Advice: VSX-54TX or VSX-9100TX ??

[soresage]

I am in the market for a new receiver and out of brand loyalty i have decided to buy Pioneer again. I have around $650 US to spend on a receiver and am leaning toward the VSX-54TX or the VSX-9100TX. You seem to get more features with the 9100, but it lacks the ELITE badging. How important is that name?
Important features to me are the video up conversion(i have a pj and only want one cable going to it), THX, 7.1, Auto MCACC(because i wouldn't know how to do it.)

Any suggestions to push me one way or the other would be appreciated.

 

[Xsound]

It seems there are a few more differences between the 54 and the 9100. I am having trouble finding full specifications on the 9100, so some of this is carried over from the 1015 as well

The 9100 uses MCACC (similar to what's on the VSX-53tx), the 54 uses the Advanced MCACC, newer generation, more accurate, faster (similar to what's on elite 59, 56.)

The 9100 doesn't have audio/video lip-synch adjustment the 54 does. May be useful if you have HD.

Some slight difference in the cosmetics. I can't find anything about the bass management, but the vsx-1015 only allows crossover at 80 hz. The 54 has variable crossover 50,80,100,120.

The weights appear to be similar, so there doesn't appear to be any additional body stiffening.

The 9100 gets a backlit remote, (54 doesn't). Both units benefit from Air Studios tuning on the MCACC fiinal product.

Which feature do you get on the 9100 that you don't get on the 54? It appears that both have the same number of inputs - I would have thought the 9100 would add another video component in.

54 can be bought on-line for around 650, 9100 for around 500.

Interested to see where you go and how satisfied you are.

I have the 54 and I love it!
X

 

[Xsound]

By the way, either of these units will meet you "important to me" qualifications. Both 54 and 9100 have video up-convert, THX, 7.1, and auto calibration.

 

[farscaper]

Xsound are you sure the vsx-1015 doesn't have base management? I have the vsx-1014 and it does (50,80,100,150,200). I haven't checked out the new 1015.

 

[rumble]

Xsound are you sure the vsx-1015 doesn't have base management? I have the vsx-1014 and it does (50,80,100,150,200). I haven't checked out the new 1015.

The base management in the 1015 is the same as that found in the 1014. It sounds like your criteria would be met by the 1015. You could take some of the cash you saved and purchase a Behringer DSP1124P and use it to equalize your subwoofer for some real base management.

 

[Xsound]

That's good to know. As I said, I was having trouble finding info and specs on the 9100. I was told by someone who auditioned and called Pioneer to confirm, that the 1015 that it only allowed cross-over at 80 hz.

It sounds more and more like the 9100 and the 54 are exactly the same.

 

[rumble]

That's good to know. As I said, I was having trouble finding info and specs on the 9100. I was told by someone who auditioned and called Pioneer to confirm, that the 1015 that it only allowed cross-over at 80 hz.

It sounds more and more like the 9100 and the 54 are exactly the same.

I just checked my 1014, the crossover can be set to 50, 80, 100, 150 or 200. I'm sure the 1015 works the same.

I think the 9100 only exists so they can sell an Elite level receiver through non Elite dealer channels. It like Pioneers dirty secret, they don't appear to want much information to get out about it.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

I just checked my 1014, the crossover can be set to 50, 80, 100, 150 or 200. I'm sure the 1015 works the same.

I think the 9100 only exists so they can sell an Elite level receiver through non Elite dealer channels. It like Pioneers dirty secret, they don't appear to want much information to get out about it.

How does the new 9300 model they are selling at BB (among other places) compare to the 1015 and Elite 54 models? It's probably the most expensive unit BB has ever carried. I wonder if it's for thier new "hi-end" section which have been opening in a number of stores.

 

[rgriffin25]

It seems there are a few more differences between the 54 and the 9100. I am having trouble finding full specifications on the 9100, so some of this is carried over from the 1015 as well

The 9100 uses MCACC (similar to what's on the VSX-53tx), the 54 uses the Advanced MCACC, newer generation, more accurate, faster (similar to what's on elite 59, 56.)
X

What do you mean by more accurate and faster? I own the 53TX and I find it to be quite accurate. I does take about 5 minutes to run through all the settings. Is yours faster than that? I guess what I am getting at is the MCACC on the 53TX isn't too shabby. So don't let that steer you away from the 9100.

 

[rumble]

How does the new 9300 model they are selling at BB (among other places) compare to the 1015 and Elite 54 models? It's probably the most expensive unit BB has ever carried. I wonder if it's for thier new "hi-end" section which have been opening in a number of stores.

I think it compares closely to the Elite 56 model. It is difficult to tell what they stripped from the 54 and 56 to make the 9100 and 9300 because getting real specs on the 9100 and 9300 is difficult. They are not listed on Pioneers web site.

I believe the line up looks like this:

1014 is a pared down 52. The 1015 is a 1014 with some added features that really makes it strange as it has some stuff the 52 does not(like 3 component inputs).

9100 is a pared down 54

9300 is a pared down 56

The amplifiers on the 52 - 54 - 56 are all rated the same at 110w/ch. But they are not, the caps on the 52 are 2 15,000uf, the 54 has 2 22,000uf, the 56 has 2 27,000uf.

 

[rumble]

What do you mean by more accurate and faster? I own the 53TX and I find it to be quite accurate. I does take about 5 minutes to run through all the settings. Is yours faster than that? I guess what I am getting at is the MCACC on the 53TX isn't too shabby. So don't let that steer you away from the 9100.

"MCACC" gets thrown around a lot and it appears to exist in multiple versions with different capabilities. I think the different versions are:

MCACC - a listener sets the speaker distance and volume using the remote while listening to test tones.

Automatic MCACC - the system sets speaker distance and volume and performs 5 band eq using a microphone.

Advanced MCACC - the system sets speaker distance and volume and performs 5 band eq using microphone. Also performs Time Dynamic Acoustic Treatment to distinguish between direct sound and room reverberations. Can view 3d graphs of each channels frequency response using a computer via rs-232 port.

Also the 59 appears to have a tweaked out Advanced MCACC with 9 bands of eq and an additional adjustment called X-Curve. X-Curve compensates for psycho-acoustic effects depending on the size of the listening room. It corrects tonal balance for the human brains interpretation of the sound as it's affected by the size of the room.

I also ran into some references for Automatic MCACC 2 but I'm not sure what is different about this one.