dragonite Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 (edited) SOLD Item: Pioneer A-400 Amplifier MM/MC PHONO Location: SE of Melbourne Price: sold elsewhere (will donate if sold here), Item Condition: very excellent conditions. Reason for selling: surplus Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: Pioneer Legendary A-400 amplifier, it's NAD 3020 competitor but consider it's better than NAD 3020. All the swithes/controls has been serviced and working quietly and smoothly without any abnormal noise. Working 100%, no problem observed. support both MM and MC, banana plug is supported. it's in ver excellent cosmetic conditions except minor scatches on both side top edge, it's hard to notice. It has sign of use on the power button. Lots of sells are higher price and worse condition, if can't sold this weekend will list somewhere else. Read this. Pictures: Edited July 23, 2018 by dragonite 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockford Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 I think that is the A-400 (which was made in Japan) and is better than the A-400x. (IMHO) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audionerd Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 You're correct Rockford. It's important to distinguish between the two, as the A-400x was not a patch on the legendary A-400 for some reason, which we never understood at the time. Luckily, the photo reveals that dragonite has the better model. I also have one I'd gladly sell to help whittle down the collection slightly, if anyone misses out here. (Melbourne NE) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard73 Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 Yep it's an A 400, the x from memory dropped the headphone jack & had bi-wire terminals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonite Posted June 16, 2018 Author Share Posted June 16, 2018 thanks for correcting me, yes, it's A-400, not A-400x. The subject changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard73 Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 1 minute ago, Audionerd said: You're correct Rockford. It's important to distinguish between the two, as the A-400x was not a patch on the legendary A-400 for some reason, which we never understood at the time. Luckily, the photo reveals that dragonite has the better model. I also have one I'd gladly sell to help whittle down the collection slightly, if anyone misses out here. (Melbourne NE) I had both and frankly didn't hear a huge difference between them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audionerd Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 It could easily depend on how revealing the system was. Being in the audio trade at the time these models were current, I can still remember the difference after all these years, and how shocked my colleagues and I were. We had expected Pioneer to build on the quality they had achieved with an amp in its price range, not go backwards! Anyway, it's all academic now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lansche plasma guy Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 I was also in and out of the audio trade back then and have owned a few A-400 amps in my time (having read Ken Kesslers rave review like pretty much everyone else back then and also the review where a famous reviewer had replaced his Krell mono blocks with two A400 amps and preferred them. They could even drive Apogee Stages to decent levels, which were pretty hard to drive and in my small system it drove my Duntech PCL-15's to decent levels. The Duntechs were about 83 db, had a cruel impedance and nasty phase shifts which wasn't helped by the heavy felt damper they glued to the cone. One of the best matches i had was with the Apogee Centaurus and another wonderful and surprising pairing was with the stripped down original Quad Electrostatic where it sounded superb. In general i also preferred the original a400 but in some systems the a400x was better. It wasn't related to how revealing the system was at all. The x was a little softer and slower but also had better timbre. It just came down to what system it was in and what it suited. They are both great amps and in they're day were huge giant killers. Great integrateds if they're in really good nic for the sort of money they go for these days. LPG 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rantan Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 @Grizzly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mach1 Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 (edited) Wait until you hear a Tom Evans A300R Precision.... Pioneer were really on a roll at the time. Edited June 16, 2018 by mach1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bvuka2013 Posted June 16, 2018 Share Posted June 16, 2018 (edited) 20 hours ago, Richard73 said: Yep it's an A 400, the x from memory dropped the headphone jack & had bi-wire terminals. Correct, the only disadvantage with the A400Xs biwire binding posts is that they don’t accept banana plugs/spades of any kind, strictly cable screw down, not sure of any changes internally...AND it had a detachable powercord fitted The A400X was my first true HiFi amp in the 90s after having upgraded from a Pioneer receiver. Still have it, love the sound, still bring it out every now & then for a listen GLWTS Edited June 17, 2018 by bvuka2013 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mendes Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 25 minutes ago, bvuka2013 said: The A400X was my first true HiFi amp in the 90s +1 same .....great buying for someone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 15 hours ago, rantan said: @Grizzly I had one of these back in Darwin. Stupidly good for the price! All of my funds will be tied up in VFET related activities though so no revisiting for now. My brother has a very tidy A400 driving some rare and nice Denon speakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock Robster Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 pm sent with intention to listen and purchase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giddyup1 Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 Ah my very first amp. Brought back some memories. If I had a man cave I’d grab it. GLWS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lem Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 My first amplifier purchase too. Bought from Audionerd a long time ago. It's a little ripper, still going strong in system #3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djb Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 @lebowski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lebowski Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 4 hours ago, djb said: @lebowski LOL... thanks for for thinking of me David however I have way to many Amps in my life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonite Posted June 19, 2018 Author Share Posted June 19, 2018 It's still available.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonite Posted July 23, 2018 Author Share Posted July 23, 2018 sold elsewhere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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