[grokit]

Or if you have an outboard phono stage lying around try that with a different input to help narrow down the issue a bit more.

 

[BmWr75]

The 9100 was the TOTL Pioneer integrated amp in its day.  I have one in a 2 channel system.  But have not listened to the HP out.
 
Quote:

Hi,
 
Is anyone know about vintage amp PIONEER SA 9100 and how it compare with vintage MARANTZ and SANSUI?
 
I plan to buy one on EBAY for about 400 USD, restaured and in mint condition.
 
Thanks.
 
Cheers.
 
Chris.

 

 

[scottiebabie]

$400 for a "only" 60watter Pioneer amp seems a tad too much atleast over this side of the pond. for some perspective, there's a SA-9100 TX-8100 amp tuner combo sitting unsold for close to a month with the seller asking $300 (sans shipping). he claims it to be mint too but ofcos a full shop certified & backed refurb unit is a much safer (&prolly better) proposition as it could easily cost up to $200 for the work, depending how much is done. personally i wouldnt pay anymore than $200-250 max for the unit.
 
that said, if the SA-9100 sounds anything like my SA-7500 & SX450, im sure u're gonna be very happy with the sound. IMO the Pioneer is everybit the equal of corresponding Marantzs sharin6g similar sonic traits. unfortunetly both my Marantzs have been sold so im basing this opinion purely on memory. my Sansui AU-517 -also a 65watter equivalent- is prolly a tad warmer/organic or perhaps a tad less tizzy up top is more of a different flavor & a laterally upgrade than anything. hope this helps.

 

[REB]

To revisit the tone control/eq issue: I noticed that when I use my kenwood ka7002 I really need the tone controls to adjust the sound to different recordings. I am not sure why, but there seems to be much more sensitivity (for lack of a better word) with regard to differnences in recordings. The bass and treble controls are pretty sophisticated (for a 1971 amp): 150 and 300hz for the bass and 6000 hz and 2000 hz for the treble and while I never used tone controls on any of my other amps, I now do with the kenwood. Simply because it sounds better to use them.
 
Different question, but has anyone experience with vintage akai and onkyo receivers?

 

[Skylab]

Again, I think the tone controls on many amps if this era were very well implemented, and that's likely why you are enjoying their use.
 
I agree we should NOT let this thread turn into a religious discussion about EQ, but questions/issues related to specific implementations of vintage gear's tone controls seem pretty reasonable to me.  But I am NOT the OP, so I will let Moodryn make that call.
 
Innerspace, great post about the RIAA curves being different in Japan and US.  I was not aware of that.  I have not tried the phono section of my receivers yet, but I plan to soon.

 

[REB]

Quote:

I agree we should NOT let this thread turn into a religious discussion about EQ, but questions/issues related to specific implementations of vintage gear's tone controls seem pretty reasonable to me.  But I am NOT the OP, so I will let Moodryn make that call.
 

Agreed. I also feel that specific discussion of the usage of tone controls of vintage gear is reasonable in this thread, but I will abide by Moodryn's decision as well.
 
Meanwhile, I am still struggling (in a pleasant sense) to make sense of the kenwood's sound signature. It seems to differ depending on what you feed it. Much more so than any of my other (vintage) gear.
 

 

[InnerSpace]

Quote:

Innerspace, great post about the RIAA curves being different in Japan and US.  I was not aware of that.  I have not tried the phono section of my receivers yet, but I plan to soon.

Thanks.  It's a real "Who'd have thought?" thing, isn't it?  At the beginning, each record company would do it differently, never mind each country or regional market.  There was a sustained effort in the 1950s toward standardization, but it failed.  And even as late as the 1980s, in Eastern Europe and Asia, different record companies were still doing it differently.  Hardware companies went for whatever compromise worked locally.  The technical goal was the same, so outcomes weren't vastly dissimilar, but even so, with an emphatic +20db/-20db EQ process, small variations will be readily audible.
 

 

[musicman59]

I just bought his Luxman LV-105 hybrid inteated amplifier. I remember a friend used to own it in the late 80s and it was very nice. It should be here in a few days.

 

[Aris488]

Quote:

$400 for a "only" 60watter Pioneer amp seems a tad too much atleast over this side of the pond. for some perspective, there's a SA-9100 TX-8100 amp tuner combo sitting unsold for close to a month with the seller asking $300 (sans shipping). he claims it to be mint too but ofcos a full shop certified & backed refurb unit is a much safer (&prolly better) proposition as it could easily cost up to $200 for the work, depending how much is done. personally i wouldnt pay anymore than $200-250 max for the unit.
 
that said, if the SA-9100 sounds anything like my SA-7500 & SX450, im sure u're gonna be very happy with the sound. IMO the Pioneer is everybit the equal of corresponding Marantzs sharin6g similar sonic traits. unfortunetly both my Marantzs have been sold so im basing this opinion purely on memory. my Sansui AU-517 -also a 65watter equivalent- is prolly a tad warmer/organic or perhaps a tad less tizzy up top is more of a different flavor & a laterally upgrade than anything. hope this helps.

Thanks for your reply and advices Scottiebabie. I'll wait for a cheaper one or a certified. Is the heaphone out on par with dedicated headphone amps SS or valve, like Skylab said for his vintage ?
 
 

 

[Aris488]

Thanks for your reply BmWr75.
 
Have you listened to the heaphone out? how it sounds? i plan to listen 1/2 HP and 1/2 headphone.

 
Quote:

The 9100 was the TOTL Pioneer integrated amp in its day.  I have one in a 2 channel system.  But have not listened to the HP out.
 


 

 

 

[moodyrn]

Quote:

Again, I think the tone controls on many amps if this era were very well implemented, and that's likely why you are enjoying their use.
 
I agree we should NOT let this thread turn into a religious discussion about EQ, but questions/issues related to specific implementations of vintage gear's tone controls seem pretty reasonable to me.  But I am NOT the OP, so I will let Moodryn make that call.
 
Innerspace, great post about the RIAA curves being different in Japan and US.  I was not aware of that.  I have not tried the phono section of my receivers yet, but I plan to soon.

 


Quote:

Agreed. I also feel that specific discussion of the usage of tone controls of vintage gear is reasonable in this thread, but I will abide by Moodryn's decision as well.
 
Meanwhile, I am still struggling (in a pleasant sense) to make sense of the kenwood's sound signature. It seems to differ depending on what you feed it. Much more so than any of my other (vintage) gear.
 

I have no problem with the discussion of tone controls/eq as it relates to vintage gear. But others had started turning this into an eq thread making comments that didn't have anything to do with vintage or amps in general. They were based on whether you are a believer or not and why you should be or shouldn't be. Basically turning it into a thread that shouldn't even be in amp, headphones, dac threads at all. But the thread limited to sound science. But discussing the merits of tone controls as it relates to vintaged gear is something very relevant and completely different altogether.
 

 

[REB]

Nice! I've been on the verge of buying this one myself a couple of times. Am very interested to hear what a hybrid luxman sounds like. Do let us know!
 
Quote:

I just bought his Luxman LV-105 hybrid inteated amplifier. I remember a friend used to own it in the late 80s and it was very nice. It should be here in a few days.

 

 

[BmWr75]

I just have the SA9100 headphone out a quick listen.  The sound quality is very acceptable.  This is a very good vintage amp (~35 years old) and mine has had significant refurbishment work done.  Due to age, all vintage equipment may require some refurbishing (capacitor replacement mainly).
 
Quote:

Thanks for your reply BmWr75.
 
Have you listened to the heaphone out? how it sounds? i plan to listen 1/2 HP and 1/2 headphone.

 


 

 

 

[scottiebabie]

Quote:

Thanks for your reply and advices Scottiebabie. I'll wait for a cheaper one or a certified. Is the heaphone out on par with dedicated headphone amps SS or valve, like Skylab said for his vintage ?
 
 

youre welcome mon ami. as to how good the headout is, i think my vintage amps drives my headphones wonderfully & is as good if not better than anything i've heard. but let me clarify factually that i have not heard much headamps nevermind any of the TOTL stuff SS or tubes, lest the headfi nazis deem me guilty & banish me for such heresy! heh
 
me thinks its best of u to direct that question to Skylab as he has or atleast had access to a slew of headamps with the creme de la creme amongst them. now he even dabbled into vintage gear & currently has a few very respected receivers & amps to count amongst his playtoys. infact if im not mistaken, his review & comparo of his various vintage receivers&amps with a dedicated headamp comparo thrown it should be out shortly.
 
u heard it Skylab - get ya ass in gear as inquiring minds want to know! LOL
 
 

 

[tunarat]

 
Quote:

I just bought his Luxman LV-105 hybrid inteated amplifier. I remember a friend used to own it in the late 80s and it was very nice. It should be here in a few days.

 
Nice! One of the first, last and only pieces that Alpine did right after they took the American market for Luxman and destroyed the brand back then..... couldn't keep a good one down though.