- Joined
- Nov 15, 2021
- Messages
- 482
- Location
- near Liverpool, NY
- Tagline
- Lifelong student / listening = bliss
Pioneer SX-880 resurrection
- Thread starter J!m
- Start date
Uh, Huston, we have a problem.
I was able to get this into the office and attempt a receiverswitchectomy when I discovered there is a slight size disparity here.
Width isn’t really the problem but the depth is. It won’t really be safely on the shelf so I’m back to the 580.
This explains why the cover had a different part number. It’s definitely not going to fit.
It didn’t seem that much larger on the bench…
I was able to get this into the office and attempt a receiverswitchectomy when I discovered there is a slight size disparity here.
Width isn’t really the problem but the depth is. It won’t really be safely on the shelf so I’m back to the 580.
This explains why the cover had a different part number. It’s definitely not going to fit.
It didn’t seem that much larger on the bench…
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2021
- Messages
- 482
- Location
- near Liverpool, NY
- Tagline
- Lifelong student / listening = bliss
Go, Ninja!
1) Embed those high (quality + quantity) 120v/20A AC circuit(s) on the way in, instead of after the fact, and it's 100x easier to implement! Since they are downward compatible with all 'normal' 120v/15A componentry, lights, etc., there's zero risk to this decision.
2) Once your doors, walls, & ceilings are installed (or existing surfaces painted) walk around the room & stimulate it with 'the clap test', listening for spots with excess echoing/reverberation. The short article I just linked to does a great job of describing the benefits of a LEDE approach (Live End + Dead End) with minimal words & a nice supporting bird's eye view.
****
"Other house projects keep getting in the way…"
I understand that impediment 110%. I live this same dilemma. (!)
Over the years, what I've found that works best for me is to take a wanna-do project, break it into discrete chunks, and then do a small time slice of this project interwoven with all the other gotta-do projects every day. Make sure & have the wanna-do materials cached/stashed ready to go...so that not if but when I get stuck on a gotta-do project, I can get whatever show-stopper on order...and *then* I fill in what would normally be lost time (waiting for the materials) with more time on the wanna-do project.
****
Listen, I know that we've not 20-somethings just starting out on all this -- most of us bring 20/30/40+ years of active troubleshooting / hands-on real-world problem solving / taking existing items from watches to pool cues to automobiles (& audio) to the next level of goodness to this forum.
So some of what I write is not directed at you, J!m...but possibly for 'the next generation' audio enthusiasts who are lurking & are receptive to our hard-won ideas about getting the very most out of whatever we've chosen to bring to the audio party.
With that disclaimer out of the way, back to your wanna-do project, which simply is to "create a clear open room larger than any other in the house". Man, that is a great goal -- I believe that for most of the folks that hang out in here, the sound of the room itself is the limiting factor of where our precious main listening system fit into the rest of the abode that we share with others and/or other priorities in life. (eating, bathing, entertaining, etc.)
To pull this all together, remember I was describing how I was stuck trying to figure out the "low volume bass good definition/high volume bass lost definition" problem? Well, I referenced the gentleman I worked alongside at the computer manufacturing plant, and how he offered up the tiptoes solution, I wasn't so sure, and then he calmly proceeded to come down & fix my problem (in VT) on the 1st try.
The reason I bring this up is that after this bit of audio wizardry on his part, I subsequently went to his house & listened to *his* setup. I seem to remember a much-modded CD player, modded Hafler amp, and a pair of Vanderstein loudspeakers. Just like nearly all of us, he didn't have an endless supply of disposable income to throw at the system,,,but he *had* thrown a lot of thought into it. And that thought extended to his listening space -- which happened to be the majority of his basement. But the room did not sound like a typical basement. Instead, it was a full on LEDE room. Before we even turned on the equipment I could tell that the listening space was special, and he was good enough to explain the LEDE theory in detail.
And when we finally got down to listening to music, I was blown away by just how much his speakers were *not* where the music was coming from. As far as I could tell, the speakers were sitting there inert, and the music 'soundstage' was all the way from the left wall to the right wall. This was one of those 'I could listen to individual voices in the choir' moments...and amazingly, so much detail I look forward to was there to enjoy at a low/moderate level -- meanwhile, my system would share the same 'inner detail'...but only when I turned up the volume a goodly amount?
The bottom line was that I left that listening session realizing that I had just learned a lot more about sound reproduction...but at the same time I now knew a lot less than I thought I knew. :0) And one of the key takeaway items is that a intelligently modified 'modest' system + listening room as a synergistic component just generated a better, more involving listening experience than just about any 'cost no object' audio system I had heard up to that time at any high-end audio store. (Remember those? :0)
****
...apologies for the length, but when you mentioned creating a new, large listening space it triggered the memories above. I'm also reminded of a Commander's Call where we were given a *long* list of items that we were going to have to accomplish in a (too) short period of time in order to survive the upcoming round of BRAC and stay in the F-16 business. (With the long-term goal of eventually upgrading to the F-35.)
The list was so long, & each item seemingly so impossible that everyone standing in the aircraft hangar looked demoralized.
And this is when the Commander addressed the unspoken concern by asking, "How do you eat an Elephant?"
After a moment, he answered his own question: "One bite at a time." And then he dismissed us.
In retrospect, he kind of tossed the gauntlet right at us all.
And it worked. (!)
So there you have it. Organize that wanna-do project so that you can at least slip in a bite or two every day. If you are like me, I no longer have a limitless amount of time left on the horizon in order to do stuff like this.
Go, ninja!
1) Embed those high (quality + quantity) 120v/20A AC circuit(s) on the way in, instead of after the fact, and it's 100x easier to implement! Since they are downward compatible with all 'normal' 120v/15A componentry, lights, etc., there's zero risk to this decision.
2) Once your doors, walls, & ceilings are installed (or existing surfaces painted) walk around the room & stimulate it with 'the clap test', listening for spots with excess echoing/reverberation. The short article I just linked to does a great job of describing the benefits of a LEDE approach (Live End + Dead End) with minimal words & a nice supporting bird's eye view.
****
"Other house projects keep getting in the way…"
I understand that impediment 110%. I live this same dilemma. (!)
Over the years, what I've found that works best for me is to take a wanna-do project, break it into discrete chunks, and then do a small time slice of this project interwoven with all the other gotta-do projects every day. Make sure & have the wanna-do materials cached/stashed ready to go...so that not if but when I get stuck on a gotta-do project, I can get whatever show-stopper on order...and *then* I fill in what would normally be lost time (waiting for the materials) with more time on the wanna-do project.
****
Listen, I know that we've not 20-somethings just starting out on all this -- most of us bring 20/30/40+ years of active troubleshooting / hands-on real-world problem solving / taking existing items from watches to pool cues to automobiles (& audio) to the next level of goodness to this forum.
So some of what I write is not directed at you, J!m...but possibly for 'the next generation' audio enthusiasts who are lurking & are receptive to our hard-won ideas about getting the very most out of whatever we've chosen to bring to the audio party.
With that disclaimer out of the way, back to your wanna-do project, which simply is to "create a clear open room larger than any other in the house". Man, that is a great goal -- I believe that for most of the folks that hang out in here, the sound of the room itself is the limiting factor of where our precious main listening system fit into the rest of the abode that we share with others and/or other priorities in life. (eating, bathing, entertaining, etc.)
To pull this all together, remember I was describing how I was stuck trying to figure out the "low volume bass good definition/high volume bass lost definition" problem? Well, I referenced the gentleman I worked alongside at the computer manufacturing plant, and how he offered up the tiptoes solution, I wasn't so sure, and then he calmly proceeded to come down & fix my problem (in VT) on the 1st try.
The reason I bring this up is that after this bit of audio wizardry on his part, I subsequently went to his house & listened to *his* setup. I seem to remember a much-modded CD player, modded Hafler amp, and a pair of Vanderstein loudspeakers. Just like nearly all of us, he didn't have an endless supply of disposable income to throw at the system,,,but he *had* thrown a lot of thought into it. And that thought extended to his listening space -- which happened to be the majority of his basement. But the room did not sound like a typical basement. Instead, it was a full on LEDE room. Before we even turned on the equipment I could tell that the listening space was special, and he was good enough to explain the LEDE theory in detail.
And when we finally got down to listening to music, I was blown away by just how much his speakers were *not* where the music was coming from. As far as I could tell, the speakers were sitting there inert, and the music 'soundstage' was all the way from the left wall to the right wall. This was one of those 'I could listen to individual voices in the choir' moments...and amazingly, so much detail I look forward to was there to enjoy at a low/moderate level -- meanwhile, my system would share the same 'inner detail'...but only when I turned up the volume a goodly amount?
The bottom line was that I left that listening session realizing that I had just learned a lot more about sound reproduction...but at the same time I now knew a lot less than I thought I knew. :0) And one of the key takeaway items is that a intelligently modified 'modest' system + listening room as a synergistic component just generated a better, more involving listening experience than just about any 'cost no object' audio system I had heard up to that time at any high-end audio store. (Remember those? :0)
****
...apologies for the length, but when you mentioned creating a new, large listening space it triggered the memories above. I'm also reminded of a Commander's Call where we were given a *long* list of items that we were going to have to accomplish in a (too) short period of time in order to survive the upcoming round of BRAC and stay in the F-16 business. (With the long-term goal of eventually upgrading to the F-35.)
The list was so long, & each item seemingly so impossible that everyone standing in the aircraft hangar looked demoralized.
And this is when the Commander addressed the unspoken concern by asking, "How do you eat an Elephant?"
After a moment, he answered his own question: "One bite at a time." And then he dismissed us.
In retrospect, he kind of tossed the gauntlet right at us all.
And it worked. (!)
So there you have it. Organize that wanna-do project so that you can at least slip in a bite or two every day. If you are like me, I no longer have a limitless amount of time left on the horizon in order to do stuff like this.
Go, ninja!
Last edited:
Well, the basement room… I had it all planned out at one point. It I’ll try to explain it.
Upstairs, we have a generous living room; roughly 14 wide X 24 long.
the dining room front wall is about four feet forward. So normally, the basement room will be 28 feet long. But there is a small bump out at the front of the dining room (and basement room) another 2.5 feet for the windows upstairs (and a nice size one downstairs too).
Width is wider than the dining room (roughly 20 feet) because it would include part of the front hall area as well as the landing at the base of the cellar stairs. A couple Lolly columns will be integrated into the wet bar.
The back of the room is mostly clear. A seat box across the back wall may be needed (maybe not) to hide the waste line from the kitchen sink. The back corner on the same side has the main waste line for the house, so that’ll be hidden behind a ventless gas fireplace (with mantle etc so it looks legit) built at 45 degrees in the corner.
Side wall bumps out a foot for part of the rear of the room, opposite from the waste line, to widen the kitchen upstairs, so that’ll get a built in bookshelf flush with the rest of the wall moving toward the front of the room.
Also planned, is a half bath at the bottom of the stairs, to the left. The waste line is under the floor so no “up flush” nonsense. That’s later, or post-lottery winning.
Ekectrical will be closer to code than it is now. Outlets every six feet with a dedicated 20-amp quad front and center. That box will have an isolated ground as well. It will be fed from the top-most breaker of the (to be installed) 200-amp service panel. I did that in the last house so I know that will hurt the budget…
Forced air heating requires reconstruction of the steel 1939 duct work within the joists overhead. Those joists will then be filled with acoustic insulation, then finished with porous sheet rock. A few recessed lights for fun. Walls will be 4” with fiberglass thermal insulation and porous Sheetrock. Same as the Drumgeon.
I want to recap the staircase with red oak like upstairs but at ~$60 a stair it gets expensive fast. It also turns 90 degrees toward the top to complicate things for me. And require more lumber.
All the walls have been sealed with dry lock paint already. I have to remove the old floor tiles (many have come up willingly already) and seal the floor with epoxy. Then I can start construction. I’m not sure if the final floor material but I’d like to run 3/4 oak. I did it in the Drumgeon and I can do it fast but that’s a big space and the boss doesn’t want a wood floor in case of a water issue…
The pisser is, everything requires something before it. It’s hard to push forward because I get an idea to do something and when I get down there it’s “oh yeah, I need to relocate that first” and nothing happens. On top of the steady flow of other stuff to do.
Another year has passed without touching my truck too…
Upstairs, we have a generous living room; roughly 14 wide X 24 long.
the dining room front wall is about four feet forward. So normally, the basement room will be 28 feet long. But there is a small bump out at the front of the dining room (and basement room) another 2.5 feet for the windows upstairs (and a nice size one downstairs too).
Width is wider than the dining room (roughly 20 feet) because it would include part of the front hall area as well as the landing at the base of the cellar stairs. A couple Lolly columns will be integrated into the wet bar.
The back of the room is mostly clear. A seat box across the back wall may be needed (maybe not) to hide the waste line from the kitchen sink. The back corner on the same side has the main waste line for the house, so that’ll be hidden behind a ventless gas fireplace (with mantle etc so it looks legit) built at 45 degrees in the corner.
Side wall bumps out a foot for part of the rear of the room, opposite from the waste line, to widen the kitchen upstairs, so that’ll get a built in bookshelf flush with the rest of the wall moving toward the front of the room.
Also planned, is a half bath at the bottom of the stairs, to the left. The waste line is under the floor so no “up flush” nonsense. That’s later, or post-lottery winning.
Ekectrical will be closer to code than it is now. Outlets every six feet with a dedicated 20-amp quad front and center. That box will have an isolated ground as well. It will be fed from the top-most breaker of the (to be installed) 200-amp service panel. I did that in the last house so I know that will hurt the budget…
Forced air heating requires reconstruction of the steel 1939 duct work within the joists overhead. Those joists will then be filled with acoustic insulation, then finished with porous sheet rock. A few recessed lights for fun. Walls will be 4” with fiberglass thermal insulation and porous Sheetrock. Same as the Drumgeon.
I want to recap the staircase with red oak like upstairs but at ~$60 a stair it gets expensive fast. It also turns 90 degrees toward the top to complicate things for me. And require more lumber.
All the walls have been sealed with dry lock paint already. I have to remove the old floor tiles (many have come up willingly already) and seal the floor with epoxy. Then I can start construction. I’m not sure if the final floor material but I’d like to run 3/4 oak. I did it in the Drumgeon and I can do it fast but that’s a big space and the boss doesn’t want a wood floor in case of a water issue…
The pisser is, everything requires something before it. It’s hard to push forward because I get an idea to do something and when I get down there it’s “oh yeah, I need to relocate that first” and nothing happens. On top of the steady flow of other stuff to do.
Another year has passed without touching my truck too…
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2010
- Messages
- 9,924
I had the SX-1050. It was a beautiful receiver in looks and performance. There is an SX-1250 for sale at Innovative Audio for $3850 CAD. All gone over and with warranty: Pioneer SX-1250 Receiver – Innovative Audio (iavscanada.com)
I sold the SX-1050 to finance the SX-1980:
There is no comparison between the SX-1980 and even the SX-1250/80. I demoed the SX-1250/80. I know in internet circles there are lot of naysayers who dislike the SX-1980 over the lower-power-producing models. Oh well, I've got one and they don't.
Nando.
I sold the SX-1050 to finance the SX-1980:
There is no comparison between the SX-1980 and even the SX-1250/80. I demoed the SX-1250/80. I know in internet circles there are lot of naysayers who dislike the SX-1980 over the lower-power-producing models. Oh well, I've got one and they don't.
Nando.
Let’s resurrect the resurrection thread!
Inordered the record sleeves and poly bags from Amazon and I had some adhesive vinyl in my cart so… here it is!
I wasn’t sure which color to get, so I got both. I like the “black walnut” but the “brown” is a closer match. Let’s peel off the old film:
Plastic razor blades are the best invention since toilet paper. Peels the outer layer right off.
There’s some bad rear corners, but the smaller areas I repair with CA and kicker. Way faster.
Can you tell where the bulbs were? That foil will help here. That far one was the worst. The tan under layer came right up exposing the wood.
Not bad eh?
Inordered the record sleeves and poly bags from Amazon and I had some adhesive vinyl in my cart so… here it is!
I wasn’t sure which color to get, so I got both. I like the “black walnut” but the “brown” is a closer match. Let’s peel off the old film:
Plastic razor blades are the best invention since toilet paper. Peels the outer layer right off.
There’s some bad rear corners, but the smaller areas I repair with CA and kicker. Way faster.
Can you tell where the bulbs were? That foil will help here. That far one was the worst. The tan under layer came right up exposing the wood.
Not bad eh?
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2021
- Messages
- 482
- Location
- near Liverpool, NY
- Tagline
- Lifelong student / listening = bliss
Wow! Here's a link back to the before photo (Image #6) so that the reader can compare them side to side.
It's looks 'factory'. Nice! If it sounds as nice as it looks I have no doubt that you will be able to find it a good home...
3D
PS - Thanks for the tip about the plastic razor blades. Sometimes you get to learn a whole day's worth of knowledge simply by looking at a single action photo. (!)
It's looks 'factory'. Nice! If it sounds as nice as it looks I have no doubt that you will be able to find it a good home...
3D
PS - Thanks for the tip about the plastic razor blades. Sometimes you get to learn a whole day's worth of knowledge simply by looking at a single action photo. (!)
