Pioneer A 757 vs Pioneer A 88x
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Beau Geste
Italia
https://hifiwigwam.com/forum/topic/110156-pioneer-a-757-mkii-vs-a400/Honestly A757 seems built better.
Check over on HIFIENGINE.com. Registration is free. Both have manuals there. Not personally familiar with either one. But I would suspect the 757 has features the 717 doesn't.
Thanks for the reply, larryderouin. Unfortunatly, hifiengine is having problems(it is not loading on every device i tried), at least for me. The single difference that i saw is the position of the 2 white things(I don't know what are those) on the board.
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kydog
Super Member
kydog
Super Member
No recap or work none to it. To my ears still sounds fabulous
From what I heard both sound very good, they are the same price, one is older but totl, one is newer but 1 series below totl. That's why comes in the consideration the recap/service part, plus that the a 88x has some scratches 
. I don't mind the looks, as I prefer the 80's looks more than anything, idk I don't feel atracted to the silver faces, and later than 80's it's too many buttons 
.
. I don't mind the looks, as I prefer the 80's looks more than anything, idk I don't feel atracted to the silver faces, and later than 80's it's too many buttons .
restorer-john
Addicted Member
I have the A-717, A-616 and the big one, the A-91D. I sold all those models new, back in the day.
We also have a Japanese A-150D, which is the A-88X, dressed up with rosewood sides for the Japanese home market.
The A-88X was NOT totl, there was the A-90 above it- it was a beast. Look it up.
They are all lovely amplifiers.
The A-717,757,757mk2 and A-777 are all very similar, some cosmetic changes with knob profiles (scalloped to round, lines to dots etc) and changes to the position of the volume pot board and output transistors.
The A-150D/A-88X have three transformers, one for each channel and a preamp transformer. The A-7xx, A-9xx series have two transformers, but they are NOT dual mono. They are in parallel.
Personally, I prefer the sound of the A-717 and the A-91D, but I haven't spent much time with the A-150D as it is at my Dad's place.
I have all the original Pioneer catalogues from that era, if there is a particular model you need a scan from.
We also have a Japanese A-150D, which is the A-88X, dressed up with rosewood sides for the Japanese home market.
The A-88X was NOT totl, there was the A-90 above it- it was a beast. Look it up.
They are all lovely amplifiers.
The A-717,757,757mk2 and A-777 are all very similar, some cosmetic changes with knob profiles (scalloped to round, lines to dots etc) and changes to the position of the volume pot board and output transistors.
The A-150D/A-88X have three transformers, one for each channel and a preamp transformer. The A-7xx, A-9xx series have two transformers, but they are NOT dual mono. They are in parallel.
Personally, I prefer the sound of the A-717 and the A-91D, but I haven't spent much time with the A-150D as it is at my Dad's place.
I have all the original Pioneer catalogues from that era, if there is a particular model you need a scan from.
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Thanks for the reply, John, and thanks for the clarification. From your point of view, should be there a difference in sound between the a 717 and a 757?(because the a 616/717 sells for lower than the 656/757). As I said previously, the a 717/757 seems more easy to work on of there is a problem.
restorer-john
Addicted Member
The A-717 and A-757 are extremely similar.
That said, there are areas where one is better than the other and vice versa.
The A-717 has a slightly better phono stage and buffer stage.
The A-757 however has a fully regulated power supply for the VA (voltage amp) and better current feeds for the differential pairs. The A-717 A stage can be easily affected by current fluctuations in the output stage modulating the main rails at high powers.
I would pick the A-757 in preference to the A-717. That said, I have an A-717 and I love it.
That said, there are areas where one is better than the other and vice versa.
The A-717 has a slightly better phono stage and buffer stage.
The A-757 however has a fully regulated power supply for the VA (voltage amp) and better current feeds for the differential pairs. The A-717 A stage can be easily affected by current fluctuations in the output stage modulating the main rails at high powers.
I would pick the A-757 in preference to the A-717. That said, I have an A-717 and I love it.
restorer-john
Addicted Member
Hum is about the only issue I have come across and pot nuts coming loose. All the knobs are solid aluminium with grub screws. The hum issues are caused by earthing in and around the two transformers.
They are pretty reliable across the board and use parts that are easy to find- all except the NSA (non switching amp) Pioneer chip used for the biasing etc. That said, I've never had a dead one.
They are heavy, so look for one that has been not moved around too much.
They are pretty reliable across the board and use parts that are easy to find- all except the NSA (non switching amp) Pioneer chip used for the biasing etc. That said, I've never had a dead one.
They are heavy, so look for one that has been not moved around too much.
Tomorrow I will go buy a near mint A 757 for under what they usually sell for . John, the same scheme applies to the a 616 and a 656? And what is different in a 676/777? I tried to find some info on them but nothing clear. Hope this forum will help others trying to find info on these amps.
Btw, is it repairable the issue with hum?
. John, the same scheme applies to the a 616 and a 656? And what is different in a 676/777? I tried to find some info on them but nothing clear. Hope this forum will help others trying to find info on these amps.Btw, is it repairable the issue with hum?
I bought it! The amp so far runs great! No hum no nothing. Heavy as hell . It runs very good both on the big speaker and the smaller ones that I have in the flat. Although the bigger speakers eclipses both the smaller ones, what is coming through the speakers is pure music. For the first time i ran the amp with bass and treble at 0 and liked the sound. The amp is like new, and I really mean it. Not a single scratch except on the back where nobody is looking 
. Now maybe in an year or two I will have the funds to buy some better speakers, like pioneer dss series or some diatone ds xxxx series, but I will ask for advice on this section when the time will come. Thanks again John for the useful info on these amps and if anyone has some questions on this amp I will try my best to answer. Overall this amp feels very good and well built and will stay in my system for many years to come.
Btw, John, can you post the catalogue for the A 757 please?
. It runs very good both on the big speaker and the smaller ones that I have in the flat. Although the bigger speakers eclipses both the smaller ones, what is coming through the speakers is pure music. For the first time i ran the amp with bass and treble at 0 and liked the sound. The amp is like new, and I really mean it. Not a single scratch except on the back where nobody is looking . Now maybe in an year or two I will have the funds to buy some better speakers, like pioneer dss series or some diatone ds xxxx series, but I will ask for advice on this section when the time will come. Thanks again John for the useful info on these amps and if anyone has some questions on this amp I will try my best to answer. Overall this amp feels very good and well built and will stay in my system for many years to come.Btw, John, can you post the catalogue for the A 757 please?
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