The revival of the Pioneer SX-550
4/3/2022
Translation: Megan Cornish
The late ’70s receiver looks – and sounds – great after a visual freshen up. It gives me back a bit of my youth. Unfortunately, there’s a fundamental problem with devices of this age.
There’s a big clear-out operation underway at my parents’ house, sorting out knick-knacks that have been accumulated over decades. It was during this project that I unexpectedly bumped into an old friend: the receiver that I used to fill our living room with music when I was young.
It’s a Pioneer SX-550 from the late 1970s. I have a weakness for Hi-Fi sets from this era. Simply because they look good. I prefer silver to black – and the analogue displays, such as a VU meter with needles, have always appealed to me. In the case of this receiver, a needle displays that the tuner has been received. The frequency indicator with its slim typeface looks incredibly elegant.
However, the Lee family’s version doesn’t look quite so good. It lay in the cellar for decades, probably in a box under the workbench. It’s covered in sawdust in any case, and it’s really dirty too.
I tentatively open a few boxes. Because of the desolate appearance of the Hi-Fi, I don’t have high expectations. However, amazingly, it doesn’t just switch on; it makes sounds. It sounds really good. The most surprising thing is that the potentiometer is still completely fine. There’s no crackle, whether I turn the bass, treble, balance or volume dials.
I decide to take the receiver home with me.
A little service
Armed with a vacuum cleaner and a damp cloth, I started by removing the worst of the dirt from the outside. The front has ugly, outdated little stickers indicating the different radio stations that can mostly be easily removed. However, the ones that were added with adhesive tape are pretty stubborn.
It looks like a spider has made itself comfortable inside. I try my best to remove what it left behind. Of three bulbs on the front display, only one still works, but the lights aren’t easy to replace as they’re soldered in place. For the first one, I make do with relocating the light that still works from the edge to the centre.
Next up, I pull out the different sliders to clean them and the front panel better. Isopropanol is a fast route to a satisfactory outcome.
There's wood chipboard on the sides of the Hi-Fi, which is covered with a decorative wood film. In other words, a fake wood effect. The coating is coming off at the edges. Luckily, it's really easy to remove without leaving any residue.
I could get hold of a new decorative film and cover it. Instead, I decide to paint the panel black. After all, the deck is black, too. I don’t think three different surfaces – silver, black and wood effect – look great design-wise. I’d prefer just two.
The result is great.
And, more gratifyingly, the oldie sounds phenomenal! The sound is clear, balanced and pleasant. Unlike other speakers, I never find myself trying to tinker with the equalizer. There’s no need to optimise anything.
A complete renovation?
Of course, I could do a lot more. Solder in new bulbs. Take the whole thing apart and clean it more thoroughly. The rotary control doesn’t crackle, but the buttons sometimes do. Probably because they’re dirty.
As I love the Hi-Fi, it would be worth putting more effort into it. But there’s a problem: the transformers are over 40 years old. They could give up the ghost at any moment. I think, if I put much more effort into it, I’d also have to change the capacitors, which is a little beyond my current level of knowledge. But that might be about to change – I’ll keep you posted.
Until then, the receiver will stay in my living room, where it delivers good sound and good vibes. Hopefully for a long time to come.
David Lee
Senior Editor
David.Lee@digitecgalaxus.chMy interest in IT and writing landed me in tech journalism early on (2000). I want to know how we can use technology without being used. Outside of the office, I’m a keen musician who makes up for lacking talent with excessive enthusiasm.
