mattlope


quality posts: 1 Private Messages mattlope
xavoc wrote:Uh, I have a 300 Watt RMS (900 watt peak) Martin Logan Grotto i subwoofer. Sometimes, just sometimes, I don't really want to make my neighbors think there's an earthquake going on.



You have a $1,400 subwoofer fed by a $150 receiver?

landturtle


quality posts: 0 Private Messages landturtle

the three stars on amazon break down to a pool of 13 resoonders. Of those 5 3 gave it a 5 and 2 a 4.followed by 4 3's 1 2's and 3 1's. Not a very stellar rating.

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-VSX-521-K-Theater-Receiver-Glossy/dp/B004M8RPAY


landturtle

Barbara C Silverberg

jdevenberg


quality posts: 6 Private Messages jdevenberg
allens555 wrote:This unit does NOT output 1080p
http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2011/03/08/Pioneer_2011_AV_receiver_comparison.jpg?tag=rvwBody



It will output 1080p. It won't upconvert a signal to 1080p (possibly from a dvd player without its own upconversion, or an older game system).

jazzmotazzmo


quality posts: 1 Private Messages jazzmotazzmo

Don't mean to pop the balloons or anything, BUT this is primarily a legacy component with numerous outdated and inadequate features. The "Monster-ized" component cnx is dubious, as well as the implausible lack of USB 3.0 ... I be bummin' on this one.

“Jazz is the big brother of the blues. If a guy's playing blues like we play, he's in high school. When he starts playing jazz it's like going on to college, to a school of higher learning.” --B.B. King

jdevenberg


quality posts: 6 Private Messages jdevenberg
xavoc wrote:Right, but your XBox360 probably isn't running HDCP.

I own the SC-37 (Elite series) and I literally couldn't get my Blu-Ray player to work at all. I tried 5 different HDMI cords of 3 different types from Monoprice.com and every time I got an HDCP issue.

I ended up having to buy HDMI cables from BluejeansCable.com to get high quality HDMI cables for a price that's slightly less than gouging.



I suppose it is a possibility, two of the hdmi cables I tried were cheap amazon cables, but one was a $35 Panasonic cable. And they all work with my Blu-Ray player and Denon receiver. Like I said, I suppose it is a possibility that it was the cables, but I find it suspicious that the same cables paired with the same source going to a different receiver, or straight to my TV, don't have problems. It was only with the Pioneer.

jdevenberg


quality posts: 6 Private Messages jdevenberg
jazzmotazzmo wrote:Don't mean to pop the balloons or anything, BUT this is primarily a legacy component with numerous outdated and inadequate features. The 'Monters-ized" component cnx is dubious, as well as the implausible lack of USB 3.0 ... I be bummin' on this one.



Why would you need a USB 3.0 on a receiver?

wooton


quality posts: 4 Private Messages wooton

no phono inputs, no deal. i need to be able to hook up my turntable.

ccw1911


quality posts: 0 Private Messages ccw1911

Will this thing really level out the tv volume so those #%!@^&^%$ comericals won't blast me?

theecigarman


quality posts: 0 Private Messages theecigarman
mattlope wrote:You have a $1,400 subwoofer fed by a $150 receiver?



That's what I thought too!

sixdolla


quality posts: 24 Private Messages sixdolla
xavoc wrote:Yes, it has HDMI standby passthrough. The receiver does not need to be turned on for use.



That's not what I mean by "pass through". If you have an input from say a PS3 that's 1080p the receiver needs to have 1080p output to the tv because alot of receivers will intake 1080p put only output 1080i/720p this is very common even the newest of receivers. Your tv will still show a 1080p input from your receiver but it'll be more like an "upconversion" dvd player than an actual 1080p signal and this is regardless of what v. HDMI you use.

jwsnider83


quality posts: 0 Private Messages jwsnider83
allens555 wrote:NO
http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2011/03/08/Pioneer_2011_AV_receiver_comparison.jpg?tag=rvwBody



I play 1080p content through this box just fine as a pass-through. I think this refers to processing in the unit for upconversion.

jdevenberg


quality posts: 6 Private Messages jdevenberg
mattlope wrote:You have a $1,400 subwoofer fed by a $150 receiver?



No, he has a high end Pioneer Elite receiver.

thescoby


quality posts: 1 Private Messages thescoby

Can somebody explain the audio out options on this to me? i can see the preamp RCA outs, but why does it say CD-R/Tape above the middle one's?

bebopblues


quality posts: 5 Private Messages bebopblues
thescoby wrote:Can somebody explain the audio out options on this to me? i can see the preamp RCA outs, but why does it say CD-R/Tape above the middle one's?


For CD player / Tape player input is probably what it's for.

I'm guessing the PRE OUT RCAs are the PreAmp 2.1 outputs so you can get the 7.1 surrouond sound that others have mentioned earlier.

I think I'm gonna get this receiver. For the price, I don't think it can be beat. I don't care for 7.1, 5.1 is good enough for me. I just want to replace my super ancient Sony receiver that doesn't even have HDMI support. All I want is HDMI/Standby pass-thru and 1080P support. I hope that one guy is wrong about it only outputting 1080i/720P.

xavoc


quality posts: 14 Private Messages xavoc
allens555 wrote:This unit does NOT output 1080p
http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2011/03/08/Pioneer_2011_AV_receiver_comparison.jpg?tag=rvwBody



It outputs 1080p just fine. It just doesn't do Analog to Digital conversion or upscaling.

xavoc


quality posts: 14 Private Messages xavoc
sixdolla wrote:That's not what I mean by "pass through". If you have an input from say a PS3 that's 1080p the receiver needs to have 1080p output to the tv because alot of receivers will intake 1080p put only output 1080i/720p this is very common even the newest of receivers. Your tv will still show a 1080p input from your receiver but it'll be more like an "upconversion" dvd player than an actual 1080p signal and this is regardless of what v. HDMI you use.



The unit does NO video processing or upconversion. It's straight passthrough.

lll0228


quality posts: 31 Private Messages lll0228
crusher372 wrote:Not a bad receiver. Could anchor a bedroom system or small media center well. Wouldn't expect much more though. Still a good entry level deal if someone wanted to dive into the 5.1 pool.



80 W per channel (assuming RMS and not marketing inflated value) is actually very loud. Put it in a small bedroom, at full power you would go deaf almost immediately. Most speakers have sensitivity over 89db/W/m these days; you can easily drive anything with 80 W.

My main living room's audiophile system has, guess what, 5 W per channel, from 300B tube based power amps. No one has ever complained about "not loud enough", even for movies. That said, obviously that 5 W is not the same as these (much lower-end) 80 W. However, it must be noted that 80 W per channel (times 5 and may be a powered subwoofer), is plenty of power for a large majority of people.

One more note is that I noticed a lot of people discussing one brand vs another. With audio, it doesn't quite work that way (since I have EE background in circuit design plus I used to write for a HiFi magazine, I'll let you in a little bit of industry info). Unlike very high-end sound system manufacturers like Mark Levison ($5k+ per amp), Wilson Audio etc ($50k speakers, each weighing half a ton), hardly any major companies "voice" their systems to match their models at different price point. They just build it as they go. As long as they comply with the latest specs and protocols and they pass QC for reliability, they release them. Out of the major brands, only Marantz, Denon and Onkyo (whom I worked for long long time ago) have any kind of "signature" sound. I also specifically exclude BOSE, which is more of a marketing company than an audio company.

What does this mean? You need good return policy. You want to listen to the component first before you buy; because you are not buying into any "signature sound". This may not apply here since the price point is low, but it may be a good piece of knowledge to share on Woot.

For this, at this kind of price point, as long as it "works", it's a pretty good deal. It's a lot of technology inside a very low cost box. And given the Woot discount, I think one can take the risk. Worst case, sell it on EBay!

xavoc


quality posts: 14 Private Messages xavoc
mattlope wrote:You have a $1,400 subwoofer fed by a $150 receiver?



No, I have a Pioneer Elite SC-37. It retailed for $2200

xavoc


quality posts: 14 Private Messages xavoc
wooton wrote:no phono inputs, no deal. i need to be able to hook up my turntable.



You can buy separate phono pre-amps that will allow you to use it. They start at about $15 and climb rapidly from there.

xavoc


quality posts: 14 Private Messages xavoc
jdevenberg wrote:I suppose it is a possibility, two of the hdmi cables I tried were cheap amazon cables, but one was a $35 Panasonic cable. And they all work with my Blu-Ray player and Denon receiver. Like I said, I suppose it is a possibility that it was the cables, but I find it suspicious that the same cables paired with the same source going to a different receiver, or straight to my TV, don't have problems. It was only with the Pioneer.



Right, $35 is still a "cheap" cable I'm afraid to say. Regardless of it being Panasonic. At that point it's just massive markup.

HDMI is one of the worst things to happen to consumers in a long time. Especially with HDCP.

For $35 you could have purchased a Bluejeans Cable HDMI cable... American manufactured cable, it's only shipped overseas to have the ends put on. (They're all terminated in China basically, regardless of brand.)

xavoc


quality posts: 14 Private Messages xavoc
landturtle wrote:the three stars on amazon break down to a pool of 13 resoonders. Of those 5 3 gave it a 5 and 2 a 4.followed by 4 3's 1 2's and 3 1's. Not a very stellar rating.

http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-VSX-521-K-Theater-Receiver-Glossy/dp/B004M8RPAY


landturtle



Uh, it's $150 man, what exactly are you expecting quality-wise? Basically moderate quality starts above $500. Beginner audiophile gear starts at about $1000 for surround with features.

The issues reported are basically that someone fried it. (No idea if this is user error, or an issue w/ the unit.)

HDMI issues (Which, will happen to ANYONE with HDMI devices, especially if you have a cable box w/ HDMI...)

And the other poor reviews seem to be people complaining about features they thought it had, but it didn't.

Is it an amazing piece of gear? No, but it'll work, and it'll sound decent if you're not an poooony that tries to turn it up too loud.

bsmitson


quality posts: 0 Private Messages bsmitson
sixdolla wrote:I see it's HDMI and 3D-Ready but is the HDMI 1080p "pass through"? That would be a major deal killer if it wasn't cause I've seen fancy receivers like this that aren't.



http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/AV-Receivers/Pioneer+Receivers/VSX-521-K

The spec sheet says it is 1080P compatible

xavoc


quality posts: 14 Private Messages xavoc
allens555 wrote:This unit does NOT output 1080p
http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2011/03/08/Pioneer_2011_AV_receiver_comparison.jpg?tag=rvwBody



It outputs 1080P just fine, it just doesn't do ANY video processing up-conversion, or analog to digital conversion. Sheesh.

It does passthrough HDMI switching, which means it doesn't alter the video in any way. It just passes it all along to your TV while intercepting the audio input for its own use.

lll0228


quality posts: 31 Private Messages lll0228
xavoc wrote:No, I have a Pioneer Elite SC-37. It retailed for $2200



Fantastic choice. Full Martin Logan Electrostatic setup?

jasonking0351


quality posts: 16 Private Messages jasonking0351

My subwoofer uses standard speaker wire to connect to my current receiver (2 wire connection). How would I connect my sub to this receiver since it appears to have only one 'jack' connection for a sub? Easy solution will be the deal breaker for me on this one. Thanks!

lll0228


quality posts: 31 Private Messages lll0228
jasonking0351 wrote:My subwoofer uses standard speaker wire to connect to my current receiver (2 wire connection). How would I connect my sub to this receiver since it appears to have only one 'jack' connection for a sub? Easy solution will be the deal breaker for me on this one. Thanks!



If your subwoofer has a two-wire connection, you either have a passive subwoofer, OR if you have an active sub, you are using its high-impedance high-level input.

This Pioneer only has low-level output for the subwoofer; and it needs an active sub if you want to use that sub connection. You can use a passive subwoofer (if your speaker system is setup that way) inline with the speakers and use the front channels to drive it as well. It completely depends on what you have. Do you know the make and model of your speakers and sub?

lll0228


quality posts: 31 Private Messages lll0228
wooton wrote:no phono inputs, no deal. i need to be able to hook up my turntable.



Expecting a phono MM/MC input these days is pretty unreasonable. Hardly any one has it, especially at this price. There is no reason why you can't just buy a phono stage and hook up your turntable. If you are looking at this receiver, you aren't looking at high-end stuff anyway; a cheap phono stage can be had for under $100.

sixdolla


quality posts: 24 Private Messages sixdolla
bsmitson wrote:http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/AV-Receivers/Pioneer+Receivers/VSX-521-K

The spec sheet says it is 1080P compatible



Thanks, you definitely answered the question best with that link. Just because a receiver accepts a 1080p signal through does not mean it will keep it a 1080p signal if it does not support that out.

zmurrmann


quality posts: 0 Private Messages zmurrmann
lolento wrote:does this thing upconvert component to HDMI?



No, it does NOT upconvert component to HDMI.

Buried in the owner's manual on page 13, it says this:

"This receiver is not loaded with a video converter. When you use component video cables or HDMI cables for connecting the input device the same cables should be used for connecting the TV.

The signals input from analog (composite and component) video inputs of this unit will not be output from the HDMI OUT."

So you can only go from digital-to-digital, and analog-to-analog.

virus666


quality posts: 0 Private Messages virus666
jmike00 wrote:Newegg has the 7.1 big brother on sale as well. Not sure for how much because I refuse to click through all the way to check out. At least woot tells you up front how much the price is!



$299 free shipping on Newegg for the 7.1

bebopblues


quality posts: 5 Private Messages bebopblues

What's the true power of this unit? I have a 19'x14' room, will it have enough power to fill this space, particularly listening to music with loud bass?

slamthedoor


quality posts: 0 Private Messages slamthedoor
zmurrmann wrote:So you can only go from digital-to-digital, and analog-to-analog.



Great! Thanks for clarifying that. I'm in need of a receiver that does digital-to-analog (HDMI -> component) because I have an older HDTV that doesn't have HDMI inputs. Had hoped this Pioneer would do the trick, but apparently not.

eskwadrat


quality posts: 0 Private Messages eskwadrat

10 lbs for $149 ?
10 lbs of junk packed nicely.
Direct Energy will ensure your 60Hz buzz experience on a background of fines BluRay or SACD you have.

This is one of those amps to install in busy fast food stops, not something you wanna have as a part of yout HT.

Steve

bam099


quality posts: 0 Private Messages bam099
DorXtar wrote:No optical inputs or outputs? Pass.



Just checked Pioneer's site and it has 3 digital inputs. 2 TOSlink and 1 coax.

eskwadrat


quality posts: 0 Private Messages eskwadrat
bebopblues wrote:What's the true power of this unit? I have a 19'x14' room, will it have enough power to fill this space, particularly listening to music with loud bass?



80 Watts RMS per channel in 5.1 mode.
Should be able to deliver more than that in Stereo when two speakers only works.

Oper Manual states, mains power consumption is 415 W which adds up (80W x 5 ch = 400W + 15W to use for guts of that puppy.

At least Pioneer is accurate in this part.
should fill your room with moderate level of sound. And for loud deep bass you need separate powered subwoofer. Pioneer may not be able to deliver it through even largest stereo speakers you gonna plug in. Good standalone sub takes more than 400W by itself so do not be surprised.

Steve

nwhitemcse


quality posts: 3 Private Messages nwhitemcse

Is the remote control good enough to replace the cable or D*TV remote?

radi0j0hn


quality posts: 79 Private Messages radi0j0hn
wooton wrote:no phono inputs, no deal. i need to be able to hook up my turntable.



Pick one, your choice:

Your WHAT?

-or-

No input for my 8-Track either.

acpress.com Not cute, but useful.

nevetsvsx


quality posts: 0 Private Messages nevetsvsx

This is the best receiver i have owned, and at this price its a no brainer... If you need a receiver this one is the way to go!

ikickedagirl


quality posts: 0 Private Messages ikickedagirl
jasonking0351 wrote:My subwoofer uses standard speaker wire to connect to my current receiver (2 wire connection). How would I connect my sub to this receiver since it appears to have only one 'jack' connection for a sub? Easy solution will be the deal breaker for me on this one. Thanks!



I tried using something like that when I got a decent 7.1 Sony receiver. Didn't hear any bass. It was a cheap RCA sub from a box surround so who knows, but you'll probably have to buy a powered sub.

fraserf


quality posts: 0 Private Messages fraserf

The specs state that the Sound Delay (Lip Sync) can be up to 9 Frames. Is that enough? Do other receivers support more than 9 frames?