Pioneer VSX-815-K vs. Onkyo TX-SR503

[scasarano]

Considering both of these receivers. Both around $300. Can anyone give me any advice?

 

[malvado78]

This thread might help some.
http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13614
I believe what you are looking at is just this years versions of what is in this thread.

 

[scasarano]

Thanks - the Pioneer is 100 W / channel. The Onkyo is 75W / channel. Will this make a big diff? My speakers are 30W nominal / 100 W max Yamaha satellites.

 

[MDS]

I wouldn't worry about the minor power difference - it's only about 1.25 dB.

 

[scasarano]

Cool - I haven't been able to find any user reviews for these on this site.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Considering both of these receivers. Both around $300. Can anyone give me any advice?

Go to www.ubid.com and buy the Onkyo 502 for $119 plus $20 s/h.

 

[scasarano]

Has anyone used UBid before? Are the receivers damaged / dented?

 

[j_garcia]

A buddy of mine has bought a lot of HT gear on ubid with very good results so far.

 

[scasarano]

Cool thanks - I think I'll probably just get the 502.

 

[Takeereasy]

Yeah, I'd say go with the 502 as well. I got my Marantz off of Ubid, mint condition when it arrived, although the box was beat to hell, but it was not in that condition when it left the States on the way to me.

Edit, just another note., I went from a Sony STRDE-1075 to my new receiver and couldn't be happier. Turns out that the 75 series was pretty buggy, so you're making a good move to get away from that lineup. I was utterly dissapointed in the service I got from Sony.

 

[scasarano]

Cool - problem is now that I see the 602 on ubid for $240 + shipping. Do you think its worth the extra $120?

 

[trw005]

I have the 503 and love it. Havent seen the 502. The price of the 502 u mentioned is tempting but I want the comfort of knowing I'm up to date circuitry/feature wise. I use 3 digital audio inputs; PC, Cable STB, and DVD player. It would take a move to a den 3805 or Yam 2600 to make me like something better than this Onkyo. Onkyo sound is smooth, detailed and punchy(dynamic). WRAT amp is nice. The 602 is better for larger floorstanders if ya got those.

 

[Takeereasy]

To be honest, yes I do. You get the extra channel of amplification (7.1 vs 6.1), you get an extra 10w per channel (not a huge deal but nice to brag about), you get an extra component input (very nice to have) , you also get a higher quality dac section (192khz in the 602 vs 96 khz with the 502), you also get prologic IIx, DD EX and DTS es, 32 sound processing modes vs 9, an on screen display, composite to s-video conversion, you get 2 more digital inputs (one optical, one coaxial), you get a digital output, and you get a powered zone 2 (you can put a pair of speakers in another room and run them off of this receiver, you get a 12v trigger, and the remote, while looking very similar is much better for the 602.

Edit, forgot to mention, 602 is 7.5 lbs heavier. That is a good indicator that the higher quality machine is the 602. 7.5 lbs is a big difference and usually indicates a bigger power supply and heat sinks.

 

[MDS]

The 602 has slightly more power, composite to s-video conversion, and stereo zone2 capability. If those things are useful to you, then then it could be worth the few extra bucks; otherwise stick with the 502/503.

 

[scasarano]

Tell me more about the zone 2 thing. I was planning on getting some outdoor speakers to put in the yard and powering them from my new reciever. Is this possible with the 502 or do I need the 602?

 

[MDS]

502 has no zone 2 capability. 602 allows stereo zone2 and that would work for patio speakers if you can run speaker cable from the receiver to the patio.

 

[scasarano]

OK well that makes my decision easier. So what does Speakers A/B do?

 

[Takeereasy]

You can hook up two pairs of main speakers and switch between them. Say you had a pair of speakers you only used for music, and say you had a pair that was matched to your HT setup, then you could switch between the two whenever you needed.

 

[scasarano]

How is that diifferent from "powered zone 2"? Couldn't I connect my outdoor speakers to "speakers B" and turn them on when I wanted to hear the music only outside?

 

[j_garcia]

I'd take a zone 2 over A/B. Zone 2 allows you to drive the two sets of speakers simultaneously and with two different sources - watch a DVD in 5.1 in the main room and listen to stereo music on the patio.