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The
Pioneer SX-34 model was one of the smallest, cheapest and most
beautiful tube receivers. It also appeared under the symbol Allied
/ Knight 333. It was a confirmation that the Japanese tried to
penetrate every gap in the market while American companies did not
pay attention to such segments. It was quickly modernized and
replaced with the SX-34B model. The two versions of the SX-34
differed little. The older version had a signal level indicator in
the form of a 6E5 "magic eye", slide switches on the front panel
and a mono / stereo switch (but only for the AUX input) on the
rear panel. The successor with the letter "B" has been modernized
- the "magic eye" 6E5 has been replaced with a mechanical pointer
and new rocker type switches have been introduced. A Mono / Stereo
switch has also been added on the front of the receiver.
The dimensions of the receiver are 355 mm x 402 mm x 139 mm and it
was clearly the smallest of the tube amplifiers on the market at
that time. Its weight - 10 kg - made it very easy to assemble and
transport. The larger models sometimes weighed over 20 kg and were
much larger. Despite its small size, the SX-34 was a full-fledged
receiver, it had 14 tubes inside, something like this that had
never been produced in Europe. The power amplifier was built on
6BM8 / ECL82 pairs working in a Push & Pull configuration with
automatic bias. The power specified by the manufacturer was 2 x 11
Watts. In fact, it was lower, and the size of the power
transformers also limited the lower frequency response. The baby
was equipped with a preamplifier for a magnetoelectric turntable
with RIAA characteristics. The tuner was a very decent
construction - good sensitivity and very good separation. FM head
was a module AM0107 with one 6AQ8 / ECC85 tube. The MPX decoder
was a MA0106 module with two 6AQ8 / ECC85 and 6AN8 tubes. The
stereo indicator was a neon lamp. As it happens with such neon
lights, it did not always work precisely. The SX-34 enabled the
reception of medium waves - AM. The volume control was also a
balance control. The voice potentiometer is a rarity - double
independent. The inner axis is one channel, the outer axis is the
other. Budget solution reducing production costs. Apart from the
SX-34 (B), such a solution was used by Kenwood in the KW-44 /
KW-33 models. The bass and treble controls are standard designs -
double potentiometers with a common shaft. The receiver also has a
"Loundness - Contour" switch. |
