Take a look at this!

[blackraven]

Take a look at this beautiful rare Vintage pioneer SX 5590 receiver. They don't mak'em like this any more-

Pioneer SX 5590 Stereo Recever RARE Black SX 1250 Awesome | eBay

[Feanor]

Take a look at this beautiful rare Vintage pioneer SX 5590 receiver. They don't mak'em like this any more-

Pioneer SX 5590 Stereo Recever RARE Black SX 1250 Awesome | eBay

What a beautiful piece! The current bid price seems to indicate that others agree.

A few comments from me.

First, the Pioneer SX-5590 -- or more specifically the 'silver' SX-1250 -- epitomizes the high-water of popular consumerist stereo hi-fi enthusiasm that reached its zenith (no brand allusion intended) in the 1970s. Yes, I remember the era well. Magnificent machines like the SX-1250 were the ultimate statements of the Japanese wave of consumer hi-fi. Personally I never owned one of those behemoth receivers, which raises the next point

Secondly, though, we should distinguish between the popular consumer-orient, typically Japanese, hi-fi of the era from the underlying audiophile culture which endured before, during, and after the consumerist hi-fi, and still lives today. Meanwhile the consumerist enthusiasm shifted from hi-fi audio to video with the advent of VCRs and video in general where it remains today along with "home theater" interest. By the mid-70s on the high end, McIntosh remained, (Marantz had sold out to Superscope), and ARC was already on the scene; on the low end were AR and the like.

Thirdly, the black anodized SX-5590 was indeed rare if not unique in 1976. I suppose it portended the 'black' dominance the emerged in the '80s and took over by the '90s. This, together with its monster receiver status, does make the 5590 highly collectable which is reflected in the current bids. But personally I've always admired the 'silver' look of the '70s equipment more than the 'black' look in general.

Fourthly, I'm absolutely sure you can get much better sound from today's equipment, even for the same, inflation-correct price as that mid-70s equipment.

[blackraven]

I liked the sound of those vintage 1970's receivers. But you are right to say that you can get much better sound today at the price this receiver is going to sell for. But that is not the point. It is a beautiful piece of kit that has that vintage collector appeal and will give good sound to boot. I love the look of my vintage 1977 Technics SU7600 intergrated amp. It was nothing special at the time but it still sounds better than any of todays sub $500 receivers that I have heard.

[blackraven]

I like the Black and Silver look. My Adom GFR-700 receiver has that look. Overall I prefer all silver to all black.

https://www.google.com/search?q=adco...ml%3B600%3B289

[Feanor]

I liked the sound of those vintage 1970's receivers. But you are right to say that you can get much better sound today at the price this receiver is going to sell for. But that is not the point. It is a beautiful piece of kit that has that vintage collector appeal and will give good sound to boot. I love the look of my vintage 1977 Technics SU7600 intergrated amp. It was nothing special at the time but it still sounds better than any of todays sub $500 receivers that I have heard.

I love the gorgeousness of the Silver Era equipment though I'm a little indifferent to the sound. There were different sound characters too, e.g. Marantz and Sansui were warmer, Yamaha cooler, Pioneer in between.

The look is epitomized for me by the likes of the Marantz 2325 ...



Or this Kenwood KR-9600 ...



Or speaking of Sansui, the magestic G-33000 ...



Rather different from the above, but exceptionally beautiful was the Luxman R-1050 ...

[Feanor]

I like the Black and Silver look. My Adom GFR-700 receiver has that look. Overall I prefer all silver to all black.

https://www.google.com/search?q=adco...ml%3B600%3B289

Yeah, the Adcom GFR-700 looks great and is refreshingly different from today's standard AV receiver look ...

[kushy]

First one is very nice.

[Worf101]

Drool... slobber.... It eventually went for well over 2 large. It was/is... an absolute beauty.

Worf