This unit was discovered in the back of the Goodwill. Even had a manual. Apparently, someone bereft of any audio appreciation whatsoever decided to give away the most durable receiver I've ever tortured. Maybe he bought a Conrad-Johnson and has no need for a lowly SX-6, this is my only viable conclusion. This receiver looks nice (a 'lil dingy, though) and its sonic attributes are its best. I've been banging on this thing since June, 1999. Still here, sharp as ever. 65 watts per channel seems conservative. For a solid-state unit, it's surprisingly warm. The damping factor seems sufficient to control my custom enclosures with 10" JL Audio drivers. I just like it, though I'm a tube enthusiast at heart. Moderate transient attack, and clear as a bell. Go get one if it's under $75.

This review is for the SX-7 which has a fairly hefty 60 watts per channel. When I bought this in 1982 I stayed away from the XS-6, SX-5,SX-4 because to me they sounded anemic. Just not enough power. This thing though has got serious power. Jsut as another reviewer wrote, downside is the ergonomics. The face of the receiver is totally flat. Volume is increased/decreased incrementally by pushing the up and down pads. Thus, some control is lost (However, this can be overcome slightly by pressing the "muting" pad and then adjusting the volume level. Mute does not totally shut off the volume. Anyway, if you are looking at the 1980-1984 SX models I would definitely step up to a SX-6 or above. Otherwise, I think the watts per channel is rather low/weak

1. Surprisingly quiet. You've really got to crank it in order to hear any hiss. 2. It's got a pretty decent tuner in it, and even has the long wave band on it for you radio geeks out there! :) 3. This thing has more station presets than there are decent stations. 4. DURABLE!! When the human race is extinct, cochroaches will still be getting down to these things.

1. Not the best when it comes to ergonomics. Volume is controlled by up and down buttons, with no way to up half a click. The muting button is placed right next to the up volume button, and it is very easy to mute the system instead of turning it up. 2. In its old age, its become very sensitive to static electricity. I've zapped it hard enough a few times to reset all the station presets and send it into mute mode. Ouch! 3. The receiver has a tendency to be noticably louder when it is first powered up, then settles down after warming up. I assume this is an old age problem.

What a workhorse of a receiver. While it isn't hifi, it is a decent receiver that can be had for very little. I got mine at an auction in 1992 for the princely sum of $65. I have no idea what kind of use this receiver had before I bought it, but it's been worked mighty hard the last ten years and it still answers the call today. Not bad for a design that's old enough to legally buy you a beer. If you want decent sound but you're on a razor thin budget (in other words, you're in college like I was), this is a very strong candidate for your consideration. For what you will pay, this is a real gem.

Wonderfull sound with great bass. Stylish retro look.

Weighs a ton! gets warm after a while

The receiver I have is an pioneer sx-650. I have inherited this thing from my dad, I think he bought it in ''78. The vernier is tatty and falling off and none of the lights work but that dosen''t mean it dosen''t sound great. 35 watts per channel is ample to shake the floor with my floor standing speakers. I''m sure this thing is louder than a lot of new stuff with higher power ratings.

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pioneer PLL1D record deck

17 YEARS OLD STILL SOUND GREAT

DONE

PURE CLEAN SOUND FROME A OLD RECEIVER 45 WATTS AT .OOO8 DISTORTION YOU CANNOT BEAT THAT. PAIRED UP WITH MY CERWIN-VEGAS 15 INCH WOIOFER HORN TWEETER GET READY TO ROCK.

Very clean sound and a great interface.
Do NOT be fooled - these old models are every bit as good as the new models and are less than $100 used and in mint condition!

None.

The Pioneer SX series(10 and below) was the last of the great recievers made by this company.

Great power and true quality - simmilar to a modern HK or Yamaha system - huge transistors and power supply.

- This model has AV inputs!
- Dual speakers @ 8 Ohms/1 set @ 4 Ohms
- AM *and* FM Stereo(both!)
- Subsonic filter
- a zillion ins and outs
- digital tuning and great controls.

The only model that was better than this was the 7 and 8, and if you can find one, buy them(the 8 has a clock and auto turn on/of feature, IIRC.

I bought this as a replacement for my aging non-AV SX-5. Could not be happier.

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SX-5

Very clean amplifier section. It is really sharp in my opinion, though, not tons of headroom, I do have a SX-1250, hard to compare it to that!! Although, on certain parts of music, the little SX-6 seems sharper.

Looks "dirty" after aging a few years......

Nice little receiver, great FM, cool controls, Obtainable for pennies in decent condition, and they blow away any "best Buy" or Circuit City unit by a ton. I bought mine newin 1982, never a problem, and hey 45 WPC with .009% THD, that's hard to beat without spending some big $$$. I have since stockpiled these receivers....ya' never know!!

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SX-9, SX-8, SX-5. SX-1250...

Clear FM and AM reception, clean sound, good bass regonition, a good reciever/amplifier

Runs warm if on for a long time.

-It is a Pioneer Stereo Reciever/Amplifier Model SX-650
-130 Watts
-2 AC plugs for convience
-I have it hooked up to Ultralinear 100C 40W Speakers--GREAT CLEAN CRISP SOUND. Interesting sidenote about the Ultralinear speakers, you cannot blow-out these speakers, they have a circuit braker if the decibles get too loud the speakers trip and you hear a little pop and you no to reset it, thats just an interesting fact!
-I recently got a DVD player, I was skeptical if the reciver and the speakers could produce good sound, BOY AS SOON AS I TESTED IT WOW!!!! I knew I was not going to invest in a Home Theater System.
--P.S. I bought this in the 70's and it is going great!

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Some old Sony, Lloyds reciever systems, nothing compairs to this.

Styling, functionality, ease of use.

Low power.

I bought this receiver new from a mail order dicount store back in 1983. I had it in storage for ~ 5 years until I moved into my present house. Now I use it at work for a radio. This was Pioneer's transition receiver from the analog tunning receivers of the 70's to the digital tunning receivers of the present. Its styling initially caught my eye, and then when I used it for a time I began to appreciate the engineering that went into the layout. I was never into all those knobs and flip switches of the old receivers. Its sound has always been satisfactory to me, but I have never had a true "audiofile" amp to compare it to.

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Pioneer SX-8, SX-9

Bass and treble control knobs are VERY dramatic. Unlike most new weak plastic receivers. LOUD. Nice, vintage appearance. All you need and nothing more. 1/4 mic input on front, easy for guitar-in.

Not as high wattage as today's receivers, but I can barely notice it. I use this with my JBL 15" 3 ways. I only use the aux for my comp, and this thing amplifies my guitar. Most kids don't have stereo guitar!

I don't know is this is the right product to review, but mine says Pioneer SX-650 and this was the closest one. This thing is great. My dad gave it to me, he's had since way back in the 70s so it's stood the test of time. Still works perfect. If you wanna get your hands on a trusty pioneer receiver, for REAL cheap, check around thrift stores. You can get real good stuff for like 10$.

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tape deck, turntable.