PIONEER CS-77 3-WAY (1971?)

[Master Tasuke]

---- (((( RELATED TO THIS THREAD: http://forums.phxaudiotape.com/showthread.php/4921-Tasuke-s-Reward )))) ----



hi all, i was gifted these by fellow member ORANGE early this year, and he just recently found a way to get them on up here to me.

i can't seem to find online-published specs for this model, -only the CS-77A that evidently replaced it- just a bit of discussion over on AK
where they do not seem to stack up favorably against much of anyone's direct reference.

indeed, trying them out myself, they do seem rather shrill and boomy at once when compared to my own reference, the 1990's 4-way CS-G503.
perhaps i need to play with the TONE a bit more to bring them out some, i'll see what i can do.

in the meantime, i took the opportunity to give them a good rubdown with OLD ENGLISH wood polish; they now look almost showroom condition, from a casual glance at least.
i must say, the craftsmanship of the cabinets is really beyond reproach. i even coated the woofers, which did miracles towards making them look presentable even with the grilles off.

they really do look classy, if only i could find a way to coax them into being at least a sonic match for the comparatively cheap-and-cheesy CS-G503;

 

[Skynyrd77]

Xover upgrade!!! That's gonna be ur best bet IMO

 

[Ric27]

not sure going over the speaker cones with common furniture polish is a good practice. Are they paper cones? Paper and oil not a good mix.

 

[Master Tasuke]

X-OVER upgrade already performed by whoever WARPED BEZEL had gotten these from. DAYTON AUDIO caps installed,
and multiway binding posts installed by me, just had to enlarge the binding screw holes a smidge...

 

[orange]

Polish on cones? NO...definitely not. Just take a slightly wet rag or paper towel and dust them off without going so far as to wet the cones. Let them air a little, it won't take long. Wipe the inside of the grille cloth down it they are dusty but don't treat them heavily and no spray stuff,..the fabric has to be able to pass air to pass air pressure and you don't want buildup. Most of these woven materials will shrink if washed conventionally so if you are faced with tweaked cloth try to replace it instead with similar fabric. This is actually where you will find a David's, JoAnn or House Of Fabrics store very useful if you can't locate it online...they often have similar fabrics and you can dye them. For antique radios there are places that sell sections of cloth very similar or a duplication of many examples that were used.

If there was an accumulation when I was into them, it was cleaned. I didn't polish the wood.

If somebody misunderstood, I hope that was cleared up. Despite the ding one took when I was moving it, you made them look beautiful, Tasuke! I know you love and cherish good things.

 

[Fishoz]

Can't vouch for the performance of the speakers but dem dere are damn good lookin!

 

[Ric27]

Orange,
I was just responding to the post of Master Tasuke quoted below.
R

---- (((( RELATED TO THIS THREAD: http://forums.phxaudiotape.com/showthread.php/4921-Tasuke-s-Reward )))) ----

in the meantime, i took the opportunity to give them a good rubdown with OLD ENGLISH wood polish; they now look almost showroom condition, from a casual glance at least.
i must say, the craftsmanship of the cabinets is really beyond reproach. i even coated the woofers, which did miracles towards making them look presentable even with the grilles off.

they really do look classy, if only i could find a way to coax them into being at least a sonic match for the comparatively cheap-and-cheesy CS-G503;

 

[Master Tasuke]

all paper is is wood pulp anyway... i rubbed some in, -carefully- into the drivers of both these and the CS-G503,
and i really like how it smartened up the look of the G503's cones, which once look cheap and unfinished, but not so much now.

it does not seem to harm the sound in any way, just makes it look like PIONEER actually didn't cut every last corner they possibly could
to bring the G503's to market at such an obviously tight price point.
the CS-G503 is an excellent sounding 4-way... once one provides the proper TLC and modding,
and now my own pair perhaps begins to look something like how they sound.

now, for a well-crafted set like the 77's, such treatment only seems to emphasize and underscore their innate quality,
while strongly suggesting how exquisite they might have looked when new and fresh out of factory carton,
had anyone ever bothered to pull the grilles on cabs like these back then...

 

[Master Tasuke]

well, for better or worse, i finished oiling all three speaker pairs i have, -PIONEER CS-77, SANSUI SP-2000, PIONEER CS-G503 -
and, oiling all the driver cones along the way, i have found that such treatment, -to all these bare unfinished cones amongst all three pairs-
has somehow "tightened up" their overall response, drastically improving the sound of them all, to my ear. all else equal, i'm most pleasantly surprised with the results of my work...

 

[orange]

I'm more afraid of accidentally getting my #9 foot into a woofer on the floor.

 

[BubbaH]

You know what they say about doods with small feet?

 

[Master Tasuke]

I'm more afraid of accidentally getting my #9 foot into a woofer on the floor.

not to worry, i'll get them squared away... in the meantime, the grilles are on, so they are quite safe...

 

[Master Tasuke]

i'm getting some mighty fine sounds out of these, just sayin'

 

[Dazen1]

You know what they say about doods with small feet?

Small shoes?

 

[BubbaH]

Small shoes?

Finally....yes exactly Daren. Small shoes.

 

[laatsch55]

Not feet.....the HANDS!!

 

[orange]

You know what they say about doods with small feet?

No, but I have too many diabetic aches in them to worry about it.

I'm not worried about small hands either, it's the brain that has to get them to type well.

 

[Dazen1]

Not feet.....the HANDS!!

Small gloves?

 

[laatsch55]

I was told as a youngster that a man's penis can be judged in size by the span of his hands from the tip of his thumb to the tip of his small pinkie when the fingers are splayed out. Not being gay, and not having a 3,000,000 dollar grant from the government, I can only judge the accuracy of that from my perspective, and in my case it is indeed true....

 

[orange]

Well, like it's nobody's beeswax but I think it does what it's supposed to.