To understand the CS-787, you must understand the era. 1976 was the peak of the "Receiver War." Pioneer’s own SX-1250 (a 160-watt-per-channel behemoth) was sitting on showroom floors. Speakers of the day needed two things: high power handling and high efficiency.
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 acoustic suspension 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. pioneer cs-787
If you buy a used pair of Pioneer CS-787 speakers today, you will likely need to do some maintenance. To understand the CS-787, you must understand the era
If you judge the CS-787 by its "Kabuki" reputation, you expect a honky, disjointed, shouty mess. You’d be wrong. The secret weapon: Those front knobs aren't a gimmick
Powered by a vintage Pioneer SX-980 or similar receiver, the CS-787 reveals its true nature: warm, effortless, and room-filling.
The secret weapon: Those front knobs aren't a gimmick. With modern digital sources (which tend to be brighter), you can dial the midrange down 2dB and the highs up 1dB to balance the response beautifully. When adjusted correctly, the CS-787 becomes a very enjoyable "listening" speaker, not just a "party" speaker.