The Pioneer SX-1050 is another legend in the world of HiFi, a vintage stereo receiver that is also the smaller brother of SX-1250. It may not be as powerful as the SX-1250 but the Pioneer SX-1050 still has plenty of muscles to drive quite a number of speakers with ease. The question is which speakers are suitable to match with this classic stereo receiver so that they can sound their absolute best.
With so many speakers out there, in order to find the right ones to pair up with Pioneer SX-1050, we must first learn more about the vintage receiver sonic characteristics. Finding out about its strengths and limitations will help a lot as well. With such information, we will then be able to find the best speakers to match with the Pioneer SX-1050.
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Sonic Characteristics and Important Specifications of Pioneer SX-1050
The Pioneer SX-1050 shares a similar aesthetic design with the SX-1250 and looks like a stereo receiver that means business. With a power output of 120 Watts per channel into 8 Ohms and 170 Watts per channel into 4 Ohms, the Pioneer SX-1050 is really powerful, even by today’s standards. The frequency response is between 20Hz-20kHz and with these specifications, this classic stereo receiver can drive most bookshelf speakers with ease and floor-standing speakers will be potential choices for the Pioneer SX-1050 as well. This does open up a lot of speaker options for us and it is difficult to find a suitable speaker price range since the SX-1050 pricing varies a lot in the used/refurbished market.
Classic stereo receivers such as the Pioneer SX-1050 sure look sophisticated when compared to the minimalistic design of most modern integrated amplifiers. The Pioneer SX-1050 will definitely match well with vintage design loudspeakers and if your listening room is retro-themed, this pioneer stereo receiver will certainly fit in nicely. The bulky size and the weight does make it difficult to find a spot especially if you are facing space constraints.
The Pioneer SX-1050 is capable of projecting a large soundstage that has ample depth and height. The soundstage alone already attracted our attention as we were enchanted by its grandeur. The stereo imaging and separations are impeccable, defining each musician on the big stage with precision. The music performance is been played out with accuracy, the presentation is lush and rich with details. Including intricate musical nuances that further engage you to keep listening and just keep feeding it more of your favorite songs.
There is a sense of realism and you can say the overall musical performance is just vivid. You can push up the volume and the Pioneer SX-1050 doesn’t complain, it doesn’t strain the sound quality as well. The sound reproduction has the right amount of warmth and clarity, providing a natural sound quality that is pleasing and easy on the ears. The bass performance is impressive as well, it is tightly controlled and punches when it needs to. The bass is clean and rich, blending in nicely with the rest of the higher frequencies. We do feel that the Pioneer SX-1050 is an all-rounder that can handle almost all sorts of music genres but maybe not the bass-heavy soundtracks like EDM, trance, dubstep, etc.
It is a remarkable stereo receiver that has withstood the sand of time and is still able to impress audiophiles with its outstanding sonic performance. The overall sound reproduction is clean, detailed, and has nice pacing with a hint of warmth, allowing you to listen to it without fear of the listener’s fatigue. The Pioneer SX-1050 also has enough muscles to handle almost all sorts of music peaks. With these details, we can now start listing out the best speakers which you can go for and match with this classic vintage stereo receiver Pioneer SX-1050.
Pioneer SX-1050 Specifications
- Power Outputs: 120 Watts per channel into 8 Ohms, 170 Watts per channel into 4 Ohms
- Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
- Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.1%
- Minimum Speaker Load Impedance: 4 Ohms
- Inputs: 2 Play/Tape inputs, 2 Phono inputs, 1 MIC input, 1 AUX input
- Outputs: Headphone output, 1 Pre-out, 2 Tape REC outputs
- Dimensions: 526mm x 173mm x 453.5mm (20.7″ x 6.8″ x 17.9″)
- Weight: 23.4kg (51.6lbs)
Best Speakers to pair with Pioneer SX-1050
The JBL STUDIO L890 would be a worthy match for your Pioneer SX-1050 stereo receiver as it is one of the best floor-standing speakers ever made. Furthermore, the L890 is sanely priced which makes it even more attractive. The JBL STUDIO L890 has an impressive frequency response of 28Hz to 40kHz, providing you with crisp highs and powerful deep bass reproduction. The scale of the sound is equally remarkable, easily fills a large listening room with musical presence and details. L890 has plenty of charm to it, just like the Pioneer SX-1050 and you should really grab the opportunity to have a listen.
More Details at Amazon – JBL L890 Floorstanding Loudspeaker
The Klipsch Heritage Forte III is a powerful full-range loudspeaker that has exceptional clarity and delivers crystal clear sound quality. The high efficiency of the Forte III enables the already muscular Pioneer SX-1050 to easily drive these Klipsch speakers to very high volumes that will rock your listening room with a vivid energetic performance. The insights of the Klipsch Heritage Forte III are excellent and do reveal bad recordings, the warmth of the SX-1050 does ease the hard edges a little which makes them suitably match with each other. The bass performance is natural, clean, and also musically detailed. It can get very bright sounding at times, you might want to hear them out first.
More Details at Amazon – Klipsch Heritage Forte III
If you like the vintage warm sonic characteristic, the Wharfedale Linton will be the ideal speaker partner for your Pioneer SX-1050 stereo receiver. The retro looks of the Lintons match well with the SX-1050 and their sonic characteristics are quite similar too. These loudspeakers are able to project a large-scale sound with brilliant dynamics and texture. The bass performance of the Wharfedale Linton is equally impressive, full-bodied, taut, and thumping. It may have that warmish sound reproduction but the separation of the instruments is still clear and precise. They will also be amazing for vinyl and other analog sources.
More Info at Amazon – Wharfedale Linton with Stands
There is a pair of modern floor-standing speakers that will fit well with the Pioneer SX-1050. The award-winning Q Acoustics Concept 40 is an elegantly designed floor-stander with exceptional sound quality and is modestly priced. The SX-1050 stereo receiver has the power to drive the Concept 40 and make them sing. This pair of floor-standing speakers may not be made in the same era but they have similar sonic characteristics with the Pioneer SX-1050 and adds in high levels of insights into the overall sound reproduction. Delivering a rich and insightful music presentation that doesn’t sound clinical and is pleasing to the ears.
More Info at Amazon – Q Acoustics Concept 40
The Klipsch Heritage Series Heresy IV is the latest iteration of the legendary Heresy which took the HiFi world by storm decades ago. The current successor is better, thanks to the upgrades and improvements over its sonic performance. The Pioneer SX-1050 is definitely powerful enough to drive these highly efficient loudspeakers with ease. The Klipsch Heresy IV is a well-balanced speaker delivering tight and deep bass that doesn’t overwhelm the higher frequencies. The midrange reproduction is even more brilliant with plenty of subtle details. The overall sonic reproduction is energetic, lively, and exciting, simply fantastic to listen to. The warmth of the SX-1050 also helps to soften the treble a little so that it won’t sound overly bright but we will suggest having an audition with them before making a decision.
More Info at Amazon – Klipsch Heritage Series Heresy IV
You can also go for a safer route which is to stick with the same brand as your SX-1050 stereo receiver. You can check out Pioneer HPM 100 which is one of the popular speaker choices to match the Pioneer SX-1050. Another vintage speaker will be the Pioneer CS 99A, a pair of classic floor-standing speakers that look impressive and sound great. The Pioneer HPM 150 is another ideal choice to check out. We wouldn’t recommend going for the newer Pioneer speaker models but it is still entirely up to you.
More Details at Amazon – Pioneer CS-99A Speakers
To Sum It Up
The Pioneer SX-1050 still sounds amazing and with the right pair of speakers, you can definitely bring out its charm. These are some of the best speakers to go for and you should definitely give them a chance by having a listen. See if you like what you hear and after getting the results from the speaker’s audition, you can use it to compare with other speaker models/brands as well. When auditioning vintage speakers, they need to be serviced and should be fully functional, also some drivers or components may have been replaced due to repairs which you should check with the dealer/owner first.
