('78-'79)  185 WPC     $3800

This very nice Pioneer SX-1280 receiver was obtained locally from the owner who purchased it in Norman, Oklahoma in 1979.  This beast is in flawless cosmetic condition and fully bench serviced.  For those involved with vintage HiFi, it's pretty common knowledge that the SX-1280 has an enormous amount of headroom (for most any user) and thunders along without breaking a sweat.   This was the final 1200 series Pioneer receiver...it was truly the end of an era.

Not only has it been used sparingly since purchase, over the years (and prior to our obtaining this unit) the owner had the foresight to keep this receiver in excellent operating condition by having it professionally and regularly serviced. 

All of this servicing and maintenance was done by our highly respected friend and fellow tech (named Loyal) at Audio Service Co in Woodfin NC.  During these semi-annual maintenance and inspections, many out-of-spec components including resistors and capacitors were replaced with new ones.  Among the many other details included in these routine services was a new (correct) speaker relay along with a few caps and all four diodes in the power supply.  The AM/FM/MPX tuning circuits have been aligned.  The DC balance and idle current were adjusted.  The phono amp has also been partially recapped.  All other boards are in excellent performance condition.  The filter caps are well within their original specs.  
NOTE:  It should be noted here that the SX-1280 does not use Darlington packs (aka STK's); every receiver from the SX-880 and up are discrete devices.

Once we obtained this receiver we did our own routine, in-house bench servicing; all the pots and switches were chemically treated with Deoxit Gold.  New "cool blue" LEDs were installed (the LEDs can be easily changed at the buyer's request).  All inputs, outputs, switches, knobs and connections are working flawlessly.  The receiver was fully tested and then left powered on for 24 hours with absolutely no overheating issues.As of this post in February 2026, the receiver is functioning perfectly and that includes the all-important phono stage.

The Back story:
By 1977, the trend of “Monster Receivers” was at its peak. Every brand offered top-of-the-line models competing in size, power, extensive features, and outstanding musical performance for their time.  At Pioneer, two standout offerings emerged: the "unattainable" SX-1980 and the more accessible SX-1280—a true monster receiver delivering 185 watts per channel into 8 ohms.
Aesthetically, the Pioneer SX-1280 is a masterpiece: walnut veneer cabinet with edge trim, aluminum front panel, backlit tuner dials, blackface power meters, source selectors with colored indicator lights—every button and switch reflects premium quality.
More than fully equipped, the SX-1280 features two phono inputs, two tape input/outputs, and one auxiliary input—plus a microphone input, Pre Out / Power In jumpers on the rear section and dedicated connections for quad and Dolby. Its equalization section is uncommon, with separate knobs for bass (50Hz, 100Hz) and treble (10kHz, 20kHz). The Phono 1 input also includes impedance settings to match your cartridge, while Phono 2 is a classic MM input.

This stunning piece of vintage HiFi history combines power, versatility, and exceptional design and build quality—a first-rate receiver capable of driving a wide range of loudspeakers with ease

Basic specs:
RMS into 8 ohms: 185 WPC
Power consumption: 1000 watts (max)
Dimensions: 22"W x 7.5"H x 18"D 
Weight: 64 lbs

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('78-'80) 55 WPC  @ 8 / 60 WPC @ 4    $500

In very good cosmetic condition, fully serviced and tested, this Technics SA-500 has been partially recapped; the power board was the main focus for the recap.  

As the late 70's were becoming a slice of heaven for HiFi lovers, the market was bursting with fine receivers and the Technics SA-500 was one of those great mid-range designs . Not only does it perform well but it has the looks to go with it.  

As did other manufacturers in the late 70's, Technics was also getting ready to drop the analog receivers and move into the digital age but they did it in small steps (nobody wanted to shock the buyers with an overnight switch from analog to digital.)  The SA-500 was considered a hybrid because it featured digital power meters even though it was still an analog unit.

Made from late '78 to '80, it's rated very conservatively at about 55 watts per channel at 8 ohms and 60 WPC at 4 ohms.  That's good news about the 4 ohm power, it tells you the SA-500 is not afraid of running difficult 4 ohm loads.

As mentioned above, the SA-500's power level meters are digital LEDs which you can adjust via the power display button.  However, the signal and tuning strength meters are analog.

The balanced layout of the knobs and switches along with the white dial face make the Technics SA-500 a clean and sophisticated looking unit. The knobs are done nicely with a brushed aluminum top and sides with a polished accent line along the outer top edge. 

Thanks to having all new lamps installed, the SA-500 looks really mesmerizing when lit up in the evening.  This is a great receiver for anybody. Search the net and you'll be hard pressed to find anyone that dislikes this receiver. 

Essential specs:
Power output: 55 watts per channel into 8Ω (stereo)
Frequency response: 10Hz to 40kHz
THD: 0.04%
Speaker load impedance: 4 ohms minimum
Dimensions: 19"W x 6.5"H x 13"D
Weight: 26 lbs

About TECHNICS / MATSUSHITA / PANASONIC...
Founded in the 1920's, the huge Japanese conglomerate Matsushita had interests in many electronics companies.  The most well known would be Technics and Panasonic. Technics was introduced as a brand name for premium loudspeakers marketed domestically by Matsushita in 1965.  Eventually, Technics became a premium brand bringing classics like the SL-1200mkii turntable and the absolute monster receiver at the top of the list: Technics SA-1000 (330 watts per channel)

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(1973) 35 WPC  SOLD

Fully bench serviced, fully tested and in absolutely pristine cosmetic condition, this classic Pioneer SX-737 is a great looking receiver and was a midrange offering during the early to mid-70's.  

It features the famous "Pioneer blue" lighting on the FM dial glass and meters.  While it was considered an upper-mid level unit it really is built with the same excellent quality as Pioneer's higher end receivers from that era. 

The 737 is rated at a very conservative 35 watts per channel at 8 ohms and about 45 watts per channel at 4 ohms.  Until the legendary Pioneer SX-1010 came out in '76, the SX-737 was third to the TOTL from Pioneer.
It has the historic and beautiful look of mid 70's Pioneer receivers.  In their own way, this series of Pioneer receivers was as distinctive in its cosmetic design as were the later SX-50xx models that came later on in the late 70's.
The SX-737 has those typical features anyone would need in an analog stereo receiver including inputs for a turntable, AUX, two tape and two pairs of speakers.  One interesting note is that there is a convenient mic input on the front panel.

Many sets of experienced ears (including ours) have described the SX-737 as having a very warm and rich sound.  It's real worth is in it's warmth, detail, low distortion, low noise and large dynamic range.   The capacitor coupled amp section allows the unit to perform perfectly under heavy loads and is known for it's warm "tube-like" sound.

Back in the day, Stereo Review and Audio magazine did "shootouts" comparing performance specs and price between the likes of Yamaha, Onkyo, Kenwood, Sansui, Marantz and Technics.  They reached the same conclusion: the Pioneer SX-737 sounded as good as the costlier units and much better than the similarly priced ones. 

Basic specs:
Power output: 35 WPC into 8 ohms
Frequency response: 15Hz to 40kHz
THD: 0.5%
Speaker load impedance: 4 ohms minimum
Dimensions: 19.7"W x 6.3"H x 16"
Weight: 30 lbs

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('71-'73) 26 WPC  $350   *(wood cover not included)

Obtained from the original owner, this Sansui Model 2000A receiver has been completely disassembled, fully serviced and thoroughly tested.  All the dial and meter lamps have been replaced. 

NOTE: as seen in the photos, one of our optional custom-built, solid wood covers is available at an additional cost of $250

Can it really be over 50 years old?   Forget its age...it's now in excellent condition and completely functional.  Like it's often said, "they don't make 'em like this anymore". 

The Sansui 2000A was one of Sansui's earliest solid-state receivers. Although the later models were slightly improved versions, the 2000A really didn’t have any issues that required improvement.  At the time of its release in the early 70's, most of the speaker technology was built around the tube powered amps & receivers that were the norm.  Sansui was so passionate about the design of this model that a lot of owners say the 2000A still retains most of the warmth that naturally came from tubes.

It’s a very solid receiver with a clean silver faceplate, and blackout dial glass.  The interior build and exterior design of this Sansui 2000A is the true definition of "pure classy vintage HiFi".

Essential specs:
Power output: 26 watts per channel into 8Ω (stereo)
Frequency response: 20Hz to 40kHz
THD: 0.8%
Speaker load impedance: minimum 4 ohms
Dimensions: 18"W x 6"H x 13"D
Weight:  29 lbs

About Sansui...
Sansui was founded in 1947 in Tokyo, Japan.  Started as a transformer manufacturer, Sansui produced various audio products for more than fifty years.  In its heyday, (somewhere between the late '70’s and the mid-'80’s) Sansui was a well known brand all over the world.

The name “Sansui” means “Mountain and Water.”  The implicit appreciation of “Sansui” goes back more than a thousand years to the ancient China.  That was black ink drawings which depict nature, such as trees, rocks, and streams.

 A Japanese Zen monk named Sesshu who was eager to learn this technique went to China during the Ming dynasty period.  After several years, he came back to Japan and developed his own version of the “Sansui” drawing.  Sesshu tried to mix his Zen philosophy into the simplicity of the “Sansui” drawing.  He passed away at the age of 83 in 1503 leaving many masterpieces and left fundamental influences on Japanese culture.  The meaning of strength and simplicity in black and white is far beyond the level of just drawing techniques.   Almost all ancient Japanese culture has been somehow influenced by this philosophy.

When the founders of the transformer company named their company as Sansui, they must have thought about the philosophy of “Sansui” drawings, and its fundamental meanings; strength and simplicity of black ink drawing on white paper for the purpose of depicting nature mixing with the value of  life.

After Sansui retreated from the U.S. market in the late '80’s, they still kept producing some masterpieces under the “Alpha series” until 2001 when Sansui closed the corporate headquarters in Shin-Yokohama.  The irony is that Sansui may have peaked its reputation in the tube gear era with AU-111, followed by the incredible array of solid state equipment, and lost its presence in high end audiophile right after reviving the AU-111 as the "AU-111 Vintage" in 1999.

Alas, as all good things must come to an end, their Japanese website as a HiFi-manufacturer was last updated in January 2014 as they went out of business that same year. Sansui's sales had shriveled to just $270,000 by 2010. In Japan, the consumer product maker Doshisha has the right to manufacture and sell under the Sansui brand.  Outside of Japan, the brand belongs to Nimble Holdings of Hong Kong.

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('78-'80) 22 WPC    $300

Obtained locally from the original owner, this Yamaha CR-420 is in pristine cosmetic and operating condition. 

The CR-420 is part of the "best" design series from Yamaha that included the 620, 820, etc. They were all just flat out gorgeous.  Besides our usual intensive bench servicing that includes all pots/switches/bias, it also has all new lamps and new diodes on the board that controls the lighting.  The conservative rating of 22 watts per channel into 8 ohms is closer to 25 WPC and the output into 4 ohms is 30 WPC.

Packed with all discrete components, it's late 70's design reflects the rapid improvement in receivers that made them lighter, more powerful and relatively easy to work on.  

Yamaha's famous "Natural Sound" is part of the attraction in the 420, along with the loudness compensation feature that made the Yamaha CR Series unique.  Perhaps "natural sound" is best described as having a neutral sound stage with less emphasis on colorization to the music. Of course, as usual, it's always about the quality and efficiency of the speakers but the natural sound has always been part of Yamaha's legacy.  Something else that's unique to this Yamaha series is the OTS (Optimum Tuning System), which is an easy-to-use feature that automatically locks in the exact center of the tuned channel - for the lowest possible distortion.  Stereo Review magazine once said (and still applies today) "the muting and OST systems operated flawlessly and the harmonic distortion of the CR-420 was so low that without the most advanced test instruments it would have been impossible to measure it."

Among Yamaha's most significant features is the *continuously variable loudness control. By using this control, the frequency balance and volume are adjusted simultaneously to compensate for the ear's insensitivity to high and low frequency sound at low volume settings. Thus, you can retain a natural-sounding balance regardless of listening level.

*NOTE: How does Yamaha's Loudness control work?
Theoretically, the degree of loudness compensation should vary with the listening level: The greater the reduction from "real" sonic levels, the greater the compensation. In the Yamaha CR-420, you first turn up the loudness all the way and set the volume control to the highest listening level you'd be likely to want, which will, of course, depend on your taste, the efficiency of your speakers and the acoustics and size of your room. For subsequent level adjustments, turn down the loudness, which boosts the lows and, to a smaller extent, the extreme highs relative to the midband to maintain a natural sounding balance.

When it comes to the Yamaha CR-420, all this adds up to a lot more than most could logically expect of the "low man on Yamaha's receiver lineup totem pole", even in view of their minimum performance standard policy. The tuner section is several cuts above the conventional. The phono preamp is eminently quiet, the flexibility of the rest of the preamplifier sec- tion is also impressive.  Essentially, the Yamaha CR-420 was unique in its price range. 

Main features are the outputs for two pairs of speakers, phono, FM, Aux (perfect for streaming) tape in/out.  It also has all new incandescent lamps including the light that travels with the tuning needle up and down the dial.
The teak veneer case is flawless and the brushed aluminum faceplate is literally mint!

Specs:
Power output: 25 watts per channel into 8 ohms
                     30 WPC into 4 ohms
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz
THD: 0.05%
Speaker load impedance: 4Ω (minimum)
Dimensions: 12.8"D x 6.5"H x 17.8"W
Weight: 20 lbs

('76-'78) 32 WPC   $400

One of our personal favorite receivers to ever come from Yamaha....this CR-450 is in pristine cosmetic and operating condition.  The CR-450 was part of the excellent "CR" design series from Yamaha.  The CR-450 replaced the earlier CR-400. The entire lineup was just flat out gorgeous.  Besides our usual intensive bench servicing that includes all pots / switches / bias and new diodes on the board that controls the lighting. 

The conservative rating of 32 watts per channel into 8 ohms was  more robust than the later CR-420.  Power output is actually closer to 35 WPC and the output into 4 ohms is about 38 WPC.  Packed with all discrete components, it's late 70's design reflects the rapid improvement in receivers that made them lighter, more powerful and relatively easy to work on.  

Yamaha's famous "Natural Sound" is part of the attraction in the CR-450, along with the loudness compensation feature that made the Yamaha CR Series unique.  Perhaps "natural sound" is best described as having a neutral sound stage with less emphasis on colorization to the music. Of course, as usual, it's always about the quality and efficiency of the speakers but the natural sound has always been part of Yamaha's legacy. 

Something else that's unique to this Yamaha series is the OTS (Optimum Tuning System), which is an easy-to-use feature that automatically locks in the exact center of the tuned channel - for the lowest possible distortion Stereo Review magazine once said (and still applies today) "the muting and OST systems operated flawlessly and the harmonic distortion of the CR-450 was so low that without the most advanced test instruments it would have been impossible to measure it."

Among Yamaha's most significant features is the *continuously variable loudness control. By using this control, the frequency balance and volume are adjusted simultaneously to compensate for the ear's insensitivity to high and low frequency sound at low volume settings. Thus, you can retain a natural-sounding balance regardless of listening level.
*NOTE: How does Yamaha's Loudness control work?
Theoretically, the degree of loudness compensation should vary with the listening level: The greater the reduction from "real" sonic levels, the greater the compensation. In the Yamaha CR-420, you first turn up the loudness all the way and set the volume control to the highest listening level you'd be likely to want, which will, of course, depend on your taste, the efficiency of your speakers and the acoustics and size of your room. For subsequent level adjustments, turn down the loudness, which boosts the lows and, to a smaller extent, the extreme highs relative to the midband to maintain a natural sounding balance.

When it comes to the Yamaha CR-450, all this adds up to a lot more than most could logically expect of the "low man on Yamaha's receiver lineup totem pole", even in view of their minimum performance standard policy. The tuner section is several cuts above the conventional. The phono preamp is eminently quiet, the flexibility of the rest of the preamplifier section is also impressive.  Essentially, the Yamaha CR-450 was unique in its price range. 
Main features are the outputs for two pairs of speakers, phono, FM, Aux (perfect for streaming) tape in/out.   The teak veneer case is flawless and the brushed aluminum faceplate is literally mint!

SPECS:
Power output: 32 watts per channel into 8 ohms
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz
THD: 0.05%
Speaker load impedance: 4Ω (minimum)
Dimensions: 13.1"D x 6.5"H x 18.3"W
Weight: 21 lbs

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