Pioneer Elite VSX-74TXVi vs. Yamaha RXV2600 vs. HK AVR635/7300

[GNR]

Hi all.

I've been researching both online and in-store regarding a new receiver and have basically gotten to the 3 models above.

Almost all in-store salesmen say that Elite sounds better than Yamaha, while this site seems to ignore the Elites altogether and constantly recommends the 2500/2600 models. I did hear both of these but was never completely satisfied because the in-store setup wasn't always calibrated etc. So now, I'm hoping you guys might help out with the decision...

1) Is there any difference between 74TXVi's HDMI switching and that of the 2600? Perhaps Yamaha does better upscaling?!

2) THe power specs are almost identical (Yam. 130, Elite 140) - however the THD at these is Yam. 0.04% vs. Elite 0.09%. Is the THD actually comparable? If so, the Yamaha seems to have the lowest of any manufacturer incl. the HK models.

3) I don't care too much about the DSP modes, but would like some kind of virtual surround sound for the headphones (such as HK's Dolby Headphone)... do the Yamaha and Elite models have something like this where they simulate 5.1 speaker setup on 2-channel headphones?

4) SNR: Yam. 100dB vs. Elite 103dB. Is this a real advantage for the Elite?

5) Damping factor: 140 for Yam. and ? for Elite. Don't even know what that is...

6) From reading, I've gathered that the Elites sound warmer than the Yamaha's which are brighter. Warmer means "mid-rangy", and brighter more treble in your face - is this a correct interpretation?

7) The Elite is iPod and iLink ready - both are somewhat attractive... The 2600 does not have them

8) Elite's auto-calibration systems seems to be the best of all the receivers out there (esp. on the 74 model which also has phase adjustments) - is it actually true that it is much better than YPAO from the 2600?

9) Elite has a USB connection - from what I understand you can plug a USB cable to your comp. and the receiver can decode your mp3's (rather than letting the comp. sound card convert it into audio). If this is true than I should expect much better sound quality from my mp3's when played throgh the 74TXVi...

10) Bad remotes and the physical look mean nothing to me so I don't care about which is better.

11) List prices:
Elite 74 is $1,400 CAD, while the Yammie 2600 is prolly a little more maybe $1,600 CAD => to me this difference is not much so it does not enter into decision making. I just want to know which is better.

Personally I plan on using it about 2/3 of the time for music and 1/3 for movies. Most of the music is from my computer and will be connected via a coax (or a USB in case of the Elite). Unfortunatelly the Elite only has 2 coax inputs...

Now I know I haven't written anything about the HK AVR635 or 7300 - this is because in Canada, Future Shop seems to carry them exclusively and their prices are much higher than the US (why?). For example, 635 is listed as $1,800 CAD (about $1,450 USD) and the 7300 is a whopping $3,300 CAD (or $2,650 USD). For example JandR.com (auth. internet dealer) has the 635 as $699 USD - even with customs and S&H it would be much cheaper than buying it Canada.

Also I haven't had much experience with HK nor have I had a chance to hear it - I know the power ratings are similar between the 635 and the 2600 and 74TXVi, but the HK 7300 should be much louder. HK doesn't have HDMI, but the 7300 has some Faroudja DCDi processing (have no idea what it does or how much it improves the picture).

OK - enough from me. Basically I'm wondering why the Elite 74TXVi has gotten almost no mention on this site when from the points listed above it seems to be a slightly better receiver. Sometimes I think that this site may be sponsored by Yamaha, since its always recommended... just kidding.

Thanks for reading and posting your opinion - much appreciated!

 

[GNR]

Link to Pioneer Elite 74TXVi:
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/product/detail/0,,2076_4155_272584179,00.html

Link to Yamaha RXV2600:
http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/receivers/RXV2600.htm

Link to HK's AVR635:
http://www.harmankardon.com/product_detail.aspx?Region=USA&Country=US&Language=ENG&cat=REC&prod=AVR 635&sType=C

Link to HK's AVR7300:
http://www.harmankardon.com/product_detail.aspx?Region=USA&Country=US&Language=ENG&cat=REC&prod=AVR 7300&sType=C

 

[Team_Canada]

Hi all.

I've been researching both online and in-store regarding a new receiver and have basically gotten to the 3 models above.

Almost all in-store salesmen say that Elite sounds better than Yamaha, while this site seems to ignore the Elites altogether and constantly recommends the 2500/2600 models. I did hear both of these but was never completely satisfied because the in-store setup wasn't always calibrated etc. So now, I'm hoping you guys might help out with the decision...

1) Is there any difference between 74TXVi's HDMI switching and that of the 2600? Perhaps Yamaha does better upscaling?!

2) THe power specs are almost identical (Yam. 130, Elite 140) - however the THD at these is Yam. 0.04% vs. Elite 0.09%. Is the THD actually comparable? If so, the Yamaha seems to have the lowest of any manufacturer incl. the HK models.

3) I don't care too much about the DSP modes, but would like some kind of virtual surround sound for the headphones (such as HK's Dolby Headphone)... do the Yamaha and Elite models have something like this where they simulate 5.1 speaker setup on 2-channel headphones?

4) SNR: Yam. 100dB vs. Elite 103dB. Is this a real advantage for the Elite?

5) Damping factor: 140 for Yam. and ? for Elite. Don't even know what that is...

6) From reading, I've gathered that the Elites sound warmer than the Yamaha's which are brighter. Warmer means "mid-rangy", and brighter more treble in your face - is this a correct interpretation?

7) The Elite is iPod and iLink ready - both are somewhat attractive... The 2600 does not have them

8) Elite's auto-calibration systems seems to be the best of all the receivers out there (esp. on the 74 model which also has phase adjustments) - is it actually true that it is much better than YPAO from the 2600?

9) Elite has a USB connection - from what I understand you can plug a USB cable to your comp. and the receiver can decode your mp3's (rather than letting the comp. sound card convert it into audio). If this is true than I should expect much better sound quality from my mp3's when played throgh the 74TXVi...

10) Bad remotes and the physical look mean nothing to me so I don't care about which is better.

11) List prices:
Elite 74 is $1,400 CAD, while the Yammie 2600 is prolly a little more maybe $1,600 CAD => to me this difference is not much so it does not enter into decision making. I just want to know which is better.

Personally I plan on using it about 2/3 of the time for music and 1/3 for movies. Most of the music is from my computer and will be connected via a coax (or a USB in case of the Elite). Unfortunatelly the Elite only has 2 coax inputs...

Now I know I haven't written anything about the HK AVR635 or 7300 - this is because in Canada, Future Shop seems to carry them exclusively and their prices are much higher than the US (why?). For example, 635 is listed as $1,800 CAD (about $1,450 USD) and the 7300 is a whopping $3,300 CAD (or $2,650 USD). For example JandR.com (auth. internet dealer) has the 635 as $699 USD - even with customs and S&H it would be much cheaper than buying it Canada.

Also I haven't had much experience with HK nor have I had a chance to hear it - I know the power ratings are similar between the 635 and the 2600 and 74TXVi, but the HK 7300 should be much louder. HK doesn't have HDMI, but the 7300 has some Faroudja DCDi processing (have no idea what it does or how much it improves the picture).

OK - enough from me. Basically I'm wondering why the Elite 74TXVi has gotten almost no mention on this site when from the points listed above it seems to be a slightly better receiver. Sometimes I think that this site may be sponsored by Yamaha, since its always recommended... just kidding.

Thanks for reading and posting your opinion - much appreciated!

Go with the 74. I own the 56TXi, it is an amazing receiver. I had an old Sony and the 56 is leaps and bounds ahead of the Sony. The 74 and 56 are very comparable. The 74 has more bells and whistles while the 56 has a better amp section. The 56 is a warm receiver but very clear and detailed. I am the opposite, I use my system 2/3 movies and 1/3 music. My movies have never sounded better.

H/K's sound good at Future Shop and I contimplated the 635 but like you said, way over priced in Canada. I am very satistied

Never really considered Denon.

Anyways, my 2 cents...

 

[Khellandros66]

To answer some of your questions,

HDMI - Pioneer transcodes 480i to 480p. 2600 upscalesto 720p/1080i, whether or not this is useful is up to you, IMO VHS/SDTV etc all look like crap no matter what.

USB - Yes your computer will recognize the 74TXvi as USB soundcard. from here you can decode stereo sources including WMP9 encoded files. You can apply PL IIx and NEO:6, THX Music etc.

Big advatages of the 74TXvi - iLINK IEEE1394 allows the 74TXvi to decode DVD-A and SACD jitter free and leaves open doors for more future formats. iPOD connectivity (audiophiles will gripe about the lossy formats all they want but its undeniable, the coolness, ease of use, and dexterity of these units)therefor native connectivity and control is a definite plus for this booming market.

~Bob

PS: The 74TXvi is not ment to replace the 56TXi the upcoming 76TXvi and79TXvi will more then likely be announced in January 2006's CES.

 

[jbrillo]

I've heard the 2600 vs. the VSX-72(not the one you're buying, but very similar). To me they both sounded fine to me, I'm pretty sure either one will satisfy you. I was really torn between the two when I was shopping. I finally went with the VSX-72TXV b/c it was a $100-cheaper and I couldn't find a reason to pay $100 more for something that was doing the same thing. Aesthetics in receivers mean nothing to me either. I want functionality for my $. Also, you have to take into consideration that I went from a Sony STR-DE875 to the 72TXV. There was a noticable difference in sound between my old receiver & my new one. Again, the 2600 was equal to the 72TXV to me, I just wasn't going to pay extra for no obvious gain in performance. Just keep going back & listening, and one may start to stand out for you. Good luck!!!!

 

[DonnieW]

I recently purchased the 74TXvi and couldn't be happier. I demo'd the 2600 and 72 at home for about a month and leaned towards the Pioneer. That said, I knew Pioneer was releasing the 74 soon and decided to wait on it.

Given the month or so I've had it, I feel I can comment on some of your questions:

1) Is there any difference between 74TXVi's HDMI switching and that of the 2600? Perhaps Yamaha does better upscaling?!

They both look poor compared to pure HD (720/1080).

2) THe power specs are almost identical (Yam. 130, Elite 140) - however the THD at these is Yam. 0.04% vs. Elite 0.09%. Is the THD actually comparable? If so, the Yamaha seems to have the lowest of any manufacturer incl. the HK models.

Oddly enough the bright sound of the Yamaha leaves the impression it has more distortion (at higher volumes) than the Pioneer.

3) I don't care too much about the DSP modes, but would like some kind of virtual surround sound for the headphones (such as HK's Dolby Headphone)... do the Yamaha and Elite models have something like this where they simulate 5.1 speaker setup on 2-channel headphones?

Pioneer has something that's called "PhonesSurround". Sounds good, but in my opinion, not as good as Dolby Headphone - which I've only heard through my HTPC.

6) From reading, I've gathered that the Elites sound warmer than the Yamaha's which are brighter. Warmer means "mid-rangy", and brighter more treble in your face - is this a correct interpretation?

I didn't think this was the case with the Yamaha until I heard it side-by-side. When I put my Paradigm Studio 60's in the mix, the yamaha was even brighter. I re-cal'd with little change. On the flip side, the aditional brightness from the Paradigm's balanced out the Pioneer, both the 72 and 74. Guess you know what speakers might work for you if you get a 74!

7) The Elite is iPod and iLink ready - both are somewhat attractive... The 2600 does not have them

That was a feature I wanted, mainly for SACD/DVD-A connection purposes. Kind of useless once I really looked at the market for a i.Link capable player. Pioneer only has that feature on their high-end player, which if plugged in by i.Link, would bypass the superior converting of the player. Kind of silly to do that. There are cheaper players with i.Link, however, the converters likely are better in the player than the 74 - which again would be silly not to utilize. i.Link, simply passes the raw uncompressed signal to the receiver for conversion. But if you have another use for i.Link....

8) Elite's auto-calibration systems seems to be the best of all the receivers out there (esp. on the 74 model which also has phase adjustments) - is it actually true that it is much better than YPAO from the 2600?

Pioneer has received much positive feedback on their MCACC system. It works! I can tell you that both the 72 and 74 nailed the measurments dead-on. The 74 also has a great interface for the PC so you can really see what's going on (need to download software from Pioneer).

9) Elite has a USB connection - from what I understand you can plug a USB cable to your comp. and the receiver can decode your mp3's (rather than letting the comp. sound card convert it into audio). If this is true than I should expect much better sound quality from my mp3's when played throgh the 74TXVi...

I bought a Creative X-Fi sound card. I have been going digital coax to the receiver and it sounds amazing. I tried the USB connection and found I got pretty much the same result. Not better, not worse. The issue for me was the receiver is better than 30' away and too far for a USB connection. The digital coax run is perfectly happy at 30 feet. If you have a HTPC nearby, the USB connection would kick ***.

10) Bad remotes and the physical look mean nothing to me so I don't care about which is better.

Well I care, and the Yamaha remote looks well out of date. Receiver-wise, they both look great. Pioneer has a silver model of the 74 but it looks cheap. Nothing beats the high-gloss Elite.

Personally I plan on using it about 2/3 of the time for music and 1/3 for movies. Most of the music is from my computer and will be connected via a coax (or a USB in case of the Elite). Unfortunatelly the Elite only has 2 coax inputs...

Funny, that's exactly what I use it for and eactly the same feeling about the coax. What really sucks is my sat only outputs coax. Therefore both coax inputs are used now. Thankfully, the dvd uses optic and also 6-channel discrete. Only 2 coax inputs is probably my biggest gripe.

OK - enough from me. Basically I'm wondering why the Elite 74TXVi has gotten almost no mention on this site when from the points listed above it seems to be a slightly better receiver. Sometimes I think that this site may be sponsored by Yamaha, since its always recommended... just kidding.

In my experience, and being new to this site, you'll likely find that each site leans one way or another. There are sites out there that lean heavily to the Elite line, even the Pioneer reps are members! There are certainly other sites out there that dismiss Yamaha and Pioneer altogether in favor of NAD and Marantz. That's just the way it is.

Good luck with your purchase. One final note, look at your speakers and make sure the receiver will work with them. I found a few 4 ohms that likely won't do well with the Pioneer.

 

[mulester7]

.....and that was DonnieW's first post....he brought us what HE heard....I wish more would do that....if others have experience with the two components being compared, and agree, or disagree, we can see a possible majority and more confidently lean in one direction....but even that's no good until WE hear and compare, but, if we can't very practically hear them, we have to look for the majorities of leaning....no?......

.....I'm excited about the Earthquake amp....I don't know the damping factor, but I suspect it's less than the K2....with specs as clean as the Earthquake has, this would probably be good, as the cleanness might allow other measurements to be rather normal, not around Venus, know what I mean?....huh?.....I hope the Earthquake 5 channel amp sends the PA-amp K2's to the low end....where the K2's cleanness and damping factor, I suspect, and I'm going to say hopefully, shine most....GIT UP AND GO TO WORK, YOU WORTHLESS TIN-EARED NEANDERTHALS, SOMEBODY'S GOTTA'....(was that heartless right on top of the news about the Earthquake 5 with XLR inputs coming, or what?)....soon to announce the purchase of elements for small cannons.....to bed, yawneth.....

 

[AFJumper03]

I'd like to add a quick quip if I may.

I've seen the Pioneers and a few other recievers advertise that they are "Ipod ready". You should be aware that this is really nothing more than a marketing slogan. All recievers, going back to the old 2 channel reciever u bought 25 years ago are Ipod ready. Connectors have been available to output from the Ipod and other Mp3 players headphone jack and split into a regular RCA stero contection. Ipods own website even sells a connector that allows you to plug the new Video ipods into your TV with S video and composite audio. I havent seen any that allow a coax or optical connection, but then again I havent looked very hard at all, I dont have a reciever right now (Im waiting to buy when I move). I attached a link to one of the higher quality connectors. So just be aware that this "cutting edge feature" is saving u 20 bucks on a connector.

Now I'm sure the sound quality is a little better and they probably have some nice intergration on the reciever such as auto recognition that u plugged in your Mp3 player or something, but just realize that your reciever does not have to be "ipod ready" to be able to hook your Mp3 player up to it and hear Mp3s through your incredible HT.

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=&Section_Id=201526&pcount=&Product_Id=172348

 

[Jeje2]

I'd like to add a quick quip if I may.
I've seen the Pioneers and a few other recievers advertise that they are "Ipod ready".

I'm not gonna take any opinion on your message more than for Pioneer the Ipod connection is quite real.

There is an own connector for I-pod on the back. (VSX-74AXVi)
And when you connect the I-Pod, you can use the Pioneers remote to look through OSD (On screen display) into the I-Pod and select which songs to be played. I do call this more than just an audio connection.

I've been in a demonstration where they connected a I-pod to the Pioneer VSX-AX4AVi (VSX-74AXVi in USA) - then used the Pioneers remote to select which music to play and finally listned to the endresult.

 

[DonnieW]

I've seen the Pioneers and a few other recievers advertise that they are "Ipod ready". You should be aware that this is really nothing more than a marketing slogan.

You obviously don't know anything about that receiver and are doing a disservice to those thinking of purchasing based on features such as iPod compatibility.

There is true functionality associated with that "iPod Ready" sticker - on the Pioneer that is. For one, the receiver includes the proper interface cable for iPods. It attaches to the base of the iPod and on the other end it has a 'din style' connector. This isn't a simple rca connector. The receiver takes complete control of the iPod, including the ability to command the iPod with the Pioneer remote, similar to controlling a DVD player. Additionally, the iPod data is displayed on the receiver.

Here's the kicker... the interface cable is WHITE!

I don't like cutting back at people, but you did specifically mention Pioneer (as opposed to receivers in general) and also used strong words like "be aware", which in my opinion, ascertains you know what you're talking about.

 

[MDS]

ipod ready

As seems to be standard in the industry, when one manufacturer comes out with a new feature the others soon follow with their 'me too' version of the same feature.

The point AFJumper03 was making is that you can connect an ipod to any receiver if you just want to hear the sound. The models that advertise 'ipod ready' however, have additional features that some may find useful (described above for Pioneer's version).

Onkyo has something similar now too. In addition to similar features found in the Pioneer, they have integrated it with their Remote Interactive (RI) system. So just like with RI enabled DVD players, if you turn the ipod on and it is connected with an RI cable and analog audio cables, the receiver will turn on and automatically switch to the ipod input. Likewise, when you turn either device off, the other will turn off too.

So 'ipod ready' does mean more than simply the ability to hear the music through your receiver, but whether or not the extra features are desirable is a matter of personal preference. No doubt there is a marketing angle though - ipods are the best thing since sliced bread to alot of people and the receiver manufacturers are capitallizing on that buzz.

 

[Team_Canada]

To answer some of your questions,

HDMI - Pioneer transcodes 480i to 480p. 2600 upscalesto 720p/1080i, whether or not this is useful is up to you, IMO VHS/SDTV etc all look like crap no matter what.

USB - Yes your computer will recognize the 74TXvi as USB soundcard. from here you can decode stereo sources including WMP9 encoded files. You can apply PL IIx and NEO:6, THX Music etc.

Big advatages of the 74TXvi - iLINK IEEE1394 allows the 74TXvi to decode DVD-A and SACD jitter free and leaves open doors for more future formats. iPOD connectivity (audiophiles will gripe about the lossy formats all they want but its undeniable, the coolness, ease of use, and dexterity of these units)therefor native connectivity and control is a definite plus for this booming market.

~Bob

PS: The 74TXvi is not ment to replace the 56TXi the upcoming 76TXvi and79TXvi will more then likely be announced in January 2006's CES.

Hey Khellandros66, quick question. How do you know the Pioneer is releasing a 76TXVi. The reason I ask is I was on another forum site about two monts ago and one of the members was preaching that Pioneer would release their flagship (79TXVi) as well as a unit above the 74 but below the 79. He could not disclose where he received this info but said we will see. Maybe her worked for Pioneer, I don't know. No one believed him as the discussion was about the 74 and everyone thought that this unit was replacing the 56TXi.

I am just curious, any idea's on the specs of the 76. I purchased my 56 this summer, saw what the 74 had to offer and thought of selling my unit and purchasing the 74. If there is going to be a 76, I am glad I held off.

Anyways, thanks for now.

 

[AFJumper03]

Truth be told I didnt know about the on screen control of the Ipod through the new Pioneers, but I had said in my post that I was sure there was some nice intergration. I wasnt trying to down the reciever at all, it just drives me crazy these days the amount of money people pay for Ipod accessories and what not. Some of those speaker set ups that people are buying that your ipod plugs right into cost like 200-300 for two crappy little speakers.

Dont get me wrong I'm all for intergration and it sounds like thats a pretty sweet feature. I'm sure it only works specifically with Ipods which is another thing that drives me nuts, since I personally believe there are plently of other great mp3 players out there for less money.

 

[DonnieW]

Chris Walker, Manager of New Technology for Pioneer, did not indicate there was a 76 on tap. Many questions around the Elite receivers were posed to him on another forum. It was clear the 74 is relatively new and won't be replaced for awhile, and unless I'm mistaken, there isn't supposed to be anything in between the 74 and the FLAGSHIP. What could they possibly do to beat the 74 and yet nestle it under the FLAGSHIP.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

A buddy and I had been researching all the higher end Pio's, the Denon 3806, and a Rotel model (he is upgrading his entire setup). He narrowed it to the Pioneer's based on sq.

He currently has an older Denon 2802. What we found was that the 56 had a more robust amp, larger capacitors, and weighed significantly more than the 74. The 74 actually puts out 120x7 at .05thd, 8 ohms, and full bandwidth. It's on pg 86 of the manual. The 140x7 is a bit inflated compared to the competition's thd ratings of .05. It's amazing what .04 thd does to power specs.

The big issue was dated technology. Pio makes one other model geared towards Best Buy - the 9300 - that is basically the twin of the 56. It still lacks the updated technology the 74 has. The 9300 is somewhat difficult to find, but priced very favorably.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Pioneer-VSX-9300TX-A-V-Receiver-VSX-9300-VSX9300TX_W0QQitemZ5837301543QQcategoryZ39789QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-PIONEER-ELITE-VSX-56TXi-THX-RECEIVER-VSX56TXi-VSX56_W0QQitemZ5837109636QQcategoryZ39799QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem



He ended up going with the 74. He loves the fact he can link his PC directly up to the receiver - USB?? (I'm not sure if the cable listed earlier would work in the PC speaker "out" jacks - anyone confirm this?)

 

[Khellandros66]

My local shop said that many places are discontinuing the 56TXi so it would seem that Pioneer is no longer shelling out money on the costs to make many more of these units or atleast not the quantity that they did before the 74TXvi came out.

Plus it would make sense for Pioneer to altleast anounce or have beta units at CES2006 the 74TXvi will have been out for six months and most bug or quirks people complained about have been used as reference for newer models.

Plus the top end 59TXi is sore for an update including HDMI Switching iPOD connectivity, and lack of scaling beyond 480p. XM radio connectivity. Also lacking is the new MACC Standing wav calibration also found on the 74TXvi.

If they don't announce a new set of Flagship units they will lose market share to the competition which would be Denon, Yamaha, Sony, and Onkyo (sorry don't HK as a big competitor features wise and a few failed products from em left bad taste in my mouth)

Other then separates the only flagship on the market worth my interest is the Onky TX-NR1000 modular design.

~Bob

 

[awesomebase]

Go with Pioneer

I have a Yamaha RXV1500 for my "mini" home theater in my family room (though it is called "mini" because it uses a 50" TV instead of a projector which I plan on using in my "real" HT). The Yamaha is a good receiver and has great features and is definitely good for the price.
Having said that though, I like the design of the HK better. That is just a preference. HK seems to have a "warmer" sound then the Yamaha.
Having said THAT, I plan on using the Pioneer Elite VSX-74TXVi as it has the best offering of the the three receivers you specified. It definitely has the best auto-setup of the bunch. The 2600 is a great system on paper, but it still doesn't match up on specs to Pioneer. HK 7300 is a monster of a receiver, but it needs to be updated to take advantage of more current technologies. The Pioneer fits the bill in my book and is a better value overall than either of the others. The only complaint I can see from looking at the system is the remote. I like having a lot of buttons, but I would prefer for the most common functions to be easy to read or glow in the dark. Still, that isn't a big deal. Most people will probably get a Harmony remote or something similar that runs "everything". Have fun picking one of these up! I personally can't wait to do the same!

 

[GNR]

Thanks a lot guys! Your input is welcome.

Still one detail I'm not clear on: the only disadvantage of the Pioneer's HDMI interface is the fact that it upconverts analog sources (VCR etc.) to a 'mere' 480 rather than 1080 resolution... however, both Yamaha and Pioneer output at least as good a resolution as the one you've put in whether it be component or HDMI itself?!

Like someone here said, no matter what you do to a VCR signal it will still look crappy - thus, I'm only concerned with the high def. signals (TV, DVD, future HD-DVD) and the output you obtain through these receivers (which should not degrade the quality of the input).

Other than that it appears only a financial decision as the 74TXVi does appear to be the most complete receiver of all in this $1-2k price range. Better work some major OT before Christmas... otherwise I can always fall back down to the Yamaha RXV2500 for $899 CAD which could provide me with more flexibility when picking my sub and center channel.