SPEC-2 - The Most Powerful Pioneer Power Amplifier Ever! Vintage Stereo Repair Restoration Testing.
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2020
- A Pioneer SPEC-2 stereo power amplifier repair and restoration video. Old electrolytic capacitors and heat stressed/troublesome transistors were replaced. The power supply assembly which is known to be heat stressed in the Pioneer SPEC-2 power amplifier was completely rebuilt. The power amplifier and meter assemblies were rebuilt. In addition, the four filter capacitors were replaced. This Pioneer SPEC-2 was then bench tested with an audio analyzer. This was a top to bottom repair and restoration that after 40 years of service this vintage amplifier needed. This Pioneer SPEC-2 power amplifier now sounds great and will be reliable for decades to come.
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Развлечения
Watching your great videos of both the Pioneer Spec -1 and Spec - 2 pieces brought back SO many memories. My best friend Mike and I used to go to a CMC Stereo store on Hwy. 94 in St. Charles, Mo. when we were teenagers and drool over all the audio equipment they had for sale. After months of going back and forth to the store on Saturdays (working no money jobs during the week, and being mostly broke) we both decided on what we were going to buy. Mike bought the Pioneer SX-1250 receiver with HPM 100 speakers and even though I knew I couldn't afford it, I bought The Spec -1 and Spec -2 with the Pioneer PL-455 turntable with no speakers and put it all on layaway. I wanted to buy a better turntable and speakers, but decided to wait and just hope that I could get THIS equipment paid for and not go bust in the process. I put all of the money that I could make into making sure I got this paid for as soon as possible, doing so in about 8 months. I was going thru some old receipts a few days ago and found the original layaway paperwork from the CMC Stereo store where we bought it from in the summer months of 1978. Super cool. Now both the Spec-1 and Spec-2 are being lovingly refreshed at Alpha Tech Electronics in the Soulard area of St. Louis, Mo, a Pioneer service center. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to tell my story, and by the way my friend Mike still has his Pioneer SX-1250, using it daily...
I was 16 in 1971 when I first noticed these receivers, amps and reel to reel recorders. I couldn’t afford any of them at the time but that didn’t stop me from visiting the stereo stores at the time. I’d go to Allied radio, Olsen radio, United Audio, Pacific Stereo and other places where I’d dream of someday having enough money to enjoy the finer things in life. I remember saving my lunch money everyday and what I could from a job at some local dept. store where I made $1.25 an hour until I could afford my first quality receiver. It was one of the early Pioneer receivers (727) and boy was it nice. But it cost me somewhere around $350.00 and so of course I realized I needed to get a better job if this was to continue. Well I learned more and got a better job and it has continued to this day. I remember seeing pre recorded reel to reel tapes of the Beatles and they were priced somewhere between $7 and $11 which I thought was highway robbery. I still think that was way overpriced for the day. Because of that I never bought one of those beautiful machines but I wish I did. Nothing looks better on your cabinet at home. And nothing says Hi Fi more than a vintage receiver or Amplifier and one of those. It’s really sad that today’s youth don’t get to play in that arena. They think an iPhone is hi fidelity without all the switches and buttons. I still have a receiver made by the Rodney Dangerfield company that doesn’t get any respect …Kenwood. It’s a beautiful piece with 120 watts of power and a terrific tuner section. But it’s as old as my interest in stereos and in need of work. I’d rather cut off a finger than part with it so it looks like my search for an honest and capable repair man will have to continue. I’ve been looking for two years now and it’s not looking good. Nobody seems to know how to fix these anymore. And if they do, they don’t care anymore. That might be the worst thing. People don’t care about saving history.
Kenwood made some great great gear back in the day. I have several in my collection. You are correct that it's getting more difficult to find folks that can work on this equipment.
Being in the USAF in 73' thru 76' i can remember walking from room to room in the dorms looking at each persons chosen piece
of history. Little did i know that these units would all have of history of there own. I am so glad i was lucky enough to buy
and bring back my equipment. I love this channel because you keep the torch lit for all to enjoy. Thank-You, very much.
Thanks so much for your kind words I appreciate it and thank you for your service.
It was the gadjet at the time ,now it´s smart tv´s then were hi-fi equipment and video systems ,also remenber having a friend working in the military base in Azores or Açores belonging to the U.S. Airforce , i think . They had a big catalog with everything for sale on it , since clothes to cameras and hi-fi guear ,but Portuguese weren´t allowed to buy things from that catalog but this friend of mine who worked there for almost 20 years he would bring me Levis jeans and jackets with fur inside or not and also some aviator sunglasses but hi-fi equipment he bought a whole system for him but this bought by a American friend of his, he only bought me a SAE cassette deck, don´t know if you knew this base but it was in a island in the midle of the atlantic ocean a bit close to the tropics ,this regarding it´s position in the globe it was far from tropical islands. Regards
First of all, I am very impressed by how the whole time you were talking non-stop you never once stopped to take a breath! I think you will have great success commenting on football matches on the radio
Sounds like you might be from across the pond?
@@vintageaudioaddict From where I am is another beer.
When I was about 15, in 1974, I went to visit my older brother who was away at college in San Luis Obispo California. One of the guys in his dorm had a brand new Pioneer receiver and speakers and turntable. I remember that the receiver had a black face so it was probably a SX-737 or something like that. I was totally impressed by the power and the sound quality. I had never heard anything like it. I had to have one.
I got a job washing dishes and bussing tables at Coco's restaurant. I frequented some local stereo stores: Quement Electronics and Pacific Stereo, among others. By this time the Pioneer “50” series was out with the Silver face, and I obsessed about getting an SX-750. Just about the same time my cousin’s husband opened a Stereo store in Modesto. I saved enough money, I thought, to buy what I wanted. I had anticipated that he would give me a nice “Family” discount, but he did not. He wanted full retail. I had to lower my sights and buy an SX-650. As a side note, he turned out to be a bum and my cousin divorced him. I also bought a Pioneer Pl 112-D bottom of the line manual belt drive turntable and a bottom of the line Pioneer CT -f2121 cassette deck. I built my own speakers out of particle board and some 3-way 12 inch kits from Quement Electronics. I later replaced those speakers with Klipsch KG 4’s. I owned and enjoyed that system until 2002 when I had a job change and had to move. I gave that system to the kid next door because I just did not have room to move it….
In 2021, I got nostalgic and started looking around to see if I could buy a similar system. I found a nice SX-650 locally on Craigslist for $225. I think I paid $235 for the SX-650 I bought in 1976. I also bought a PL 112-D turntable off Ebay for $100, which is about what I paid for it new in the 70’s. I built some new speakers from an old Ping-Pong table and some Drivers and Crossovers from Parts Express. They turned out great, much better than the ones I built in 1976, though I would still like to have those Klipsch KG 4 speakers.
Anyway, I’m very happy with my little system. I listen to Led Zeppelin, Doobies, Chicago, Boston, Kansas, and the Eagles. It makes me feel 17 again, well, almost.
Just picked up a Teac A1200 reel to reel yesterday. Traded for a buck knife. It works fine and is almost mint. Can’t believe it was built in 1967 and still works. Just goes to show you the quality of old audio. Great video keep them coming. Cheers 🍻 from Canada 🇨🇦.
Thank you, Sir. The vintage audio equipment was engineered and built to last. Enjoy your A1200!
Pioneer has built some beautiful pieces and that SPEC-2 is no exception. I love the clean look of it and those meters are just awesome. Thank you for taking the time to post up!
Your welcome and thank you for watching. People walk into a room, even people that are not into audio and you have to take a look at it.
I am 24, I enjoy watching your videos on these vintage audio amplifiers.
Must say you upload informative and interesting videos.
How similar our "addiction stories" are! In 1978, as an EE student in college at age 19, I came across a Spec-2 "demo" at a local stereo store for $500 (about half price!) and bought it with money I earned at McDonalds. Soon after I built my system with a Spec-1, CT-F1000, TX-9500II, and PL-610. Now, 42 years later I'm planning to restore that same Spec-2, and just purchased the required components. Thank you for the video (and inspiration) to undertake this project.
Masterpieces there
These are history!
Yes, just a great time in audio history.
@@vintageaudioaddict id always heard that early solid state was hated.
@Frank Heuvelman well, just from reading forums say ten years ago you got the sense that any early solid state was horrifyingly bad. So to see them presented here as legendary is interesting.
@@Audfile , when people refer to early solid state being poor, they are usually talking about the stuff from the mid sixties to very early seventies, using germanium transistors, or early silicon based devices, Things like this Pioneer amplifier from the mid / late seventies were usually fine performers, especially top-range units like this amplifier. Examples of bad were things like the Dynaco Stereo 120 / PAT4 from the late 60's - THOSE were truly horrendous sounding!
in 76 my father bought this with all high-end components from the 76 catalog of Pioneer ,i can say that either than doing maintenece to the cassette deck and the reel deck ,the CT-F1000 and the RT-707 ,till today only had to clean the tone control knobs and with a pair of HPM-150 and other from the executive line from Pioneer ,looking very close to some older altec lansing and also some JBL´s ,i was told that it was the same engenier who developed them ,it´s working today still sounding perfect.Later in 84 a uncle of mine who brought from New York state while working there , when he arrived to Portugal he had a SX-1980 and a HPM-1000 (not real HPM´s ,but very good sounding with woofer in vynil on the speakers ).When going to his house an apartment in the 20th floor of a very high building ,i always asked him "when will you give me your system" ,who only had a PL-540 turntable either than the receiver and speakers and a large colection of LP´s ,he ended up giving to me his system because the neighboors were always complaining and he sometimes at night drinked a lot of whiskey and at 24 hours he would put the volume very high and i in return gave I him a SX-1050(also very powerfull, but i in return wouldn´t be fair to gave him my SX-450 )without power meters and some litle JBL´s also a cd player because he lived near the river and sea and with lot´s of humidity the records were getting noisy allthough when the songs started it still had perfect sound ,so he was the first to enter in the compact disc colection ,that´s what i ofered him a early Pioneer cd Player, he used to order from the U.S. cd´s because even having to pay transport ,the customs he didn´t pay their % because he worked in that minister(don´t know if it is the correct denomination) as a civil servant so he never paid customs , making the cds being 1/4 of the price sold at the time in Portugal, who were built at the time with a more resistant material ,that changed in the early 90´s making it more afordable to people ,so i also have a SX-1980 that only had to clean the tone controls and reduce the gaps on each potenciometer. Some told me to install new capaciteurs or condenseurs(don´t know which is the right word for it) but it still sounds very powerfull and perfect ,lot´s of information important to me in the video, thank you
Your welcome and thank you again for sharing your experiences with everyone. Yes, drinking whiskey and loud music do go together, lol.
Always loved Pioneer! This thing is a beast. Magnific audio gear and great video!
Thank you very much. The vintage audio equipment was/is special.
Good on you for taking the time and putting in the effirt to preserve the history of the vintage equipment you restore alive! My fathers Sony MDR-7905 Headphones from the 70s have outlasted mine purchased in 2005 or so. He gifted his Pioneer receiver and other gear to charity before he passed away. I wonder if their new owners appreciate what they have.
Thank you for your kind words and for sharing your story. That was a wonderful thing that you Father did. I'm sure his equipment is in good hands.
The two items together look beautiful. Wish I could hear components like this.
The manufacturers really did a wonderful job with both style and function. In today's world you really have to go to the high end of audio to get that kind of build quality.
Wish I still had mine.....
My friend in school has one. This is just unbelievable amp for shaking the walls down. Thank you for doing this video as it brings back such memories.
Your welcome and thank you for watching. Like you, this equipment brings back some great memories for me also.
@@vintageaudioaddict Cheers Vic
Very nice instructional video. The details and opportunity to see the vintage equipment actually performing, in spec, is a great part of why I watch your videos. Another part is you demystify a lot of the huge undertakings of restoring the vintage legends to their optimal condition. Thanks for posting! 👍🏼
Your welcome and thank you for your kind words.
Wow! Lucky guy,a friend of mine has the spec1 and spec2 set up,he bought it in the late 70s and he still has it. Very sought after,a true powerhouse indeed.👍
Thanks, she doesn't fall short in power.
Nice video. I still have my Pioneer rack system that I got "one piece at a time" while in the Army in Germany 77-79. Spec 1, Spec 4, SG-9500, CT-F1000,TX-9800,PL-630, DT-400 all in the rack along with four Sansui 8000 speakers. Still rocks in my basement to this day. I fried the Spec 4 once and had it fixed about 30 years ago. Still remember the stereo wars in the barracks, rock vs funk vs disco. Fond memories. Glad to see there are some folks around who can still work on these.
Same here spec 1 and 2 and RT 909 and JA Rack . I will never ever ever ever get of my Panny nothing comes close
i really enjoy your channel. it brings back great memories of all the great hifi gear i've owned over the years. i'm currently going through a resurgence once again like so many others. i'm still running my klipsh speakers i purchased in italy while serving in the navy in mid 80's. those puppies have some miles on them, and still performing like new. thanks again.
Your welcome and thank you for your service. The vintage stereo equipment does bring back memories for people and so far I've found that for most people they are good memories.
Really appreciate you sharing the history and story behind this particular piece. I wish I had a similar story to share, but this level of gear was not in my “paper route” budget at that time. Ha! But it does bring back memories of a neighbor who did have some good gear that I admired each month when it came time to collect for his newspaper. Thank you!
Good job with your videos. You do a great job at explaining everything. I have a sx-1010 that I love. It's the nicest stereo that i have ever owned. We still spin vinyl and it sounds great. I have three teenage kids and they all are amazed at the full range of sound. Especially with the new music. It was so well built that it still surpasses modern equipment. Keep up the good work. I've learned a lot from your videos.
Another gorgeous piece of 70's Pioneer perfection! I bet your house is literally an Aladdins cave of equipment like this. To walk round and see it all would be - for me a Hi Fi freak- a real treat! Thanks for sharing.
Your welcome and thank you for watching. Yes, the house is pretty filled. I tried to collect vintage speakers a few years back but I was running out of room at an alarming pace. My other half is very tolerant and I do try not to take over the entire house but I do bleed over into many different rooms.
Love all the old classic stereo system from the 70sand80s!!!!!!
So many good ones!
Spectacular, especially the Amcron DC300 which is a wonderful amplifier!
Hello sir I appreciate your resto projects, I do really like the history you give behind the equipment you acquire I am an affecionado for the back stories as well. I actually had a spec 2 for a few years many yrs ago that didn't work when I bought but I couldn't afford to fix it and didn't have the patience as I had a Situation arise. I do regret having to let it go 7yrs ago fortunately it went back to the friend I got it from. Good video keep up the great work 👍🏾👍🏾
Growing up my dad had a SA-7300 and a PL-A45D which started my love for Pioneer gear. My current setup consists of a Pioneer SA-7500, PL-55, a pair of HPM-60s, Nakamichi 670ZX and a Marantz CD-52mkii, all refurbished by myself. Videos like this are great motivation to keep finding and repairing vintage hifi gear, especially Pioneer!
Thank you for your kind words and also for keeping the vintage equipment going. You have some great gear. Most of the vintage audio equipment can operate well for many more decades with just a little effort like you have put in.
I just picked up a Spec 2 amp and it needs everything you mentioned above. I am also looking for a Spec 1 to really appreciate these build quality and sound of these pieces.
I bought the amp and preamp shortly after I saw Led Zeppelin play in Seattle back in 77.
I've had some work done on it, but the tech couldn't finish because he couldn't find a certain part.
They are awesome amps.
Absolutely beautiful piece of Electronics!!!
A Vintage beast! :-)
Yes, really an amazing piece of audio history.
Love your work and these lovely vintage products
Thank you for your kind words and for watching.
Buenas, un gran audiofilo, siempre apreciará un excelente producto, y PIONEER es y será un producto fuera de serie en vintage, gracias por compartir, bendiciones.
Once again a fantastic video. Thanks for showing us this Pioneer big iron. I saw one in a pawn shop years ago and stupidly passed it up.
Your welcome and as always thank you very much for watching.
Thank you for posting. That amplifier was used in a lot of discos I worked at in the late '70s.
Your welcome and thank you for posting about the use in disco's. I didn't know that.
I just enjoy watching you restore vintage equipment.
Thank you for watching!
quite a nice solid amp.. more power than i'd ever need but it's a certainly a looker and a performer. always love your vids / explanations.
Another classic vintage piece of audio equipment that is never to be recreated.
Absolutely beautiful.
Belongs in the Smithsonian institution, museum. Great job. You should be honored to own.
I would love to own. !!! But they are to hard to find. Especially in this condition
Yes, she is a beauty. I owe the condition of this SPEC-2 to the gentleman before me. He had her in his care for many decades.
When I was a little boy, I dreamed of my first Pioneer Receiver/Amplifier. My mom and dad would take me down to the local Service merchandise store where they had an unbelievable Pioneer equipment set-up. They even had a pair of the Mighty H.P.M. 150 speakers. Iwould stand there and pretty much drool over myself wishing I had enough money to get something. I was too young to have a job so I didn't have any money so it was a no go. Over the years I've had several Pioneer receivers, starting with the popular SX 780, and at this moment I am listening to this through my Pioneer V.S.X.818 surround sound receiver.
Thank you for sharing. The SX-780 was/is a fine receiver. The audio equipment from our youth brings back many good memories.
You like the hp 150 better than bose 901 ?...
@@randallmarsh2672 Without a doubt. I heard them at Service merchandise and the bass these monsters put out was amazing. The 901's are good in their own right with the direct/ reflecting "everywhere sound", but if they don't have the E.Q. They are not impressive at all. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Bose hater- I have a pair of Bose 501 series iv speakers that sound great. I love the sound characteristics of the vintage Bose speakers. I was auditioning speakers at Circuit City, and the cool thing about the 901's was every speaker that they switched on you could pinpoint where the sound was coming from, but when they switch on the 901's I could not tell where they were at. The sound was coming from everywhere! But I compared my 501's to the other loudspeakers they had at the time (mid 1980's) And liked the 501's better by far.
My first purchase of what I consider real stereo gear was a basic Adcom system - GFA-545, GFP-555, GFT-555, Polk Monitor 10B speakers. Purchased in late 1980s and I still have and enjoy them today!
Thanks sir.All the best.
Your channel is top notch. The history is important.
Thank You!
A quality amplifier. Nice work
Your channel is really informative, I recently had my Pioneer TX 8100 tuner repaired, now I need my Pioneer SX 8200 intergrated amplifier repaired but the electronic shop that repaired my tuner is no longer in business. Both Pioneer tuner and receiver were purchased new in the 70's, I just love Pioneer stereo equipment with the wood enclosure.
Thank you very much. It's great that you still have your old gear! There was so much quality audio equipment made back in the day. It's getting harder and harder to find technicians to work on the vintage equipment. Google "vintage audio repair" or "vintage stereo repair" and see if there is anyone close to you. Even if you have to drive 100 miles it's probably worth it.
Bought mine in Naples Italy 1978 while on a Med run we turned it on in the torpedo room to check it out before leaving port. Still have it still works! I think its gonna outlast me.
Beautiful amp and preamp. Thanks for sharing.
Your welcome and thank you.
Another excellent video good Sir.
You and I share the same passion for vintage audio.
I mentioned in a previous video some of my Pioneer pieces I have, but looking at this video I see you are into everything else also.
I have Nakamichi tape decks including a Dragon also many other brands of tape decks, reel to reel machines, Pioneer Turntables, PL 530s and PL 570s, among others too.
I love them all and hope I can one day perform restorations on them. They work fine with the exception of a few, but mostly to refresh the electrolytics.
I bought my Nak Dragon back when not many people really understood it's worth for peanuts. Now they're fetching thousands !!
Thank you. I always appreciate your kind words. I am into so many brands and models because there was just so much great audio equipment built back in the day from Japan, The USA, and so many other countries also. Like you, I obtained many of my pieces of equipment years ago when the prices were not so high. You have some great equipment that will last you forever. Thanks again.
I would love to apprentice under you. Great work on awesome equipment.
Thank you so much for your kind words.
Great content, thanks for posting this
Your welcome and thank you for watching.
Amazing job 👏 👏 👏
Thank You!
Great video
Glad you enjoyed it
Amazing work
Thank You!
Nice :) pleasure to watch
Thank you very much!
Great job,great piece as usual, you have goodd taste in choosing these pieces. I'm a child of the 70s and also a vintage stereo addict. I live in the Caribbean and started collecting about 3 years ago, so far I have a Pioneer sx1250 which I adore, a Marantz 2325 which I love ,a Pioneer sx550 the one that started my collection a Sanyo dca 203 my daily driver,just to name a few,I do own a few vintage turn tables and cassette decks but prefer collecting receivers.I hope one day I will be able to service my equipment like you,good technicians are hard to find,or too far away .Keep your passion going you inspire me
Thank you so much for your kind words. You have a some wonderful gear. Yes, it is tough to find a good technician. There are very few new technicians getting into the electronics repair business. Most of the modern electronics when they fail you just throw them away. You loose the older technician's and there is no one to carry on. In the future I believe more and more people will have to repair their own equipment as there will be no other way.
Had one of these amps..an boy oh boy they are really nice...
an exceptional job bravo
Thank You!
Nice!
Thank You very much
Awesome 😮
Thank You
Another excellent video! I can't wait to get restoring my silverface gear. I was a teen in the 80's, and the silverface had been replaced by the black plastic. I don't have high end stuff like the spec, but I'm going to enjoy what i have. SX-3700, CT-F650, PL-115D, and HPM-60 is what I have to restore. It all works, but all needs work. I love the walnut wood look. Subscribed. :)
Thank you so much for the kind words and becoming part of the channel. There is no lesser equipment when it comes to vintage audio. All of the product lines from top to bottom were engineered and built to the same quality standards. One product in the line may have more power or more features but it was all good gear. Good luck with your restoration work!
I have been though some relics myself. We will have a great discussion about that someday.
It's good to have this unit
Really enjoy your video's! I purchased a Hafler DH220 along with a Hegeman Hapi 2 preamp coupled with M&K sattilite speakers and subwoffer in 1982. I loved this system but my wife did not so I packed it all away. Thirty five years later my son was looking for a stereo and I gave it all to him with the stipulation that he take the amp and preamp in to be serviced. He didn't follow thru and packed them up agin.
I'm going to recap them both and get them working again might trade him a restored integrated amplifier for them.
Thanks for watching. The great thing about the vintage audio gear is that with a little TLC they can be back into service with you enjoying them again.
Sweet amp!
Thanks
My father had one back in the 70's. I remember he went out and bought the Saturday Night Fever album because the salesman told him it would make the two needles bounce.
LOL, Those days bring back the memories. Thanks for sharing.
The late 1988 pioneer released the M90 and the superseded by the M90a, this was rated at 300watts into 8ohms. And 550watts into 4ohms!
I really enjoyed watching your video. I like to know the history also. I wish there where more videos of how to restore the spec 2. Sure would help and save time for people like me to order the right parts and also give some pointers. I just bought one waiting for it. Should be here by Friday I hope. 57 years old here. I subscribed and gave a thumbs up. Wish you had videos on a whole restore for the spec 2.
Glad you enjoyed it and welcome to the channel. Thanks also for your comments and good luck with your new SPEC-2!
Awesome!!!
Thanks!
wow lots of vintage amplifier,
Making old NEW again! ... is better than buying something just to toss it.
Yup, if your modern electronics break most of the time you wait for trash day. This SPEC-2 is not even middle aged yet. She'll be around for a long time to come.
I owned one of these amps, along with the Spec-1 preamp. However, one channel dropped out and I put it in a repair shop. They had it for 6 months, just telling me that they were having trouble locating parts. Without notification, this repair shop went out of business and stole my amp. I ended up selling the preamp on Ebay to a collector. Greatest esoteric amp/preamp combo of the 70s. I bought mine while stationed on Okinawa while I was in the Marines, 1978/79.
I owned a whole rack full of this Pioneer professional stereo equipment. I even interviewed for a military sales rep for Pioneer at the Okinawa Hilton hotel. While they were impressed with my knowledge of the current Pioneer equipment, I didn't get the job because they were looking for a civilian who could stay on the island. Since I was under a 4 year obligation with the Marines, I had to go where and when they told me to, under orders. But it was a unique experience for me.
Some of the components were the RT-707 open reel deck and later the RT-909 open reel deck, CT-F900 cassette deck, SG-9800 12 band graphic EQ, a disco mixer and a Pioneer turntable sitting on top. Also the DT-400 digital timer/clock. All of it mounted in the JA-R2 Pioneer rack on casters.
Before i was born my dad got a deal on some klipsch la scala speakers so in 1979 he ordered a pioneer sx 1980 .cost 2389$cad 6 months wages! .6 months later it arrived i grew up on that setup and it changed my understanding of real power and music fiddelity.I now own this setup and it still blows any other home stereo away people that come to my shop are floored and ask me how it makes such levels of volume with wicked clairity and presence .were talking efficency 1 watt 104db witch is still world record i beleive obtained by paul klipsch himself.ive had many offers on that set of speakers and amp but never will i part ways with it because money cant buy the love for music like it has shown me and any speaker that can handle half vol from this receiver is worthy.great vid was always curious about spec 2 amp
Very good video Sir! I have developed several High-End amplifiers and the low measured distortion is now better because of the new cap's . Todays cap's have lower ESR, ESL, more C per size etc. and can easy upgrade exsisting vintage gear. Some older amp's show also a small enhancement caused by the small increasment of the mainsvoltage, for example in germany 220V in the past and 230V today. Thank you.
Thank you very much. It's great that you design audio amplifiers. Yes, today's modern capacitors are superior and they can enhance the vintage audio equipment.
I worked on few those amps since i did Warranty work for Pioneer , Anyway pioneer made some beautiful equipment I remember the cassette and also the tuner from that set
Very cool. A lot of great equipment back in the day.
Popular with Laser Disc products with excellent audio
Fantastico adoro Pioneer.
Pioneer spec! What a great machine. I have later Pioneer elite but wouldnt mind have spec too
Yes, she's a beast. Your elite equipment is great gear also. Pioneer made a lot of fine audio equipment over the years.
I am the proud owner of a Pioneer RG-2 Dynamic Range expander, which I picked up from a car boot sale many years ago. Has to be one of the most useful pieces of equipment, I've added to my retro HiFi Japanese setup over the years. I also have a Sansui SE-77 Graphic Equalizer and a Tensai ( Akai) TA-2030 Stereo Amplifier ,all of which are working perfectly.
Great stuff, thanks for sharing.
I just dropped a matching set off a spec2 amp and spec1. Preamp at the shop. Waiting on my guy to finish it!!!!
I actually purchased the set 20 years ago never heard it play so I finally tried it and nothing. There is a shop in four oaks n..c. Called the analog store he has 44 years in the repair business my quote is 900 for repair cleaning and refurbish. Now after I get it back it may be for sale who knows lol
I picked up a lovely A-27 integrated amp at an auction at least 20yrs ago. It needs full repairs to get it humming, but when I was outbid I was decimated. I spoke to the guy that got it, offering the full akai probably system I had won. Ended up that he was more keen than I was (not really!!) So we made the trade. I am still friends with him today, so that's my vintage gear tale. Was also offered a pair of spkrs for 50$nz, and after I got them realised they were Janszen z-30's
They have one bass channel but the woofer doesn't work on one channel. Will hopefully sing again, both electro~plates work..
That toroidal transformer is huge!
She's a beast. Can double as a welder.
They also make the sound smoother than a conventional square transformer due to their lower distortion.
I owned the SX 1980 which also has one.
Always look out for equipment with torridal transformers in them. They will always be of fine quality.
@@steversystems I have a Pioneer SX-7000D receiver and it has a huge toroidal transformer reveiver is rated for 120W per channel @8ohms.
So yeah i am always on the look out for any component that has them.
Cheers
@@SDsailor7
Good! Then you're on the right path.
You may also come across components such as CD players, DVD players, and DAC's that have these inside them as well.
@@steversystems I was not aware that CD players and DVD players had them? Thanks for the heads up!
I thoughtthat only receivers and amps had them due to the high power output.
You sound like a really cool guy 👍🏻
Thanks
I've been pushing my 1985 Proton D940 hard for 35 years now and it's till doing it's thing without problems. I've let it run full time for most of those years. I never turn it off and it's my primary amp for TV and Movies as well as two channel audio. I did have to replace the bridge rectifiers but that was a few years ago when I could just run to Radio Shack and pick up a couple and they had them in stock. Also still using the AR 101 turntable I purchased along with the Proton from Crutchfield. Can't say the Epicure 3 way speakers held up as good but this amp and turntable function just as well as they did back in 85.
Thanks for sharing. There were so many quality audio products produced back in the day that have stood the test of time. Congrats on still owning some of them.
Simple yet elegant. Something like this would be 4-5k today possibly more. Days gone by ..............
Very nice very nice
Thank You!
@@vintageaudioaddict do you do repairs for other people
I wish I could find someone like you to restore my Spec 2. Years ago I brought it to a local elections repair shop who had no idea what to do. The protection circuit kept tripping. They gave up and it has been sitting in my hall closet collecting dust ever since. What a shame. You really take care on your restorations. Awesome job!
If the Spec 2 has a similar protection circuit to that used in the SX-750-1250 models, then it can actually be the transistor that drives the output relay failing. I’ve repaired a few of those and added a back emf protection diode across the relay as bizarrely, Pioneer didn’t fit one.
Another reason the protection might keep engaging could be high DC offset, in which case, the protection circuit would be doing its job and disconnecting the speakers and thus protecting them from damage. There are a multitude reasons that might happen but any competent electronic engineer should be capable of diagnosing and fixing it, especially if they have a service manual and schematic... which Pioneer were good at providing.
Thank you for your kind words. It is difficult to find a good technician in today's world. There are still a few around. Google "vintage audio repair" or "vintage stereo repair" and see what comes up around you. Even if you had to load your SPEC-2 into the car and drive 100 miles to get her fixed I think it would be worth it.
You may be correct about the transistor that drives the output relay. The last time I had the unit powered up I saw some smoke, so I quickly powered it down. I think my local repair shop made things worse. I had a service manual that I lent them. Apparently it didn't help their competency level. I saw a couple guys advertise Pioneer Spec 2 repair service on eBay. I was thinking if trying one of them... But then there is packing and shipping. It's a shame my Spec 2 us just collecting dust for the time being.
Brilliant video highlighting a sheep in wolves clothing ie the Pioneer Spec 2 Power Amplifier! mine’s coupled with a Pioneer Spec 1 Pre - Amp its a brilliant combination. The power amp is happy being played sedately however turn either bass knobs on the Spec 1 Pre Amp and well it’s like a sledge hammer being used to batter a door down all 500 watts. On every occasion I see the amp it makes me smile. I still can’t believe I own it. It does produce heat so according to its manual you shouldn’t block the air holes at all. The only fault I’ve found is the the right VU meter has a mind of its own and the protection circuit bulb is blown but the circuit protection works a treat! If anyone reading this is sitting on the fence re whether to buy Pioneer Spec 2 Power Amp take my advice buy one now before they increase in price. It’s already selling for around £1200 and getting rare to find. There appears to be more Spec 4 Power Amps around on EBAY the Spec 2’s!! And if you can purchase a Spec 1 pre amp and a 12 band Silver Pioneer Equaliser you’ll be well on the way of owning a significant slice of Vintage Pioneer Silver Hifi Excellence!
Chris Pease the transistor for the output relay wouldn’t produce much smoke if it failed. It may actually be a main output device that has failed (although that tends to blow fuses in the power supply). It really needs to go to a proper technician. Try to get some reliable testimonies for the guys you’ve seen advertised, if they really do know the Spec 2 inside out, they are the guys to use.
I specialise in Linn equipment, I’ve had stuff come to me that’s been elsewhere before hand and I’ve had extra work to do as a result. With a lot of Linn products, when someone describes the symptoms, I already know what the fault is, what parts are going to be needed and can predict the labour/turnaround time, because it’s what I know. If you can find someone like that for vintage Pioneer kit, use them, you may even find them cheaper. I’m highly competitive with Linn because I don’t have to spend hours diagnosing stuff.
$900 back in the day. The choice was something like the Spec 2 or a semester of tuition. My dad 'adjusted' my course of action which turned out to be the right thing.
Cool stuff partner, we must be around the same age. I was just discovering better HiFi equipment in the early to mid 70's. My mom & dad had a JVC Delmonico console stereo with turntable & guessing 10" woofers, aluminum film tweeters? & it was pretty nice sounding. When they were out for the day it was the Doors, Steppenwolf, BS & T, CCR & even my Parent's Les & Larry Elgart, Percy Faith, Ramsey Lewis & SO MUCH MORE!!!
Well, as luck would have it, they came home early one time & was told to get your own system!
Ok, that was fair enough so I peddled papers as fast as I could (still needed dirt bike parts)!
Got my own system BUT it was too loud!! SO, headphones!!!
Now, God bless, I still have them (mom & dad) BUT I also have a 7.2 home theater system, a Kenwood 4 channel listening
system & a 4 channel surround bedroom system!! I won't even get into my car system.
Music! Brings more people together than anything else. Looking forward to more.
I sold mine in 2003, miss it dearly.
Good video! Let's do old B & O next.
Thanks. I think I have some B&O somewhere. Maybe someday.
Wish to hv? Even 1 of those vintage...im a audio equipment lover.....music lover too
I used to have the SX-1250 with Cerwin Vega Tower speakers. I sure do miss it! :-(
Man, those were the days! Your SX-1250 was/is one of the finest receiver's ever produced. Your SX-1250 and Cervin-Vega's must have filled a room with music. I have a SX-1250 in my collection that I did a video on. If you haven't seen it you can check it out here. ruclips.net/video/Fco83u2kRmU/видео.html
@@vintageaudioaddict ok, thank you!
Looking back this makes me want to cry. I bought one new in Germany in 1977 and had it for over 20 years. Along with a Spec 1 Pre-amp, a CTF-1000 cassette player, DBX noise reduction system, and a Pioneer reel to reel. Then for some reason this monster amp started turning off all the time. I took it to every repair shop in Nashville and no one could fix the problem. Something about not being able to balance input or output or something along those lines. Something needed to be perfectly balanced and no one was able to do it. I ended up throwing it away. After going to three shops I just thought it was not able to be fixed. Probably just didn't get it into the right hands. it was so long ago. Something about the bias? Can't recall the details but the people trying to repair it all seemed to have the same issue while trying to fix it.
Rick. What did you do with the rest of your equipment. I hope you kept the rest
WOW!!! That's a mint amp! How they use to build equipment compared to today? Everything is based around home cinema now? My system is also based around home cinema. I use 2 Rotel power amps and a Marantz pre amp. My system is for music as well as home cinema. One Rotel amp is for left and right channel and that's 350 watts per channel. The other Rotel power amp is 200 watts x 5. I love these great finds you always get your hands on!!! I'm also glad they started making components in black!!! Great video!
Thank you so much. I've had most of my equipment for many years, back before the vintage audio equipment got popular again. You have some great gear. The whole key is to have the setup that you like. I see people asking what's best? Your own ears will tell you that. Thanks again.
20th birthday present to myself was a Scott 30 watt per channel receiver and Infinity speakers. That was 40 years ago. Still have it but she needs a tune up. I think those were 30 clean useable watts. As heavy as that receiver is I'd bet it was more like 50 watts. Cool channel 👌👌
Thank you. There were so many great audio products back in the day. Scott made some great products. I have a HH Scott 340B vacuum tube receiver that I did a video of. You can check it out here. ruclips.net/video/rWzGxm9WGHU/видео.html
Professionelle Tester
Great video and that pioneer amp must sound amazing. Question,do you have a video showing your work station and if not could you do one because I would love to see your equipment. Thanks for showing the fantastic vintage audio equipment.
Thank you for your kind words. I have several RUclips video's that may fit what your looking for. I have posted a link to one of them below. You can also scroll down in the description of this video and you will find direct links to many other troubleshooting videos.
Vintage Stereo Repair - The Parts And Tools Needed To Fix Old Audio Equipment, ruclips.net/video/N3e9C4mUui0/видео.html
The older stuff is soooo much cooler and I'll always love it!! I don't care if it takes up a whole wall, that's part of what makes it so cool. People these days keep wanting things smaller and smaller. They just don't have the space, yet the average house keeps getting larger and larger.
Even if you are not into vintage audio equipment everyone who walks into a room with it has to check it out.
@@vintageaudioaddict Yes, but women won't usually tolerate it in a main living space in their own house. I got lucky and found one that likes the look as much as I do.
@@vintageaudioaddict Yes, I know what you mean. I purchased a pair of Polk SDA-SRS (the big ones) in '87 which I have bi-amped with a Phase Linear DRS-900 and a Hafler xl-280. Every time we have friends visit, I am FORCED to show and explain THOSE speakers. So, I pull one the grills and WATCH the jaws drop. I so LOVE these speakers that I cover them EVERYTIME with plastic "body bags" to keep the dust out. After 32years, they still SMELL NEW. These truly are "lifetime" speakers! Sorry for being so long winded, but HI-FI has been my passion since 1957!
I have multiple amps with similar power ratings, but I must admit I'd love to add one of these to my pile....
The Spec 2 is a beast.
I've heard spec 4 is more refined, one day may hear both side by side who knows...
SWEET!!!
Thanks
@@vintageaudioaddict I have a Hitachi SR-2004. I wish I had someone around here that could work on it like you can. Oh well. Keep up the great videos. I love them.
Just wow....
I know what you mean. I love the history of the unit also. I repair and restore vintage audio. Seems lately I've been doing more tube amps than solid state. Right now I'm restoring a few McIntosh 50w-2 Monoblock amps which was one of their earliest amps. They were from a concert hall near Pittsburgh called the Syria Mosque. It's where the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra played in the past.
Thanks for sharing. Very Cool! Thanks for keeping the past alive.
This is good amp