Is Vintage HiFi BETTER? – Pioneer SX-450 Stereo Receiver Review
Is Vintage HiFi BETTER? – Pioneer SX-450 Stereo Receiver Review
Is Vintage HiFi BETTER? – Pioneer SX-450 Stereo Receiver Review
For a list of products used to test the Pioneer, check the description below.
Is vintage hifi equipment better than new hifi products? We review the Pioneer SX-450 stereo receiver from the late 70s to see how it compares to modern audiophile components. Adding DACs and wireless audio capability such as Bluetooth or Apple AirPlay to a vintage hifi receiver or amplifier isn’t difficult. You can even “modernize” a vintage stereo receiver like the Pioneer SX-450 for two channel home theater use.
► REVIEWING THE PIONEER SX-450 STEREO RECEIVER
Pioneer SX-450 Stereo Receiver
► TESTING THE PIONEER SX-450
Klipsch Heresy IV: https://bit.ly/heresyiv
Hisense H8G TV: https://amzn.to/3apBz86
U-Turn Orbit Special: https://bit.ly/uturnspec // https://bit.ly/UTOS0A
► DACs and Accessories
Amtake DAC: https://amzn.to/34TsN0d
Schiit Modi 3 DAC: https://amzn.to/2XSNd8b
Cambridge Audio CXN V2 Stereo Network Streamer: https://amzn.to/3eIJu3c
Cambridge Audio DacMagic: https://bit.ly/3775Yci
Audioengine B1 Bluetooth Music Receiver: https://bit.ly/3mbLvXS
★ MORE ANDREW ROBINSON REVIEWS
Polk Audio Legend L800 Review: https://youtu.be/D3ezBecK788
Klipsch Heresy IV Review: https://youtu.be/fDgWfhkAxzY
Hisense H8G Review: https://youtu.be/gwG0dH9iRIg
Guide to GREAT Audio in Small Spaces: https://youtu.be/EJd5N0MJwpc
► MY FAVORITE DEMO MUSIC
Moby Play: https://amzn.to/39nTMCJ
Alanis Morissette MTV Unplugged: https://amzn.to/2TltI5x
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Audioslave: https://amzn.to/3aq5v3C
REM Automatic for the People: https://amzn.to/39oNYJ5
► MY REFERENCE AUDIO AND HOME THEATER SYSTEM
POWER
Naim Uniti Atom All In One Music System: https://bit.ly/NaimAtom
Musical Fidelity Integrated Amp: https://bit.ly/M5si
LOUDSPEAKERS
Q Acoustic Concept 300: https://bit.ly/C300wsA
Klipsch Heresy IV: https://bit.ly/heresyiv
Jamo S809: https://amzn.to/356tnK5
SPEAKER STANDS
Kanto Bookshelf Speaker Stands (budget): https://bit.ly/Kanto26
SolidSteel Speaker Stands (best): https://bit.ly/SolidAA
TURNTABLES
Audio Technica LP140XP: https://amzn.to/33OfgXO
Cambridge Audio Direct Drive Turntable: https://bit.ly/AlvaCA
RECORD PLAYER CARTRIDGES
Ortofon 2M Blue Cartridge (better): https://bit.ly/BlueAA
Ortofon 2M Black Cartridge (best): https://bit.ly/BLKAA
HEADPHONES
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless NCX Headphones: https://bit.ly/WH1000xm4
SOUNDBARS
SENNHEISER AMBEO: https://bit.ly/35yLQO1
TOP SMART TVs
LG 8K TV: https://bit.ly/LG8K99TV
Hisense H9G: https://bit.ly/H9GTV
TCL 6 Series: https://amzn.to/35Vn9NO
BLUETOOTH / DESKTOP SPEAKERS
Naim Mu-so V2: https://amzn.to/33ASZxI
Klipsch The Fives: https://bit.ly/fivesUS
Kanto YU: https://bit.ly/YUdesk
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ARTICLE LEATHER CHAIR: http://bit.ly/NirvanaChr
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ART: https://bit.ly/howfaryt
TV / MEDIA CABINET: https://bit.ly/BDIMEDIA
EVERYTHING ELSE: https://bit.ly/ARdecor
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#audio #vintageaudio #pioneer
Just found and bought one of these after a long search for a decent refurbished sx model in Australia. Oh my goodness. Vinyl sounds so much better that when played through my modern Onkyo home theatre receiver. 70s looks is sensational too.
I owned a Yamaha CR 1020 & am hopeful we will be reunited in the future. My first big investment in hi fi equipment. I was running a pr. of Yamaha NS 500 2 way speakers which I’m still using on an independent system & a Pioneer PL-4. turntable. Loved it.
Nice. Love my SX 1250 totally recapped.
If anyone has any doubts about vintage amplifiers, i will call just one old brand from the 70s/80s ”Sansui”
love too see a clip on esoteric speakers such as Magnepan, Vandersteen, Ohm, etc .
"They need to respect my authoritayy!" 🤣
Any idea how this would compare to the Marantz 2015 (also 15 wpc)?
is FS52 considered vintage? ahaha
old components are premium like copper not aluminum.
Vintage gear stir my emotions. I am in love with my nearly mint Sansui 9090. The sound that it produces is something special to me. A bonus is that it is worth twice (at least) what I paid for it in 2008. I paid 500 bucks for it, which seemed high at the time, but it turns out it was a steal.
I have one of these that I’m trying to decide whether to invest in for repair vs sell and cut ties. It has a short that causes speakers to fade in an out and probably needs a good cleaning.
If I wanted to connect a modern pre-amp to this for my turntable to give it a little more “punch” I can do that as long as I don’t connect it via Phono and instead Tape or Aux, right?
Would that defeat the purpose?
The pre amp is so good. That’s because records were the main and mostly only way to listen to music then. I know tapes were around but mostly people bought records. Therefore the phono stage has to be too notch and there had been a lot of evolution going on by then so were pretty much perfect. Today the designers aren’t really around anymore so we’re learning again.
Hey! I would like to know your opinion.
Which receiver do you think is the best?
Pioneer SX-450 or kenwood kr-3010
Excellent review but unfortunately no one here to give one to us
Yes, vintage receivers, depending on what they are, are better in sound quality. I picked up a Yamaha RXV992 with 2 Pioneer CSD 7001’s with the 12" woofers. Not the best speakers but real nice.
What i get from "VINTAGE" hi-fi is great memories of discovering all the music in my youth being that when this receiver was new was right about when I noticed music, I was 9 yrs old in 77 so I grew up going to parties where these systems were playing the memories/music of my youth but been there done that and thats why I will now use newer gear, current gear
I "WILL" TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOUR REVIEW ( "WILL"; I say because I have one but have not listened to it since 1989) more so when you mentioned paired with JBL- L100 (again, I have the 4311 Studio Monitor – a tad better?). First thing in the morning I need to run out to buy half a dozen of canned aerosols. I’ll keep you posted………
TOTL stereo receivers are easier to design than budget models. Getting quality audio for several hundred dollars is no trick. Getting it for around a hundred bucks is. That these companies offered so many choices in budget amps shows good insight in bringing true Hifi to the masses. My receiver choice in 1974 was the Pioneer SX-434, I had an SX-650 a few years later and five years ago an SX-434 was being thrown out as "broken". Took it to my fixit guy and he restored it for $60. Nice having an SX-434 back. Swell features include; detent click tone controls, smooth fly wheel tuning, aux input and a mic input too. Basic controls; loudness, tape monitor, stereo/mono and FM mute. A pretty good FM tuner too. Rated to drive 4ohm loads and offering a watt or two more power at 4ohms. My SX-434 drives a Nakamichi BX-1 cassette deck and Boston Acoustics A-40 and Synergistics S12B speakers in my 960cu/ft kitchen. Pioneer, Kenwood, Sansui, Onkyo, Technics and Rotel built fine budget stereo receivers. Interesting video, well done.
I opted for the Harmon Kardon 230A in my youth rather than the Pioneer which was more pricey. 15 watts RMS could (and did) go pretty loud in the 70s.
This guy was meant to make videos. lol
Hi, I have a Technics SU-A900MkII does anyone know how this compares to a modern day integrated amp? I run it through Acoustic Energy 109’s again older speakers, is there a better option for clarity out there? Many thanks.
Is Vintage HiFi BETTER? Not even close. Generally, what we have today is much better.
I have a Pioneer SX 1250… I love it
I like how electronics of the past were a part of the furniture so to speak. It was something to look at.
How about the Technics SU-7700 ?
Second half of the 1970s is when HiFi receivers went from 1% THD at rated power to 0.2% THD at rated power. Trust me, don’t buy anything pre-1975, only get it if you’re trying to recapture your youth … Our Sherwood S-7800 had the selector switch fail. Capacitors can dry out, do yourself a favor and get one with all bulbs replaced by LEDs. Other than that, they can be great.
Hello from Houston 🤘🏼 I was wondering do you advise not powering off my vintage receiver Technics SA-202 ( and my Yamaha
a/v receiver) or do you recommend turning them off. I’ve heard some say that it prolongs the lifespan if you leave them on. Thanks in advance! Cheers 🍺
Huge vintage audio guy here, and I really appreciated this video. I have heard new high end equipment and it does sound good, but I have also heard vintage equipment that literally is jaw dropping. The sound of this particular Pioneer SX-450 was not " jaw dropping " but everyone watching this needs to know that this particular vintage model receiver is at the absolute bottom of the Pioneer vintage audio line up from that Era. If this review was done with let’s say a Pioneer SX-780 or 1280 or the legendary 1980 I know the outcome would have been mindblowing for these guys. Even this little 450 had been restored the results would’ve been quite a bit better. The build quality of these machines is why they sound so good. Almost 50 years later and they are still sounding great. Try that in 50 years with anything that can be bought new today? Not a chance..
Couldn’t believe it when I saw you were reviewing your Pioneer SX 450 Receiver ! I bought one as a 16 year old and that was back in 1978, I’m 59 now. I loved it and spent many an hour listening to vinyl under the golden glow of the front panel of that receiver. Something to cherish for many years to come. Mine actually had a fault which meant it buzzed for a bit when you first switched it on, probably a loose connection but even that became part of its charm. It sure packed a punch for a 15W pc amp. Back in the day, I had mine paired with a Pioneer PL112D turntable (a review on one of those would be awesome) and Pioneer HPM 40 speakers. Pure heaven !! Love the channel, keep up the great work …..
Hi Andrew- Just discovered your channel today, really enjoy your approach. Looking forward to viewing more of your reviews.
Why did you choose the least powerful of all available Pioneers? Seems your only critique is lacks power
It’s art. Great review, thanks.
What is the definition of vintage? One of my receivers is a jvc RX-558V… From 1998, is that vintage yet or what’s the cut off?
IMO, the best Japanese stuff from the 70s was the Luxman line, followed by the Kenwood High Speed DC line, like the KA7100, 8100, and 9100, and later incarnations. The Sansui stuff, like the AU717 was really good too. The Pioneer stuff was good too, but I liked the Luxman and Kenwood stuff more. The higher end Yamaha stuff was good, but the mainstream stuff was nothing to write home about. As far as American stuff, the tube gear from Dynaco, Fisher, and Sherwood was great. And, McIntosh was top tier.
Do vintage receivers draw more power? How Will it affect electricity bill? I’m new to this subject. Please shed some light. Thanks
These vintage receivers have quadrupled in price recently.
Originally bought a Sanusi 90/90 for $400 in 2007
2021? $1,600
Vintage Rocks. I have vintage B&O equipment as well as Klipsch speakers. Will put their sound against ANY modern equipment regardless of price
What is your favorite piece of vintage hi-fi gear and why? What vintage piece or BRAND should we review next?
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Ended up with one of these sx-450s after a break up. Whats crazy is that it looks just like a receiver my dad used to have when I was little. It works too ‼️
oh man! Bringing back childhood memories! My dad has a Pioneer receiver from the late 70s that looks just like this. I grew up listing to music on it. Takes me back to listening to his 8 tracks. Thanks for doing this review. You inspired me to see what is out there.
Andrew, one thing you – mostly – got wrong; cities, from small to Chicago, always have a few HiFi repair wizards, who will, gladly, either repair your dead receiver, or upgrade the electronics.
I was surprised that you made such a gloom-and-doom, blanket statement, about the possibility of your vintage receiver failing. Unless you live out in the sticks, the resultant repair would translate into a pleasing aural upgrade, for – I’d wager – the original cost of your Pioneer, or less!
With your SX-450 running hot, you might find that a re-do, for – maybe – a couple of hundred bucks would bring not just improvements in power consumption, but sonic ones, as well. I should know; my vintage Yamaha CR-820, at 45 watts, is, suddenly, a champion, at locking-in my classical FM station, and making anything short of Magnepans sing like Maria Callas! 🎵 💘 🎵
I wouldn’t give up my marantz 2245 or pioneer sx-780 for anything. I will pass them down to my kids.
vintage stuff looks so cool and if I was starting again I would go down that route, I have a working 1959 Ferranti tube radio that has been upgraded with a bluetooth receiver that I play vintage radio programmes on that sounds so nice its just the right "tone" for what I am listening to. I love it and its probably the cheapest bit of audio equipment I own
Great video. I saw it the first time three or four weeks ago and liked it very much. Last week, I bought a SX-450 myself. 🙂
Back in 75’ my father and I bought an SX-434 and SX-737 for $720 CAD. Still sound great.
In a word yes
I had a toshiba receiver that looked almost the same as this pioneer receiver , looks to me that maybe they worked together back then or shared parts , the lay out nobs ,lights, everything looks the same with the except of the brand
take a tequila shot every time Andrew says "piece"
Saw a 78′ Technics SA-200 the other day but he wanted $170 for it. Says it’s clean but still too high. I think I’ll hold out for a better model
thats what Im talking about thanks