True there are better receivers than the VSX-505S but lets look at the bright points. This receiver has plenty of power. I have some CV RE-30's and the 505s pushes them very well. It may only have Pro-logic but the surround sound is very good. It has lots of features like the universal remote. Most receivers don't have a remote like it and people buy seperate remotes for approximately $100 that do the same. All in all, this is a good receiver at a good price.

this is one of the best receiver i ve ever heard its not like a yamaha but it has a great power and sound perfect with movies and also has a great price NOTE: YAMAHA doesnt have a great price at all .... so if you like a little home theater you might like this one

Marantz 880. I recently purchased this receiver from A&B sound in vancouver for $1800.00 and thought it was a good deal. I hooked it up at home and it sounds awfull. There is no bass and it sounds transperant. I just bought the worst amp in the store and paid too much.

A while back i purchaced a vsx-604s for a really exellent price of $225 it was a display model at sears...It is really a great reciever, and you can't beat it for the price i paid... I did not recieve any documentation, but I think the remote is a programmable remote, because of the on-screen set-up..I have tried but, no avail I cant get it to work either my TV and VCR...If anyone could help I would really appreciate it... Pioneer's web site has no sort of documentation...

I'm proud owner of a VSX-505s , and it is realy worth the money I paid, the amplifier as plenty of power .The sound is realy good on my cerwin-vega VS-120And believe me I've pushed it to the limit and the ampli never refuse it.I had previously a VSX-456 and that was a piece of crap, the amplifier broke after only 1 month of intensive work .It is the best reciever ever made by pionneer for that price range. It has enoufh power to wake you neighbour specialy the bass boster.

I got the VSX 504S amp and its sooper. Yea..... Theres Tonnes Of power and there is even A Sub Output and around 8 other speaker outputs. This machine Blows my house up and i also got a matching 12 disc magazine Pioneer CD player. The Model is PD-DM802, if anyone knows any infomation about that please e-mail me.. Well.. anyway the Amps remote has even got a universal function which is really great

Pioneer Receivers... HUH! I would say instead: PIONEER Audio products...
BLEAH!!! I HATE THEM!!!

My previous low-quality, Hi-Fi set was made around joining the cheapest separates of Kenwood (45/W. per channel integrated amp, tuner, 10-band p/ch. equalizer, turntable, an Aiwa single cassette deck & a Sony carousel 5-disc CD player).

Due to being short of money, when I started the upgrade process, I failed into the temptation to purchase a SX-303 R Receiver from Pioneer. Decision was made strictly to price reasons (US$ 360 here in Peru -the cheapest one!). At the meantime, I started to work with a larger vehicle importer from Korea, so if I had time to listen music (then to put on my audio set) for more than 2-3 hours a week, I'd feel realized as a music lover!
But anyway, the Pioneer receiver started to sound distorted, even when I have a pair of Polk's RT-10 speakers connected with MONSTER CABLE speaker Cable (LOVELY SOUND OF THE POLKS, I swear, BOTH FOR MUSIC & VIDEO!), and also the different inputs (LD, CD, tape), mixed the FM Tuner signal noise. Recording tapes on my Sony deck (an A-1 option for CD-to-cassette-copy lovers), started to sound like 'pirate' copies, even when I used a full-featured equalizer, and my Sony deck's Dolby S noise reduction filter. The sound of the Sony Hi-Fi VCR (connected thru the LD input of the Receiver), started to sound 'watery'. I sent the VCR to the service shop, the technician told me "Hey mister, your VCR is quite perfect. Why don't you bring me your amplifier / receiver? It is working really wrong!!"

All of my best friends, have single-brand systems from Sony, or separate components from different other brands (Sony, JVC, Kenwood), but not from Pioneer.

BE AWARE OF THIS BRAND!! DO NOT BELIEVE ON ALL THE ADVERTISEMENT THEY MAKE IN GOOD MAGAZINES AND IN ALL MEDIA!!! Pioneer Audio products, are really more 'Good Advertisement' products, rather than GOOD QUALITY Audio Products...

Thank you!

This reciever has really performed well. It has high power out-put through the four channels and I would recomment it to anyone who dosen't want to falk out heaps for a high powered Dolby Pro-Logic reciever. But it lacks in features, it would do with some S-Video connectors.

I purchased a VSX-505S and have mixed reviews on it. I am past the loud playing days of my younger years but still enjoy my rock and roll. The receiver I feel sounds "boomy", almost like it has too much power. (150 watt per channel in stereo mode) Im am running an old set of Advent speakers which I really like . I compared this to a VSX-305 they had at the shop I bought it at. I thought the VSX-305 was very lacking in power output having 60watt per channel but it distorted quite easily at higher volumes and had very poor base at low volumes. Would I be better off with a VSX-406 which puts out 80 watts per channel.? Is there such thing as a receiver being too powerful to a point where it sounds boomy? At this rate I think I will go Yahmaha or Denon the next time around.

Own a Pioneer VSX-505S and overall am satisfied, a lot of power for the money. Running an old set of Advent 2-way speakers from the 70's that were considered excellent qaulity back then. I do feel that at times the bass drums and bass are over amplified to a point of being uncomfortable to the ears. Can be boomy sounding and blare at times. Has anyone else experienced this probelm? Would a graphic equalizer help with my problem? Also agree with prervious reviews, the remote volume control is very crude and practically impossible to set at an acceptable low setting.