Pioneer AVRs?

[dannyarcher]

Hello all,

I'm considering to buy a Pioneer AVR (VSX 534)
And, I was wondering why there aren't many reviews or talk on Pioneer AVRs in the forum. Most of the members speak of Marantz or Denon or Yamaha.

Is there something about the Pioneer AVRs that I'm missing?
This will be the first AVR purchase and would like to understand various perspectives. Please help a newbie.

Thank you.

 

[guddu478]

I have had a few Pioneer AVRs (5xx, 8xx, 11xx) in past and I can share my experience with Pioneer AVRs.
Build quality was good for 8xx & 11xx model and large display was helpful.
I have found all of them a bit bright in a way that treble was slightly elevated, it could very well be because of room lacking any room treatment what so ever, I did not find them bright during audition. It was kind of helpful for movies but not really suitable for music causing listening fatigue. I could tame down highs on models which had custom EQ (I think 8xx & 11xx) which kind of resolved the issue and I could adjust as per my needs.
I used Elac, Dali & Wharfedale with Pioneer and found Wharfedale best suited among those three.

Reason why I chose those were because of easy repair options available in Delhi, and bunch of features at low price.

 

[dannyarcher]

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience, @guddu478

How does the 5xx compare with 8xx in terms of sound quality? Is there a difference?

 

[Saroj]

I would suggest check which offers a better after sales support in your city and then choose between yamaha and pioneer. Given both have avrs in similar range.

 

[guddu478]

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience, @guddu478

How does the 5xx compare with 8xx in terms of sound quality? Is there a difference?

I don't really think there was any such huge difference between 5xx vs 8xx, but I just had 5xx for couple of weeks and I moved to 8xx quickly (got a good deal at that time). 8xx had all binding post vs 5xx spring clips for speaker connections, plus individual speaker EQ was very helpful feature in 8xx.
My both 5xx & 8xx units were 5.1, but 8xx was well built and feature packed.

Pioneer VSX-832




If you just need a simple 5.2 AVR then 5xx is fine but evaluate your needs good otherwise you will be moving to another one soon.

Pioneer VSX-834 is 7.2 with DTS:X & ATMOS and 4K HDR




Just wondering why don't you look for Denon or Marantz, I guess they are favorite in this forum!
What speakers are you planning to hook up with?

 

[dannyarcher]

@guddu478 Thank you so much for your comprehensive reply. Much appreciated.
In India, at the moment -- there are Pioneer VSX-534 and 834 corresponding to the 5xx & 8xx respectively. These seem to be the latest models in the series. And, noticed that both the models have spring clips for the channels other than Fronts.

5 channel is setup is pretty sufficient for my use-case for the next 3 years, at least. (Staying in a rented house and will think of a bigger setup once that changes). So, was veering towards the 5xx series.

Why Pioneer?
Pioneer has a 2 year warranty in India while the others have a 1yr warranty.
Denon -- There are quite a few reviews on Amazon.in which say that their unit has failed in less than 3-6 months. So, a little wary of this. But, willing to consider this if the quality is significantly better than Pioneer.
Marantz -- Really love the look of Marantz slimline receivers -- but, sadly they provide only 50W per channel. (Since this might be low to drive speakers for a 250sq ft. room, not considering this)

Hence, the Pioneer AVR.
I'm planning to hook it up with Q Acoustics 3020i speakers, at the moment.

 

[Marakk]

@guddu478 Thank you so much for your comprehensive reply. Much appreciated.
In India, at the moment -- there are Pioneer VSX-534 and 834 corresponding to the 5xx & 8xx respectively. These seem to be the latest models in the series. And, noticed that both the models have spring clips for the channels other than Fronts.

5 channel is setup is pretty sufficient for my use-case for the next 3 years, at least. (Staying in a rented house and will think of a bigger setup once that changes). So, was veering towards the 5xx series.

Why Pioneer?
Pioneer has a 2 year warranty in India while the others have a 1yr warranty.
Denon -- There are quite a few reviews on Amazon.in which say that their unit has failed in less than 3-6 months. So, a little wary of this. But, willing to consider this if the quality is significantly better than Pioneer.
Marantz -- Really love the look of Marantz slimline receivers -- but, sadly they provide only 50W per channel. (Since this might be low to drive speakers for a 250sq ft. room, not considering this)

Hence, the Pioneer AVR.
I'm planning to hook it up with Q Acoustics 3020i speakers, at the moment.

Which TV do you have? Yamaha V585 has eARC, which might be essential if you have a TV with that or will be upgrading your TV soon.

 

[revolty]

@guddu478 Thank you so much for your comprehensive reply. Much appreciated.
In India, at the moment -- there are Pioneer VSX-534 and 834 corresponding to the 5xx & 8xx respectively. These seem to be the latest models in the series. And, noticed that both the models have spring clips for the channels other than Fronts.

5 channel is setup is pretty sufficient for my use-case for the next 3 years, at least. (Staying in a rented house and will think of a bigger setup once that changes). So, was veering towards the 5xx series.

Why Pioneer?
Pioneer has a 2 year warranty in India while the others have a 1yr warranty.
Denon -- There are quite a few reviews on Amazon.in which say that their unit has failed in less than 3-6 months. So, a little wary of this. But, willing to consider this if the quality is significantly better than Pioneer.
Marantz -- Really love the look of Marantz slimline receivers -- but, sadly they provide only 50W per channel. (Since this might be low to drive speakers for a 250sq ft. room, not considering this)

Hence, the Pioneer AVR.
I'm planning to hook it up with Q Acoustics 3020i speakers, at the moment.

Hi,

I have been using Pioneer VSX 1131 AVR since last 3 years without any glitch with Klipsch R41m in 5.1 config. I can vouch for it. Absolutely no complaints. My usage is 90% movies & 10% music.

 

[guddu478]

@guddu478 Thank you so much for your comprehensive reply. Much appreciated.
In India, at the moment -- there are Pioneer VSX-534 and 834 corresponding to the 5xx & 8xx respectively. These seem to be the latest models in the series. And, noticed that both the models have spring clips for the channels other than Fronts.

5 channel is setup is pretty sufficient for my use-case for the next 3 years, at least. (Staying in a rented house and will think of a bigger setup once that changes). So, was veering towards the 5xx series.

Why Pioneer?
Pioneer has a 2 year warranty in India while the others have a 1yr warranty.
Denon -- There are quite a few reviews on Amazon.in which say that their unit has failed in less than 3-6 months. So, a little wary of this. But, willing to consider this if the quality is significantly better than Pioneer.
Marantz -- Really love the look of Marantz slimline receivers -- but, sadly they provide only 50W per channel. (Since this might be low to drive speakers for a 250sq ft. room, not considering this)

Hence, the Pioneer AVR.
I'm planning to hook it up with Q Acoustics 3020i speakers, at the moment.

Entry line AVRs are all more or less at same level, so if 5.1 is all you want then you surely can go with VSX-534 and I think it would do fine with QA 3020i.
Additional warranty is always a positive, and if you won't plug/unplug (HDMI, RCA, Speaker cables etc.) much while unit is powered on then it shouod be all fine.
Although more power is better but Don't worry about 50W vs 80W much because its not significant, just 3 db gain required double power. Not sure if you are planning to use all 5 x 3020i speakers but these are rated @ 88 db and are not too power hungry really.
One of the benefit you get in all Marantz AVRs (almost in every model) is front pre-out, which is always helpful to integrate a separate power AMP or stereo AMP if you want to use same front speakers with both stereo & HT setup. If you do use front pre-out to stereo or power AMP then your AVR would have more power available for center/surround. If you are not going to use a separate stereo setup in same room or pre/power then its not for you.

Looks like you have done quite a good research before considering your options, and you would be happily enjoying your pick .
All the best.

 

[dannyarcher]

Thank you very much, @guddu478

Read up on the the power and decibel connection. Realised that it is a log-scale, so now it makes sense that the 80W will yield a 2db gain over 50W.
I'm planning to add surrounds a bit later with Q Acoustics 3010i rated at 86db. That should be okay, right?

 

[guddu478]

Thank you very much, @guddu478

Read up on the the power and decibel connection. Realised that it is a log-scale, so now it makes sense that the 80W will yield a 2db gain over 50W.
I'm planning to add surrounds a bit later with Q Acoustics 3010i rated at 86db. That should be okay, right?

Yes, it should be fine once you either run auto calibration or adjust SPL levels manually.
I would still say that get your hands on surrounds with higher SPL (like 90+) so that AVR could drive those with ease and headroom is available for Fronts/Center. I have been trying lots of different small speakers available on Facebook Marketplace lately like bose 161, Boston Acoustics Soundware, Polk RM satellites, Bose double cube speakers, Polk OWM3, etc.
Surprisingly I liked Bose 161 better than most others, they serve surround sound application very well. Kind of disappointment was Polk OWM3.


You don't need to match surrounds with fronts/center.

 

[dannyarcher]

@guddu478 Thank you for those inputs. Will keep the sensitivity in mind when considering the surround speakers.

I also noticed a few interesting things w.r.t Pioneer & Marantz entry-level AVRs as I dug deeper.

Marantz NR1509 vs Pioneer VSX-534: Comprehensive Comparison

Compare the Marantz NR1509 and Pioneer VSX-534. Discover the differences in features, specs, performance, and find out which A/V receiver is the best for you.

www.zkelectronics.com

• Pioneer 534 apparently has a 32-bit/384kHz DAC, while Marantz NR 1509 has 24-bit/192kHz -- This is significant, right?
• In bluetooth streaming, Pioneer 534 supports AAC and Marantz has only SBC. I've experienced AAC to have better quality over SBC. (Streaming music is an imp. use-case for me. )

Both Pioneer & Yamaha entry level AVRs have 32-bit DACs and AAC support

Yamaha RX-V485 vs Pioneer VSX-534: Comprehensive Comparison

Compare the Yamaha RX-V485 and Pioneer VSX-534. Discover the differences in features, specs, performance, and find out which A/V receiver is the best for you.

www.zkelectronics.com

 

[guddu478]

@guddu478 Thank you for those inputs. Will keep the sensitivity in mind when considering the surround speakers.

I also noticed a few interesting things w.r.t Pioneer & Marantz entry-level AVRs as I dug deeper.

Marantz NR1509 vs Pioneer VSX-534: Comprehensive Comparison

Compare the Marantz NR1509 and Pioneer VSX-534. Discover the differences in features, specs, performance, and find out which A/V receiver is the best for you.

www.zkelectronics.com

• Pioneer 534 apparently has a 32-bit/384kHz DAC, while Marantz NR 1509 has 24-bit/192kHz -- This is significant, right?
• In bluetooth streaming, Pioneer 534 supports AAC and Marantz has only SBC. I've experienced AAC to have better quality over SBC. (Streaming music is an imp. use-case for me. )

Both Pioneer & Yamaha entry level AVRs have 32-bit DACs and AAC support

Yamaha RX-V485 vs Pioneer VSX-534: Comprehensive Comparison

Compare the Yamaha RX-V485 and Pioneer VSX-534. Discover the differences in features, specs, performance, and find out which A/V receiver is the best for you.

www.zkelectronics.com

Although I won't worry about 24 vs 32 bit DAC much in AVR, as overall results are dependent on the implementation of the DAC, but Pioneer AVRs are really good for its price & features. If you have auditioned VSX-534 and liked it then go for it.

As a side note, go through the posts in the forum explaining more on room size, acoustics and speaker placement. Those pointers will be very helpful for your setup.

 

[dannyarcher]

@guddu478 Sure. Will go through the posts on room size & acoustics.
Couldn't get a demo of Pioneer or Marantz -- That's the problem! So I'm consuming all the information that is written about them.

Thanks again

 

[spirovious]

One more reason Pioneer is not so much discussed recently could be that Pioneer sold AVR business to Onkyo.That time ,Onkyo used to have HDMI issues.

 

[guddu478]

One more reason Pioneer is not so much discussed recently could be that Pioneer sold AVR business to Onkyo.That time ,Onkyo used to have HDMI issues.

HDMI board issues used to be common in a few Onkyo models till 2-3 yrs back and they recalled a few of their models as well in past.
But story is totally different now. Onkyo now have stable THX certified models more than any other brand.
Pioneer never had such issues, the only realistic observation I have is it being a bit bright in nature (more or less similar to Yamaha) and so understanding EQ is very useful with Pioneer AVRs.
I have used several Pioneer AVRs (and others as well, just for fun) and if I need to buy a new one now then it would be Pioneer Elite series.
I think Pioneer started doing Class D amp modules in AVRs before others, and are really good value for money. Better value for buck!

 

[Passive_audio_enthusiast]

Review and Measurements of Pioneer VSX-LX504 AVR

This is a review and very detailed measurements of the Pioneer VSX-LX504 Home Theater Audio & Video Receiver (AVR). It came about when my trusty Pioneer Elite SC-61 started to produce a UE22 Error. A bit searching showed this is a TI DSP that goes bad causing audio to mute and eventually go dead...

www.audiosciencereview.com

That’s for pioneer but he has measured onkyos and arcams too at lot of price ranges. Just check it before you jump the gun.

I had bought two onkyo receivers in the past with thx certification. Though I liked them back then, I did not compare it to anything side by side to say if they were really better than their competitors. Both failed after some 3 years. But again that’s totally model dependent. Faults can happen to any brand.

 

[guddu478]

Review and Measurements of Pioneer VSX-LX504 AVR

This is a review and very detailed measurements of the Pioneer VSX-LX504 Home Theater Audio & Video Receiver (AVR). It came about when my trusty Pioneer Elite SC-61 started to produce a UE22 Error. A bit searching showed this is a TI DSP that goes bad causing audio to mute and eventually go dead...

www.audiosciencereview.com

That’s for pioneer but he has measured onkyos and arcams too at lot of price ranges. Just check it before you jump the gun.

I had bought two onkyo receivers in the past with thx certification. Though I liked them back then, I did not compare it to anything side by side to say if they were really better than their competitors. Both failed after some 3 years. But again that’s totally model dependent. Faults can happen to any brand.

I have seen all those ARR reviews, subjective vs objective!!!!
Thanks for sharing.

 

[Passive_audio_enthusiast]

I have seen all those ARR reviews, subjective vs objective!!!!
Thanks for sharing.

I think it only matters if we are trying to get a neutral and transparent sound. Otherwise each of the amps will have its own flavors depending on the level of distortion they have. But I get the point, it’s a world where tube amps are loved by lot of people so it’s doesn’t matter.

 

[dannyarcher]

One more reason Pioneer is not so much discussed recently could be that Pioneer sold AVR business to Onkyo.That time ,Onkyo used to have HDMI issues.

I see. I didn't know this. The Onkyo India website is so outdated. It doesn't feel like it belongs to a major company! I don't know if they are doing any proper marketing.