Pioneer HPM-100s - Who has them?

made in china said:
...But, My SX-1050 and HPM-100's, when playing from "audiophile" acceptable source (I have a Pioneer CD player with a BB DAC) does sound very good...
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I think the fact that these speakers are still sought after by a certain crowd, and to your own comment that they sound 'very good' is a true testament to this 40 year old speaker. If anything, the build quality alone, like so many other Pioneer products of that era is worth the price of admission.

There are many that say audio nirvana is not achieved until you pay dearly to join the ML electrostatics club. At my age now, I probably can't hear what I used to 30 years ago, but I can listen very critically if I want to. I'm just waiting to listen to my own pair of 100s in a few days, to find out for myself just how they sound. Can they sound as good as my Energy RC series in my HT rig? Maybe yes, maybe no. Speaker technology has change quite a bit in 40 years, but the physics has not.

I don't have any particular brand loyalty, but I do find myself coming back to my Pioneer roots of the 70s - where it all started for me.

redjr...
 
Over the weekend, I hooked up my HPM-100's for the first time in a very long time. I just fell in love with them all over again.

I don't mean it like it sounds, but I feel sorry for people who cannot appreciate the HPM-100's. I have good speakers (Energy Connoisseur, Clements "little d's" among others) and know what good sounds like. The HPM-100's sound good too, at least to this listener.

I have been thinking about it and so much hinges on expectations. When you expect something to sound good, the best that you can reasonably hope for is for the thing to meet your expectations. If you expect much more, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. The equipment that I have grown to love is the stuff that I had no expectations for - the things that caught me by surprise for one reason or another.

The rave reviews of the HPM-100 have probably done more to contribute to the controversy than anything else. My non-audiophile friends have been consistently blown away by them over the years. On the other hand, how many times have we read about some AK'er buying a pair, expecting greatness, only to be disappointed? I believe that they expected magic and simply got competence instead.
 
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rushfan said:
Over the weekend, I hooked up my HPM-100's for the first time in a very long time. I just fell in love with them all over again.

I don't mean it like it sounds, but I feel sorry for people who cannot appreciate the HPM-100's. I have good speakers (Energy Connoisseur, Clements "little d's" among others) and know what good sounds like. The HPM-100's sound good too, at least to this listener.

I have been thinking about it and so much hinges on expectations. When you expect something to sound good, the best that you can reasonably hope for is for the thing to meet your expectations. If you expect much more, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. The equipment that I have grown to love is the stuff that I had no expectations for - the things that caught me by surprise for one reason or another.

The rave reviews of the HPM-100 have probably done more to contribute to the controversy than anything else. My non-audiophile friends have been consistently blown away by them over the years. On the other hand, how many times have we read about some AK'er buying a pair, expecting greatness, only to be disappointed? I believe that they expected magic and simply got competence instead.
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And many either don't have the knowledge or patience to set them up and adjust them properly. :smoke:
 
ukfan4sure! said:
Are these speakers really all that good? I have to be honest and say that speaker building wasn't Pioneer's best efforts. They are indeed well built and beautiful, but my experience with CS-99A's, 88A's, and 77's has left me pretty much looking elsewhere for the sound I want. Maybe something was wrong with the 99A's for instance, as they were real muddy and lacked any definition on the high end. They were very punchy, but drowned out the mid/highs. Maybe the xovers were in need of new caps?

I carried my newly acquired speakers back downstairs very disappointed. When I hooked the Bose 601's back up? I knew it wasn't just my ears deceiving me. The clarity, crispness, and clear "POW" was back.

I was just looking for opinions. I knew a guy who owned some HPM100's and said he didn't like them, which just compounded my opinion.
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The HPM100s are a total departure form the CS's. Much higher quality build. No they won't compete with the coveted JBLs or Dalhquests or Advents, etc. That said though they are very nice speakers. I have a pair in very nice condition that I have hooked up to my Yamaha CR-2020 now. They were hooked up to my Pioneer SX-1050, but didn't sound so good. They sound better on my Yamaha. Where they really shine is hooked up to seperates. The guy the sold them to me demoed them for me on a high-end Yamaha TT hooked up to a little modern tube phono amp into a little Rotel main amp. Really nice sound!
The point is you have to set them up and dial them in correctly as with any speaker. The HPMs just take a bit more patience and time then some others, but well worth it.
 
rushfan said:
On the other hand, how many times have we read about some AK'er buying a pair, expecting greatness, only to be disappointed? I believe that they expected magic and simply got competence instead.
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That's an interesting take, but during "heads up" testing, I just call a spade a spade.

I love Pioneer's products from that era. They were beautiful, heavy, well built and sounded very nice. I always thought they couldn't be beaten.

That was until I plugged up the Marantz 2285B I found at a pawn shop. "Oh, my!", I said to myself after a couple of Kansas tracks... Dust in the Wind never sounded so musical. I felt like I had betrayed my ears all of these years and the little SX-950 whimpered in the corner knowing he'd been "had".

All of that aside, I love Pioneer. But sometimes I have to be honest and realize that I can't let my Marque love affair cloud my judgement. There was a lot of really good stuff out there during those years and I would hope everyone would let their EARS make the final decision.

So, laying brand loyalty aside and being objective is always my goal.
 
Anubis said:
The HPM100s are a total departure form the CS's. Much higher quality build. No they won't compete with the coveted JBLs or Dalhquests or Advents, etc. That said though they are very nice speakers. I have a pair in very nice condition that I have hooked up to my Yamaha CR-2020 now. They were hooked up to my Pioneer SX-1050, but didn't sound so good. They sound better on my Yamaha. Where they really shine is hooked up to seperates. The guy the sold them to me demoed them for me on a high-end Yamaha TT hooked up to a little modern tube phono amp into a little Rotel main amp. Really nice sound!
The point is you have to set them up and dial them in correctly as with any speaker. The HPMs just take a bit more patience and time then some others, but well worth it.
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I've owned CS88's and now HPM-60's. The 60's are in a different class definitely. The CS's didn't come alive until 60+ watts were introduced, they cranked. The HPM's, being my first pair of HPM's, match well with rock or jazz. I know some people bash them for not being "sonically matched", but I'm convinced placement, power, and genre of music make all the difference.
 
I've only had HPM-100's for a few months, but I really like them. They are a very nice change-up from my B&W N800 Signatures. Variety is a great spice, doncha know.
 
The HPM's are amazing speakers to say the least !
Add some stands and voila ! Masterpiece ! :yes:

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hello, I have 2 pairs one pair bought from original owner, who kept the covers that came around the speakers in the box packed at factory, on them since day one, yes the cabinets look like they just came out of the box, he was moving away and couldn't take them, so I bought they unheard, had them for two weeks before hooking them up, and the covers remain on them, bedroom speakers, so they don't get marked up the other pair everyday use in living room, love em..
 
Picked up a pair just today. I just happened to type in "Pioneer" on CL and "whaa-la!", there they were posted just 20 minutes earlier. I called the guy immediately and drove 25 miles like a BOOH (Bat Out Of Hell). He had 4 phone calls about them while we stood and shot the bull after loading them in my car. That was my cue to leave as he was starting to have that look on his face like, "did I sell these too cheap?".

Well, maybe.......:D

Especially since he threw in an Tech SL-1900 to boot. He was going to "sell" it to me but it wouldn't regulate speed. He said, what the heck and GAVE it to me if I wanted it.
 
Yep, you did a fine job there. If I make a pair of stands in my future I'm stealing your design! What kind of wood did you use there btw?
 
I have read alot of good things on AK about these, would you guys consider these the best speaks pioneer ever made ? and all the talk about weight, how much do they actually weigh, yall act like they weigh100lbs ea, thanks, Roost
 
hugeroost said:
I have read alot of good things on AK about these, would you guys consider these the best speaks pioneer ever made ? and all the talk about weight, how much do they actually weigh, yall act like they weigh100lbs ea, thanks, Roost
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Best speakers ever? Not even close. Best speakers (to my ears) made by Pioneer (TAD excluded) - perhaps...

They are pretty large and heavy. Not an issue if you are reasonably healthy, but if you have spine issues you will want help.
 
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