Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I bought my SX-1080 brand new in 1979, It retailed for $750. That is equivalent to over 3 grand in todays dollars.

I have never had to have it serviced. I did take it in once to have it professionally cleaned. I am probably due for that again after another 15 yrs of use. I also use it to run my Blu-Ray player. Sounds awesome. Who needs 7.1 when you have this baby. I did buy a top of the line Denon a few yrs back and returned it, the sound quality was nothing compared to the Pioneer. You would have to spend 4 grand to get something to sound this good today. Il also have my 1977 Infinity speakers. Not the crap they make today.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
wow it's been a year now and i must say my SX-1080 ROCKS! I love to listen to all types or music from classical to hip-hop this amp sounds buetiful with powerfull lows to a perfect emulation of a warm flute. This amp it a gentle giant: it will make all others seem on mute, to making the most peacful slumber occur. i've never had problems with this most reliable amp. and when paired with my sony SS-u870AV's and my bose 901's this can move all.

i came across this amp at a freinds house he had bought it at a garage sale used in box it's in good condition. he paid $10 for it and assumed it broke when it didn't power on right away, so he gave it to me and took it as a loss i left it on while making a snack and return to hear it roar (muting was off)

what would i do with out this gem?

Strengths:
great sound for any music
tons of fiters
pre-amp loop
tubes for a warm crisp sound
last forever
lots of power to spare (big caps)

Weaknesses:
none:
if you think it's weak or read it in any post your wrong! from a classic gem like this you can't expect a remote.

and if you think it's too big or heavy your still wrong with an amp like this you'll have quite the setup the kind you almost never move anyway

Similar Products Used:
slightly newer kenwood (also on tubes)

Price Paid:  $210.00 from ebay

Summary:
i had an rca sta 3900 that got killed by lightning. it was a good unit. $100.00 at radio shack. better sound at low volume than most units costing $400.00 and up. bought a sony strde197. no monitor loop for my eq, no bass response what so ever compared to the rca. bought an onkyo tx 8511. monitor loop for the eq but bass response at low volume was still a joke. then it hit me.why not look for an old receiver like i had in the 70's. found the sx 1080 on ebay. brought back great memories. beautiful full sound at low volue without the eq. turn on the eq and it's unbelievable. high volume levels are dangerous with this thing. falling objects, neighbors, police, hearing damage. they can keep the plastic junk they make today. this is rated at 120 wpc. the ones today that are rated at 100 wpc are more lke 55 wpc. at least they sound that way compared to ths so-called antique. if you can find an old pioneer, buy it. you'll spend $1500.00 or more on modern equipment to match the sound of this receiver.

Strengths:
great response at low or high volume. plenty of reserve power. rugged construction. classic looks.

Weaknesses:
no remote but i need the exercise

Similar Products Used:
rca sta 3900, sony strde197, onkyo tx8511

Price Paid:  $100.00 from some unknown guitar

Summary:
the story starts when my best friend rob wanted a new bass amp and so we serched the stores and used shops...then one day we were talking to the guy at the back of a guitar store in carleton place called src...where we discussed tube amps and sterio sistems and car set-ups ...he eventually told us of this big hunka-junk-ovan amp that was sitting in the back of the store and he said that someone had traded it for a deal...he said it was home maid and it came with twin 15" 200w speakers....neways we never bothered to look inside the amp cause it was a big trouble to lug the 300lb amp that was the length of the back of a volkswagon... wagon.....we also came across the problem of his bass overloading the amp and it would cut out...we just figured it a peice of crap and were about to throw it away when i ofcoarse wanted the tubes to make my very own electric amp....so i started to dismantle it and i just started to laugh when i saw that it was just a receiver...then i looked closer to see that it was the grand ol' pioneer sx 1080....the story ends by me jipping my friend and paying him the 100$ (when we all know its worth alot more) and i use it now to rock out my garage full of zeppelin...MUAHAHAHA!!!!

Strengths:
very reliable and good quality sound for its age

Weaknesses:
can't handle a bass guitar...oops...i guess

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Received as a gift.

Summary:
I'm going to tell you right now, without much circumlocution, that this unit is absolutely stellar. It's timeless beauty and genuine walnut case are aesthetically pleasing, and its immense weight is indicative of its massive power reserves, though not as deep as the 1280 and 1980. The sonic attributes are dead on and this receiver has no problem handling some large, hungry drivers. I'm running a 4 ohm load and it powers cleanly with bottomless reserve thanks to the monstrous filter caps. Everthing about this beast screams "refined power." I love the non-scratchy stepped pot volume and the two phono inputs with awesome preamp topology. I love the VU meters and the beautiful metal face and knobs. I wish these very same companies still had the impetus to produce fifty pound amplifiers. The primary transformer must weigh 25 pounds. It even has a preamp loop on the back.

Strengths:
Excellent clean power reserves, stunning to look at, excellent tuner, two phono inputs, preamp loop, lights dim when you turn it on and the caps fill :) HEAVY!

Weaknesses:
Small holes for speaker output, though I saw a picture online where it had gold screw-post terminals.(!) Should have screw posts for 100+ RMS and this unit will happily move 120 clean with a 250 peak.

Similar Products Used:
SX-1280 SX-6 Various black box PCB addled crap. Also Conrad Johnson tube amps.