I like this receiver a lot. The sound from music and movies comes out really clear and sharp. This is blessing and curse. I could hear strong bass sounds coming from my center channel that my Yamaha was not producing. Great I thought! If I'm ever missing my subwoofer i might be able to get by.

I have been comparing this receivers with my Yamaha the past 6 hours switching between music and movies. I experienced listening fatigue very quickly with the Pioneer because the sound is coming on so strong and so precise. It's a really powerful receiver. Don't let the 90 watts fool you.

My Yamaha has a much more laid back personality. The sound is more fuzzy, not as well defined, and the bass doesn't come on as strong. But this is good because I can listen for hours on end and not have headache.

I should also add, the signal from the Pioneer is smooth but it lacks a sound stage. It sounds quite bottled up. It's easy to get past this when you hear how powerful it is, and how good the sound quality is. The D/A converters really make the music shine on this unit.

For me it is a matter of personal opinion. There is no question, the Pioneer makes a much better, much stronger, more accurate sound. But it comes at a cost, and a smaller sound stage. I know many people will listen to this unit and fall in love with it. I understand why.

Output, clarity and definition.

DSP board

I just had to add my voice to the DSP card issue. I picked my unit up from Goodwill for $50. The report stated that it worked ok. Well you know what's next. After about a week the sound strated to drop out. This would happen each time I changed the input, it channel, dvd ect. I did a little digging around on the net and found this site along with the IC issue. So, I removed the DSP card, checked the chip under a microscope and sure enough there were dry joints. Over to the PEC repair station and after a little heat and some new solder things looked pretty good. I replaced the card and powered the thing up. WOW, what a difference. I can get all the various audio formats, no loss output when switching inputs. All in all it's a great amp, far better that my original Teak. Now I just need some decent speakers to handle the power output. One other note, I didn't get the remote with the amp. Pioneer wants $150, would anyone know of a cheaper source? I'm watching ebay.

Lots of features, plenty of power from just 90 watts

not 7.1 upgradeable

What a great reviever! Two years ago I would say its the best sounding reviever you can buy for under $1000. But since then I upgraded to the vsx-35tx. I dont know what the other guy a few posts down was talking about saying the 35tx doesnt have Burr-Brown DAC''s. I called up Pioneer and they assured me that it does but the web site doesnt say anything about it. So anyway, the 24tx is basically the same as the 35tx with a few less features but they sound both the same. The only reason I upgraded was for 7.1 capability and its great. Both recievers are unbeatable for the money.

Similar Products Used:

VSX-35tx

Easy to setup and use, price, remote, build quality.

Binding posts to close together, slight hiss.

This reciever is well designed easy to use. I am only using it to drive my center and rear speakers, so I can't comment on its performance using all five channels or its sound on two channel music.

The onscreen setup is easy and only takes a couple of minutes. It has plenty of inputs and outputs, six preamp outputs, and a six channel input (future proof).

Some features I like are, the ability to adjust channels on the fly, which only takes a couple of seconds to flip through, without any interruption to the movie your watching, and the digital noise reduction control is great for reducing hiss from the radio without affecting the sound.

Watching movies is an absoulute pleasure. It can play quite loud and doen't become bright or harsh on loud passages. The sound is clear, with excellent dynamics. No problems recognizing DD or DTS. THX processing works great, and its easy to switch on/off with the remote. I haven't really tried the DSP modes, but the ones I did I didn't care for. You can hear a slight hiss up close to the speakers, but not while listening. I can't hear any crosstalk. The remote is well laid out, and easy to get use to and programable(although the backlighting could stay on a couple seconds longer).

Comparing this reciever to the others mentioned above, I would say they all performed well only differing in the features they offered. Price was my biggest consideration, since I didn't need alot of power or care for all the DSP modes the Sony offered. I did like both the Denons very much, but they were a little to much in price. If I were to just use a reciever, I would have gone with the Denon 5700 or one of the other Elites.

Similar Products Used:

Denon 5700,3300,Sony 555es,Pioneer Elite 26tx, 27tx.

Digital inputs. Upgrade via inputs( DVD Audio anyone )Remote Control, S-Video switching

Nothing yet

I was crushed when my Sony 90ESG started to spew smoke from the top and the dreaded Protector light came on. I took it to a Sony authorized dealer and they told me the board was shot. They also would not fix it because they said the unit had been worked on before. So much for the 5 year warranty on parts and Labor. I had brought this unit from Sound Advice.

Thankfully Sound Advice has a 60 day return policy. I was on my 58th day. Cheerfully I returned the unit and decided to get a Pioneer 24 which was on sale. I am glad that the folks at Sound Advice dealt with me quickly and efficiently. Great place to buy your Audio and Video gear.

I felt put off on Sony because of the unit dying in 55 days. Sound Advice did offer to fix the Sony, but I was afraid that it would blow the board again.

Needless to say I am very impressed with the unit. I was going to get the Pioneer 26 but it was identical to the 24 except that it has 100 watts as opposed to the 90 in the 24. It also has better multi room capabilities.

Not enough in my book to warrant the purchase the 26. I love the sound from the Pioneer. It is much better then the sony 90ESG. The Pioneer also has THX and DTS which the $1600.00 Sony 90ESg did not. Setup was easy and painless. I was only confused once. The digital inputs have to be assigned through the setup. If you connect a DVD player without assigning an input...no sound.

Overall the S-Video switching is great. Plently of inputs for all your gear. The front of the unit looks classly. The top though feels flimsly to me.

I give this unit 5 thumbs ups. E-Mail me with any questions or thoughts.

Similar Products Used:

Sony 90ESG, Harmon Kardon, Sony 825

Remote, Sound, THX Select

None

I am not a die hard audiophile but I am sure happy with this receiver. The sound is incredible, especially with THX. It is a receiver that you can grow with.

Similar Products Used:

Harmon

6-16 Ohm speaker capacity
S-Video Switching
THX select

Amount of heat generated...not abnormal....just very warm

I'm what you might call a bad descision maker. Instead of doing research on a particular purchase, I like to buy, try, and return until I find something I like.

I was looking for a sub $1000 recciever with decent power, 6 Ohm capacity, and s-video switching.

I got the Denon 2800 from Hi-Fi Buys for about $800. It was great, but it had not rear pre-outs. Therefore, any future audio standard would not utilize the rear channels. So I returned it.

I went next door to Circuit City and got the H-K AVR500 for around $800 again. It was great too...and I was going to keep it, but it crapped out after 2 weeks. I did some looking on the net and found that I was not the only one with a bad avr500. I returned it the next day.

At this point, the Pioneer Elites came to my attention. Hifi buys had a sale on them, so I picked up the VSX-24TX fro about $800. I liked it alot. Good sound...all of the capabilities I wanted...and plenty of room to grow. So I order another from One stop Digital for $650 ish and returned the first one when it came in.

Final word: There are too many variables in home audio; source, reciver, speakers, room, cables, listening habits and skill, etc. Take advantage of the retail stores return policies and try until you find something that works for you. Then do the research and find the best price.

Cheers,

Similar Products Used:

Denon, Harmon-Kardon

Inputs, S-Video and sound

None

A great receiver is all I can say. This unit has great sound, great features for the money and is made with quality parts.

This unit has Dolby Digital, DTS and Dolby Pro Logic. It has pre outs for all channels.

Audition this receiver. You will not be sad.

Similar Products Used:

Harman Kardan, Denon

S Video Switching, power, sound, digital inputs

Nothing

I was a little cautious at first. I did not really like Pioneer's regular line of Audio products. My friend Gina told me that the Elite series was different. Lo and behold she was correct.

I was struck silly by the subtle details in my CD collection. CD's sounded new again. My DVD movies were great. I even brought a DTS music Disc and it was fantastic.

Am I glad I have upgraded from my Yamaha. You bet I am.

Try it out. You will not regret it.

Similar Products Used:

Carver, yamaha

DD, DTS, THX Post Processing, Remote, Price

Depth of unit. DSP's

This receiver is definately a great buy for the money. My budget was 600 dollars but for a mere 60 more I was able to get it shipped to my door. I had a Kenwood VR 309 but it didn't have enough inputs plus the S-Video problem. I am pretty neutral about the DSP modes. The only negative about this unit is the depth which slightly overhangs on my entertainment center. I am looking for some quality A/V racks and that should help that problem. Obviously if you keep increasing your budget there will be better receivers out there for you so I drew my line and this was the best available.