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Pioneer CS-99A & VTA system!

Stereognat

Stereognat

Active Member
The Pioneer CS-99A's have always peaked my interest ever since I got into audio. My very first pair of speakers weren't exactly the greatest, but we all start out small at some point.

Sitting here before me are NOS Pioneer CS-99A's with rare FB drivers. What a great piece of history! This is a 5-way 6-speaker system, capable of handling up to 100 watts of power, with huge 15-inch woofer and Pioneer's free-beating cone paper. The pleated saran grille cloth and hand made lattice design make it stand out from just about anywhere in the house.

The Pioneer CS-99A's matched with the M-125 Monoblocks sound pretty good. Is this the “Holy Grail” of audio systems? Not even close. My biggest gripe would be that the cabinet size is too small for the 15" woofer. Nevertheless, I highly recommend these to anyone trying to get into audio or any other speaker down the CS line.

Changes made to the Pioneer CS-99A:

– Since the old Electrolytic Capacitors have drifted off value, we replaced them with MKP (Metalized Polypropylene Film Capacitor).
– Installed a thicker cable for the 15" woofers.
– Replaced the old speaker terminals with brand new ones.

VTA M-125 Monoblocks tubes:

– 8x Tung-Sol KT120 Power Vacuum Tube matched quad.
– 4x 12BH7 EH (Electro-Harmonix).
– 2x NOS NIB GZ33 53KU Mullard, made in England, a full-wave high-vacuum rectifier. Printed on glass on both tubes is rS1 B8U. They came in original boxes.

Pictures:

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Granted -I'm sure they do sound great --but I have a feeling those tube amps do help with the sound. Good looking set up!
 
You certainly did what you can to get the best out of these speakers.I think for the most part most people who come across these just plug and play without taking old electronics and synergy into the mix.
 
Some folks are looking for magic. I've got a bunch of Pioneer speakers, they all sound good and most folks would be very happy to own. I gave a pair of HPM-100s to a buddy and it was a revelation to him.

I'm too old and not fussy enough to worry to give good reviews, but when I compared CS-99a/CS-99aa to HPM-100 the obvious difference was the 99a/ 99aa were louder. The one take away was that if you want to run 4 speakers then it is better to match up CS with CS and HPM to HPM or one set will dominate.

The reason I collected different Pioneers was to compare them. My first pair was the CS-99aa and the only internet info was they are ****. This surprised me. Some folks repeat things they never actually heard whatever or not a proper setup.

I am not surprised with your results. I switch mine around once in a while but they are heavy and I am lazy.
 
I had a nice pair of these too. While not the best sounding speakers I've ever heard, definitely not the worst. I thought the bass was tight, tune full and not overblown. I agree that proper setup and good synergy with quality gear brings out the best. They sure can handle power!
 
I have a pair of these I use for setting other things of interest on. I will admit I have not done any updates to them other than cleaning the pots. I have some Infinity speakers they quite frankly can't compete with. i.e. RSb's and Qb's specifically. At some point I may update the crossover as I'm sure they need it by now. However I paid more for shipping to get them a LONG time ago so it's never been a priority. I'll at least consider it anyway. thanks for the review and a great setup you have! You've got me wondering what I may be sitting on when I could be enjoying...
 
It's far out to find NOS (new old stock) stuff... bitchin'. Those 99s look fantastic. Thanks for sharing this.

I recently landed a NOS Sansui QRX-5500. It's my main system now and I marvel at its appearance every day.

Great score!!!
 
First off, congrats on the never-opened CS-99A's. Finding an unopened pair after all these years is like stumbling upon plutonium. lol It just doesn't happen. It's interesting what you say about them though. I had been swayed by what I was reading too - i.e. they "weren't good". This just goes to show just how important it is to recap the crossovers to get them back up to snuff again, and to not judge a pair of vintage speakers before doing so. I have a few vintage speakers that are on my "buy" list if they ever come at me. I'll be recapping them if I get a hold of any of them, and your post is yet another example why it is so important to do so. Enjoy your new find! Cheers. :)
 
Granted, they are very nice speakers, but as an above poster suggested, the amplifiers may have a lot to do with the sound. From my own experiences, I deem this supposition as very intuitive.
 
^While I agree that his amplifiers certainly do play a role in what he is hearing, the speakers also have to be good enough to be able to show those qualities off. If the speakers veil what magnificent sound the amplifier has to offer, that good sound won't come through. I am sure if he hooked up a pair of white van speakers, the same effect wouldn't be there. The CS-99A's are miraculously allowing his tube mono blocks to shine. I am still shaking my head a little bit, but I believe him because I don't think he has anything to prove, as I don't think his is trying to pull a fast one on us. lolz :P
 
Audio is so subjective that I feel that the saying "If it sounds good to you that is all that matters" rings true in so many ways.Because in the end thats all that really matters.
 
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Hanleyster said:
They won't win any beauty pageants.. :p
Click to expand...

Yes, some speakers are quite un-attractive.

Majority of speakers are fine - not too pretty, not too ugly.

But if CS-99A don't win beauty contest, I don't know who does. It's a true beauty.

Pioneer CS-99A, its large brother CS-63DX, and Klipsch Belle are the most gorgeous vintage speakers in my book.
And they sound great too, especially with tubes.
 
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