Longevity, looks, power

Lack of inputs for this day and age

the VSX-455 has been a great amp. Nowdays its basically used 90% of the time for TV and watching movies. I live in Australia which explains the higher price.

Its about 10 years old now and going well. I got sick of the hum so I disconnected the internal fan about 4 years ago. On hot days it sometimes turns itself off.

I run two Bose 501 speakers and a Yamaha sub woofer and the sound is fine for me. It sounds better than many surround sound setups which I have heard in the last few years.

I lost the remote a few years ago but am now using a Harmony 520 universal remote. It works great.

I often think if I bought a computer in 1996 it would be a piece of rubbish now. However the money I spent on my audio equipment in 96 is still working for me.

Customer Service

Never used

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none

the power output is decent for running large speakers. subout puts out plenty of power if you like bass music. easy to use controls with the multijog.also the amp will turn itself off if connections are incorect.

after having my amp for some time the humming got quite loud while playin music down low. this is the biggest problem i have had.

Overall for the price of this amp im quite happy with the proformance in power and in sound though the amp is now a bit out of date agains the new market.

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yamaha.

lots of power and clear sound

controls are not very precise

this system is good for home theatre and music it seems to have a fair amount of power for what it is. but if anyone knows how much power this unit is per channel or the max impedance load I ask you please email me at killerbeez187@hotmail.com

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non this receiver beats em all!!

reliable, reasonable amounts of power, great sound for 95% of the applications.

Noisy, tone controls

I think, that we need to consider the price of a unit and then set the expectations. The performance of this rcvr is quite nice if you are a regular listener. If you are a "audiophile" you should not be looking a 200 bucks unit. The power is great for normal periods of time (dont push it), it is a little bit noisy (can only be noticed in controlled environments) and overall tonal balance is good, but tone controls produce weird effects. I have found it to be pretty reliable.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer, Harman Kardon, Yamaha

reliable, reasonable amounts of power, great sound for 95% of the applications.

Noisy, tone controls

I think, that we need to consider the price of a unit and then set the expectations. The performance of this rcvr is quite nice if you are a regular listener. If you are a "audiophile" you should not be looking a 200 bucks unit. The power is great for normal periods of time (dont push it), it is a little bit noisy (can only be noticed in controlled environments) and overall tonal balance is good, but tone controls produce weird effects. I have found it to be pretty reliable.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer, Harman Kardon, Yamaha

Really sensible design as a all-purpose receiver. Good power output. Then again, Pioneer has always produced good products.

The high end is a little muted, but adjusting the treble a skosh upwards solves that problem. I also found the subwoofer preamp output level is a little low. This design is a bit dated. The 455 doesn''t have an optical audio input for digital surround, but then that wasn''t an issue in 1996. Surround processing has moved from Pro-Logic into Dolby/DTS 5.1 and 6.1 channel, and if you shop you may find a great deal on a digital 5.1 receiver. However, the 455 is well made, and generally, you get what you pay for. I would wager that you will be happier with a well designed Pro-Logic receiver than a poorly executed 5.1 digital design. One thing to watch for: some newer designs cannot handle low impedance speakers. Their power output at 4 ohms is either not specified, or nonexistent. This will not be a problem with the 455.

I bought my VSX-455 from Damark as a refurbished unit, and it continues to serve me well. I have absolutely no complaints, although I am a little surprised to see that Pioneer has kept it in the line this long.

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I am getting a new digital receiver, and will relegate this fine model to driving my subwoofer, which cranks 20Hz by virtue of using a DBX subharmonic synthesizer and dedicated electronic crossover. I

Wonderful sound. Lots of power, inputs, and surround modes.

Volume control on the remote is not sensitive enough. If you tap the button once, it goes from just under enough volume, to too much. Usually i end up standing up and adjusting it.

This was the first component I saved up to buy when I was 16. If I could do it again I would get a Harman Kardon. This beast has never served me wrong. I popped the circuit breaker with it once. Its a great Home Theater backbone, but for an audiophile, well, There are better choices. It seems like Pioneer tried to pin tons of features on it, but didn't think about it much. The tape/video input says video in the LCD and is not changeable. There is a button called display off which turns bright amber when you press it, but it lights up like a lighthouse, so what is the sense of turning the display off? The remote is very powerful. You don't have to point it anywhere near the sensor. I've turned the volume up and down while covered with a light blanket. Wonderful sound.

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My friend had a very similar Kenwood Home Theater Receiver. Around 100w per channel. You could tell mine sounded better.

Options, Power, Durabuility.

Remote to Reciever volume not sensitive enough. Blackout light is much to bright.

I have had this unit for quite a long time. I have accidentally left it on in a closed cabinet during a vacation and the space it was in was only a little warm when I got back. The sound is very good and the price was great for a unit with this many options.

This has been an outstanding piece of Audio Equipment. It has good power, Dolby Pro Logic, and clear sound. It was purchased to upgrade my system to Pro Logic from the previous generation VSX-454. I have used it for about 5 years with no issues.

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VSX-454

High powered system. Good 5D. One of the guys that already reviewed this receiver denounced the 5D because it didnt work and thus gave it a poor rating. Good radio reception and plays clear music. A good receiver for an audio enthusiast. Of course there are better models on the market but not for under $450.

None obvious ones yet.

Great receiver and well worth the 450. Would recommend to others as a great receiver for the money.