🚀 go-pugleaf

On Mon, 21 Feb 2000 21:51:04 GMT, Jonathan Tranter
<jonathan@wolves4westbrom2.no-spamdemon.co.uk> wrote:

>Hi! 
>
>I was wondering if anybody had any comments regarding the Pioneer A305-R
>amplifier, I think it's been discontinued now so therefore isn't in the
>What Hi-fi buyers guide. 
>
>I've noticed that subsequent Pioneer models haven't done very well in
>the aforementioned magazine, did they take a downturn does anybody know?
>It's just that I've recently got a NAD 540 CD player and was thinking of
>upgrading my Pioneer too. 

Downturn, yes maybe about 20 years ago. Virtually all pioneer amps
that I have heard sound very thin.  They just dont put any weight into
the music.  There is a huge difference in quality between budget amps.
Try a NAD 3120 and you'll hear what I mean, providing the speakers are
of good quality (eg Missions or AE).

There is one Pioneer amp that does give excellent sound quality.  This
is the A-400X.  Its difficult to find a more natural transparent sound
at this price ($600).  But its not suited to speakers that are really
difficult to drive, though better than other Pioneer amps.  The A400X
has been around for about 6 years, and I thought it might be
discountinued, but I saw one in Grace bros Sydney city a couple of
weeks ago.  It dosent have remote control though.

In the same marketing vein as the A-400X, pioneer released the A-300P
(precision) a couple of years ago. This is less powerful, and from all
reports not in the same league.  Beware that Pioneer power figures are
generally inflated, partly because they often quote DIN (4ohm) power.

regards,
Johnny.