Pioneer Exclusive M5

Pioneer Exclusive M5a

Pioneer Exclusive M6

1 9 8 3 1983
June
1 9 8 8 june 1988
1 9 9 1 1991

While the vast majority of Pioneer's Exclusives was NOT exported, the M6 was.

I believe the M6 to be the export-only version of the M5 bestseller - with the added XLR input of the M5a...
As potential proof, the image below was printed around the M6 in a rare european catalog but it isn't the M6 : it is the M5a !

However, the basic circuit for all three versions (M5, M5a and M6) comes directly from the M-Z1 and C-Z1.
Furthermore, Pioneer's technical papers for the M6 describe the latter as an M5 - so this post can therefore count as covering both the M6 and the M5.

The differences between the M5 and M5a are centered around the upgraded caps (see below) and the added XLR input.

Anyway - the M6 is a 300W in pure Class A powerhouse of the non-NFB kind, with Pioneer's SLC (Super Linear Circuit) in upgraded form.
The chassis is carbon-coated aluminium, the two big transformers are rubber-damped and housed in internally damped resin cases for no no no vibrations.

The three polycarbonate / polypropylene caps are shielded by a resin case and tube.
The PCBs are of glass epoxy and the tracks of 99,99% pure OFC copper, eight times thicker than usual.
The PNP and NPN transistors in the SLC are matched pairs for common-mode non-linearity which remain mirror images of each other : reverse-connected, they make linear amplification possible by eliminating distortion due to non-linearity.

As for the M5a, the input is doubled with either balanced XLR or RCA terminals, with a ground post just in case. Speaker terminals are gold-plated and e x t r a large.
Special feet, special power-cord, ultra-select componentry etc - of course.

Dynamically, the M6 can output 700W at 4 Ohm and 1000W at 2 Ohm - in pure Class A ! (!)

If we judge by the astounding amount of M-Z1, MZ-1a and M5 sold in Japan, Pioneer's Exclusive amplifiers must have been also a bit... supreme :)


This post was made possible by Yves Braeckman who provided the nice images you see here and Pioneer's french division which did keep in storage most of the literature (and gear) related to Pioneer's long history in high-end audio.

Sadly, all went trash in july 2010 before I could reach that treasure, thanks to a bumble-head (I'm being very polite here) who promised plenty but finally didn't do s___.

Pioneer Exclusive M5, image 1 Pioneer Exclusive M5, image 2
Pioneer Exclusive M5 specifications
Title Value
Power output : 1x 300W (8 Ohm, 20Hz...20Khz, M5)
1x 300W (8 Ohm, 20Hz...20Khz, M5a)
Inputs : 1V / 50kOhm (M5)
1,5V / 50kOhm (M5a, unbalanced)
1,5V / 600 Ohm (M5a, balanced)
PC : 250W (M5)
400W (M5a)
Dimensions : 46,8 x 20,3 x 41cm (M5)
43,8 x 20,3 x 41,7cm (M5a)
Weight : 25,6kg (M5)
26,3kg (M5a)
List price : 430,000¥ (M5, 1982)
500,000¥ (M5a, 1988)
page online since : april 2008
page updated : not yet
page type : LGT / KNB
page weight : 151.35 Kb / 0 b
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