Pioneer VSX-D810S vs. Yamaha RX-V730 (1 Viewer)

[Martin G]

I would make sure to get the pioneer D811s instead of the D810s if you are going to go that route. The 811 has the advantage of having dolby pro-logic II. This makes all the difference when listening to TV and old stereo movie soundtracks.

 

[Paul Clarke]

Just to be ornery...why not throw the Denon 1802 into the mix? A/B speaker selection, S-Video switching, etc., etc.

 

[Mike Veroukis]

But is all of this worth doubling the price from 400 to 800 Canadian dollars?

I think so. If that was a Pioneer Elite I'd have to consider it more closely, but the yammies are good quality across the board. The quality control of Yamaha is second to none and is obviously a huge selling point. I'd be surprised if you had any serious problems with that unit.

However, to me it seems like you regret parting with all that cash. You haven't said anything bad about the 730 so I assume you are happy with the unit. The only thing I can recommend is to try out the 630. You'll save some cash and keep most of the same features and the same clean Yamaha sound. That to me seems like the best compromise, otherwise stick with the 730. If in the end you decide that money is more important then sound quality, go with the Pioneer.

- Mike

 

[DougPeter]

This is the kind of info I am looking for. I didn't even know the VSX-D811S existed. So I am hearing that Prologic II is important for older movies, and I assume also good for analog movies? A couple feature like this and I can justify to my self that I need something better than the 810. I like the Yamaha 730, I know it is a bit of overkill, but also hope it will satisfy my needs for a long time.

Comparison:

Yamaha has:

1 extra set of S-video inputs

Prologic II

better remote

On screen display

more DSP modes

Probably better built

I think it has more decoding

I could drop to the 630 Yamaha but the dealer already gave me a good price on the 730 since he did not have any 630's ( 50 bucks more off) I see they are advertising the Yamaha 730 this week for $180 more than I paid so I know I got a good deal.

If there were 200 or even maybe 300 difference I would not think about it but 400 is making a big difference in price but I think if I stick with the Yamaha I won't regret missing features and quality but if I get the Pioneer I will alsways be wondering, "what would prologic II sound like ?, I wonder if the Yamaha has a better DSP mode for this, etc."

 

[ChrisAG]

Unless you are having trouble making the rent, get the Yamaha
Even Consumer Reports magazine trashes the low-end Pioneers.

 

[Harold_C]

>> I am starting to feel that the Yamaha is the safer buy as it will probably perform better, last longer and have more features. But is all of this worth doubling the price from 400 to 800 Canadian dollars?

No. The Yamaha is probably a little better receiver than the Pioneer. But, it will be neither more reliable nor have more features. They are both Asian-made price-point receivers.

For double the money, I would buy the Pioneer and save the difference to buy yourself a nice 75 to 125 watt per channel multi-channel amplifier. Then, you will hear a REAL difference.

In the lower price ranges, receivers are just a necessary evil. You need one for its surround processing features, but none of them are really going to make your system sing. Don't spend extra on a receiver expecting some big sonic improvment. A cheap, current-limited amplifier is a cheap current-limited amplifier, regardless of whose brand is silkscreened on the front panel.

For the same money and key features, I buy the Yamaha. For double the money? No way. I buy an amp. Even a stereo amp to drive the front speakers will make a big difference, not only in the sound of those speakers, but in the whole system because now the wimpy power supply in the receiver only has to handle three channels instead of five.

BTW, I believe the most important benefit of Dolby Pro Logic II or DTS Neo:6 matrix processing would actually be for deriving a surround sound signal from stereo music recordings. Dolby Pro Logic tends to collapse too much of the soundstage into the center channel. Both Pro Logic II and DTS Neo:6 have music modes with a wider "center width".

 

[Mike Veroukis]

Harold,

Although I totally agree that using an external amp is the way to go, I doubt you could find a quality 2 channel amp for $400 Canadian. Not only that, Doug has stated that he is not big into audio and is probably not interested in the added complexity of setting up and configuring such a setup. Of course simplicity has it's price.

If the choice was just between the yammie and pioneer, I'd say the yammie is significantly better to justify the price. But in the end, only Doug can really make that decision. I think both receivers are good value it's just a matter of how much one is willing to spend and what one expects in return.

- Mike

 

[DougPeter]

The Yamaha is advertised as a "High Current" amp I am not sure about the Pioneer.

The remote is fantastic on the Yamaha, The LCD display is a bit gimmicy but programming is a breeze, you just push the "program " button and scroll through the full line of manufacturers names in order to select the proper model for whatever you are trying to control, no programming in codes for each model.

Ease of use definitely has an advantage here.

I think, had I purchased the Pioneer 810 and installed it before I got the Yamaha, I would be happy, but now that I have a taste of the Yamaha, I don't think I can go Pioneer.....Gotta decide soon.

 

[DougPeter]

Well, I took the unopened Pioneer 810 back to the store, funny they actually had some left from the big half price sale, I thought they would have sold out the "4 units in stock" that the sales guys said when I bought mine.

Keeping the Yamaha 730, I know it may be a bit of overkill for my needs however I think that this unit will last us a long time.

Thanks everyone for your help in my decision.

I am also looking for some pointers on cleaning up the wiring mess and selecting the right modes and effects for things like movie from satellite, movie from analog etc, is there any tips anywhere?

thanks

 

[Mike Veroukis]

Hey Doug,
I know what you mean about overkill. I just upgraded to a RX-V2200 in my bedroom. Now THAT is overkill!

I am also looking for some pointers on cleaning up the wiring mess and selecting the right modes and effects for things like movie from satellite, movie from analog etc, is there any tips anywhere?

Hmmm... I'm sure there's some great ideas out there, but I can atleast mention some of the obvious things... I use twist-ties to group wires together. Long power cords usually get twist-tied as well. I recommend getting banana plugs for all speaker wires as it makes it easy to take apart and eliminated frayed wires. Be sure to get banana plugs that are colour coded red/black for +ve/-ve wires. I would also recommend to label your cables (try a lebel maker or just tape them on). Having 100 cables in the back can be very confusing and if you plug the wrong cable into the wrong connector your system could go ***POOF***.
As for DSP settings... Generally when I listen to two channel music I'll either leave it in all-channel stereo or just two channel stereo. I don't care for the Disco or Rock concert, etc... settings. For movies or TV I set it to Prologic-enhanced. The DSP modes just add a different flavour to the sound, so feel free to experiment. Chances are you'll just find one that works best for most cases and leave it at that. Just keep in mind that each input remembers its own setting.
- Mike