RIP Pioneer AV Receiver

[fmw]

The low end VSX-522 appears to be heading for the graveyard. It takes about 15 minutes before it warms up enough to close those open solder joints on the circuit board and produce sound. It is in my bedroom system and it provided good service for 10 years so I can't complain.

I spent a couple of hours searching for a replacement. All I neeed is stereo sound, HDMI in and outputs, and a subwoofer output with bass management. It has to be shorter than 6 1/2" high to fit its home space. I settled on the Yamaha RXV385 which, apparently, just barely fits with its feet on. I can remove the feed ant get some ventilation up top.

Hope it works out. Fingers are crossed. Still using a Pioneer Elite AVR in the main home theater, though. I will miss that brand.

 

[TLS Guy]

The low end VSX-522 appears to be heading for the graveyard. It takes about 15 minutes before it warms up enough to close those open solder joints on the circuit board and produce sound. It is in my bedroom system and it provided good service for 10 years so I can't complain.

I spent a couple of hours searching for a replacement. All I neeed is stereo sound, HDMI in and outputs, and a subwoofer output with bass management. It has to be shorter than 6 1/2" high to fit its home space. I settled on the Yamaha RXV385 which, apparently, just barely fits with its feet on. I can remove the feed ant get some ventilation up top.

Hope it works out. Fingers are crossed. Still using a Pioneer Elite AVR in the main home theater, though. I will miss that brand.

I wish you luck. Those low end Yamaha receivers do not have a good reputation. It sounds to me as if your ventilation is likely totally inadequate. You need a far bigger space than what you describe, for any receiver. I think you need to describe "some ventilation" up top. On the face of it, this sounds like a nightmare amateur hour installation.

 

[fmw]

I wish you luck. Those low end Yamaha receivers do not have a good reputation. It sounds to me as if your ventilation is likely totally inadequate. You need a far bigger space than what you describe, for any receiver. I think you need to describe "some ventilation" up top. On the face of it, this sounds like a nightmare amateur hour installation.

Thanks for the encouragement. If it lasts 10 years it will outlive me.

 

[everettT]

The low end VSX-522 appears to be heading for the graveyard. It takes about 15 minutes before it warms up enough to close those open solder joints on the circuit board and produce sound. It is in my bedroom system and it provided good service for 10 years so I can't complain.

I spent a couple of hours searching for a replacement. All I neeed is stereo sound, HDMI in and outputs, and a subwoofer output with bass management. It has to be shorter than 6 1/2" high to fit its home space. I settled on the Yamaha RXV385 which, apparently, just barely fits with its feet on. I can remove the feed ant get some ventilation up top.

Hope it works out. Fingers are crossed. Still using a Pioneer Elite AVR in the main home theater, though. I will miss that brand.

There are plenty of options including b stock and used, your problem is that the air flow is brutal if that's your firment and I'm surprised the pioneer lasted this long, but some models do have side vents as well. You might have to sacrifice and get a low profile unit.

 

[fmw]

There are plenty of options including b stock and used, your problem is that the air flow is brutal if that's your firment and I'm surprised the pioneer lasted this long, but some models do have side vents as well. You might have to sacrifice and get a low profile unit.

It is strange that I have to defend myself but, since the feedback I am getting is without knowledge of my equipment use here goes.

I have a full size serious home theater. Those who have seen it and heard it are always impressed just like they are with yours. We aren't talking about that. The dead Pioneer is in my bedroom where I watch Dish Network about 7 feet from the screen while lying in bed. There is a stereo pair of speakers and a powered subwoofer. Most of my listening occurs with less than one watt of output power. The receiver barely feels warm and I didn't even remove the feet from it. If I watch a movie I crank it up to around 5 watts of output power for the duration of the show and it still is barely warm. A couple of inches of ventilation above the receiver are more than adequate. Now you know why the Pioneer lasted that long.

I would have bought another 522 if it were still available because it served my needs perfectly. I almost took a regular stereo integrated amp out of the closet to use but I wasn't thrilled with the idea of using an analog unit to handle digital programming even though the Dish unit has the connections. I'm a believer in HDMI. So I shopped. I had no interest in buying features I don't use and only cared about a unit that would let me watch Dish Network without spending money unnecessarily. The Yamaha has pretty good reviews for a budget receiver. Yes one can find reports of failures just like you can find for Bentleys and Rolexes. Overall it is more than adequate for the purpose and won't suffer overheating. Hope that helps you understand.

Like you I would recommend good ventilation for equipment that is being used to fill a room with realistic sound levels. My home theater does that and has plenty of ventilation. Trust me. There won't be a problem listening to sound levels of around -28 db.

 

[Bobby Bass]

The low end VSX-522 appears to be heading for the graveyard. It takes about 15 minutes before it warms up enough to close those open solder joints on the circuit board and produce sound. It is in my bedroom system and it provided good service for 10 years so I can't complain.

I spent a couple of hours searching for a replacement. All I neeed is stereo sound, HDMI in and outputs, and a subwoofer output with bass management. It has to be shorter than 6 1/2" high to fit its home space. I settled on the Yamaha RXV385 which, apparently, just barely fits with its feet on. I can remove the feed ant get some ventilation up top.

Hope it works out. Fingers are crossed. Still using a Pioneer Elite AVR in the main home theater, though. I will miss that brand.

Makes sense. I too buy different equipment with different price points depending upon the use and location. Spent the most for my listening room and the budget went down from there elsewhere in the house. Sucks when equipment gives out but it happens with almost everything eventually in my experience. Hope the new receiver works out for you for many years and that you’re around for even longer!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Those low end Yamaha receivers do not have a good reputation.

Why not?

I've never had any issues with BRAND NEW low-end AVRs from Yamaha and Denon.

 

[fmw]

Why not?

I've never had any issues with BRAND NEW low-end AVRs from Yamaha and Denon.

I did my research. The RXV385 gets good reviews. It has been around 5 years so it has plenty of "experience." My fingers are still crossed but I'm not all that worried about it. I'm tired of waiting 15 minutes before I get sound.

 

[fmw]

Makes sense. I too buy different equipment with different price points depending upon the use and location. Spent the most for my listening room and the budget went down from there elsewhere in the house. Sucks when equipment gives out but it happens with almost everything eventually in my experience. Hope the new receiver works out for you for many years and that you’re around for even longer!

I graduated from high end audiophilia quite a while ago. I don't have speck of it left in me. Perhaps not true of everyone. I'll post something when I have settled in with the AVR.

 

[Eppie]

I did my research. The RXV385 gets good reviews. It has been around 5 years so it has plenty of "experience." My fingers are still crossed but I'm not all that worried about it. I'm tired of waiting 15 minutes before I get sound.

It's too bad that AVRs with HDMI inputs are so difficult to work on. If that were an analogue receiver it would be a simple matter to go over the solder connections. If the bottom of the main circuit board containing the amplifier circuits was readily accessible, it may actually be an easy fix. That's most likely where the cold solder joints are, if that's the issue. If you have to pull out the HDMI boards to access things then that complicates the matter and would be best left to a qualified technician.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Thanks for the encouragement. If it lasts 10 years it will outlive me.

You cannot be that old.

Oh, this is your problem:
" It has to be shorter than 6 1/2" high to fit its home space."

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I did my research. The RXV385 gets good reviews. It has been around 5 years so it has plenty of "experience." My fingers are still crossed but I'm not all that worried about it. I'm tired of waiting 15 minutes before I get sound.

I would be confident that it will last if you bought the Yamaha AVR brand new.

Not sure where the V385 ($350) was made, but their $500 AVR is made in Malaysia, so are their $7,500 Integrated Amps!

Yamaha makes their components in-house in Malaysia, not out-source to 3rd parties.

 

[TLS Guy]

I graduated from high end audiophilia quite a while ago. I don't have speck of it left in me. Perhaps not true of everyone. I'll post something when I have settled in with the AVR.

I think it is like rolling the dice. There are excess reports of failures of those low end made in China receivers. We have had reports here over the years of issues with those. It is hard to imagine that you could build a quality device of that complexity at that price. But you might be lucky.

I would watch the heat issue carefully, and see how hot it gets. The processing of newer receivers is higher than the older ones, and also the biasing of the output stages, will make a big difference to the heat production, even if it producing no sound. So there is no guarantee that the heat output will be comparable to your previous one.
Anyhow let is know how you get on. But I have to say, that would not be how I would instal for longevity no matter how quietly I was going to run it.
As I say, I would certainly keep a close eye on the unit during its initial period of operation.

 

[fmw]

I think it is like rolling the dice. There are excess reports of failures of those low end made in China receivers. We have had reports here over the years of issues with those. It is hard to imagine that you could build a quality device of that complexity at that price. But you might be lucky.

I would watch the heat issue carefully, and see how hot it gets. The processing of newer receivers is higher than the older ones, and also the biasing of the output stages, will make a big difference to the heat production, even if it producing no sound. So there is no guarantee that the heat output will be comparable to your previous one.
Anyhow let is know how you get on. But I have to say, that would not be how I would instal for longevity no matter how quietly I was going to run it.
As I say, I would certainly keep a close eye on the unit during its initial period of operation.

The 385 has been in the marketplace for 5 years. Any warts would have been discovered by now. The product gets good reviews understanding the politics of product reviews. I think it is physically ugly but if it serves its purpose at its reasonable price, then all is good with me.

Not using any processing. Not even using surround sound. Stereo pair with powered sub. I'm not arguing against your advice as a general matter. I would advise the same. But I do have enough experience to understand what I am doing and why.

 

[fmw]

I would be confident that it will last if you bought the Yamaha AVR brand new.

Not sure where the V385 ($350) was made, but their $500 AVR is made in Malaysia, so are their $7,500 Integrated Amps!

Yamaha makes their components in-house in Malaysia, not out-source to 3rd parties.

I bought it brand new for just under $300 including tax, shipping included. So it isn't going to destroy me financially if it is a lemon. I have no idea where it is made but I will be happy to report that information after I get it set up. I feel positive about it. I've owned a half dozen Pioneer recievers and amps. They have all performed well even the cheap 522 under the circumstances. Since Pioneer sold off the home audio line, I think I should choose another brand and did so. For the fun of it, I may locate the audio section on the 522 circuit board and resolder it. It might go another 10 years

 

[fmw]

You cannot be that old.

Oh, this is your problem:
" It has to be shorter than 6 1/2" high to fit its home space."

I will be an octogenarian in a few months. Honestly I don't feel that old. I still do a lot of manual labor around our farm. I've had more than my share of medical issues but they are in the past and don't seem to have any lasting effect on me.

Yes the tight space in the cabinet is the problem. It limits my choices quite a bit. I will remove the feet from from the unit to give it a little breathing room, something I didn't do with the old Pioneer.

 

[fmw]

It's too bad that AVRs with HDMI inputs are so difficult to work on. If that were an analogue receiver it would be a simple matter to go over the solder connections. If the bottom of the main circuit board containing the amplifier circuits was readily accessible, it may actually be an easy fix. That's most likely where the cold solder joints are, if that's the issue. If you have to pull out the HDMI boards to access things then that complicates the matter and would be best left to a qualified technician.

Agreed and I might do it just for grins. I paid about $225 for the receiver a decade ago so I think it has earned a retirement.

 

[lovinthehd]

I will be an octogenarian in a few months. Honestly I don't feel that old. I still do a lot of manual labor around our farm. I've had more than my share of medical issues but they are in the past and don't seem to have any lasting effect on me.

Yes the tight space in the cabinet is the problem. It limits my choices quite a bit. I will remove the feet from from the unit to give it a little breathing room, something I didn't do with the old Pioneer.

Is it a solid surface under the avr? On mine they're part of the ventilation with perforated bottom panels....

 

[everettT]

It is strange that I have to defend myself but, since the feedback I am getting is without knowledge of my equipment use here goes.

I have a full size serious home theater. Those who have seen it and heard it are always impressed just like they are with yours. We aren't talking about that. The dead Pioneer is in my bedroom where I watch Dish Network about 7 feet from the screen while lying in bed. There is a stereo pair of speakers and a powered subwoofer. Most of my listening occurs with less than one watt of output power. The receiver barely feels warm and I didn't even remove the feet from it. If I watch a movie I crank it up to around 5 watts of output power for the duration of the show and it still is barely warm. A couple of inches of ventilation above the receiver are more than adequate. Now you know why the Pioneer lasted that long.

I would have bought another 522 if it were still available because it served my needs perfectly. I almost took a regular stereo integrated amp out of the closet to use but I wasn't thrilled with the idea of using an analog unit to handle digital programming even though the Dish unit has the connections. I'm a believer in HDMI. So I shopped. I had no interest in buying features I don't use and only cared about a unit that would let me watch Dish Network without spending money unnecessarily. The Yamaha has pretty good reviews for a budget receiver. Yes one can find reports of failures just like you can find for Bentleys and Rolexes. Overall it is more than adequate for the purpose and won't suffer overheating. Hope that helps you understand.

Like you I would recommend good ventilation for equipment that is being used to fill a room with realistic sound levels. My home theater does that and has plenty of ventilation. Trust me. There won't be a problem listening to sound levels of around -28 db.

I wasn't knocking anything other then ventilation, regardless of listening levels and won't go any further as it was only meant to be informed for other users too. Hopefully you will find another unit as a suitable replacement.

 

[fmw]

Is it a solid surface under the avr? On mine they're part of the ventilation with perforated bottom panels....

I don't know. It hasn't arrived yet. I expect it Monday. If so I'll just reduce the size of the feet. This is a budget model. While it has more than I need or use, it certainly is not loaded with the features of higher end products. I looked for an integrated stereo AMP with HDMI in and out but couldn't find anything in the price range. This unit will be OK, I think. If things heat up there is plenty of room in the cabinet to put a fan next to the AVR. I'm confident it won't be necessary and I don't really like fans in home audio gear.