Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Receiver Advice Needed

Hey Guys:

Right off the bat, I first want to warn everybody that this post is very long. I'd really appreciate it though if you all took the time to read it all and help me out with my current dilemma.

Ok, well the time as come to upgrade/replace my receiver. The only problem is I'm really having one hell of a time deciding on what to buy.

It's funny, a lot of people come to me asking for advice on this same topic. I'm always able to help guide them in making the best choice, predicated on the receivers they're considering; Yet even with all my knowledge in this stuff, I can't seem to help myself, go figure. lol

First off, when refering to prices, I'm going to list the MSRP instead of it's street price. I'm doing this simply to keep things simple and less confusing. Street prices can vary depending on who and where you buy from. With that in mind, I'm going to use the MSRP prices on these units.

Ok, down to business. Due to my tastes and what I like, and since cost is somewhat of an issue due to other components I'm also having to replace; I've narrowed things down to two manufactures, Pioneer and Yamaha.

The models in question are, unfortunately quite a few. On Pioneers side of the house, I'm considering the following:

Pioneer Elite VSX-52TX (MSRP. $1000)
Pioneer Elite VSX-53TX (MSRP. $1500)
Pioneer Elite VSX-54TX (MSRP. $1500)

On Yamahas side of the house I'm considering these two:

Yamaha RX-V1400 (MSRP. $799)
Yamaha RX-V2400 (MSRP. $999)

Basically my goal or primary objective here, is to get the best damn receiver for the money, and quite frankly I've been going over, reading and reviewing all the specs and manuals on each one of these receivers, that mind is completely fried. In other words, at this point I can't tell which one of these receivers that would be the best one for the money.

Here's the details of each receiver. I'll just start from the top of the list and work my way down.

Pioneer Elite VSX-52TX:
Power
Power Amplifier Design A.D.E MOS FET
Surround Power 110 x 7 (20HZ - 20kHZ @ 8 ohm, 0.09% THD
Stereo Power 110 x 2 (20HZ - 20kHZ @ 8 ohm, 0.09% THD
Digital Decoding & Processing
Digital Engine Motorola 48-Bit Processing
Dolby Digital 5.1 Yes
Dolby Digital EX Yes
DTS 5.1 Yes
DTS-ES Discrete 6.1 Yes
DTS 96/24 Yes
DTS NEO 6 Yes
Pro-Logic II DPL IIx
THX Yes
Surround EX Yes
Pioneer Original Surround Modes Advanced Surround 4 Movie / 4 Music
Virtual Surround Back Yes
Midnight Listening Yes
Loudness Yes
MCACC Yes
Speaker Configuration Yes
Speaker Size Yes
Speaker Level Yes
Speaker Distance Auto / Manual Settings
Acoustic Equalization 5 Band
Analog to Digital Conversion 96kHz/24-Bit
Digital Analog Conversion (DAC) 192kHz/24-Bit
Connectivity
Analog Audio Inputs 8
Analog Audio Outputs 2
Digital Inputs 5
Optical In 3
Coaxial In 2
Optical Digital Output 1
Multi-Channel Input 8 Channel
Audio Pre-Output 8 Channel
Composite Video Input 5
Composite Video Output 2
S-Video Input 5
S-Video Output 2
Component Video Input 2
Component Video Output 1
Component Video Conversion Yes
Component Video Frequency Response 40 MHz
Headphone Output Yes
Multi-Room and Source Output Yes
Front A/V Inputs Yes
IR IN/Out Yes
12 Volt Trigger Yes
RS-232C Yes
System Remote Control Port SR+
AC Outlet 1
SP Terminal Type Banana
Speaker A/B A/B, A+B
Adjustable Speaker Configuration Yes (2nd Zone/SB Channel/Bi-Amp)
Convenience
On-Screen Display Yes
Dot Matrix Display Yes
Remote Type LCD
Pre-programmed Yes
Learning Yes
Construction
Front Panel Aluminum - Urushi
Transformer Stabilizer Yes
Direct Construction Yes
Warranty
Terms 2 Years parts and labor
Dimensions
Width x Height x Depth 16 9/16 x 6 13/16 x 18 5/16
Weight 34.2 lbs
MSRP: $1000

Pioneer Elite VSX-53TX:
Power
Power Amplifier Design A.D.E. MOS FET
Surround Power 100W x 7 (20HZ-20kHZ @ 8 ohm 0.09% THD)
Stereo Power 100W x 2 (20HZ-20kHZ @ 6 ohm 0.09% THD)
Digital Decoding & Processing
Digital Engine Dual Motorola 48 Bit Processing
Dolby Digital 5.1 Yes
Dolby Digital EX Yes
DTS 5.1 Yes
DTS-ES Discrete 6.1 Yes
DTS 96/24 Yes
DTS NEO 6 Yes
Pro-Logic II Yes
THX Select
Surround EX Yes
Pioneer Original Surround Modes Advanced Surround 6 Movie / 6 Music
Virtual Surround Back Yes
Midnight Listening Yes
Loudness Yes
MCACC Yes
Speaker Configuration Auto / Manual Settings
Speaker Size Auto / Manual Settings
Speaker Level Auto / Manual Settings
Speaker Distance Auto / Manual Settings
Acoustic Equalization 5 Band
Analog to Digital Conversion 96/24
Digital Analog Conversion (DAC) 192kHz/24-Bit
Connectivity
Analog Audio Inputs 10
Analog Audio Outputs 4
Digital Inputs 5
Optical In 3
Coaxial In 2
Optical Digital Output 2
Multi-Channel Input 8 Channel
Audio Pre-Output 8 Channel
Composite Video Input 5
Composite Video Output 3
S-Video Input 5
S-Video Output 3
Component Video Input 2
Component Video Output 1
Component Video Frequency Response 40MHz
Headphone Output Yes
Multi-Room and Source Output 1 A/V
Front A/V Inputs Yes
12 Volt Trigger Yes
System Remote Control Port Yes
AC Outlet 1
SP Terminal Type Banana
Speaker A/B A/B, A+B
Adjustable Speaker Configuration Yes (2nd Zone / SB Channel / MR&S)
Convenience
On-Screen Display Yes - All
Dot Matrix Display Yes
Remote Type Basic
Pre-programmed Yes
Learning Yes
Macro Commands Yes
Construction
Front Panel Aluminum
Chassis Single Layer
Transformer Stabilizer Yes
Direct Construction Yes
Warranty
Terms 2 years parts and labor
Dimensions
Width x Height x Depth 16 3/16
Weight 38 lbs
MSRP: $1500

Pioneer Elite VSX-54TX:
Power
Power Amplifier Design A.D.E MOS FET
Surround Power 110 W x 7 (20HZ - 20kHZ @ 8 ohm, 0.09% THD)
Stereo Power 110 W x 7 (20HZ - 20kHZ @ 8 ohm, 0.09% THD))
Digital Decoding & Processing
Digital Engine Dual Motorola 48-Bit Processing
Dolby Digital 5.1 Yes
Dolby Digital EX Yes
DTS 5.1 Yes
DTS-ES Discrete 6.1 Yes
DTS 96/24 Yes
DTS NEO 6 Yes
Pro-Logic II DPL IIx
THX Yes
Surround EX Yes
Pioneer Original Surround Modes Advanced Surround 6 Movie / 6 Music
Virtual Surround Back Yes
Midnight Listening Yes
Loudness Yes
MCACC Advanced
Speaker Configuration Yes
Speaker Size Yes
Speaker Level Yes
Speaker Distance Yes
Acoustic Equalization 5- Band
Advanced MCACC (EQ Timing Adjustments) Yes
Acoustic Status Display via PC Yes
Analog to Digital Conversion 96 kHz / 24-Bit
Digital Analog Conversion (DAC) 192kHz/24-Bit Delta Sigma
Connectivity
Analog Audio Inputs 10
Analog Audio Outputs 4
Digital Inputs 5
Optical In 3
Coaxial In 2
Optical Digital Output 2
Multi-Channel Input 8 Channel
Audio Pre-Output 8 Channel
Composite Video Input 5
Composite Video Output 3
S-Video Input 5
S-Video Output 3
Component Video Input 2
Component Video Output 1
Component Video Conversion Yes
Component Video Frequency Response 100 MHz
Headphone Output Yes
Multi-Room and Source Output 1 A/V
Front A/V Inputs Yes
IR IN/Out Yes
12 Volt Trigger Yes
RS-232C Yes
System Remote Control Port Yes
SP Terminal Type Banana
Speaker A/B A/B, A+B
Adjustable Speaker Configuration Yes (2nd Zone /SB Channel / MR&MS)
Convenience
On-Screen Display Yes - All
Dot Matrix Display Yes
Remote Type Preprogrammed/Smart/Macro
Pre-programmed Yes
Learning Yes
Macro Commands Yes
Construction
Front Panel Aluminum
Transformer Stabilizer Yes
Direct Construction Yes
Warranty
Terms 2 years parts and labor
Dimensions
Width x Height x Depth 16 9/16 x 7 7/16 x 18 5/16
Weight 39.7 lbs
MSRP: $1500

Yamaha:
MODELS RX-V2300 RX-V1400
MSRP $999.00 $799.00
AMPLIFIER SECTION
POWER RATING -20Hz-20kHz @ 8 0HMS 7 X 120 W 7 X 110 W
PRESENCE / SURROUND BACK CHANNEL ASSIGNABLE ASSIGNABLE
THD (%) @ 8 0HMS 0.04% 0.04%
LINEAR DAMPING FACTOR (20-20kHz) 140 OR MORE 140 OR MORE
PRE-OUT MAIN-IN COUPLERS NO NO
192 kHz/24 BIT DAC'S For All Channels YES YES

PREAMPLIFIER SECTION
DSP PROCESSOR YSS-930 x 2 (32 BIT) YSS-930 x 2 (32 BIT)
SURROUND PROGRAMS 29 PROGRAMS 27 PROGRAMS
49 VARIATIONS 47 VARIATIONS
YPAO YES YES
ON SCREEN DISPLAY YES YES
HIGH DEFINITION CINEMA DSP NO NO
PROGRESSIVE SCAN VIDEO CONVERSION NO NO
FAROUDJA DCDi PROCESSOR NO NO
TIME BASE CORRECTOR NO NO
IMAGE ADJUSTMENT NO NO
NOISE SHAPED VIDEO PROCESSOR (NSV) NO NO
THX SELECT SELECT
DOLBY DIGITAL 6.1 YES YES
DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1 YES YES
DOLBY PROLOGIC II YES YES
DOLBY PROLOGIC IIx YES YES
DTS ES DISCRETE 6.1 YES YES
DTS ES MATRIX 6.1 YES YES
DTS YES YES
DTS 96/24 YES YES
DTS NEO 6 YES YES
SILENT CINEMA MODE YES YES
ALL CHANNEL STEREO DSP YES YES
PURE DIRECT MODE NO NO

DIGITAL INPUT 5 OPTICAL / 3 COAXIAL 5 OPTICAL / 3 COAXIAL
DIGITAL OUTPUTS 2 OPTICAL 2 OPTICAL
COMPONENT VIDEO INPUTS 2 2
COMPONENT VIDEO OUTPUTS 1 1
HDTV (720p/1080i) COMPATIBILITY YES YES
WIDE-RANGE COMPONENT VIDEO BANDWIDTH 5Hz-60MHz -3dB 5Hz-60MHz -3dB
VIDEO UP CONVERSION UP TO COMPONENT UP TO COMPONENT
A/V INPUTS 7 7
AUDIO INPUT 4 4
FRONT PANEL A/V INPUTS + OPTICAL YES YES
EXTERNAL DECODER INPUT 6 (8-CH COMPATIBLE) 6 (8-CH COMPATIBLE)
AUDIO INTERFACE NO NO
RECORD OUT SELECTOR YES NO

MULTI-ZONE OUTPUT ZONE 2 / ZONE 3 ZONE 2 / ZONE 3
ZONE 2 DIGITAL OUTPUT NO NO
ZONE 2 VIDEO OUTPUT S-VIDEO, COMPOSITE NO (AUDIO ONLY)
ASSIGNABLE ZONE 2 POWER AMP YES YES
ZONE 3 OUTPUT YES (AUDIO ONLY) YES (AUDIO ONLY)
+ 12 VOLT TRIGGER 2 1
REMOTE CONTROL IR CODE INPUT / OUTPUT 2 1
RS-232C YES NO
RECEIVER EDITOR CAPABILITY YES NO

REMOTE CONTROL MACRO + LEARNING LEARNING
LCD DISPLAY YES YES
DETACHABLE POWER CABLE YES YES

DIMENSIONS (INCHES)
WIDTH 17-1/8" 17-1/8"
HEIGHT 6-3/4" 6-3/4"
DEPTH 17-1/16" 17-1/16"
WEIGHT (LBS) 34.2 LBS 34.2 LBS

Guys, friends, comrades, brethren....I desperately need your expertise/expert advice. All of mine flew straight out the window.




Sutter Cane

i swear I did.

I asked (as I lost sleep night after night) how she would decide amongst say 3 things so close together

she said if they were all so close, then go by price.

We could have bought a Dodge, or a Chevy, but we got a Ford.

I am happy to hell with it.

I see the NEW dodge..and think thats what we get next time...then I think, man we have a killer truck. And I put time and money into it, etc.

I was going nuts on the recievers....I took my wifes advice and went the Yammie 2400 realizing if i miss anything the Denon or Elite had, I would gain something they do not have.

My Wife guys....My Wife...of all the people who could give a damb about the stereo stuff...she had the fundamental sollution...in the price. I backed that up with the feature gain and losses and it worked.

trippy


dave

BTW it is a major path in consumerism...but damn its a pleasure justified!

I was in the same boat. I bought the 54tx and got it Yesterday. The auto config was excellent. very accurate for my room. i only needed to do a little tweaking. I demod the Yamaha 5790. I thought it was great. The Pioneer
seems excellent so far. lots of juice and great DSP. The yamaha had way more but i found i only ever used like 5of em so the Pioneer worked for me. Like Virtual says with the choices you have laid out it's the model and price, every one there will be great. I think it's the Axioms that matter most. They have sounded tremendous with everything.Now....what subwoofer should I get? hmmmmm been looking at several......

Hey thanks guys. I guess two replies are better then none.

Izub:

Does the 54TX have a blue or amber display? I notice in all the pics via Pioneers website, that their new models have a new blue display, which is obviously different from past modules, which all had the amber display.

Just curious to know if this is a new change, or if the pics are wrong or what?

What's really odd is the 52TX according to their website anyways, is their only new model that shows it with the amber display, where the new 54TX and 56TX both are shown with the blue display. It's confusing the hell out of me. lol

Amber. On the back near the serial number it says produced July 2004, so the blue might be the old model.

Oh man Sutter u killin me thought i could read your Post in a second or two lmao lol gotta luv it though i bet that 54 tx will b smokin cause i have heard teh 53tx an it really sounded good

Izub, where did you purchase your 54TX from and for how much moola??? Thanks

I paid $750 (to Seattle)including shipping with soundpros.com They are tremendous. I was on the phone with Scott for quite awhile just bs-ing getting info, very knowledgeable and helpful. They seem to be the "Axiom" of hardware. Dynacosales on ebay has it for about $25 less. Sound is great with the 60's up front, vp150 and 2 QS8's on the side. I will be ordering 2 more QS8's for the back next week!