Pioneer S-T300 My First Pioneers!

[mr.muddles]

Just returned home from wheelin' and dealin' and got my first pair of Pioneer speakers. I just lugged them into the garage... was getting high with excitement off that new speaker smell wafting into the front seat from the back...alas, I am too tired and hungry to audition them tonight... but tomorrow!

Some of you might have seen my thread where I was eyeing the TZ-9 so these, well not the same, are a pleasant surprise! I believe they use the same tweeters?

 

[mr.muddles]

 

[mr.muddles]

Not finding much info about these... anyone have any historical information they can share? I believe they are from the 1990s and were made around the same time as the TZ-7/9.

If anyone knows how much they originally were and has any sales brochures or anything like that I would be interested!

I believe it was S-T100/300/500 with the TZ-7 / 9 / 9LTD at the top.

 

[kydog]

Just returned home from wheelin' and dealin' and got my first pair of Pioneer speakers. I just lugged them into the garage... was getting high with excitement off that new speaker smell wafting into the front seat from the back...alas, I am too tired and hungry to audition them tonight... but tomorrow!

Some of you might have seen my thread where I was eyeing the TZ-9 so these, well not the same, are a pleasant surprise! I believe they use the same tweeters?

They do, and are becoming rare. Take care of that tweeter!’ Extremely hard to find at times. I own a set of ST-500

 

[mr.muddles]

Wow, pretty impressed to be honest. I was not expecting to be blown away by this little guys.

Everything I threw at them sounded good. I played a few tracks of rock, jazz, rap, pop...it was all excellent. Nice detail, deep soundstage, imaging, and really surprised by the bass. I got down on the floor so my ears were at tweeter level and cranked it and was even more amazed at the sound these things produced! I'm going to have to figure out where in the house to put them, definitely not getting rid of these.

Looking forward to listening to these more this weekend. And of course now I want to get some Pioneer amplification... the A-91D looks nice, or the M90/C90. I just passed up on a VSX-99 now I kind of wish I would have got it just to pair with these.

 

[mr.muddles]

@kydog do you have any information on years these were available, pricing, etc I bet those 500s sound really good...I read they like power. These S-T300 is rated for 180 watts so far I have just used my Denon 120wpc with them. I have some power amps 200 + wpc maybe I will have to try.

 

[kydog]

@kydog do you have any information on years these were available, pricing, etc I bet those 500s sound really good...I read they like power. These S-T300 is rated for 180 watts so far I have just used my Denon 120wpc with them. I have some power amps 200 + wpc maybe I will have to try.

S-T500 : 1990-91, $1000/pr new!
TZ-7 : 1989-90, $1800/pr new!
TZ-9 : 1989-90, $4000/pr new

I’m guessing the ST-300 would be around $800. As you can see the lineup was only around for a few years. I’m actually waiting on the tweeters too arrive to have a first listen & impression. All part of Pioneer early Elite systems. I’ll pair my set with a Pioneer A88X Elite integrated. True 125 wpc dual mono. Pioneer commissioned the TAD speaker builder to make this particular line of speakers. They all share the same tweeter.

 

[mr.muddles]

I’m actually waiting on the tweeters too arrive to have a first listen & impression. All part of Pioneer early Elite systems. I’ll pair my set with a Pioneer A88X Elite integrated. True 125 wpc dual mono. Pioneer commissioned the TAD speaker builder to make this particular line of speakers. They all share the same tweeter

I think you're going to love your S-T500s! These things sound nice.. I will for sure keep my eye out for more. The Denon is a PMA-900V and very respectable, but when I bring it inside I will probably match it with my Sony STR-gx10es which is 150 wpc and then keep my eyes out for something Pioneer to pair it with down the road. That A-88x looks really nice!

 

[Diesel66]

Not finding much info about these... anyone have any historical information they can share? I believe they are from the 1990s and were made around the same time as the TZ-7/9.

If anyone knows how much they originally were and has any sales brochures or anything like that I would be interested!

I believe it was S-T100/300/500 with the TZ-7 / 9 / 9LTD at the top.

You are correct sir!

 

[Diesel66]

Welcome to a small club. Incredible line of speakers from a time when no one was buying anything but small black bookshelf speakers.
Here’s my 300’s I got last summer BNIB from original owners purchased in Japan, never hooked to speaker wire until 2018 I am fortunate to also own the T 500’s, 100’s and a 2nd set of 300’s. These are very nice speakers and the 500’s are, well heavy as hell and worth the hernia to get home.
Enjoy!

 

[Diesel66]

So now we wait for one day, when a set of TZ9’s pop up. No doubt in my mind the AD will be titled “large speakers for sale”. You better know what they look like.

 

[mr.muddles]

Welcome to a small club. Incredible line of speakers from a time when no one was buying anything but small black bookshelf speakers.
Here’s my 300’s I got last summer BNIB from original owners purchased in Japan, never hooked to speaker wire until 2018 I am fortunate to also own the T 500’s, 100’s and a 2nd set of 300’s. These are very nice speakers and the 500’s are, well heavy as hell and worth the hernia to get home.
Enjoy!

@Diesel66 Great to have you apart of this thread! I would love to hear some of your impressions on the differences between the 500, 300, and 100s. Also, I would love to hear how you like to run your 300s and what you have found makes them really sing and unleash their potential.

The thing about these Pioneers is that to most people they looks like Pioneer rack system speakers, so a lot of times they go unnoticed. These 300s had been listed for longer than a week before I got them. I messaged the seller on 3 different platforms because the ad was so old and they did not appear to be active users and finally got through! I'm so glad I put in the extra effort to get these...Had to drive a bit but was definitely worth it.

 

[mr.muddles]

Can someone say for sure that the TZ-9 midrange is different than the TZ-7 and S-T500? They look different but just wondering if they are actually the same...

edit: They are not the same drivers -- but I wonder, can they be used in the TZ-9?

 

[xlbee]

Just to put the nail in the coffin, all of the drivers and the crossover are different between TZ-9 and S-T500:

https://parts.pioneerelectronics.com/model.asp?modelNum=TZ9
https://parts.pioneerelectronics.com/model.asp?modelNum=S-T300

 

[mr.muddles]

Just to put the nail in the coffin, all of the drivers and the crossover are different between TZ-9 and S-T500:

https://parts.pioneerelectronics.com/model.asp?modelNum=TZ9
https://parts.pioneerelectronics.com/model.asp?modelNum=S-T300

Thanks, yes, I read the other thread and am all caught up now...

Just wondering if the midrange would even be compatible... like are they the same impedances or is the crossover compatible?

Would be looking to put the midrange from a TZ-7/500 into a TZ-9

 

[Diesel66]

@Diesel66 Great to have you apart of this thread! I would love to hear some of your impressions on the differences between the 500, 300, and 100s. Also, I would love to hear how you like to run your 300s and what you have found makes them really sing and unleash their potential.

The thing about these Pioneers is that to most people they looks like Pioneer rack system speakers, so a lot of times they go unnoticed. These 300s had been listed for longer than a week before I got them. I messaged the seller on 3 different platforms because the ad was so old and they did not appear to be active users and finally got through! I'm so glad I put in the extra effort to get these...Had to drive a bit but was definitely worth it.

The 500’s usually powered by SX850 or 1250 or Kenwood Eleven III. The bass shocked me with the accuracy reproduced from those 2 eight info woofers. How somebody thought to tie them together, back to back, with a piece of threaded rod is beyond me. You could fly a kite from the air movement of the 8” drivers. They seem to work at any power level. These speakers made me realize how fatigued my HPM100’s made me feel. Sold the HPM100’s quickly after that.
I found the 300’s to be at peace with the world off my SX7730 and that’s rated at 35WPC? That pair filled my finished lower(15 x 30) level with ease

The 100’s have been on several different receivers of various power and vintage. I just got my Kenwood Model Nine G back from a redo. Now it’s time to see how the 500’s and 300’s compare to my DSS9’s and that’s probably not a fair fight. I should put the HPM 150’s against the 9’s.
There are no losers here. It’s all good and I do consider my incredibly lucky on al of these.

 

[kydog]

Thanks, yes, I read the other thread and am all caught up now...

Just wondering if the midrange would even be compatible... like are they the same impedances or is the crossover compatible?

Would be looking to put the midrange from a TZ-7/500 into a TZ-9

The TZ-9’s are at a different level from the rest of the lineup. Period

 

[Trance88]

I just got home from a garage sale where I picked up a pair of these S-T300 for $25. Got 'em hooked up to my Pioneer VSX-512S receiver. Got Tears for Fears Seeds of Love on CD playing on them now. The Soundstage is quite impressive! Very silky sounding.