Elite by Pioneer

Welcome to my site dedicated to Pioneer's Elite stereo equipment

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KLH 17 Project
Main System
M-91 Repair
TX-900 Restoration
Elite Catalog 1989
Pioneer Catalog 1989



 

Pioneer TX-900 SA-900
I recently finished a new project with a Pioneer TX-900 tuner that I picked up off of Ebay.  Plans are in the works to also go through a matching SA-900 Amplifier I purchased too.  For more details on the work with the TX-900 look for the link on the left side.

Teac A-4300SX - Dumpster Diving at its best
A few months back I went dumpster diving and found a gem of a Reel to reel.  At the time I was frequenting the local Salvation Army thrift stores looking for any cool used gear.  Most of the time it was a frugal attempt.  But one day, I took a load of used cloths to drop off when I noticed a something in a cart covered with trash.  Upon clearing the crap off of it was minty looking Teac A-4300SX tape deck.  It had a few dings in the wood panels, but the face plate was in perfect condition, not a scratch on it

Back at home I took it for a quick spin and found that the pinch roller pivot arm had seized up along with some of the tension arms.  A little lubricant took care of that and now I have probably one of the best performing tape decks ever.  This coming from a guy with an Pioneer RT-701 deck that runs great and sounds great.  The Teac just has a smoother operating tape transport whereas the Pioneer is a bit more rough.  Plus I think the Teac is just an over all easier unit to work on, simple design construction, and built very rugged.

Service Repair
I've actually had quite a few people contact me regarding issues with their M-91 amplifier.  I'm flattered by inquires and do try responding when I have the time.  But by all means what worked for me may not work for you.  Your situation could be unique and going at your amp with a soldering iron in hand with out knowing the potential dangers of working on electronics could be dangerous to you and your gear.  So please use good judgment before attempting work on your own.  You may cause more damage that will only make the service tech smile when he bills you for twice the labor in fixing your oops. :)

While on this subject, I've had some people inquire about my services in repairing.  I've considered pursuing this as a side job, but I'm just a little hesitant to take on some monstrous amplifier or BS'ing about my abilities.  At this point I'm working with one fella who feels comfortable sending me his Spec-4.  I know this is his baby, and him willing to trust me to work on his pride and joy speaks volumes.  So when and if this project gets off the ground, I'll be posting the progress of it.  Hopefully the feedback I receive will be positive.

About
Pioneer Elite has for years been one of my favorite and most desired stereo components.  However, as much as I loved this equipment, I was never able to afford it when it was first produced. 

In 1987, I started working at a stereo retailer in West Central, IL.  This was one of my first part time jobs in High School.  I must say this was a hell of an experience.  I learned a lot and had a great time working there.  During this time frame Pioneer began marketing there new Elite components.  I immediately loved the look, feel and build quality of the components.  The first pieces I saw were the previous 86' model year A-88x and A-77x integrated Amps.  By 1987 Pioneer was showing off the release of there legendary M-90 and C-90 components, and oooh how I wanted them.  I still remember we played a Telarc CD of Star Trek and literally blew the woofers out of a pair of brand new speakers we hooked up to this mammoth amp. It ripped the rubber surround right off the woofer cone.  Ironically, these speakers were produced by NEC, and we could never get replacement for the drivers.  Nothing like a bunch of sales people trashing a pair of $700 speakers within 10 minutes of opening the box.

Anyway, the problem I had in purchasing this Elite equipment is, it's kinda hard to save enough money at 3.35$ an hour to pay for it all.  So in the end, I decided to purchase the top end standard Pioneer Integrated Amp and components.  I still own these but currently have them in storage until my son or daughter are old enough to appreciate having them.  Lets just say if they don't, then they'll make a good down payment on a nice set of speakers. :-)

This consisted of the following
A-717 Integrated Amp, 100W per channel
F-717 AM/FM Tuner
PD-7100  Single CD player
CTS-800 Single 3 head Cassette Deck
DSS-7 Pioneer 3 way Speakers

For comments and/or questions you may contact me at "mts7471 at hotmail.com"

- Mike

 

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