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Pioneer C-21
Specifications were impressive, to say the least. Frequency response in the Phono section was 20 to 20,000 Hz +/- 0.2dB; it was 10 to 100,000 Hz +0 dB, -0.2 dB on Aux1 and 3 to 300,000 Hz +0 dB, -1.0dB on Aux2 ! Total harmonic distortion was a mere 0.01%. This was most definitely in the audiophile arena of performance. The C-21 had a list price of $390.00. It measured 16.53 inches wide, 3.19 inches high and 14.06 inches deep. It weighed 13 pounds, 14 ounces. |
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Pioneer designed
the C-21 Preamplifier to work in conjunction with the M-22 or the M-25
amplifier in the Series 20 line. The control layout was simple and
uncluttered. Front left to right, they were Power, Gain (left and right), Tape
monitor, Volume, Cartridge Load (adjustable for resistance and capacitance), and
selector knob for Phono, Subsonic Phono, Aux1 and Aux 2.
Pioneer
stated the C-21 was mainly assembled by hand using the finest grade circuit
parts. These included Nichrome-vaporized, metal-coated resistors,
metallized polypropylene capacitors, metallized polyester film capacitors,
super-low noise electrolytic capacitors, and a large power supply transformer
having an oriented core with separate secondary windings for the left and right
channels with additional shielding to further reduce crosstalk. Even the
contact points inside each gain pot were silver palladium treated and resistors
were palladium and silver alloy. The total number of semiconductors
included 36 transistors and 47 diodes. The quality of the electronic parts
that went into the C-21 made for a wonderfully transparent and accurate
preamplifier.