Pioneer SX-1500TD....How good is it?

Q

Quadrunner

Active Member
Hello, I'm really curious to know where in the audio totem pole I lie in as I've never run super expensive equipment before and lack the perspective. My best receiver, was previously a much newer Pioneer VSX-453 from the 90's. After assuring me his Cerwin Vega's were not 4 ohm I borrowed it to my friend who was looking for a bench mark when he decided to upgrade and my receiver just went out 'randomly' one day :dunno: after 10+ years of reliability....Turns out he has a pile of 8 ohm rated bodies behind his TV before I came along. What a dongus

Fortunately I got the opportunity to shop around and I got lucky with this one. I bought it as-is for $40 before the store owner even looked it over. I was a little worried but after plugging it in, everything worked! Everything!!!! The switches were oxidized, but after only a few days of use everything performed flawlessly again, with the exception of a power surge that comes through the first time I switch the channel after turning it on. I like it better then my VSX. Its made back in the day when they used switches and knobs that make sense, and maybe it doesn't have the same nitpicking detail if I ever cranked it up past 50 watts like I did the VSX, but at enjoyment levels up to half volume (highest I've run her) it just sounds better to me. I love this thing, and I've sold a lot of speakers with it. Everyone is impressed with my all original 40 year old pioneer.

Now I'm wondering about some of the features it has. There is a center channel of sorts on the back. Its just a single plug for a standard coaxial cable, and I don't know what it does. Is it amplified, or made for hooking up to a separate amp? Is it as simple as just plugging it into a speaker, and letting it run? I just don't want to mess anything up.

The other thing, I've never used a pre-out, or main in channel before, and the owners manual is unclear on this. How does that work?

Thanks guys, I hope this helps someone else as well. PS, the attached picture isn't my exact model, but its close enough. I have 3 channels.
 

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The center channel outputs a summed mono signal for driving another amp. Pre outs sends signals to the amp (or another amp if you hook it up) Main in accepts a signal from a pre amp.
That receiver is from the late '60s. I think it was pretty high up the model line for that time.
 
I believe that's the next model up from the SX-1000TD which is what I have, and mine is rated at about 60 Watts per channel and is from about 1969 (according to the serial number on the back) and was the very first Solid State Receiver made by Pioneer. So I would say you did well, and as far as sound goes mine sounds pretty darn good with some early 1990s Fisher 3-way Bass Reflex Speakers hooked up to it.
 
zebulon1 said:
They sound wonderful when restored. Lots of vintage punch.
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Hopefully I'll get to verify that someday. It sounds great now, with decades of who knows what on it. Thanks again for the replies guys. Funny that mine is rated at 58 watts per channel. You'd think it'd be more, if its a step up, but its apparently two less then the SX-1000TD
 
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I just purchased a Pioneer SX-1500td to replace my Pioneer SX-3800 simply because they’re both sit about 60wpc. But I wanted a warmer bassier sound so I switched I have been running both receivers into modern Speakers and sound great I also recently picked up a Technics SU-V96 integrated amplifier to beef up the output but then I have been reading up on using the Technics SU-V96 as the preamp and the Pioneer SX-1500td as my power source I was originally going to set it up the opposite with The SX-1500td as the preamp into the SU-V96 power amp my question is which would be better?
 
Best I can suggest is try both and see what you like best. I have the Allied-branded version of the SX-1500td. I can't say I've ever found it lacking for power output but I don't tend to listen very loud. Its actually the piece of audio gear I've owned the longest, had it more than 20 years at this point. I gave it a full rebuild ~2 years ago and run it daily at work.


In stock form I found the preamp to have a lot of boost in the bass department. I did some measurements to figure out where flat frequency response actually was and re-clocked the bass control to fix it. Full up is about 3:30 vs the stock 5:00.
 
nothing specific comes to mind, but these were made basically 50 years ago so expect it to want some attention eventually. Whatever it sounds like today is probably not what it sounded like in 1971 either.
 
Thanks, Gadget.
I have an assortment of silver face receivers, Realistic STA 2000, Sony V5, Pioneer SX 650. Looking forward to hearing this Pioneer 1500TD. Gonna have a beauty contest among the good receivers and pick 2 to keep, and sell the other 2 .
 
Did you get the SX-1500TD? I've got one and I thought it sounds really nice when I tested it out. It has a horrible turn on thump with whooshing sounds. The worst I've ever heard. I think it could blow a speaker the way it is. Friend of mine said when he restored one the caps were in really bad shape so someday I'll recap and retransistor it. SX-1250 is my main amp and I got a SPEC Rack too so no hurries.
 
The thump is normal. Its a "feature" of cap coupled amps. What you're hearing is the output capacitor charging up. I haven't killed a speaker in 25 years with mine. I wouldn't say its overly bad but I don't know what you're judging it against. Its most definitely noticeable though.

wooshing isn't normal but these did have a number of transistors that are known to be noisy. The phono stage in mine is pretty noisy even with new transistors. On the "round tuit" list is replacing the resistors with metal film to see if it shuts up but since I don't currently run it with a turntable I haven't actually been motivated to bother with it. Everything else is as-built except for new caps everywhere, and new transistors in the FM mute board because one was flaky and I couldn't be bothered to figure out which of the 3 it was.
 
gadget73 said:
The thump is normal. Its a "feature" of cap coupled amps. What you're hearing is the output capacitor charging up. I haven't killed a speaker in 25 years with mine. I wouldn't say its overly bad but I don't know what you're judging it against. Its most definitely noticeable though.

wooshing isn't normal but these did have a number of transistors that are known to be noisy. The phono stage in mine is pretty noisy even with new transistors. On the "round tuit" list is replacing the resistors with metal film to see if it shuts up but since I don't currently run it with a turntable I haven't actually been motivated to bother with it. Everything else is as-built except for new caps everywhere, and new transistors in the FM mute board because one was flaky and I couldn't be bothered to figure out which of the 3 it was.
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After a recap, (and setting the dc balance and bias), that thump will be almost non-existent.
 
yeah mine makes a bit of a pop, audible, but not scary. The Sherwood cap amp I rebuilt was a lot worse off but it's adjustments were completely out to lunch and the caps were really leaky. I don't recall the Allied ever being particularly terrible but its always made at least some noise on power-up. It was still reasonably close to correct balance and bias settings and the caps were still at least serviceable when I replaced them though. I'm guessing regular use kept them in decent working shape.
 
I purchased a Pioneer SX-770 in 1971, and even when it was brand new, it produced a characteristic “thump” when powered on. The SX-770 only produced 15 wpc into 8 ohms, so I’m guessing that the 1500TD at 58 wpc, which was also available the same time in 1970-1971, may have been Pioneer’s top of the line receiver. The SX-770 was cap coupled, as were all other Pioneer receivers at that time. I recently picked up a vintage SX-626 and kept it for a few months before selling it. It also had a bit of a “whomp” when first turned on, (although not nearly as loud as I remembered the 770’s…) and it too was cap coupled, as were the SX-424, and SX-525. From what I have read, Pioneer first switched to direct coupling with the SX-727 and SX-828, which were the higher end receivers in that Same “2” series lineup dating back to 1972. After 1973-74 I think every receiver in Pioneers lineup went to direct coupled amplification.
 
I’ve got a nice SX-1500TD in the pile awaiting a full refurbishment; transistors have gone noisy and as nice as it sounds, I can always hear the ocean in the background.

Impressive as it is with it’s 58 watts per channel, still not TOTL—that honor goes to the even more formidable SX-2500. Just finished recapping and changing out a whole nest of 2sc870 and 2sc458 transistors in that one, the effect on the noise floor is profound. I imagine the SX-1500TD is full of those same transistors and would benefit from the same treatment.

The SX-2500 and the SX-1500TD (and SX-990) also share similar great looks!
 

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