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Anyone done A / B listening to compare vintage stereo receivers with today’s Amps/Preamps?

I bought a Pioneer SX-1050 new in 1977. It was my first serious audio purchase and set me back around $3000 when adjusted for inflation to today’s dollars. IOW, quite a lot.  In 1985 I made my second major audio purchase when I bought Quad ESL-63 electrostatic speakers and a Quad Amp and Preamp. The Pioneer wound up in my closet where it has set until 2018 (34 years) when I put it to work in my second best system, the TV room. Last month I decided to have it refurbished and I have to confess it set me back way way more than I expected, but it does sound very good indeed.  

But I’m definitely wondering if I made a good investment. And how the Pioneer, specifically the SX-1050, but others of similar character,  compares to present day equivalents.  

Has anyone done any comparative listening to electronics in the $3000-$5000 range? How does the Pioneer compare?  

Answering that question would go at least some way to answering the question whether the vintage electronics are as good or better than those designed and built for today. And whether I made a good investment.

My TV System
Vizio 60” Ultra HD
Spendor FL-6 floor standing speakers
Arcam SR-250 two-channel AVR used for video only
Pioneer SX-1050 used for audio only
Video sources:
1 - Dish DVR
2 - Oppo UDP-205 DVD
3 - Roku streamer
4 - Pioneer Elite CLD-99 Laser Disc Player
128x128echolane
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almarg's avatar
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
I had commented on this question in the OP’s other recent thread. An excerpt from my comments, with a few words shown in brackets added by me now:

Regarding comparisons of vintage vs. recent equipment, a seemingly obvious point but one which often seems to not be taken into account in discussions of this subject is that comparisons should be based on similar present day prices. For example AustinStereo pointed out above that a restored SX-1050 is worth around $1000. So a fair comparison between that component and modern ones should be to a modern component (or a combination of components) providing preamp, power amp, [moving magnet phono stage], and tuner functionality, with comparable maximum power capability, for a total of around $1000.

Regarding some of the other points that have been made, it is certainly true that "distortion wars" occurred during the 1970s, in which feedback was applied in a heavy-handed manner to produce the lowest possible Total Harmonic Distortion numbers. With the consequent adverse effects on Transient Intermodulation Distortion and increased emphasis of distortion components that are the most objectionable not yet being generally recognized....

... My own preference among vintage components is for well restored tube equipment from the 1950s and 1960s, a lot of which can provide very good sonics and great value relative to present day price points.

Regards,
-- Al

atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,760 posts
 
Transistors have advanced since the 1970s. Back then it was a big deal if the output of the amp had complementary symmetry.
The distortion of the 70s gear was often higher than that of later years and often higher than rated. But a lot of it doesn't sound all that bad as it has more 2nd harmonic than later designs have, owing to the large amount of single-ended circuitry present in the voltage amplification circuits.

There are other things causing colorations- such as inappropriate use of tantalum capacitors for coupling and extensive use of carbon film resistors. Many of them had poor grounding technique, often using a corner of the circuit board used for mounting the board to the chassis doubling as ground for that circuit board as well. So when I see equipment like this one thing I do right away is tighten all the circuit board mounting screws.

As long as you don't push them too hard they don't sound that bad. They've never struck me as all that three dimensional though!
mrdecibel
3,062 posts
 
These older receivers incorporate so much wire, switches, and cram things up against one another. Some are beautiful to look at, and actually sound ok. But, that is all. The prices they are going for, is ridiculous, imo. YMMV......
cd318
2,636 posts
 
@ndevamp,

Great informative post! 

When it comes to amplifiers I must have been lucky to have never suffered with reliability issues. Not with my NAD 3020, nor with my various Naim amps. The Naim 32.5 / 110 appeared to be more or less bomb proof.

Yet rather dusturbingly, considering all the advances in construction, I have known of at least 3 recent integrated designs which have all experienced some form of malfunction. 2 of them were due to leaking capacitors, the other was a transformer. One was a budget design, other a mid, and the last one a £2k design.

Happily in all three cases the manufacturer was good enough to arrange a repair for free or very reasonable cost. 
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