2. cables
  3. 153266-111696

My stereo receiver is a little too bright. Can a cable help me out?

I just had my vintage Pioneer SX-1050 refurbished.  I had a severe case of sticker shock when presented with the bill - oops!!  Which unfortunately pretty much forces me to use it. 

I will say It is sounding very powerful which is no big surprise because there is a lot of horsepower under the hood.  But the audio impression is that it’s also a little too bright.  The only way I know to tame brightness is with the right interconnects.  But I’m not experienced in that area.  Recommendations would be most welcome.


It’s probably important to know how I am using  the Pioneer SX-1050.  It is responsible for all audio in my TV system.  My choice of music is almost exclusively opera and classical.  

 I send the HDMI signal from my four sources ( TV-DVR, OPPO DVD, ROKU streamer and Pioneer Elite Laser Disc Player ) to my AVR, an ARCAM SR-250, and I send the respective analog audio signals to the Pioneer.  I am into opera and classical music and I didn’t think my ARCAM AVR sounded as good as I wanted it to, even though it’s ideally  suited to my needs, a two-channel product touted for its exceptional audio.  The audio is good but definitely not great.  Prior to deciding to refurbish it I had paired the Pioneer with a Musical Fidelity A3cr Preamp, using the Pioneer just as an amplifier, and I was getting very good audio that way.  But one of the goals of the refurbishment project was to feature the Pioneer and eliminate the musical influence of the Musical Fidelity preamp.   And now, after spending so much,  I wanted to hear how my now very expensive Pioneer sounded, so I pulled the Musical Fidelity Pre and attached my sources directly to the Pioneer.  Currently all the interconnects are Blue Jeans Cable.  Obviously I can’t spend huge amounts replacing cables for all four sources, so the DVD is priority.
echolane
jnovak's avatar
jnovak
447 posts
 
Millercarbon is spot on. I know because I owned 2 SX1280 receivers back in the day. My first upgrade was to purchase an Onyko preamp in maybe 1982. I used the amp in the Pioneer with the new preamp. I was
astonished at the difference. The preamp section in your unit can't be better than the 1280. I see these old receivers selling for top dollar on eBay. Bite the bullet and sell it. Consider buying a receiver like the Anthem MRX710. It's several generations old now so the price slips a bit with each new release. Sonically, it will blow you away! It's built like a tank and could anchor your main system. Good luck! Joe 
gratefuleric
112 posts
 
The answer is NO cables won't soften the sound but the tone controls will
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,418 posts
 
I think it's silly to sell your Pioneer and pick up a used AVR. You're looking to improve your 2 channel listening experience. As you know, an AVR is a multipurpose device and you've been there, done that.

Once again, use the tone controls and put more hours on the Pioneer. You could try the preamp into the receiver again as a test to see what sounds best.
I wouldn't get caught up in buying cables and new components. Give it some more time.

jnorris2005
185 posts
 
@jnovak I had a Pioneer SA-8100 integrated.  I found that the amp alone was very, very good.  The phono preamp, when taken from the tape outs was also very good.  The rest of the preamp was noisy and aggressive and just not up to the same level as the amp.  Actually, its power supply quit on me eventually, so I removed the phono preamp section, built a 24V low-power supply for it and put it in its own cabinet.  Worked very well until I replaced it with a Schiit.  
echolane's avatar
echolane OP
115 posts
 
Wow, lots of advice to wade through for which I am most appreciative!  

I think the most sensible thing to do  is to have some patience and decide whether to move on or not after a couple hundred hours of break in.  Believe it or not, now, only 24 hours later, I think it sounds quite a bit better. The rawness is gone, or if not gone, considerably tamed.

Using the Pioneer’s tone controls is another easy fix.  It’s been so long since I had tone controls on any equipment, I’d forgotten they existed!   I first bought this Pioneer in 1976 or 1977 and even then I didn’t have a habit of using them.
There is certainly something to be said for not sinking  any more dollars into the situation.   If the foundation isn’t right, nothing that follows will be right!   In hindsight, probably the wisest choice would have been to trade in the ARCAM for something that would better satisfy my audio criteria.   Though that would have left my old Pioneer still hanging around with no job to do.    I have a history of letting good things go and regretting it later; perhaps that’s why I decided to fix it rather than sell it.

I can’t resist repeating what the shop owner told me after listening to the rebuilt Pioneer: “You can’t equal the Pioneer with anything built today for less than $5000”.  Of course I recognize that could be flattery, trying to make me feel better after spending such an unexpected amount.  I prefer to think it is plausible.


More to discover