Pioneer vs Yamaha (1 Viewer)

[elwaylite]

Here are the ones Im looking at, upgrading from a Denon 1911, so they are all upgrades. Im not sur eif the Elite models are a worthy price to pay, vs the 1121, and not sure if the 1010 adds much except the amp. Im also not sure how the YPAO performs vs MCACC Pioneer 1121K $600 7.1 110wx7 THX Certified MCACC Advanced 30.21lbs VSX-53 Elite $770 7.1 110x7 THX Select 2 Plus MCACC Advanced 30.65 lbs SC-55 $1300 Class D3 Amp 140x9 THX Select 2 Plus MCACC Advanced 38.36 pounds Yamaha 1010 $1000 120x7 YPAO Multipoint Burr Brown DACS 33.3 810 $800 110x7 YPAO Multipoint Burr Browns 24.5lbs To me, the VSX-53 has my eye, and it appears it's just the Elite version of the 1121, with a little more weight and THX Select 2 Plus, along with a better warranty I assume. Im not sure whether the SC55 is worth almost twice as much, someone would need to fill me in. On the Yamahas, I'd guess the 1010 for the power, it's got a lot more weight to it. Im tempted to just say frack it and by the SC55, but...Thanks for any help.

 

[John Brill]

To be brutally honest, there will be no discernable difference amongst your choices. +/- 10 wpc means nothing (and Pioneer has a reputation for over stating ratings), MCACC vs YPAO are both in-house developed and do, essentially, the same thing. Elite vs plain jane, more $'s for the same unit and a 12 volt trigger and 1 more year warranty... pass. Best choice you've listed is the 1121 from Pioneer... unless, of course, you are powering large speakers in a big room, then, all bets are off JB

 

[elwaylite]

Thanks. Main reason i was considering the Class D3 SC55 were the rave reviews of the new amps. Just very very good in the sound dept, but if that's really the way to break it down, I wonder if I should even let go of the Denon 1911. I love my Def Tech speakers, and Ive heard some comments by folks going from Denon to Pioneer, that they liked the sound more, I guess warmer is a way to describe it. If there is anything to upgrade in my setup, that may be it, or perhaps the lower budget sub I have could be replace. That may be a better investment.

 

[John Brill]

I wonder if I should even let go of the Denon 1911.

The 1911 is still "new" with HDMI 1.4a... unless you are independantly wealthy or you can get what you paid for it (+/- $25-$50), what you are considering is not much of an upgrade, if any. No, I wouldn't upgrade for another 2-3 years if I were you.

 

[elwaylite]

Thanks. In the grand scheme of things, the Klipsch Sub-12 I have was a budget sub (3yrs old), but has served it's purpose well. In the same price range, I was considering a Velodyne DEQ-15R upgrade. Is a 15" overkill with the Def Tech speakers I have, or would it just add more punch to mys system?

 

[John Brill]

Thanks. In the grand scheme of things, the Klipsch Sub-12 I have was a budget sub (3yrs old), but has served it's purpose well. In the same price range, I was considering a Velodyne DEQ-15R upgrade. Is a 15" overkill with the Def Tech speakers I have, or would it just add more punch to mys system?

I do prefer front firing than down firiing subs but that's my personal preferance. The Velodyne sub is a step up for sure but I'm not sure it would be your best investment for improving your overall experience not knowing what DefTech speakers you have... Looks like you have a follow-up question for the speaker forum

 

[elwaylite]

Thanks for the help.

 

[elwaylite]

John, One brand left off was Marantz. The 6005 is really a steal right now, under $600. The newer (I assume) 6006 is $1100. Any thoughts?

 

[derrickdj1]

I like the pioneer elite receivers. Recently I have seen the SC 35 and 37 for $729/ $799, These are last years version of the Pioneer SC 55/57 for a lot less money. I would buy this over Yamaha due to price. The Yamaha receivers are very good also. Saving money means you have more to spend on speakers or other upgrades. Man, this upgrade thing is a disease for some of us, lol. I have a Pioneer SC 35 and the autocalibration is great.

 

[gene c]

Ac4l.com has the 5005 for $459 shipped. http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/MARSR5005A/MARANTZ-SR5005-100w-X-7ch-3-D-Home-Theater-Surround-Receiver/1.html The 6005 is $589 http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/MARSR6005A/MARANTZ-SR6005-110w-X-7ch-3-D-Home-Theater-Surround-Receiver/1.html and both are new with a three year warranty. I recently had an Elite 94txh (wonderfull receiver-should have kept it) and an Elite vsx-32 (1120) which for some reason I didn't really care for. Maybe because I had the 94. Sold both of them and got a great deal on a used 23txh to replace the 32. Love it. Again, not sure why (I mean, why didn't I like the 32 but do like the 23 Must be a reason. They're not that much different). I then bought an open-box SC-35 and while it's a fine receiver, and certainly stronger then the 32 or 23, it really doesn't sound any better. The higher-end 57 apparently has better internals and is supposed to perfom better but I have my doubts. But the 1121 and 53 both have pre-outs if you feel the need to add additional amplifiers. And I aggree with John about getting the 1121 instead of the 53 if you go Pioneer. Unless you just have to have the shinny front face-plate and orange and blue lights like I did (they do look though ). I biought a Marantz 7002 to replaced the 94txh and even though many members feel there isn't much of a difference between the way receivers sound, I have to disagree a bit. The Marantz (and most likely a Denon) have the softer/warmer, more musical sound compared to Pioneer. I've heard Pioneer's described as "clinical" or "crystal clear" which is a good thing, just different than some others. In my opinion, if Marantz was wood then Pioneer would be glass. Both good, just different. I decided to use the same for both systems to make things a bit simpler and chose Pioneer Elite for it's ease of use, classy good looks, matching BluRay and universal dvd players and 6 MCACC presets which can also set individual speaker volumes for each preset. But for most people I would strongly recommend looking into last years Marantz receivers from ac4l.com. At those prices you don't need to look at refurbished. Not crazy about the manuals but at least they vastly improved the remotes (I bought one for the 6005 to replace the horrible 7002's remote. I also don't think the 6005 is worth $130 more than the 5005. The differences are listed in the 6005's description

 

[John Brill]

John, One brand left off was Marantz. The 6005 is really a steal right now, under $600. The newer (I assume) 6006 is $1100. Any thoughts?

I am a relativefan of Marantz. However, I still don't think upgrading from the Denon 1911 to "something else in the $500-$900 price range" is going to give you any noticable improvement unless you really have money burning a hole in your pocket. Most likely, an upgrade to your front 3 speakers (left, right, and center) will provide much better improvements. That said, if you really want to "upgrade" the electronics componeny of your system, I would recommend the 5005 and 6005 over comparable Pioneer, Yamaha, Denon, and Onkyo offerings. JB

 

[elwaylite]

Understood. I've decided that if I am going to spend any money, a sub should be it. According to some folks, Outlaw tends to have some deals on their EX flagship sub, and it can be had for $549+shipping. Gonna keep an eye on it.