1976 PIONEER SX-1250 RECEIVER

"The Legend"

The 1976 Pioneer SX-1250 set the audio world on its ears in 1976. Pioneer's SX-1010 had signaled the start of the Power Wars but was quickly topped by the Marantz 2325, the Sansui 9090 and the Kenwood KR-9400. So, Pioneer, not to be outdone by its erstwhile rivals, launched the SX-1250. The "all Silver" look quickly took hold and was copied by all the other manufacturers. The "Blue Light" era was over!

But, the SX-1250 was about much more than cosmetics. IT WAS BUILT LIKE A TANK! The Toroidal Transformer power supply is still considered one of the best ever, with 4 22,000 mfd Filter Capacitors. In fact, even though the subsequent SX-1280 was rated at 185 wpc, 20 wpc more than the SX-1250, the 4 Filter Caps in the SX-1280 were only 15,000 mfd.

The construction quality of the SX-1250 was superlative as shown below, with heavy shielding over every section. This was surely the height of Japanese construction quality. And, the specifications of the SX-1250 were competitive with some of the finest separates. All in all, a "tour de force". That's why so many owners swear by it (and not at it) after having owned it almost 30 years!

Faceplate	3/4 View	Internal View

Written by Chris Opfell