Vintage Pioneer SX-850 receiver with a modern turntable?

I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of a VPI Classic 2 turntable (with an Ortofon 2M Black cartridge).

I'm currently running a vintage Pioneer SX-850 receiver as a preamp into a BlueSky Exo 2.1 powered studio monitoring system.

I'm wondering: will the Pioneer be a good match for the VPI? Or would I be better off if I haul the previous receiver I was using as a preamp (a Pioneer Elite VSX-55TXi with a Musical Fidelity V-LPS II phono preamp) out of storage and use it instead?

 

Only you can judge that. I would try both to see which you prefer.

Personally I would go with the Pioneer SX 850. But then I like vintage equipment.

 

I would also add that a huge part of this is the condition of the Pioneer. I had a vintage Sansui AU-555A that sounded flat, dull and anemic (no dynamics) as a pre-amp into my power amp (Dynaco ST-70 updated). I just hooked up the Sansui after having it recapped totally and it now sounds excellent, punchy, clean with great dynamics and clarity.

I agree with trying both, try the SX 850 first because it will be easier.

P.S.

The SX 850 was made when vinyl was king so it probably has a decent phono section.

 

If you've got an outboard phono preamp, try it out with the Pioneer. In my experience, it's easy to get better performance with an outboard phono pre than with the onboard phono stages of vintage gear. Have a Kenwood KR 9600, a brute of a vintage receiver from the late 1970's. Also a Harmon Kardon 660 from around 1970. The Radio Shack outboard preamp I'm now using is more lucid, has less distortion and much less self noise than the two vintage receivers.

 

I have a Pioneer SX-850, and as good as it sounds with my Music Hall MMF-7 which is quite good, the turntable sounds much better with my Lounge Audio mkIII LCR Phono Pre Amp. The same holds true when I run the MMF-7 through my Luxman L85v integrated amp. Both amps date from 1976-80, so like you I enjoy that vintage sound, but for the phono pre-amp stage the contemporary device is the clear winner. I'm think of purchasing Lounge's new COPLA SUT to work with the mkIII since I use a high out put MC cartridge and may see further benefits with the Copla in the chain.

 

You will be OK with it for now -but should definitely consider upgrading to an external phono pre and whatever else. I have a Pioneer SX650 in my office - that had to move into my main room when one of my monoblocks had a rectifier blow - at first I was like damn this sounds great - almost too good - then after about an hour I noticed that the sound stage was flat and started to notice other things - I couldn't wait to get my main system back up and running. It was a great experience knowing that my upgraded gear lived up to the hype. I love Pioneer gear - but I'm not going back.

You should definitely try your other gear since you have it - there is no reason not to do that. I agree with the other poster - if my SX650 was rebuilt/recapped - it probably would sound much better - but hell - I'm a tube man and there is no going back.

 

Very happy with the performance of my 1979 SX-980 Pioneer receiver phono stage.

 

Use it and see how you like it.These 70s receivers had pretty good phono stages.

 

I have a Rega RP1 "performance" plugged into a Sansui Classique 250 (early 70's). Sounds good to me.

 

I would think that any semi decent modern phono preamp would be better than what is in that Pioneer.

 

Followup: replacing the Pioneer SX-850 with a NAD C 165BEE preamp.

 

After lusting for one as a teenager in the 70s I finally picked a 1979 SX980 last week. I too am extremely happy with the preamp and amp sections. Sounds stellar.

 

I love the sound of the Pioneer SX-850, but I need a bit more input flexibility, and I need better reliability. The one I was running started having a problem with the phono preamps - I'm sporadically getting what I can only describe as a rumbling thunder sound out of it after it's been on for a while. I got a replacement off eBay that had supposedly been completely recapped and refurbed, but the left preamp out is cutting out intermittently (I may have narrowed this down to a wonky stereo/mono switch).

So I just got a great deal on a NAD 165 preamp that should be here by next week and I'll see how that goes...

 

Congrats ! I'm still enjoying it after 20 years

 

Don't unload your Pioneer just yet. Before I gave it a rest both my phono inputs either didn't work or had one channel cutting out. It turned out all that was needed was a thorough blasting of DeOxit, all works perfectly. I found a great video on You Tube of an SX-850 getting restored which showed how to properly take off the face plate and get at all the disks and switches inside . It gave me the confidence to do it myself, and it turned out well. I also replaced the two chipped and dented wood front corner posts from the faceplate with replacements found on eBay at $11 each.

 

Thank you!

 

You're Welcome!