Pioneers: Which ones had recessed LCDs, and which had flush/covered LCDs?

[Dave Britten]

I've seen several of the Pioneer models available with both the earlier LCD that has a protective cover roughly flush with the front surface, and the newer LCD that's recessed, and has no protective outer covering.

Which models were available with which kinds of displays, and is one or the other particularly rare for these models? I've tried to do a bit of an informal survey, but my sample sizes are limited to what I have, or what I've seen in auction listings.

10B - Recessed only?
14B - Flush only?
17B - Flush only?
17BII - Recessed only?
20S - Recessed only?
21S - Recessed only?
22S - Flush only?
27S - Both, recessed seems less common
32S - Both, recessed seems less common
32SII - Recessed only?
42S - Both, recessed screen maybe a bit more common?

[rprosperi]

I'd say you got them all right on which types exisit.

There are photos floating around of a 22S with recessed display (including on that model's page here on the Museum) but it has been confirmed (at HHC 2019) that this style model was never manufactured or sold, though some prototypes obviously did leak out, possibly becoming some of the rarest of the extent Pioneers.

As for how common the types are, it's difficult to say for sure, but your observations generally agree with mine, except the 42S seems to be available in roughly equal quantities.

Of course there were also color variations of the 10B, 20S, 17BII, and 32SII, which all came with the very late black soft case (vs. the soft brown for all the middle production and the vinyl style for the very early ones (22S, 27S and 42S for sure, not sure about but probably also the 17B and 32S)).

[Dave Britten]

Yeah, 42S looked like it could go either way, since I had a pretty small sample size to work with.

Is there any general consensus on which style is better? e.g. it seems like the flush/covered model offers more protection, but slightly affects visibility, and can trap dust.

[rprosperi]

Obviously it's subjective, but most people (that I've discussed it with) tend to agree on these points (which you also note):

The flat/raised style tend to allow dust under the glass cover.

The recessed units tend to be easier to read/more clear, as there is no glare from the covering lens and 1 less layer to see through.

The recessed units are easier to read from the side (not straight above).

As for aesthetics, I like the looks of the recessed style much better, but other folks should share their comments.

[cdmackay]

(11-20-2019 07:53 PM)rprosperi Wrote:  The flat/raised style tend to allow dust under the glass cover.

as an aside, my 42S of that style indeed has an annoying dust speck right in the middle; any suggestions as to removing it? I believe that opening the case isn't recommended. I tried a blower in various places… thanks.

[rprosperi]

(11-21-2019 12:11 AM)cdmackay Wrote:  as an aside, my 42S of that style indeed has an annoying dust speck right in the middle; any suggestions as to removing it? I believe that opening the case isn't recommended. I tried a blower in various places… thanks.

Blowing air into the small holes in the back under the door sometimes works, but other times not so much. I know it has worked for me on more than one occasion, but then refused to work on other attempts. These differing results likely were on different machines, so it's hard to generalize, but the good news is it can't hurt to try it. Use canned air for electronics which is certain to be quite dry, and not from an industrial compressor, which can contain oils and/or moisture.

Also, one time after failing with the air, I was able to remove a spec of dust stuck under the cover glass by tapping the covering widow sharply with an eraser. To my surprise, this worked. But the dust is still in there, and could be back at any time. Obviously don't hit too hard, as the cover can and will break; I think the key is sharpness of the hit, not strength. Maybe try to drop the eraser (or other small/soft object) onto the screen.

[cdmackay]

thanks again Bob!