Powerful and lots of tone functions. Good looks. Nice sound.

Sometimes goes into protection mode a little past half volumne. Not sure of the reason exactly. Weighs 41 lbs.

I bought this 9 months ago and it grows on me every day. It just is one fine looking receiver. Lots of power, especially if driving large efficient speakers. I opened the inside and the build quality was excellent. Looks as good inside as out. Puts out a clean bright sound. Had the power meters at 80 watts output at half volumne with one combo setup. Overall pleased with sound and very pleased with looks.

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Marantz 2250b and 2270. Yamaha RXV870.

70's stuff was all strenths, ahh, those were tha daze

Haven't found 1 yet

What is the deal with these recievers? I saw this one and it took my breath away. It appears to have been locked in a basement for the last 25 years left in the box. I have the owners manual warranty card,NOT filled out! and the schematic. Plus a list of their service locations. haha. It's perfect. I don't think it's been used . I left my email if you act fast. but I know I could get 250+ for it on ebay. Sounds great and weighs about 30 pounds!

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name it

1. Tank-like build quality 2. Quality, precise VU meters 3. Fit-and-finish 4. Phono section 5. Clean, non-fatiguing sound 6. Not another black box 7. Personality 8. Tone-defeat toggle 9. Controls less likely to be noisy than other receivers of its era 10. Power rating is conservative 11. Acres of brushed aluminum 12. Woodgrain vinyl doesn't look cheesy at all compared to some and is highly peel resistant

1. Protection circuitry shuts the party down early and often with even moderately difficult speaker loads. Mine didn't like the Cambridge Soundworks sub-sat speakers for some reason (it's a second system -- no jokes please). 2. Speaker terminals aren't the grippiest. Heavy wire can pull free if moved (notta big deal in the grand scheme of things).

The SX-980 is a large, heavy, brushed aluminum and woodgrain vinyl receiver bristling with toggle switches, pushbuttons, and rotary knobs. WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) may be low, given that it has higher switch count than the cockpit of a 707. Unlike some of its competitors from the wattage wars of a quarter-century ago, the "80" series receivers have aged well. They are solidly built, attractive, and clean-sounding, and the controls tend not to get noisy. As other reviewers have mentioned, the FM and phono sections are high-quality. Though not a subjectivist, I'll go out on a limb and opine that the sound overall is clean, punchy (test-listen this receiver with Rumours or Born to Run and you will UNDERSTAND why it has a devoted following), and non-fatiguing. The bass tends toward lean and controlled vs. bloomy. There is also something cool and detached about the sound -- very 70s. If you are shopping for an SX-980, you would be well advised to wait for one in near-mint condition. With so many switches, knobs, meters, and lamps, many examples have this or that indicator burned out or knob missing. Also, the toggle switches stick out a ways and non-audiophiles have a genius for bending them when they move this receiver.

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Pioneer SX-680 (30 wpc), SX-780 (45 wpc)

Value and durability. Low maintenance. Quality look and feel of the classic Silver Silicon Era. It would probably sound more like its bigger siblings with the short circuit protection bypassed. I am not going to find out... because it has saved it from certain death on more than one occasion.

The quartz crystal IF detectors in the FM tuner are not tunable. Great if they come out well matched from the factory. Mine are not well balanced to the IF frequency standard which produces assymetrical capture. Do not expect good FM station frequency cal across the band with most of this series. There is only one adjustment to make it correct at a single frequency.

Pioneer sold units to dealer and shop employees at 1/2 price while I worked in a warranty repair station in the mid-70's. Deal! I used it as primary stereo rig until recent A/V 5.1 sys went in upstairs. I used to leave it on 24/7 because I knew the weakest component on these is the combo pwr/spkr switch. It still runs like new except all dial lamps died long ago. Good sound with efficient speakers (Altec 312 bass reflex are its trusty mate) for the list price. Twice as good sound for half the money, then, eh? Delivers 42W/ch out of its 35W/ch rating hybrid IC power sections. Not the strong articlulate sound of its bigger brothers but quite listenable. Simulated vinyl veneer does not dry out or fade like real wood veneers if kept out of sunlight.

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Many competitors seen in shop. These rarely appeared in need of service.

Extremely stable and clean sounding power amp section, notably capable FM section, versatile tone controls, high-end build quality, feel and appearance.

As others have stated, it is heavy. But so is a rolls royce. With class comes mass!

I bought an SX-980 new in 1980, and have had much experience with the "80" series units in general. This was the era when pioneer was one of leaders in both clean power and quality, and it shows, even better after twenty-odd years. My original unit was hit by lightning after 15 yrs. and could not be repaired. I replaced it with a new kenwood of identical power rating, but the results were very dissapointing. I ended up finding another 980 on ebay, and the new kenwood is in the closet. This receiver was, and still is, one of the the best values in build quality, sound & appearance. Try and find one now with solid turned aluminum knobs, aluminum faceplate, real glass dial, and a genuine walnut veneer cabinet with solid walnut trim. This one is not only heavy in weight, it's heavy on punch! Mine was bench tested on an oscilliscope, and although rated at 80 wpc and .05 THD, it produced stable, clean power all the way up to 98 watts before clipping. --True to it's specs, and then some! The FM section is also admirably capable, and the feel of the weighted flywheel tuner mechanism tells you this is not just a "radio"--it's a fine piece of audio equipment, A true audiophiles delight to operate and admire. I never saw a need to go with separates, and I am a critical person when it comes to audio. There may be better equipment for more money, but there rarely was a better value for the money. This unit also offers the option of using the power amp section and pre-amp sections independently, further increasing versatility. If you have to own just one high quality classic audio receiver, this one should be a major contender in anyone's book.

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The (large) Onkyo's of this same era will run neck and neck with the big Pioneers. However the larger Onkyo models are not as easy to find. The TX8500MKII at 160 wpc with dual power supplies will pull

clean power. Tuner section. Phono preamps', power meters and tuning meters. Walnut veneer cabinet. Classic silver face. And NOT made out of PLASTIC!

No longer made. Heavy. No Dolby Digital...LOL!

What an honor it is to be writing a review for this fine piece of equipment. I just got this SX-980 from the swap meet for $32.00. What a deal, considering these sell on ebay for $375 or more. I spent a day polishing it's beautiful walnut veneer cabinet, and cleaned all the knobs and faceplate. I also had to replace a few lamps inside that were burnt out. Now this unit looks brand new. I plugged in my turntable and other input sources and could not beleive my ears. The sound was incredible, I had the tone defeat on and loudness set to "off". Very accurate sound quality. Too bad pioneer is such a POS nowadays, plastic is for toys. This classic receiver is one of the best of all time. The SX 1080, 1280, and ulimately, the 1980 are more powerful, but I feel the quality is the same. You can't go wrong with this receiver even if you paid $350 for it. This unit boasts a healthy 80 watts/channel (real world watts) into 8 ohms. 100w into 4 ohms. Unit has dual power meters, signal strength meter and tuning center meter. Has 2 tape loops, 2 phono ins, aux, am, fm, multipath listen, selectable turnover frequencies for bass and treble controls, loudness switch, and microphone input. If you are into vinyl, this unit's phono preamps are superb. Also the tuner is unreal, has very high selectivity. I can pick up weak, distant stations next to stronger ones without much interference. I was able to pick up a weaker station in my basement with a piece of wire on the binding post.

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Kenwood KR-9600 (Awesome 160 WPC) Pioneer QX-646 Newer Kenwood Sh!t

More than enough power 45w/ch @ 8ohms. Smooth sound, unlike the screech boxes of today.

Flywheel tuner cord gets tangled over time. Volume, tone, & selector controls get crackly, but still work great.

I am reviewing the comparable SX-780 receiver that I purchased back in 1979, and it's still working! I have always been happy with the sound of this reciever. The FM tuner is great too, it has no problem picking up stations over 120 miles away! The SX-780 had some of the same features the SX-980 had, but it was rated at less power. This receiver was made back in the day when stereo equipment was built to last, and built with quality.

Very detailed and revealing sound,lots of power, build quality, looks, flexability.

The phono selector switch is going out (but hey, its 25 yrs. old!)

I scored my SX980 in near mint condition from the salvation army for $45 about 7 yrs. ago. Since then I have seen a couple of 780''s for even less. These units (the entire SX series) are relatively plentiful and usually quite cheap if you''re lucky. A little over a year ago, I bought a McIntosh 1700 receiver and had been using it exclusively until recently. Now I have put the Pioneer back in my system and feel like I have a very good idea of how these two units compare to each other. In terms of overall sound, both have a smooth, non-fatiguing solid state sound. The Mac has a slightly warmer tube-like quality to it. The bass is a little fuller and more natural sounding than the Pioneer''s. That''s not to say that the Pioneer''s bass is bad, though. It is tighter and somewhat leaner. That might be a plus in some people''s books. The Pioneer is alot more transparant and detailed overall, especially in the mid to high frequencies. The Mac is darker by comparason, but as I mentioned earlier, also a bit warmer. The Pioneer''s phono stage is, in my opinion, vastly superior to the Mac''s. I think that the gain on the Mac''s PS is too high, at least for my cartridge(a Shure SM91ED)and the sound, while far from terrible, is muddy compaired to the Pioneer''s PS. I don''t listen to the radio very often but I''d have to pick the Pioneer''s tuner over the Mac''s (which is tube). Regarding build quality, the Mac wins. Most of it is point-to-point wired and the attention to detail is stunning. There are also no IC''s anywhere. The Pioneer isn''t far behind, though. All of the components are high quality and neatly wired. Both are externally rugged and substantial and put most of the newer stuff to shame (they used to build ''em to last). Both look equally cool in their own way. In terms of power, the Mac is rated at 40 wpc while the Pioneer is 80 wpc. If you have an SX980, I would recommend that you defeat the tone controls and not use the loudness switch in order to achieve the purest sound possible. Doing this makes a noticable difference to my ears. However, if you are using smaller speakers, you might need to boost the bass. The SX980 is a great receiver. I am again reminded of how good it can sound. Alot of people really dig the old Marantz receivers. I have no experience with them but would be interested to compare one of the better models with my Mac and Pioneer

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McIntosh 1700 receiver

Everything

Nothing

This vintage Pioneer is without question the absotlute BEST sounding receiver I''ve ever owned, bar-none. Beautiful walnut veneer cabinet and aluminum face, just gorgeous. Every aspect of this extremely well made receiver wreaks of quality. Mids, highs and lows all sound smooth, clear and warm, perfect. I would highly recommend this receiver, or any other late 70''s, early 80''s Pioneer receiver to anyone who wants quality and isnt willing to settle for what you can find at your local best buy or circuit city. Just one problem, finding one!!!

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Vintage: sansui, technics, marantz

Quality, classic

Overkill on the tape monitor capability

Reviewing the SX-780. Got it at Salvation Army. I'd kiss whoever owned this previously, they kept it in near mint condition. I was lucky enough to stop by on half price day, and got it practically for free at $54. It's worth more than that. It's classic. It's got power, and it's pretty clean. I hooked up my CD player to the Phono jack first, and that produced a horribly distorted sound, so I switched it to the Aux input -- much better! The loudness *and* 15hz bass cut switches initially seem contradictory, but do make sense given this thing's power. What a great unit! And again, whoever had mine before, bless you bless you bless you for taking such great care of it!

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Kenwood