mustangdaren Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 I don't know how their new stuff sounds but I have one of the original VSX-95 Elite receivers and for two channel audio I like it better than all my other gear that includes. a Onkyo TX-NR828, Onkyo P-304 preamp and Onkyo M-504 amp, Adcom GTP-600 preamp and Adcom GFA-545II amp. The Pioneer just has a better sound stage and tighter more defined bass. It is definitely underrated at 130 watts because it drives my RF-83s as hard as the 50lb Onkyo M-504 which is also has an underrated rms power output but a more accurate dynamic power of 350wpc 4 ohms. I figure the new stuff is just as impressive as the first series since they have had years to improve on it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiet_Hollow Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 (edited) Out of the box, a brand new Elite may or may not live up to the hype. They require some tweaking, mainly because Pioneer (like most Japanese companies) ship the product with almost every whiz-bang feature enabled.....which doesn't necessarily equate to the best sound. So here's some quick pointers, using just the remote control, to get the sound quality of the unit into the audiophile arena (assuming the AVS forum MCACC procedure was accomplished using the All-Channels Adjust feature) and the subwoofer (if equipped) is dialed in: On the remote press MAIN then Audio P which stands for Audio Parameter. This display cycles through pretty much everything that constitutes the Sound Explorer menu if using the mobile AV app. S-WAVE, Standing Wave Control - ON PHASE, Phase Control - FULLBAND PHASE C+, Phase Control Plus - AUTO DELAY, Lip Sync Audio Delay for inputs other than HDMI - 0 ms or whatever it takes to sync to your TV TONE, Tone Controls - BYPASS S. RTRV, Sound Retriever - OFF DNR, Digital Noise Reduction - OFF DIALOG, Dialog Enhancement -OFF A SCALE, Audio Scaler - MANUAL H-BIT 32, High bit 32 Expander - OFF UP SAMPLING - X1 D FILTER, Digital filter - SLOW PQLS - OFF unless you have a Pioneer BR player DRC, Dynamic Range Compression - OFF LFE, Low Freq Effect Channel Attenuation - 0 dB (Keep it set at zero. Don't set it to OFF otherwise it'll mute the LFE entirely) INPUT ATT, Input Attenuator - OFF A. DELAY, HMDI controlled lip-sync audio delay - ON V DEPTH, Virtual Depth - OFF Press RETURN a few times on the remote to back out of the Audio Parameter menu. For CD, DVD, and any other outboard LPCM input my ears tell me that connecting via coaxial S/PDIF sounds the best. FLAC and WAV sound best when played directly off a memory stick plugged into the front of the unit. I have yet to try DNLA. DTS-HD, Dolby True HD, and ATMOS through HDMI naturally. Airplay from either an iPhone or iPad suffers from Apple's embedded high-pass filters (ie. noticeably reduced bass), but is otherwise on par with any other streamed audio quality. These are just my findings. Others may differ. All I know is that how my unit sounds now, is nothing like what it was when I first pulled it out of the box.....and for the better! Edited February 13, 2016 by Quiet_Hollow 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javelin Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 I've been using Pioneer for a long time myself. I now have three Pioneer receivers; one in the garage powering Heresy, one in the living room running RF3s, and newer model in the HT. I tried HK and Onkyo before but they seem a little mellow for me. If there were no Pioneers, I'd go with Denon. I also think speakers, amps or receivers are only as good as the room they perform in. The Pioneers comes with MCACC which allows for some level of fine tuning; actually, it's a great tool for noobs like me. It also comes with the iControlAV5 which allows you to further control the receiver over wireless network using your iphone or ipad; one of the function I use this app on is adjusting the front speaker and sub woofers dynamically without affecting the surround speakers... just love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZEUS121996 Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 (edited) I just picked up a brand NIB Pio SC-85 on the bay for $650 shipped. It was $899 OBO, I threw out $650 and it was accepted. The seller's rating is only 93% but if something's wrong with it, Ebay always, always, always, backs the buyer. So there is no risk, just the inconvenience of dealing with it if there is something wrong Mark Edited February 12, 2016 by ZEUS121996 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 It didnt come in yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stygz Posted February 13, 2016 Author Share Posted February 13, 2016 I just picked up a brand NIB Pio SC-85 on the bay for $650 shipped. It was $899 OBO, I threw out $650 and it was accepted. The seller's rating is only 93% but if something's wrong with it, Ebay always, always, always, backs the buyer. So there is no risk, just the inconvenience of dealing with it if there is something wrong Mark That's a great price. Only worry I would have is the actual shipping. Was it an authorized dealer (warranty)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnr Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 I too am only using the pre/processor with an external Outlaw amp. I have the SC-63 for about 1.5 years and have been happy with it. Only my opinion, but I would go Pioneer Elite over Denon, based on my experience, build quality and performance. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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