Pioneer Cs-787 (Ultra HD)

: Bass reflex design with a wood finish, often including removable front cloth grilles.

They are popular for collectors looking for nostalgia or affordable entry-level vintage gear. Current market listings on sites like HifiShark show prices ranging from approximately €70 to €200 depending on condition. Usage Tips

Pioneer’s typical approach was the "Kabuki" school of design: massive woofers, multiple midranges, super tweeters, and lattice grilles. The CS-787 broke that mold. It was Pioneer’s attempt to build an speaker (a sealed box, not a ported one), pioneered by Acoustic Research in the 50s. This meant tighter bass, slower roll-off, and a requirement for serious amplifier grunt.

Managing a 4-way system requires a complex crossover network. The CS-787 features level controls on the front baffle, allowing the user to adjust the output of the mid-range and high frequencies to compensate for room acoustics—a standard feature in vintage floor speakers that allowed for a degree of customization in the pre-digital equalization era. pioneer cs-787

: A 2.5-inch (66mm) cone tweeter delivers crisp upper-register details up to the human ceiling of 20 kHz. 2. Bass Reflex Enclosure

The sound profile of the CS-787 is energetic, forward, and heavily colored by its design.

Buying and maintenance tips

While high-end audiophiles might categorize the CS-series as "mid-level" compared to Pioneer’s legendary HPM line, the CS-787 holds a respected place among vintage enthusiasts.

To fully appreciate the CS-787, it is essential to understand where it fits within the broader narrative of Pioneer's speaker development. The late 1960s and 1970s were the golden era of the Pioneer CS (Cabinett Series) line. These were the massive, eye-catching floor-standers that often featured an intimidating array of up to six drivers on a single baffle, housed in heavy, furniture-grade wooden cabinets with distinctive lattice grilles. These "Kabuki" speakers—a term sometimes used to describe Japanese speakers from this era that prioritized visual spectacle and multiple drivers—were known for their unique sonic character and striking looks.

In the golden era of hi-fi, roughly from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, Pioneer was a titan. They gave us the legendary SX-series receivers, the unkillable PL- turntables, and the iconic HPM-100 speakers. But nestled quietly in the catalogs of 1979, priced just below the flagship HPM models, sat a curious and often overlooked beast: the . : Bass reflex design with a wood finish,

Let’s take a deep dive into the specs, the sound, the build quality, and the modern-day value of the .

Reviewers from forums like Reddit note that while they offer a classic vintage aesthetic, they were originally entry-level speakers made of chipboard rather than solid wood.

They are widely considered an excellent choice for budget-conscious vinyl listeners or those setting up a "period-correct" vintage audio system from the mid-80s. Market Value and Collecting Usage Tips Pioneer’s typical approach was the "Kabuki"

Over 40 years, the capacitors in the internal crossover networks can dry out or drift in value. Replacing old capacitors with modern, high-quality audio capacitors can instantly restore the high-end sparkle and midrange clarity.

The engineering inside the CS-787 reflects the "East Coast" sound influence—warm, rich, and room-filling—despite Pioneer being a Japanese firm.