QuestionQUESTION: Hello, I have an old Pioneer SX-1250 receiver that has been in the family since
my dad bought it new somany years ago. It was passed down to me and I used it
for many years with no problems. When we moved it came with us and was set up in
my utility/workshop. It worked fine for a couple years but recently the sound
has been cutting out. At first it would simply cut out with no sound but soon
after when it cut out I would get a blast of static. The power remains on but I
hear the click like when it first powers up, static, click, normal sound, click,
static, and so on. My thought is that humidity got into it since it was sitting
next to a clothes dryer that was not venting properly, causing the whole room to
be humid. Probably some dust and such also.
I'm planning to sell it but want to have it working right first. I have very
basic electrical knowledge and was wondering if this problem is something I
could repair and if it would be worth the expense if I'm selling it. I have all
the diagrams for it, but as I said I don't really have the knowledge to make use
of it at this point.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
ANSWER: I hate to burst your bubble but unless your talking about performance audio in the tens of thousands of dollars, technology older than 7 years is costly to maintain. There have also been huge advances in signal to noise and frequency response because the circuitry that used to cost tens of thousands of dollars is now available at Best Buy. My guess is that the cost of shipping the unit will probably exceed the value of the receiver. My recommendation is to bite the bullet, read some reviews, do some on line searching and you'll probably find something that will cost less than repairing that Pioneer. Trust me, it's not a heirloom. Maybe if it was made of brass it would be.
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QUESTION: I'm sure I could find something that would cost less than repairing the Pioneer but thats not the point. The reason I want to repair it is so I can sell it and get the most out of it. In its present condition it will sell for at least $200 on ebay. Shipping it anywhere in the U.S. by UPS (due to the weight)would cost around $75. An SX-1250 receiver, working properly, consistently sells for $400-$500 on ebay. I have checked this out and have been watching sales histories for this model for over a year, which is what prompted me to sell it in the first place. Since the cost of shipping is less than half the value of the unit, and this receiver is probably the most sought after of all the old "monster" receivers,(even though its not made of brass) I would appreciate any insight you may have into the cause of and possible solution to the problem the receiver is experiencing. I'd like to say again that I'm not trying to replace or repair it for my own use. I'd also like to say that this receiver has the best sound of any of the many receivers I or my father, who has been a professional DJ for over 35 years, have ever used. That being said I thank you for your time and expertise.
AnswerAs a sound engineer I too moonlighted as a DJ. It is unfortunate that the art of DJ'ing does not entail a true understanding of sound, not saying that you father might have been a rare breed.
There is a factor that your not accounting for which is called x the unknown. The cost of benching most receivers today is on an average of $135/hr if it's out of warranted. My best advice is to contact Pioneer and sing their praises. Maybe they'll get one of their authorized factory services to cut you a deal.
FYI - I was a bench technician for Fisher Radio corporation when it was owned and operated by Avery Fisher. That was in 1968. Even at that time there were fewer and fewer real repairs. Nowadays no one repairs any of that ilk of equipment. They simply figure out which circuit board has the problem and replace the whole thing. That's what you're probably looking at.
Having gone down this road before, that's my best advice.
