Pioneer SX-780 stereo receiver (advertisement, Sept. 1979)

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THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS TO BUILD A RECEIVER THAT SELLS FOR UNDER $400.

YOU CAN LEAVE OUT DUAL-WATTAGE METERS LIKE MARANTZ DID.

YOU CAN INSTALL AN INEXPENSIVE PRESS BOARD BOTTOM LIKE TECHNICS DID. INSTEAD OF A METAL ONE.

YOU CAN USE A CONVENTIONAL POWER AMPLIFIER LIKE KENWOOD DID, INSTEAD OF AN ADVANCED DC AMPLIFIER.

YOU CAN USE STANDARD HIGH-BAND FILTERS LIKE YAMAHA DID, INSTEAD OF SPECIAL INTEGRATED CIRCUITS TO CANCEL THE UNWANTED FM PILOT SIGINAL.

PIONEER DID IT THE RIGHT WAY. INTRODUCING THE SX-780.



It seems that our competitors think they've mastered the art of building a moderately priced receiver.

Unfortunately, most of them appear to be the work of cost reduction engineers, rather than high fidelity engineers. People whose jobs depend on the cost of what goes into a receiver, not the sound that comes out of it.

At Pioneer, on the other hand, we build a receiver that sells for under $400 with the same care given to a receiver that sells for over $1000.

A perfect example is the SX-780.

It offers the kind of features, value and sound you won't find in any other comparably priced receiver.

A STRONG CASE FOR THE METAL BOTTOM.

If you turn over our SX-780, for instance, you'll notice the bottom is made of heavy gauge metal. It's designed to shield the tuning section from spurious noise and keep CB interference from getting in the way of your music.

Equally important is the fact that our bottom has a special ventilating system that allows air to circulate freely around the heat sinks. This not only reduces FM drift due to over heated tuning elements, but increases the life expectancy of the circuitry.


above: Metal shields our SX-780 from spurious noise.

A DC AMPLIFIERWITH THE POWER TO ELIMINATE DISTORTION.


above: DC power supply found on the most expensive receivers.

The SX-780 features the same DC power configuration found in today's most expensive receivers.

It provides cleaner sound and richer, more natural bass because it eliminates feedback and something called TIM (transient intermodulation). Transient intermodulation is a form of distortion that can keep you from hearing the subtle overtones in your music.

Which interestingly enough is why receivers with a conventional power amplifier might possibly be able to match the specs of the SX-780, but never the sound.

A PILOT SIGNAL CANCELING SYSTEM THAT'S UNHEARD OF IN THIS PRICE RANGE.

All stereo FM stations in America broadcast their music over a pilot signal of 19,000 hertz.

If not eliminated, this signal tends to create an extremely high pitched sound when combined with lower audible frequencies.

Most of our competitors use a standard high band filter to cancel out this signal. Unfortunately, it also cancels out some of the music.

Pioneer created a special integrated circuit that eliminates this pilot signal without affecting the music.

Which means that you're assured of hearing d everything the musicians had intended you to hear.


above: A pilot signal canceling circuit that lets you hear only music and nothing more.

Nothing more. And nothing less.

Obviously, the SX-780 is the only receiver that gives you this feature in this price range. The others give you the noise.

WATTAGE METERS THAT LET YOU SEE WHAT YOU'RE HEARING.


above: An accurate picture of what you're listening to.

When a receiver has wattage meters, it lets you see exactly how much power is going through your speakers. So that it not only helps prevent unnecessary damage due to overloading, it helps you make cleaner FM recordings.

Of course, the SX-780 has other virtues conspicuously absent from our competitors' models. Like a built-in wood grain cabinet.

Which is something others give you the option of paying extra for.

But what really separates Pioneer's SX-780 from others is more than just a matter of wood cabinets, wattage meters, metal bottoms, DC power, or even price.

It's our commitment to giving you a quality hi-fi receiver, no matter how much, or how little, you plan to spend.

So if you're planning to spend less than $400, you couldn't ask for more than the SX-780.

POWER: 45 watts per channel min. at 8 ohms from 20-20,000 hertz with no more than 0.05% total harmonic distortion.

FM SENSITIVITY: Stereo; 37.0 dBf


(Source: Audio magazine, Sept. 1979)

Also see: Pioneer SX1250 receiver (Oct. 1977)

Pioneer tape decks (May. 1975)

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