Help ! Drowning in the variety !

[H/Kthunder]

The pioneer x19 series seems to be getting good reviews. Is there anything specific that I should look out for ?

I would recommend the Pioneer vsx919 over the 819 because it has better volume level control for when you watch tv shows and the ads are extremely loud. It also has a 9 band auto room EQ instead of 5. Some might argue that auto room calibration doesn't do a very good job and that's true but its should give you a starting point. If you really need video upscaling then go for the vsx1019 because the 819 and 919 only upconvert. As for the speakers I would recommend the Harman Kardon 5.1 system.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000K7ZWVK/ref=pd_luc_mri?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

 

[3db]

I wouldn't touch a 2009 model Pioneer unless it were an Elite. The 1019 benched poorly so it's likely the 919 and 819 will be as bad or worst. I would go with the Denon 1610/590 or Onkyo 507 myself. The Denon uses MultEQ vs 2EQ which is why I'd go with it over the Onkyo.

Geez,e Yamaha's RX-V1065 benched p?ss poor as well. Is it hard economic times that are forcing them to cut back and produce crap?

 

[3db]

Totally agree. Pioneer makes very good receivers. Their Elite lines I believe are much better than higher priced Denons. Denons have a very bright sound similar to Yamahas.

Audio myth about Yamahas and Denons sounding bright. I never bought into that hysteria.

I'll take my older Yamaha RX-V1800 over any new Pioneer Elite as well. It may not have the bells and whistles of the new Elites but it has one solid power supply and amp section and that too me is worth far more than the bells and whistles.

 

[H/Kthunder]

Every receiver produce different sounds I guess thats why you prefer the Yamaha's but i've heard the Denon's and they do have a much brighter sound than they should. Can't say too much for the Yamaha's, haven't spent too much time on them.

 

[Ares]

Pioneer Elite 21 and 23 have Anchor Bay's ABT1015 chip for upscaling, just thought I would add that little bit of info.

http://www.anchorbaytech.com/company/news/press/PR2009.php

 

[3db]

Every receiver produce different sounds I guess thats why you prefer the Yamaha's but i've heard the Denon's and they do have a much brighter sound than they should. Can't say too much for the Yamaha's, haven't spent too much time on them.

Thats human perception getting in the way of reality. A DBT will break that beielf of yours. If you sit and think about it, the frequency response of the amplifeirs and pre-amp sections of the receivers all have a ruller flat frequency resposne well beyong human hearing. To make one receiver sound brighter than the other would mean a bump in the frequency response curve at the treble region. But seeing that the frequency response curve is flat, there i sno way that one receiver can sound brighter than another. It simply isn't true based on this alone.

 

[Ares]

So if I understand you correctly that there is no such thing that a receiver has it own sound like Warm,Brighter or so forth. I have read alot of reviews of receivers and they always use these terms, So if we were to do a double blind test and set the receivers up equally nobody would be able to tell them apart.

 

[3db]

So if I understand you correctly that there is no such thing that a receiver has it own sound like Warm,Brighter or so forth. I have read alot of reviews of receivers and they always use these terms, So if we were to do a double blind test and set the receivers up equally nobody would be able to tell them apart.

Thats correct with the provisal that you are well within the power band of the receiver. Its onlly after you begin pushing the amp or receiver into clipping that you may be able to distingush between them. Receievers with lots of reserve will be able to handle sustained peak power better than those with little reserve.

 

[Ares]

Ok it makes sense, so why do these reviewers use words like that if it's meaningless? I know what your thinking this guy is a pain in the @$$ I just like to gain as much knowledge as possible. So thank you for answering my questions.

 

[3db]

Ok it makes sense, so why do these reviewers use words like that if it's meaningless? I know what your thinking this guy is a pain in the @$$ I just like to gain as much knowledge as possible. So thank you for answering my questions.

I don't pay attention to the reviewers words as much when they review electronics, espically receviers, pre-amps, and amps. I look for for the review of the feature set and the ease of use.

 

[rnatalli]

Run within operational limits, no EQ, and levels matched, you'll be hard pressed to detect a difference in sound as 3db has said.