Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Pioneer VSX-1015TX-K Review

No worries at all!

I think people are reading a little to much into my review. As I mentioned before the only reason I did it was to see if it was in fact a piece of junk that some have reported. I found it hard to believe that Pioneer would take a step back from the 1014 which was one of the most highly regarded receivers of 2004.

They didn't......... At this price point, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this receiver. I have compared it in many ways to my NAD T-773 and although it's an unfair comparison, the Pioneer has nothing to be ashamed of. It doesn't have the power of the NAD or some of the features that make NAD what it is, but none the less and again I will say it, at the price, this is a decent little receiver.

I paid $600.00 Canadian tax paid for this one. The NAD is well over $2000.00 at most places before tax. This is how I judge the value on something. Is the NAD worth almost 4 times what the Pioneer is worth? That is what makes the Pioneer a decent unit. If I'm being honest with my self, the answer on the NAD is no.

Hi NeverHappy,

Just a few comments. Your review is quite interesting and agrees mostly with the impressions of a reviewer friend of mine (he reviews for CNet) who called me to say that the 1015's auto level/distance/speaker size setup was remarkably accurate, as accurate (he said) as he could do manually with an SPL meter. He also noted that the auto-EQ "didn't make his system sound worse, but also didn't improve it".

David Ranada, the tech editor of Sound&Vision, with whom I used to work, just reviewed a Pioneer budget model, the VSX-815 ($365) which has the same auto-setup mode. He, too, noted that its auto setup mode was idiot-proof and quite accurate. However, he suggested turning off the auto-EQ because it made his system too bright. The 815 also had quite good clean power output with five channels driven into 8 ohms (70 watts per ch.), albeit at 1 kHz.

My Cnet reviewer friend also noted that his 1015 drove his 4-ohm Dynaudio system with no problems, although I wonder about this. In the past, I've not recommended Pioneers for 4-ohm loads like the M80s because they'd go into current limiting, which is why I've always recommended Denon and H/K and NAD, whose receivers will drive 4 ohms with no restriction of power output.

Anyway, it's welcome news that Pioneer has an auto setup that's really effective and easy to use, which would be a huge benefit to newcomers who are confused or mystified by the setup process.

Regards,

Alan,

Thanks for bringing up a very good point. Ease of use is extremely important for a beginner in HT. I remember when I first got my HTIB, all I wanted to do was plug everything in and start watching movies. If I had to learn about crossovers, speaker distance, level matching, etc, I would have been frustrated. Most who consider themselves "audiophiles" would scoff at an auto-eq feature, but I think it is like gold to the "newbie."

After all, most people aren't crazy like us about all things audio.

Hi ya Alan,

Would Pioneers choice of going with Mosfet circuitry in the 1015 have something to do with it being able to hande a 4ohm load?

Here is a quote from Pioneer on the 1015:

In reply to:

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The Amplification of Quality

Pioneer has once again pushed the envelope with the development of Advanced Direct Energy MOSFET circuitry. This new advancement offers high-power drivability, ultra-efficient amplification, stable imaging, and low energy loss. The VSX1015TXK is designed with heat compensation in the power chip and an AC/DC isolated amp module to minimize power imbalances that can distort the sound stage. Power amplification units are placed symmetrically to precisely optimize each MOSFET condition and to maximize electric power. As a result, each channel achieves powerful output, exceptional sound quality, and clarity in every audible detail, even at low impedance.

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Hi NeverHappy,

Hey, that's very likely the answer, because Mosfets handle current at lower impedances much better.

Regards,

Wow, $590 CDN excellent deal. Way to work over those youngsters.

I purchased this receiver about 2 months ago. I haven't had anything else in the past. I am new to this audiofile stuff.

I have a question for you. What do you mean by "bi amping the fronts" if you run a 5.1? I run a 5.1. I listen to a lot of music, so I am wondering if I should do it?

What kind of speakers were you using in the demo?

Also, where is the eq???

In the set-up menu there is an option to use the additional surround channel amps as another pair of front amps. If you look over the manual, they actually have it covered in decent detail.

EQ options can also be found in the set-up menu and again Pioneer does a decent job of explaining it in the manual. I could cover it all here but it will be easier to follow if you do it step by step per the instructions in the manual.

As for speakers, I used Monitor Audio Silver series and will also be running a set of Onix 550MKII's sometime next week.

You should of course have speakers that have 2 sets of connecters on them if you want to bi-amp as well.

I have the Elite 54tx, also with Mosfet circuitry, and it never even seems to get warm at extremely loud volume.This sucker weighs almost 40 lbs. I think they are pretty good receivers and had no issues driving 4 ohms, although I switched to Axioms and the 60's setup, and they sound tremendous.