Pioneer SX-1980 - what would you pay?

Stevescivic

Active Member
So today I had a rare opportunity to buy a decent condition Pioneer SX-1980 that had some service work done to it by a reputable shop. Had new veneer done, powder coated heat sink fins, new filter caps and a few new caps here and there including a tuner alignment.

Faceplate was okay, definitely had some scratching on the edges and I’d say probably a 8/10 condition.

Seller want $5800 CAD for it. I listened to it and it definitely was insanely nice. Best receiver I have heard and I can now fully understand why people list for this monster. Everything functional and repairs done on it were definitely not from a hack. I think the price is quite steep and I wish it were in better shape. Although nothing damning about theinit that at that price I would expect it to be absolutely pristine. The connectors on the back while good had speckles of corrosion pitting and the AM antenna plastic shell was cracked but glued back together.

Anyone thoughts on the price? Is the vintage price bubble going to pop soon? Regretting not buying a bunch of 1980s 10 years ago when there were relatively cheap but it seems that year over year that this thing keeps going up and up in cost.

Trying to be realistic that for that price that I am getting into much newer McIntosh gear I could’ve picked up for example a C2500 tube pre amp that was less than a year old for just $5k CAD. I’d of course need a power amp to go with it but that can be had for $ 2-3K used.

The prices being demanded are almost insane pricing and although the receiver is good that could there truly be something much better than the venerable SX-1980?
 
To me that price is insane, even for a mint unit. It is a rare and big, heavy unit but I just can't see them really being worth more than $1,500 - $2,000.
 
So today I had a rare opportunity to buy a decent condition Pioneer SX-1980 that had some service work done to it by a reputable shop. Had new veneer done, powder coated heat sink fins, new filter caps and a few new caps here and there including a tuner alignment.

Faceplate was okay, definitely had some scratching on the edges and I’d say probably a 8/10 condition.

Seller want $5800 CAD for it. I listened to it and it definitely was insanely nice. Best receiver I have heard and I can now fully understand why people list for this monster. Everything functional and repairs done on it were definitely not from a hack. I think the price is quite steep and I wish it were in better shape. Although nothing damning about theinit that at that price I would expect it to be absolutely pristine. The connectors on the back while good had speckles of corrosion pitting and the AM antenna plastic shell was cracked but glued back together.

Anyone thoughts on the price? Is the vintage price bubble going to pop soon? Regretting not buying a bunch of 1980s 10 years ago when there were relatively cheap but it seems that year over year that this thing keeps going up and up in cost.

Trying to be realistic that for that price that I am getting into much newer McIntosh gear I could’ve picked up for example a C2500 tube pre amp that was less than a year old for just $5k CAD. I’d of course need a power amp to go with it but that can be had for $ 2-3K used.

The prices being demanded are almost insane pricing and although the receiver is good that could there truly be something much better than the venerable SX-1980?
Not sure what the exchange rate is for CAD to USA dollars are but I think roughly 4k which IMHO is high and for that price should be restored and be in near mint condition with original box packing paperwork etc. I have owned 2 of these one was restored the other not neither sounded to my ears as good as the SX-1010 or SX-1250 both of which can be had for less along with other brands and models that sound better to me like the lowly Sansui G-6000

If you are looking for sound quality look elsewhere is my advice, if you are looking for the TOTL Pioneer receiver as a collectible then be patient and you will find one for less in better condition.

Here are a couple of pics of the two one the unrestored one I sold for $1500.00 the restored one I sold for 2k they have went up in value since though. I payed less then $500.00 for the pair.

SAM_4602.JPG Pioneer.JPG 20110219205714679.JPG Picture20002.JPG
 
Last edited:
if buying it for sound, the SX-1980 is IMO a good sounding unit, but there are MUCH better sounding pieces for $2k-up (USD).

If buying for power, again not a bargain.

If buying for "collector value", if it's flawed it's hard to sell for anything approaching premium pricing, hold out for a better one.

If buying because you've always wanted a 1980, hold out for a better one.

That doesn't seem like a run and buy it bargain for a nice 1980, and 8s are plentiful. It will need the rest of a restoration (power supply etc.) to make it right, and a damaged faceplate is not reversible.
 
The SX-1980 is not "all that", and not worth $5500 CAD, unless it was meticulously restored with documentation and a totally mint stock faceplate and case.

I recently witnessed one local sale of a truly "mint" SX-1980 with full restoration documentation change hands for $4K USD. Don't know what the current X-change rate is, but I doubt that translates into $5500 CAD.

To put this into perspective (and I have posted this before)--I have a friend who is a total Pioneer "fanboy", and had (all at the same time), totally restored 1250, 1280, and 1980, but due to circumstances (aka wife) could only keep two of the three. A few of us gathered on a weekend and listened to them A-B-C comparison--same room, same speakers, same sources. The 1250 won hands down, the 1980 came in dead last in terms of sound, so it went up for sale and sold for some astronomical amount of money to put toward his SPEC rack project.
 
I'm sure people said the same thing 10 years ago when everything was cheaper.
True, but to quote Alan Greenspan "But how do we know when irrational exuberance has unduly escalated asset values, which then become subject to unexpected and prolonged contractions". Took another 3 years, after that statement, for the bubble to pop. But it did pop, as it will (at some point) with the vintage market. All things considered (world events, etc.), my guess is,well within the next 2 years.
 
It really only makes sense to buy a 1980 if you've always lusted after one. For the price asked, you could be into some seriously high end vintage stuff (hell, you could have gotten a Citation XX/XX-P system for less)
 
I think the 1980 demonstrates the true "Pioneer Tax". I cannot tell any real difference between my 1250 and the 1980s that I have heard. And, I actually like my 1010 a little better than both the 1250 or the 1980.
 
True, but to quote Alan Greenspan "But how do we know when irrational exuberance has unduly escalated asset values, which then become subject to unexpected and prolonged contractions". Took another 3 years, after that statement, for the bubble to pop. But it did pop, as it will (at some point) with the vintage market. All things considered (world events, etc.), my guess is,well within the next 2 years.

OK--I'm old enough to know better, and yet, young enough to do it anyways. There have been multiple threads/polls here and elsewhere regarding the age of us that still own/collect "vintage" gear. The bulk of my gear (multiple systems) is from the 70's and 80's--"new or newer" is 90's, with the exception of a few digital interfaces which are "current".

There is also an equally increasing trend in posts (here and elsewhere) of folks "downsizing". I just turned 60 on St. Patty's Day, and I own 3 residences, too many vehicles and a ton of audio gear (too much of it unused). So, the "bubble" will burst--fairly soon, as we all empty our basements and garages and storage units. The "hoarders" will either give it up or die. Either way, the "market" will not be what it is now.
 
OK--I'm old enough to know better, and yet, young enough to do it anyways. There have been multiple threads/polls here and elsewhere regarding the age of us that still own/collect "vintage" gear. The bulk of my gear (multiple systems) is from the 70's and 80's--"new or newer" is 90's, with the exception of a few digital interfaces which are "current".

There is also an equally increasing trend in posts (here and elsewhere) of folks "downsizing". I just turned 60 on St. Patty's Day, and I own 3 residences, too many vehicles and a ton of audio gear (too much of it unused). So, the "bubble" will burst--fairly soon, as we all empty our basements and garages and storage units. The "hoarders" will either give it up or die. Either way, the "market" will not be what it is now.

Good point but I'm not sure the downturn will be due entirely to us "older folk" downsizing. At present, I believe some (much?) of that inventory is being scooped up by those wanting to get in on the vintage craze to make a few bucks. Some, of course, are just wanting good quality/sounding equipment and are willing the pay the premium it's fetching now. Many others are buying simply to flip. I've seen a few posts here on AK asking "what's this worth" and then admitting to being a flipper (not always in so many words).

When the overall market/economy starts to turn, those who "bought at the top" will be more that eager to sell at a loss, just to recoup some of their investment. And of course, markets usually go down much quicker than they go up.
 
No one can predict the future of vintage audio or anything else for that matter with 100% certainty but a little thinking on the matter shows me that all the desirable receivers today will still be sought after 50 years from now if other collectible items are any indication, sure there will always be ups and downs in the market but long term they will continue to rise in value, they are not making any more of them and as the population continues to grow so will the number of collectors which means supply and demand issues less supply more demand.

Muscle cars for example I never dreamed that any of them would ever reach 100k even let alone the prices pristine examples command today back in 1976 you could pick and choose pretty much anything you wanted for less then 3k in fact most were in the 1500.00-2k range chargers challengers hemi cudas camaros cobra jet mustangs etc
 
Yeah that is what I suspected my self. I do list for a 1980 but not for $5k+. I already own a mint SX-1050 fully restored by me and done properly with some good quality components. I also have a SX-950 that is basically 8.5/10 condition I picked up at a local electronics recycler for $240 bucks. Just needs new transistors and caps and I will be golden. Will make a great hand me down to my kids when they grow up.

I’ve already dropped $3k on a brand spanking new Marantz flagship HT receiver that I am very happy with. It has decent build quality and is made in Japan and actually sounds very close to my vintage gear. The difference is that it is new with a warranty and it handles all the modern audio formats needed to give you that immersive cinema experience. I am banking on the fact that my new Marantz ought to last me a good solid 20-30 years before it needs to be replaced (good for stereo 2.0 mode even when HT formats continue to change).

I am glad to hear that my thinking wasn’t messed up and that I should not regret buying a 1980 for the said price. $3k maybe... $5k... no thanks.
 
We will see a downturn (recession), that's hard to deny. Some pretty intelligent people feel it'll begin in the next 18-24months.

When it happens, the market softens for collectibles. Some collectors get more conservative in their buying and prices, flippers and dealers might not buy because they're having trouble selling, sellers take lower prices from market pressures, and general speculators get out of the business. Supply out-strips demand with some people (maybe some on this thread) liquidating some of their collection to pay bills with income down (or layoffs).

For those of us here for the music, we can buy nicer gear for less money. Less risk in owning it. More likely will be parted-out as people find their gear is worth more in parts or can't afford to have repairs done.

It won't last forever, when the economy recovers the buyers will be out there again looking for gear. What gear? It depends, some people move on, people get older, and the next generation starts to collect what was special to them when they were young.

I see it happen in cars; the ones that were special when we were young are the highest value and most collectible now (other than of course rare and very nice vehicles from previous eras). In another 20 years, I'm not sure anyone who's buying stereo gear will remember the silver-face era. My son looks more for high-power MOSFET stuff from the '90s and beyond for example, thinks that silver-face stuff is cool, but not worth the asking prices based on the price/performance ratio.

So for now the '70s stuff is still worth collecting, in 20 years I'm not so sure. I wouldn't buy it for a long-term investment anyway, there are better investments, this is just a hobby that for now is in appreciating assets.
 
If you like Vintage stuff, buy it, listen to it. If you can buy something and fix it and sell it and turn a profit, great. But, as a long term "investment"? I don't think so. Riskier than trying to predict the stock market. Or playing roulette.
 
That's a bit high for one that will still need a restoration, AND has been messed with. They're not that easy to move locally.
 
Back
Top Bottom