Pio VSX 49TX - Gold Chasis - different model? (1 Viewer)

[Rich H]

Hi,

I'm thinking of ordering the Pioneer VSX 49TX receiver in the gold chasis. I'm told it will take quite a while to get here as it would be ordered from overseas. (I think it's only available in Europe and Japan).

Is there ANY possibility that the gold 49TX will be different, however slight, in build or operation from the black model offered in North America?

Must know before I order the thing.

Thanks,

Rich.

 

[Dave Bourdelais]

Rich,

I'm not sure, but I'd want to know whether the "gold" model has a tuner that is North American compatible.

There may be other differences as well. Let us know what you find.

Dave

 

[JeffHayes]

Just some quick info and take it for what it is worth as someone who has asked pretty much your same question on 3 different forums.
According to an e-mail I received from Pioneer last Thursday, the bastards only offer BLACK in North America. Thanks, Pioneer.... thanks alot.
Ok, some other things I have found out. The champagne color you dig, is a Japanese model only. That being the case, I THINK it has a 100V power supply... not 110V like you need in the USA (and I THINK Canada) and not 220V like you need in Europe.
Third, the SILVER one is the same model number as the Japanese one, VSA-AX10. It is ONLY available in Europe.
Fourth, other than the power supplies for the European and Japanese models, the VSA-AX10 is missing a tuner. I myself couldn't give a rats butt about a tuner being in my theater room, but if that is a "care about" for you, then again you are stuck with the "Butt Ugly Black and Burnt Amber" (BUBBA) TM Patent Pending US/Canada model, the VSX-49TX.
I have posted a couple times asking for people who could recommend reputable overseas dealers willing to ship to the States (or Canada). Thus far, 0 replies.
I e-mailed 4 different customer service locations for Pioneer (UK, France, Belgium, Germany) on Friday asking the above question... hopefully I will get at least one reply by next week. If I do get a reply worth noting, I will be happy to post it here for everyone's info.
I suggest that some polite inquiry into "WHY THE F'IN HELL" different parts of the world get ONLY one choice of receiver color might be directed at the various Pioneer customer service addresses and phone numbers.
Can you tell I am bitter?
Needless to say... for the price that a VSX-49TX can be add at some of the internet retailers, it's going to be hard to pass up the 49TX based on color alone.
Good luck with your purchase!
Regards,
Jeff in Houston

 

[Rich H]

Jeff,

My god, I can't believe there is someone else as annoyed about this as me. Looks like we are a club of two when it comes to this issue.

I'm truly p*ssed off. It's not just Pioneer, it's many of the other brands that pull this crap. It's as if they are saying: "We'll provide the Japanese and Europeans several different stylish options becuase, of course, those cultures appreciate style. For you crass North Americans, here's another ugly black box..."

What gives? I'm totally annoyed that I can't get the champagne color, which would match the surrounding decore perfectly (and thus reduce the visual impact of that big receiver).

Me, I have trouble with the idea of introducing any more black boxes into my house. Enough already! It amazes me how cheap many of these flagship receivers look in Ugly Black Box mode, compared to their more up-scale looking European counterparts.

What amazes me is how in the minority it seems I am, judging from the posts on many AV forums. The North Americans actually ARE requesting ugly black boxes! The Panasonic RP-91 DVD player came in a cool-looking champagne finish (which I have, and which looks beautiful in our house compared to our other crappo black components). Yet I lost count of the posts by people asking where they could find the player in non-descript BLACK plastic instead. Sigh, maybe we are heathens....

Anyway, about the Pioneer 49TX champagne/silver version. First the good news: I found a dealer who WILL import it. Said it would take about six weeks. I was ready to do that until I phoned my local Pioneer rep to ask about the differences between the Japanese version vs North American.

He was quite knowledgable, and dissabused me of the notion pretty fast. Basically the power supplies are different, and the champagne version would not be suitable for North American use. Even if I bought a converter the rep said I'd be starving the unit of appropriate current...why do that? There were several other issues as well - lack of warranty, tuner among others.

So, it's the black version for me. Luckily, to me the 49TX is by far one of the prettiest Ugly Black Boxes I've seen.

- Rich.

 

[Geoff L]

Someone is selling a NEW Pioneer VSA-Ax10 in *(Silver)* at Ebay right now. Worldwide shipping of 125.00 and Buy-it-Now price of 3600.00...Whew.

Shipped from across the water.

I bring this up due to the ~{info he posts}~ in his add that addressess the USA 110V questions above...

==========>

His add states,

WORLWIDE CURRANT CAPABLE!

==========>

These seems to bring question the information received prior.

So just what info is correct regarding it's plug & play state side?

Geoff

 

[Marcelo T]

I just saw the silver version in a HT show here in Brazil and it looks amazing. The silver is absolutelly gorgeous and ultra-shiny
Never saw the black one in person though, Elites are almost impossible to find down here

 

[Andrew_Ballew]

MOST of the time products made for the Japanese market actually have a power supply that will be compatible with US voltage.

Andrew B.

 

[Hugo S]

Hi,
Living in France (Europe) my buying choice here with this kind of Pioneer products is just limited to a VSA-10AX amplifier only finished in Silver.
BUT all my equippment is Black and I want an integrated tuner...
So when I read your complaints folks, which are symmetrically identical to mine own, the only conclusion I make, is that when you want to buy a hi-end product coming from Pioneer, you have to buy at the same time the unilateral choices of their Marketting Dept. concerning your pre suppossed ethnic options...
How else can this be understood?
Hugo
P.S. Please Pioneer give your customers the choice of the finishing color. Onkyo does it, why should you be worse?

 

[RobD]

You guys in the states do get a better selection though. Personally the 47TX is the right spec for me and no available equivilent in Europe.

 

[Bill Will]

If your really that buggie on having a gold receiver why don't you just buy the all the "Front Panel" replacement parts in gold from Pioneer? (I'm sure they have them) & then have a repair shop install them. I'm sure you could do this with all the parts but it's not going to be cheap.
It's really too bad that they don't give us a choice though. When the silver Sony Wega's first came out a friend of mine who owns a body shop must have sprayed 30 or 40 of them black for customers who just hated the silver color Wega's which I can't blame them for. As I read in a post somewhere, when you go to the movies you don't see a big silver boarder around the screen to reflect the light do you?