Pioneer SX-3700 vintage stereo receiver with custom Ottawa Valley cherry cabinet — Radique Audio

Pioneer SX-3700 blue Fluoroscan digital display and silver faceplate — Radique Audio

Pioneer SX-3700 tone controls, balance, and tuning knob detail — Radique Audio

Pioneer

Pioneer SX-3700 Vintage Stereo Receiver – 45 WPC, Made in Japan

Price range: $895.00 through $1,095.00

The Pioneer SX-3700 — a 45 WPC early-’80s receiver with Pioneer’s iconic blue Fluoroscan display, serviced on our bench, with quartz-locked FM tuning and warm Pioneer sound.

✔️ Choose your cabinet: Ottawa Valley cherry, or the original Pioneer faux-walnut cabinet
✔️ Serviced and fully verified on our bench
✔️ 45 WPC, 5-digit Fluoroscan tuning display, MM phono, two switched AC outlets
✔️ Covered by Radique Warranty
✔️ Includes Perpetual Trade-Back Program eligibility
✔️ Expertly packed for safe shipping

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Description

Pioneer SX-3700 — Fluoroscan-Era Pioneer, in Ottawa Valley Cherry or Its Original Pioneer Cabinet

A beautiful example of early-1980s Pioneer engineering — the Pioneer SX-3700 stereo receiver, serviced on our bench and offered two ways: with its original cabinet lifted from its faux-walnut vinyl wrap and re-veneered by Radique Audio in genuine Ottawa Valley cherry, or still wearing the faux-walnut cabinet Pioneer built for it. The SX-3700 captures Pioneer at a unique transitional moment between pure analog design and the early digital era — quartz-locked FM tuning, the unmistakable blue Fluoroscan display, and the warm musical character Pioneer’s amplifier sections were celebrated for. Made in Japan, 1980–1982. Choose your cabinet above.

Sound and Performance

Rated at 45 watts per channel into 8 ohms with just 0.02% THD, the SX-3700 punches well above its modest wattage figure. Pioneer’s direct-coupled amplifier topology delivers tight, controlled bass, clear midrange, and extended highs with the kind of warm, engaging character that has earned this generation of Pioneer receivers a devoted following. The 10 Hz – 100 kHz frequency response and damping factor of 40 give it confident speaker control across a wide variety of loads, and the 79 dB (MM) / 95 dB (line) signal-to-noise figures mean vinyl playback reveals subtle musical detail without intrusive hum or hiss.

Exceptional Tuner Section

The FM tuner is genuinely one of the strongest mid-range tuner sections Pioneer ever shipped. A 4-gang tuning capacitor with varactor-controlled local oscillator and Pioneer’s P.D.Q. (Pioneer Digital/Quartz) quartz-servo lock keeps frequency rock-steady, while the 5-digit Fluoroscan readout displays tuning with precision well beyond the 4-digit displays of competing mid-range receivers of the era. The dual analog dial backup provides a classic visual element, and the result is FM reception quality that rivals tuners from far more expensive Pioneer models.

Design and Controls

The brushed silver faceplate is anchored by Pioneer’s iconic blue Fluoroscan digital display — the same striking glowing-blue meters seen on the SX-3800 — paired with traditional analog controls for that perfect transitional-era look. Independent bass, treble, and balance controls; MM phono input; auxiliary line input; two tape inputs with independent monitoring; stereo headphone output; dual speaker outputs supporting two pairs simultaneously; and two switched AC outlets on the rear for convenient turntable and accessory power. The control layout is clean, the action is smooth, and the visual presence is unmistakably Pioneer.

Choose Your Cabinet

Ottawa Valley cherry

This is the SX-3700’s original Pioneer cabinet, refinished by Radique Audio in genuine Ottawa Valley cherry veneer. Pioneer shipped these receivers in a faux-walnut vinyl wrap that rarely survives four decades intact; we strip it back to the bare carcass and re-veneer the top and sides in furniture-grade cherry, keeping the factory dimensions and profile exactly as designed while giving the receiver a presence the vinyl could only imitate.

The Ottawa Valley cherry veneer is solid, locally sourced, and finished to show off the wood’s warm reddish-gold grain. Cherry darkens and deepens beautifully with age and exposure to light, so this cabinet will only become more striking with the years. The pairing with the brushed silver faceplate and glowing-blue Fluoroscan display is genuinely stunning in person.

🌳 Caring for Your Cherrywood Cabinet

Each custom cherry cabinet is sanded to a silky 320-grit smoothness and hand-finished with boiled linseed oil and a final beeswax polish — no stains, no polyurethane, no synthetics. For tips on keeping it looking its best for decades, including safe cleaners, what to avoid, and how to manage sunlight exposure, see our Cherrywood Cabinet Care Guide. 👉

This SX-3700 has been freshly serviced and fully verified across all functions. The Fluoroscan display glows bright and even, the power meter responds accurately to signal input, FM tuning is precise and stable, all inputs deliver clean signal, and all controls operate smoothly without scratching or intermittence. Brought back to factory specification both electrically and operationally — ready to anchor a vintage system for many years to come.

Original Pioneer faux-walnut cabinet

This SX-3700 wears the cabinet it left the factory in: Pioneer’s faux-walnut vinyl-wrapped enclosure, in very good condition and free of marks. That factory finish rarely survives four decades unblemished; this one has, with the brushed silver faceplate and glowing-blue Fluoroscan display framed exactly as Pioneer designed them. See the photos for a close look.

This SX-3700 has been through our Level 1 service: every input, output and control tested, all pots and switches deep-cleaned and deoxidized, any blown indicator lamps replaced, and the power supply wiring checked and cleaned, followed by burn-in and sign-off testing on our bench. Like every unit we service, it then passed a second bench test by a different tech before being listed.

Pioneer SX-3700 Specifications

Tuning range: FM, MW (AM)
Power output: 45 W/ch into 8 ohms (stereo)
Frequency response: 10 Hz – 100 kHz
Total harmonic distortion: 0.02%
Damping factor: 40
Input sensitivity: 2.5 mV (MM phono), 150 mV (line)
Signal-to-noise ratio: 79 dB (MM phono), 95 dB (line)
FM tuner: 4-gang variable capacitor, P.D.Q. quartz-servo lock
Display: 5-digit blue Fluoroscan digital readout, analog dial backup
Tone controls: Independent bass, treble, balance
Phono input: 1 x MM
Tape inputs: 2 with independent monitoring
Outputs: Dual speaker outputs (two pairs), stereo headphone
AC outlets: 2 switched (rear)
Year of introduction: 1980–1982
Country of manufacture: Japan
Dimensions (W × D × H): 480 × 364 × 145 mm (18.9 × 14.3 × 5.7 inches)
Weight: 11.6 kg (25.6 lbs)
Cabinet: original Pioneer faux-walnut cabinet, or the original cabinet with the vinyl removed and the top and sides re-veneered by Radique Audio in genuine Ottawa Valley cherry

⚠️ Important Information for International Buyers

This receiver is configured for North American 110/120V power. Buyers outside North America will require a step-down transformer and appropriate plug adapter.

✅ Buy With Confidence — The Radique Promise

Backed by Radique’s Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty and our Perpetual Trade-Back Program. When you’re ready to move on, we’ll take it back. That’s the Radique difference.

📦 Watch how we protect your gear — our unboxing video.

📺 Curious about our business? Check out our YouTube channel for behind-the-scenes videos and more!

📞 Questions? Use the Ask a Question button above, or call us at 613-416-9995.

⭐ Don’t Just Take Our Word For It

Radique Audio holds over 600 customer ratings averaging 4.97 stars across six public platforms — Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji, Canuck Audio Mart, Google and others. Every rating lives somewhere we don’t control, so you can read the originals yourself, including the less flattering ones. See what our customers say. 👉

Additional information

Weight	28 lbs
Dimensions	18.33 × 23 × 9.7 in
Cabinet	Ottawa Valley cherry, Original Pioneer faux-walnut cabinet

About brand

Pioneer at Radique

We service Pioneer, too. Bring us your own Pioneer receivers, amplifiers, tuners, turntables, cassette decks and CD players for repair, servicing or restoration (not reel-to-reel decks), with a 90-day warranty on the work. See our Audio Service page

Pioneer began in Tokyo in January 1938, when Nozomu Matsumoto set up shop around the A-8 speaker he had built the year before. By the late 1970s its SX receivers were at the heart of the hi-fi power race. We carry Pioneer stereo receivers and AV receivers, CD players, cassette decks, tuners and equalizers. We've had more than 240 Pioneer listings so far, covering 140 different models. Every used Pioneer here is inspected, tested and serviced as required, then photographed in-house and covered by our Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty and Perpetual Trade-Back Program. Don't see the model you want? Tell us on First Dibs and we'll email you when one arrives.

Pioneer is one of our two top-selling brands of vintage amps and receivers, along with Marantz. Our five best-selling Pioneer models so far: the SX-650, SX-750, SX-580, SX-780 and SX-680, all vintage stereo receivers from the 1976 and 1978 SX families. We also offer our custom cherry cabinets for these vintage Pioneers, hand-made from all-natural Ottawa Valley cherry, and we've upgraded dozens of Pioneers with them so far.

The Pioneer story, 1938 to today

Nozomu Matsumoto developed the A-8 speaker in 1937, and in January 1938 he set up Fukuin Shokai Denki Seisakusho in Tokyo. "Pioneer" was first the name of that speaker. Some histories give 1936 in Osaka as the start, but Pioneer dates itself to January 1938 in Tokyo. The company was incorporated in 1947 and renamed Pioneer Electronic Corporation in 1961.

Stereo and the US. In 1962 Pioneer introduced the PSC-5A, which it calls the first stereo with separate speaker cabinets, and its first PL turntables. Pioneer Electronics U.S.A. was founded in New York in 1966.

The power race. After a 1974 US Federal Trade Commission rule tightened how amplifier power was rated, receiver makers competed on watts. Pioneer's SX-1250 of 1976 was rated at 160 watts per channel, and the SX-1980 of 1978 to 1980 at 270.

CD and Elite. The P-D1 of 1982 was Pioneer's first CD player, and Elite-branded components were on sale by 1985.

Today. Pioneer sold its home audio business to Onkyo in 2015, keeping its car and DJ businesses, and Pioneer-branded home theatre gear was later made under licence. In December 2025 CarUX, part of Taiwan's Innolux, completed its purchase of Pioneer Corporation, which now focuses on in-car products.

Which Pioneer is which?

Early-1970s SX receivers: models such as the SX-424 to SX-828, rated at about 15 to 50 watts per channel.

The 1976 "x50" SX receivers: from the SX-450 at 15 watts per channel up to the SX-1250 at 160. Our best-selling SX-650 and SX-750 come from this family.

The 1978 "x80" SX receivers: including the SX-580, SX-680 and SX-780 we sell most, up to the SX-1980 flagship with quartz-lock tuning, which weighs more than 35 kg.

Spec and Exclusive separates: higher-end amplifiers such as the Spec-1 preamplifier (1976 to 1980) and the Exclusive C3/M3 pair (1974).

Elite: Pioneer's upper line from the mid-1980s, for example the PD-9010X CD player.

PL turntables, CT cassette decks and CD players: PL turntables from 1962, such as the PL-12 and the linear-tracking PL-L1; CT decks such as the three-head CT-F1000; and CD players from the 1982 P-D1 to magazine-loading changers such as the PD-M6.

Buying used Pioneer: what to check

Controls and switches. Crackle when you turn a control or work a switch usually means dirt, and restorers clean every pot and switch.

Capacitors. Electrolytic capacitors in 1970s receivers are often past their best, and full restorations replace them.

Big SX models. Owners and restorers report heat stress on the power-supply board of large receivers such as the SX-1250. Ask what has been done.

Relay, lamps and bias. The protection relay is a common replacement, dial lamps burn out and are often converted to LED, and restorers set the bias and DC offset.

Cassette decks. Check the heads, fast-forward and rewind, Dolby and every button. Belts age even when the deck looks perfect.

Everything we list is inspected, tested and serviced as required here, and comes with our warranty.