Pioneer or Onkyo

[cubby01]

I've had an Onkyo A-25 integrated and T-25 tuner in my office for a while. I like them ok. Slimline, silver, styling is ok. Tuner is digital. I've got an opportunity to swap them out for a Pioneer SA-6800 integrated and TX-608 (same tuner as Pioneer TX-6800 but cosmetically a little different).

The Pioneer gear is I think circa 1980 and the Onkyo probably early 80s. I've read the Pioneer is 45wpc and the Onkyo 40wpc. The Onkyo amp says "dual super servo" but I'm not sure what that really means. I don't have any other specs handy to me.

I've never been into Pioneer stuff in general but it is pretty and the fluroscan meter looks cool. I also generally like an analog tuner too. Downside (minor) is the Pioneer is going to take up more physical space. My gut feeling is the Pioneer would be valued higher by many. But does anyone know which set would be the better performer? And do either have known repair issues?

Thanks y'all.

 

[n8thesk8]

I would go with the Pioneer. I have the tuner and I have a SA 7800 Pioneer that are great together. N8

 

[kermit z]

I've got the Pioneer set up you are looking at (except, I have the TX-6800 tuner) I do not have experience with the Onkyo. But on cosmetics, the Pioneer hands down. And it is smaller than one would think. I have it sitting in a small bookshelf which is 1 ft deep and the unit sits in there with spare room. The flouroscan is great too

 

[ramin_audio]

One of my dad's set-ups was a Pioneer SA-6800II with a Pioneer tuner. The speakers were a pair of HPM-100. I really liked the sound when the radio was on.

The amp was one of these:

The tuner (most probably):

 

[kneeOhFight]

I believe that "dual super servo" phrase has to do with a means of locking onto and maintaining wear or unsteady FM signals, and if that is the case, it was highly regarded...there are some seriously knowledgeable receiver people her on AK, and they could fill you in much better than I ever could, but....

Onkyo gear is excellent! I have owned pieces over the past 3 decades, and the more I deal witih, the better I like them. The M 5160 power amp I'm using now, 150 WPC @ 8 ohms is as good as amps costing twice or more than what it went for...Onkyo watts are honest watts- you're gonna get whats advertized, at a minimum. I'm ignorant about Pioneer gear, perhaps they are just as well regarded, I don't know...but don't ever overlook an Onkyo!

 

[cubby01]

Thanks for the responses.

I went ahead and picked up the Pioneer gear and will give it a test run. Both pieces were in good need of some contact cleaner but cosmetically very nice. I finished up cleaning the ground contacts on the varicap on the tuner and it's singin' nicely now. It does pick up a couple stations better than the onkyo tuner so it's a keeper somewhere in the house anyway. I'll have to see how it compares to the Sansui tuner in the basement.

I still need to clean up the amp' spots and contacts to get the static out before passing judgement on the SA6800.