Pioneer SX-636 Receiver

This midrange receiver was one of the last few vintage pieces I've bought in Winnipeg. While by it only put out 25wpc into 8ohm, it was adequate to power my little Bozak MB80. This combination served me well during my transition to the interior BC.

It was more than adequate for my previous living space and even my current living conditions. Granted the Bozak prefer more power.

It was recapped by the previous owner, IIRC all the caps were replaced. That was the extent of the "restoration." It sounded very good for what it was. This Pioneer was on the middle to warm side of things of the sound signature. It was pleasant, wasn't mushy or overly "tubey" sounding but, not as dynamic or transparent as others.

Middle-ground stuff. Tuner was nice, it was able to grab signal in my condo without an antenna and sounded pretty decent. No qualms about the tuner. Everything worked as it should. Overall, I had zero issues with this unit. However, I was not a huge fan of the speaker binding post at the back. But, having some banana to spade adapters helped.

Certainly, in my opinion, I prefer the sound signature of the Pioneer SX-636 over the HH Scott 377B, that I picked up (stayed tuned!). This was a very capable unit for either a main or secondary system. I paired it to a TV using an external DAC and turntable. Made listening to music, and watching Netflix a breeze. The added tone controls were nice, especially to bump the bass on the Bozak for movies.

Physically, it was in very good shape, even the vinyl top was in good shape. It is sometimes interesting to see a solid wood case wrapped in vinyl. I know recapping is a controversial issue but, I am the camp of: These units are 40+ years old, for reliability sake. Plus, the increased long term longevity is also nice. While my unit was recapped, it did have some burnt out lamps. I tried to source them locally but, it was not possible.

Currently, this unit has found a new home in Alberta!

Some specification from hifiengine.com:

Tuning range: FM, MW

Power output: 25 watts per channel into 8Ω (stereo)

Frequency response: 20Hz to 30kHz

Total harmonic distortion: 0.5%

Damping factor: 35

Input sensitivity: 7mV (mic), 2.5mV (MM), 150mV (DIN), 150mV (line)

Signal to noise ratio: 65dB (mic), 70dB (MM), 90dB (line) Output: 150mV (line), 30mV (DIN)

Speaker load impedance: 4Ω (minimum)

Semiconductors: 1 x FET, 3 x IC, 33 x transistors, 17 x diodes

Dimensions: 480 x 147 x 405mm

Weight: 11.2kg

Year: 1974

Energy Encore 2 Speakers

My family were the original owners of these speakers. We actually had the entire Energy Encore 5.1 surround set, minus the integrated stands. Slowly, the rear speakers were sold. I kept the subwoofer to use with my sound bar, and the center channel broke. All that remained were these little guys sitting on the same shelving unit for the past 15ish years. I used them for a bit for my computer setup but, opted to use my Mirage Omni 350 instead. While these are considered "big box store" speakers, they are still great little speakers. These were made in Canada. Used their hyperdome aluminum tweeter that made Energy famous from the Pro22 days (thank you Burhoe!). A super nice black piano finish and sealed box, with a 4" long throw woofer. Some Specifications that I took from the web: System Type: Magnetically shielded acoustic suspension satellite Tweeter: 1" (28mm) Aluminum dome with cloth suspension Woofers: 4" (112mm) Multi-laminated aluminum polycarbonate c

Yamaha YP-66 Turntable

The rosewood vinyl wrapped twin sibling of the Yamaha YP-221, they are the exactly the same other than the colour of the plinth and instead of silver plastic bits on the YP-221 the YP-66 has black bits. This is your typical belt drive turntable of the mid to late 70s. It's a 2-speed with automatic return (semi-automatic). It's a nice entry level turntable with all the decent built quality that you find on majority of the Japanese made tables of that era. It has a good sized motor and a decent weight. Yamaha tables are like Sony tables, they always have decent quality components and they always look nice to the eyes. The slight smoked dustcover and the rosewood plinth makes it quite unique to look at. Sadly, the antiskate weight on our isn't original. It was missing when we got it. After a bit of research we found the appropriate weight and found an appropriate weight to retrofit into our table. We found a nice brass weight to fit with the design. And, as usual,

Dual CS-616Q Turntable

Finally doing a write up for a couple of turntables. So, let's start with the Dual CS-616Q. Made around the mid 80s when wood-grain design were no longer in fashion and the new sleek grey and black were in. This Dual is in really nice shape, and I mean real nice shape. While it's not from the 70s, it doesn't mean it's not quality. In comparison to other companies of the time that still made entry level turntables, this Dual is really well made. It has decent heft and it is German made so a lot of precision was still put into it. It is a direct drive, a true semi-automatic and quartz lock turntable. Why do I mean true semi-automatic? Well, before some of their earlier turntables had an auto-lift off at the end but the tonearm never returned to the rest post. So, having it returning is a nice feature to have! It also features Dual's ULM (ultra low mass) tonearm and their EDS motor. These tonearms are especially nice for higher compliant cartridges as

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