from the mid-70s, the integrateds & receivers' preamps were not up to the amps IME. An H-K 930 sounded better than the equivalent Sony, Pioneer or Sansui of the day. But consistency and reliability went the other way. Yamaha and Tandberg made better balanced, better sounding stuff than most of the "usual suspects"...all this before "high end" audio was created by Mark Levinson and ARC.
Unreal prices
Watching a YouTube video about receiver wars of 1970 piqued my interest so I checked eBay.
Pioneer SX-1950 going for $5000 plus.
My lowly SX-1050 going for $1700.
Those prices, with deflation to the 70s, are list prices back then. Kept their value. 😀
Pioneer SX-1950 going for $5000 plus.
My lowly SX-1050 going for $1700.
Those prices, with deflation to the 70s, are list prices back then. Kept their value. 😀