Soapbox Topic No. 5: Made in …..China  (Added 08/18/2003)

The appeal of Pioneer components from the Silver Era, the one thing that is immediately apparent upon seeing them, is their build quality. The look, the feel, the sound and oftentimes the sheer weight of the component spoke volumes about its quality. That is why so many of the components built by Pioneer in the 1970s and early 1980s are still around today, giving pleasure to a new generation of music listeners.

I recently took delivery of a New Old Stock SX-1280 from my good friend John in Canada. Some years ago, John had bought two SX-1280s from a Pioneer dealer in Ontario who had never sold them. When John learned the dealer had two of them still sealed in the box, he could not get his checkbook out fast enough. He took them home, opened one to use and enjoy; the other he stored. Every six months or so, he would take out the stored SX-1280, power it up, check out, then tuck it back into its foam-lined box. A few months ago, John contacted me and told me of his vast Silver Pioneer collection. I told him I hoped to one day acquire a nice condition SX-1280. Well, he offered to sell me his stored SX-1280. We agreed to a price and within a week the receiver was mine.

Pictures cannot do the SX-1280 justice, and they never will. When I took it out of the box, I was transported back to 1978. It was absolutely pristine—I believe the word is MINT. I bought my first new Pioneer receiver in 1973—an SX-727—when I was in college, and this brought back a flood of memories. But now I had a new frame of reference. The SX-1280 must qualify as one of the most stunning (if I can use that word) receivers ever designed by any electronic component manufacturer. The tuning dial alone is a work of art, the knobs and toggles all machined aluminum, of course, and the fascia brushed aluminum. The walnut veneer still had some of its wonderful aroma. One other thing: I nearly pulled my back out taking it out of the box because it weighs nearly 65 pounds. Does that number have the same meaning for you it does me? Few audio components today of any kind weigh that much. Looking inside the receiver tells part of the story. The circular toroidal transformer is huge, surrounded by four large electrolytic capacitors. Flanking them are the left and right channel circuit boards. A very impressive site. I plugged in my CD player, hooked up the speakers and sat back to enjoy vintage Pioneer sound.

One of the reasons this receiver has such superb build quality is this: it was Made in Japan. And that brings me to the point of this soapbox. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Japanese audio component manufacturers started moving production of lower-end components to other countries where production costs were lower. Pioneer started doing this with some of its most affordable receivers by moving production to Korea. Virtually all Japanese consumer audio component manufacturers started doing this as a means of lowering costs and holding the line on prices in the face of rising global inflation. This trend accelerated in the 1990s. Malaysia became a primary manufacturing base for many Japan-based companies. Quality was cut in other ways to keep costs down, including the disappearance of aluminum knobs and fascias, as well as real walnut veneer, to name just two.

Pioneer had launched the ELITE line of components in 1985 and by the late 1980s, ELITE components were considered among the finest stereo components in the world at any price. One of the reasons for that is that ELITE components were manufactured in Japan, where quality control is paramount. I am also a fan of ELITE components, and have launched the ELITE Stereo Reference Site (http://elitestereo.netfirms.com/.) Take a look.

When production of Japanese components moved "offshore," component reliability and durability declined. Read any component review on the AudioReview.com website and if the "Japanese" component has gotten poor reviews for one reason or another, I can almost guarantee it was not made in Japan. Recently, I decided to buy a new CD changer with HDCD decoding capability, and settled on a Denon DCM-380. I assumed since it was a Denon, it was made in Japan. How naive. When it arrived, I was shocked to learn it was made in China. It was almost entirely of plastic, the drawer mechanism was noisy, and it didn’t sound all that great either. Having learned my lesson, when I shopped around for a CD Recorder to put my vintage LP albums in the digital domain, I checked out several different models and liked the TEAC RW-D250. Having learned my lesson, I called TEAC to find out where it was made. You guessed it: Made in China. I am still looking for a Japanese-made CD recorder.

I also own a Sony C85ES CD changer I purchased over ten years ago. The thing is built like a tank, it has never failed to perform, it sounds superb, it has never been to a repair shop and, yes, it was Made in Japan. Of course, it cost me over $400 when I bought it, so the old saying applies: you get what you pay for. In other words, quality costs money. It has become clear that components that are made in Japan have become the new status symbols. These quality components will be around years from now while the cheap components have long since made their way to the local dump or recycling center.

That makes listening to my magnificent SX-1280 all the more enjoyable.

Soapbox Topic No. 4: Koss Still Makes 'Em Like They Used To (Added 06/28/2003)

As a Silver Pioneer enthusiast or collector, you may wonder if there are any products that are still made like they used to be. Well, yes, as a matter of fact there are. One of them is the Koss Pro 4AA headphones. Some months ago I did quite a bit of research before buying a good set of headphones and came across this classic set of cans, as they are sometimes referred to. I read I don't know how many headphone reviews at AudioReview.com before deciding on this pair. The phones were ostensibly designed for studio use to endure years of abuse and were popular with recording studio engineers during the 1970s. They are rugged, to say the least. Koss eventually stopped production of them for a number of years. However, Koss received repeated requests to bring the headphones back, so the company did in the late 1980s. They have remained in production ever since, and for many very good reasons. (Read the reviews).

I remember seeing a J & R Music World ad for these phones is an old issue of Stereo Review. I was curious what they sold for back then. I found the 1988 issue of the magazine and J & R advertised them for $59.95. I went on the J & R website and learned they were still selling for $59.95!  That's right, you can go online today and find them selling for the same price they did 15 years ago. No inflation here, folks!

I have enjoyed listening to them through my SA-9500 integrated amp and the sound is fabulous. However, they are heavy compared to other phones made today, so they are best used in a recliner or resting on a sofa or bed. Proof of the headphones seriousness is the 1/4-inch phono jack--no mini plug here!  So do yourself a favor, blow $60 and listen to a classic pair of headphones through your classic Pioneer receiver or amp.

Soapbox Topic No. 3: TEAC Gets It!

What you are looking at here is the Reference 500 Series from TEAC. As an industrial designer 
I have to say this is extremely handsome electronic componentry. TEAC felt America consumers 
wanted a return to quality looking, as well as sounding, components and came out with the 
Reference Series in 1999. TEAC says its best:
 The gold-anodized fascias immediately declare the Reference 500 Series as special. Precision machined 
from 10mm thick aluminum, they not only look sleek and give a sense of solid permanence, but also ensure  rugged durability. The elegant, timeless styling ensures that the Reference 500 Series will complement any  décor from traditional to contemporary. And the diminutive size, only two-thirds the width of standard audio  components, allows the Reference 500 mini-components to fit into spaces that other components can’t. But do not be deceived, size is the only diminutive aspect of the Reference 500 Series

The big surprise about these components, aside from their good looks and impressive performance, it the very afford price. TEAC believes components don't necessarily have to be black in order to satisfy consumer demand. The TEAC Reference Series meets the desires of consumers who want that both look good and sound impressive.

Photo: TEAC Corporation

Soapbox Topic No. 2: The Silver Era Continues in Europe and Far East

What you are looking at is the current version of Pioneers multi-channel amplifier, the VSA-AX10. Don't expect to see it here in America any time soon. It is sold overseas only, primarily Europe and Japan. In fact, Pioneer offers an entire line of components having the traditional silver finish, as well as black finish, components. But for some inexplicable reason, Pioneer USA has chosen only black components will be sold on the North American continent, which has been the case for nearly 20 years. Why have they made that decision?  It is not clear. But vintage Pioneer enthusiasts sure wish Pioneer would. If you would like to know more about this magnificent amplifer, go to: http://www.pioneer-eur.com/eur/product_detail.jsp?product_id=1547&taxonomy_id=62;98

Gazing at the VSA-AX10, it is enough to make a vintage Pioneer enthusiast start a letter writing campaign. And you could have some fun with this too. Go to above link and print out the page. Take it to you nearest Pioneer dealer who also carries the Elite line. Hand the salesman the print from the Pioneer website and say you would like to see this amp. He will probably have a blank expression on his face. When he says he doesn't carry it, say, " How can that be. This is a Pioneer and you are a Pioneer dealer."  Try to keep a straight face. Demand to see product literature. Have them call Pioneer. If enough people do this, maybe Pioneer will get the hint and bring back silver finish components to the American market!  Fortunately it has started to. Go the the New Silver page to see what is available in the U.S.

To see more of Pioneer's components unavailable here in the United States, see the Unobtainia page.

Soapbox Topic No. 1: When Did the Silver Era End?

Some Pioneer enthusiasts might wonder, "When did the Silver Era end?" After doing some digging and using my rather subjective criteria, I can clearly state the year: 1982. That was the year Pioneer made a complete break with the past and introduced a line of receivers totally different from what Pioneer owners had come to know and love. Gone were the solid machined aluminum knobs, brushed aluminum front panel, analog tuning dial and even the walnut veneer. In their place was an entirely flat surface with pushbuttons that controlled all functions using microprocessors. The top-of-the-line receiver for 1982 was the SX-8. (The SX-9 shown above, with more power and features, was introduced in 1983.)  It’s specifications were indeed impressive. For example, THD was a mere 0.003% at 30 Hz. Stereo Review found this figure amazing.

But there were other specifications that told another story. The SX-8 weighed only 28 pounds, a weight loss of 50 pounds from the top-of-the-line SX-1980 Stereo Review tested in its December 1978 issue. Some prospective Pioneer receiver buyers who were stunned by the dramatic change in Pioneer’s receiver line went to stores looking for 1981 and even 1980 leftovers. They snapped up SX-D7000s, SX-D5000s, SX1280s, SX-1080s, SX-980s and so on down the line.

It is not known how well the new line of receivers sold. However, the SX line of receivers from 1982 on clearly lack the aesthetic and tactile qualities that made earlier models such a pleasure to use, listen to and to look at. Pioneer did not operate in a vacuum, of course. This trend was industry-wide. The first all-black components were also starting to appear, and within five years virtually all home stereo mid-fi components were black.

An analogy can be made with cars of various periods. Among the most collectible postwar cars for the last few decades have been the "classic Chevys" from 1955, 1956 and 1957. These cars have become automotive icons for a many solid reasons, primarily timeless styling and great engineering. Owners lavish untold dollars restoring them. However, the years preceding and following these three years are virtually forgotten. When was the last time you saw a 1954 or 1958 Chevy? Those were uninspired years and don’t draw the interest of Chevy enthusiasts as do the classic Chevys.

The same analogy can be made of cars from the muscle car era of the late sixties and early 1970s. Often times Pioneer receivers from the late 1970s and early 1980s are referred to as "muscle receivers" due to their prodigious power output per channel. For example, the Dodge Charger R/T of the late 1960s is most collectible today, but the Charger of the 1980s is nowhere to be found, or even wanted.