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Sony SE-P900 parametric equalizer

Virtus

Virtus

Member
Hi, everyone!

I’ve been listening to music through the Sony SE-P900 parametric equalizer for quite some time now, and I’d like to share my observations. My room isn’t ideal for sound. Plus, I want to stay on good terms with my neighbors, so I don’t play my music too loud. On top of that, I have a lot of audio sources, including tuners, cassette decks, and turntables. And all of these sources sound different. Sometimes I find the low frequencies lack bass, while the mid and high frequencies lack clarity. That’s why I started thinking about buying an equalizer to tailor the sound to my taste.

My system consists mainly of vintage Sony equipment, which I really love. That’s why I started looking for an equalizer from that particular brand. My search led me to models from the ESPRIT era. For a long time, I couldn’t find a Sony SE-P900 equalizer because it was very rare and expensive. But after many years of searching, I got lucky and was able to buy this excellent equalizer in Germany. A friend of mine who lives near the seller did me a favor and made the purchase for me.

This device has exceeded all my expectations. It’s a true, original equalizer with virtually no modifications. Unlike graphic equalizers, where you can adjust the frequency, a parametric equalizer allows you to select a frequency range and adjust it very smoothly. You can also select the amount of boost or cut for that frequency band or adjust the peak frequency. As a result, I was able to achieve perfect sound even on the floor, which eliminated some of the acoustic flaws in my room.

I want to highlight the exceptional build quality of this Sony product. The front panel, made of anodized aluminum with curved lettering and 6 mm thick, looks truly magnificent. All switches are of the closed type with step-by-step detents. The equalizer fits easily into the signal path between the preamp and the power amp. But another method is preferable—using a loop. This method allows you to switch the input to the preamp and get a direct signal without the equalizer in a single step. In addition, it allows you to record audio onto a cassette recorder or tape deck with or without equalizer correction.

This equalizer is definitely the jewel of my collection!



1792872056403943.jpg1792872055171970.jpg1792872059641839.jpgIMG_2704[2].jpg
 
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Interesting looking device. Sure would have liked reading what you said but one big block of words is very hard to get through.

Even if you put space after each sentence, or whatever to make it easier to read, many here will appreciate it.

Newspapers, each sentence was a paragraph, easy to read.

Thanks for any help you can provide with the way you post so I can read them.
 
Blue Shadow said:
Interesting looking device. Sure would have liked reading what you said but one big block of words is very hard to get through.

Even if you put space after each sentence, or whatever to make it easier to read, many here will appreciate it.

Newspapers, each sentence was a paragraph, easy to read.

Thanks for any help you can provide with the way you post so I can read them.
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Thank you, I tried to edit the text.
 
I think a moderator handled the readability fix. At any rate, I learned something new here as I never heard of or had seen one of these things before, so tnx for posting the pics & observations.:thumbsup:
 
Virtus said:
Thank you, I tried to edit the text.
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A non-subscribing member has about 24 hours to edit. A subscriber $25/year has the benefit of editing all their posts…allowing clean up of even old posts. The buying and selling forums are another benefit, the one most like.

Nice edit, much easier to read.

Interesting unit. Normally we look to S.A.E. For parametric EQs as they made a few and had them in some preamps. They used sliders. I like this Sony using knobs for a 3-band parametric. In Sony style, even putting a control on the rear panel. My first preamp had output level switch, phono input level switch and controls for each input and center channel output on the back panel.

I like the EQ, thanks for posting info and pics.
 
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I built a parametric equaliser from a magazine article, in the late seventies. I still have it in my system but I seldom use it. I will vouch for it being much more useful than a graphic equaliser.

On another note you can really mess up the sound with if if you want to. I used to like to wow my friends by playing music and fiddling with the knobs! Try tuning the boost up and vary the frequency and Q, sounds wild! It would be a very useful tool in the studio.

That Sony unit has three bands, my unit had only two. Today that type of extreme or delicate frequency shaping can easily be done with an audio editing program.
 
Years ago I had an ADC Soundshaper II IC -if I remember correctly- graphic EQ and the matching spectrum analyzer. The spectrum analyzer came with a microphone and had an internal pink noise generator. Play the pink noise thru the speakers, use the mic to feed the input of the SA and make corrections in real-time. It was very cool but, in the end, I felt my system sounded better without it.

Jump ahead many years and everything is different, new home, different electronics, and different speakers. I'm bi-amping and using a Dayton Audio DSP-408 for highpass and lowpass filters along with some room correction via REW and a UMIK-1. The DSP-408 has a 10-band parametric EQ built it and each output channel can be adjusted individually. There is tons of adjustability and I could see how things could turn into a big mess.
 
RVT1K said:
Years ago I had an ADC Soundshaper II IC -if I remember correctly- graphic EQ and the matching spectrum analyzer. The spectrum analyzer came with a microphone and had an internal pink noise generator. Play the pink noise thru the speakers, use the mic to feed the input of the SA and make corrections in real-time. It was very cool but, in the end, I felt my system sounded better without it.

Jump ahead many years and everything is different, new home, different electronics, and different speakers. I'm bi-amping and using a Dayton Audio DSP-408 for highpass and lowpass filters along with some room correction via REW and a UMIK-1. The DSP-408 has a 10-band parametric EQ built it and each output channel can be adjusted individually. There is tons of adjustability and I could see how things could turn into a big mess.
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I plan to build a tri-amping system using vintage Sony components. To do this, I have a Sony TA d88b crossover and Sony SS-G7s speakers, each with its own output.
 
RVT1K said:
Very cool! I had no idea Sony made anything like that.
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In my opinion, Sony is one of the most underrated companies in the audio industry. In the '70s and '80s, they made truly amazing products that could easily be classified as high-end by the standards of that time.
 
Thanks for sharing, P-EQ's seem very rare for home audio and I've always had a soft spot for EQ's. While I rarely get much use out of them I still love accessory components and the free light show. This looks like it could have been part of the TA-88 System, Sony's attempt at ultra-high end in 1978.

RVT1K, I think your thinking of the BSR EQ-3000, beautiful unit that ended up in the DAK Catalogs.

I don't think Sony was underrated, they pretty much dominated some sectors of audio for short periods of time. I think most people think of their mass-produced products but once you get away from the plastic-fantastic stuff they had all kinds of cool equipment.
 
Bone Yard said:
Thanks for sharing, P-EQ's seem very rare for home audio and I've always had a soft spot for EQ's. While I rarely get much use out of them I still love accessory components and the free light show. This looks like it could have been part of the TA-88 System, Sony's attempt at ultra-high end in 1978.

RVT1K, I think your thinking of the BSR EQ-3000, beautiful unit that ended up in the DAK Catalogs.

I don't think Sony was underrated, they pretty much dominated some sectors of audio for short periods of time. I think most people think of their mass-produced products but once you get away from the plastic-fantastic stuff they had all kinds of cool equipment.
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As far as I've been able to determine, this equalizer was not part of Sony's “88” series of components. Sony released a series of slimline components with numbers like that in their names, which consumers dubbed “PRE ESPRIT.” These components were silver in color and did not have a specific name on their front panels. The next series of flat-panel components was black, with the brand name “ESPRIT” and the model number “900” printed on the front panels. The equalizer was released as part of this series, though for some reason in a very limited run.
 
Here's the components in the "88" Series, I'm not sure what Sony Called it at the time (1978). There's a video showing the USA Sony Museum with an "Esprit" Labeled "88" Amp given to the curator by Akio Morita. Just the preamp and amp were around $3700 USD back then, the PS-X9 TT would set you back a similar amount.

Reading what Axel wrote, I think the EQ below the preamp is the 1st gen and yours would be 2nd.

Sorry for the crappy picture, the forum is limiting the size.

1792967467941.png
 
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Bone Yard said:
Here's the components in the "88" Series, I'm not sure what Sony Called it at the time (1978). There's a video showing the USA Sony Museum with an "Esprit" Labeled "88" Amp given to the curator by Akio Morita. Just the preamp and amp were around $3700 USD back then, the PS-X9 TT would set you back a similar amount.

Reading what Axel wrote, I think the EQ below the preamp is the 1st gen and yours would be 2nd.

Sorry for the crappy picture, the forum is limiting the size.

View attachment 3863591
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In your photo, the Sony TA D88b active crossover is shown below the Sony TA E88 preamplifier. I have both of them in my collection. The parametric equalizer is a completely different product, and Sony only produced it in the black Esprit series with the 900 model number. This is one more foto of “88” Sony series IMG_9568.jpeg
 
Virtus said:
Hi, everyone!

I’ve been listening to music through the Sony SE-P900 parametric equalizer for quite some time now, and I’d like to share my observations. My room isn’t ideal for sound. Plus, I want to stay on good terms with my neighbors, so I don’t play my music too loud. On top of that, I have a lot of audio sources, including tuners, cassette decks, and turntables. And all of these sources sound different. Sometimes I find the low frequencies lack bass, while the mid and high frequencies lack clarity. That’s why I started thinking about buying an equalizer to tailor the sound to my taste.

My system consists mainly of vintage Sony equipment, which I really love. That’s why I started looking for an equalizer from that particular brand. My search led me to models from the ESPRIT era. For a long time, I couldn’t find a Sony SE-P900 equalizer because it was very rare and expensive. But after many years of searching, I got lucky and was able to buy this excellent equalizer in Germany. A friend of mine who lives near the seller did me a favor and made the purchase for me.

This device has exceeded all my expectations. It’s a true, original equalizer with virtually no modifications. Unlike graphic equalizers, where you can adjust the frequency, a parametric equalizer allows you to select a frequency range and adjust it very smoothly. You can also select the amount of boost or cut for that frequency band or adjust the peak frequency. As a result, I was able to achieve perfect sound even on the floor, which eliminated some of the acoustic flaws in my room.

I want to highlight the exceptional build quality of this Sony product. The front panel, made of anodized aluminum with curved lettering and 6 mm thick, looks truly magnificent. All switches are of the closed type with step-by-step detents. The equalizer fits easily into the signal path between the preamp and the power amp. But another method is preferable—using a loop. This method allows you to switch the input to the preamp and get a direct signal without the equalizer in a single step. In addition, it allows you to record audio onto a cassette recorder or tape deck with or without equalizer correction.

This equalizer is definitely the jewel of my collection!



View attachment 3862779View attachment 3862780View attachment 3862782View attachment 3862783
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Beautifully built! Looks the biz too with shielding not only between the power supply and the filtering stages but between the different stages of the filters. Nice find.
 
Thanks for the info guys, there isn't a ton of info or advertising on the net for the killer Sony Equipment, I try to piece together what there is from different sources.

As far as the ADC-BSR Connection, the BSR could also generate pink noise and it looks like some of the 80's units shared the same components so I was kind of close.
 
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