Price Paid:  $1500.00 from Audio Centre

Summary:
I love this reciever. Never thought I would by a "PIONEER" but have no regrets. My last 2 systems were a Rotel for music and a Yamaha for movies. Then moved to a Onkyo for both. I still use the Onkyo for ES, EX and multi source. Have a Panasonic DVD, Toshiba 40" HD widescreen and PSB Alpha B speakers all around. Seems to work great for me!

Strengths:
Multi source, Muli Zone THX EX, DTS ES, Good looks, great power, easy to use!

Weaknesses:
2nd amp needed to reap rewards

Similar Products Used:
N/A

Price Paid:  $1500.00 from Audio Centre

Summary:
I love this reciever. Never thought I would by a "PIONEER" but have no regrets. My last 2 systems were a Rotel for music and a Yamaha for movies. Then moved to a Onkyo for both. I still use the Onkyo for ES, EX and multi source. Have a Panasonic DVD, Toshiba 40" HD widescreen and PSB Alpha B speakers all around. Seems to work great for me!

Strengths:
Multi source, Muli Zone THX EX, DTS ES, Good looks, great power, easy to use!

Weaknesses:
2nd amp needed to reap rewards

Similar Products Used:
N/A

Price Paid:  $800.00 from A store in Yahoo Shopping

Summary:
I was using a stereo B&K preamp&lifier before I switched to this. The sound quality is a bit less impressive but the THX Ultra can really distribute sounds to all channels seamlessly. Feel great about this! So it's better for home theater than just for music. But the price is low enough to beat other competitors with similar qualities but much higher prices. Absolutely an excellent choice for home theater.

Beware of the heat though. I had to put it on top of the rack, which is a bit wired, just for the heat. And if you want the back speaker 6 and 7 to function, you got to have another amplifier.

Strengths:
THX Ultra, enough input/outputs.

Weaknesses:
Heat, need extra amplifier for the back channels

Similar Products Used:
B&K

Price Paid:  $770.00 from uBid

Summary:
I was extremely disappointed by this receiver. I decided to upgrade from my Denon 1601, which crapped out on me after a month (NEVER buy refurbished from uBid!). So I got this one, expecting much more. What I got was a bigger receiver that sure looked nicer, but sounded no better. NO BETTER?!? Whereas the Denon cost $200, refurbished, this unit cost almost four times that new. Granted, it had a couple of handy features that the 1601 lacked (preamp outs, more digital connections, a better remote) but the difference in price certainly was not warranted.

After returning this unit, I bought the Outlaw 1050 and I couldn’t be happier. I highly recommend this unit to anybody considering buying an Elite. For $555, shipped at www.outlawaudio.com, it presents the best bang for the buck in the business. Do not believe power ratings; they are worthless.

All in all Elite products are vastly overpriced for their performance.

Strengths:
Looks, inputs/outputs, remote, ease of use

Weaknesses:
Sound *and that's all that matters*

Similar Products Used:
Denon 1601/1801, Outlaw 1050, old Sony Pro Logic

Price Paid:  $675.00 from eBay

Summary:
Found a great deal on this barely-used 36TX from a guy on eBay -- $710 including S&H, and it's been running wonderfully. I bought it to replace my very aged Onkyo TX-V940. I've been 'third wheel' to a lot of home audio/theater research and demos, as my parents have a very nice setup, and for the money I have been very impressed with the Pioneer.

Other receivers are definitely better in certain ways than the 36TX -- in terms of sound quality (esp. with music), or features, or power rating, etc. But the Pioneer is the most balanced receiver in the price range that I've come across, and you're definitely not losing much in the sound quality department when you go with this thing. It's got a wonderful array of connections on the back, and a set of uber-convenient connections on the front (aesthetically hidden behind the front panel). I really dig the remote, as well, and had it successfully controlling all of my devices in mere minutes.

While it does require a separate amp for channels 6 & 7, it handles this pretty intelligently, and it was no problem using my older A/V amp in that capacity. The crossover selection seemed a tad limited, but as I'm between subwoofers at the moment, I couldn't much test the impact of this. Most of the connections are not gold-plated, although some of the 'high priority' ones are (e.g., DVD/LD). The manual says to give it an 8-inch clearance on top, and (as other reviewers have mentioned), they're not kidding; the top of the 36TX can get hotter than Alyssa Milano popping habanero peppers -- beware. Finally, the 'feet' that prop the unit up are too fragile compared to the rest of the unit (had one break off far too easily).

Mostly, the weaknesses are more gripes than faults, and greatly outweighed by the strengths of this solid overall performer. High marks to Pioneer Elite for blowing not only the regular Pioneer line out of the water, but giving plenty of other haughty names a run for their money.

Strengths:
Many connections (ins -and- outs), nice sound, slick remote, good aesthetics, 7.1 support

Weaknesses:
As mentioned by others, it gets hot as hell, many of the connections are not gold-plated, feet are too fragile, crossover selection limited