Pionner Receiver at Costco (1 Viewer)

[Brandon B]

Costco has a Dolby/DTS 5.1 Pioneer receiver with preouts, 5.1 input and total 500 watts for about $280. I have forgotten the model number. Anyone familiar with this unit and think it's a good deal?
BB
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[ThomasL]

Brandon, if it is the VSX-709S then that is a pretty good deal. I believe it is last year's model and was the higher end of Pioneer's standard line. This line consisted of the VSX-309, 409, 509S, and 709S. Check out Pioneer's web site for information and specs on these models.
cheers,
--tom

 

[Mark Dubbelboer]

It is most likely the 709 and a very very good deal.
Most ppl on audioreview bought it from costco at a similar price
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[Michael Johnston]

I just bought a 709 today at Costco for $269. It is a good value if you don't need the latest stuff (EX/ES and DPL2).
Michael
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[Brandon B]

Thanks. That's the one.
BB
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[Bill Balcziak]

I was shopping with the brother-in-law at Best Buy the other day and noticed they had the Pioneer 710 for $399 with a $100 gift card with purchase. They had two open box models for $339. When you subtract the $100 gift card, $239 is a heckuva price for that model.
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[Rich Allen]

Just be very carfull buying "open box", especially at Best Buy. And open and inspect before leaving the store.

 

[Michael Johnston]

No offense...but IMHO the 709 is a way way better model than the 710. The 709 has:

• MOSFET Amps (like in the Elite Line)
• 4 digital ins (instead of 3)
• Full set of 5.1 outputs instead of sub and center only
• Original list price of $780 versus $475

I would jump on the 709 deal at Costco, unless you really need the 710's component switching, which is the only thing the 710 has over the 709.
Michael
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[Burke Strickland]

Just be very carfull buying "open box", especially at Best Buy. And open and inspect before leaving the store.

Yes -- be extremely careful. I bought an "open box" item there at 20% off their regular low price :>) about a month ago and despite having inspected it at the store for completeness and no obvious damage, upon connecting it to my system at home I found that it was non-operational. No wonder it was "open box"!
So I returned it less than two hours after I had bought it. They did take it back, but what a waste of time and effort. And since ALL the ones of that model that they had in stock were "open box", (go figure) I took my refund and went elsewhere to get a better deal (i.e., one that worked). :>)
Burke

 

[Bobby T]

I'll 2nd the 709 over the 710. the 709 has much better amplifiers, processing, sound quality, etc., etc.

 

[ThomasL]

If you buy the 709S, make sure to check this out:
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/Pioneer/CDA/Common/ArticleDetails/0,1484,1788,00.html It is a great deal.
cheers,
--tom

 

[Michael Johnston]

If you buy the 709S, make sure to check this out:http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/Pi...4,1788,00.html

Good point! The 709 at my Costco had the white sticker and a production date of October 2000. Moreover, the address on the box implied it was shipped from Pioneer directly to Costco....so I would bet that the whole shipment was the corrected version. However, better check to be safe.
Also, I would hurry if you want one from Costco. I was at mine a week ago and they had about 20. Yesterday, they only had 4 left after I bought mine.
Michael
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[Sean Laughter]

Ooooooh, to get this Pioneer or an Onkyo 494?!?! Decisions, decisions!!

 

[Mark Dubbelboer]

actually sean this exact question was posed a few weeks ago in a thread entitled "receiver brands"
might want to do a search for a bit of feedback. The original poster in the thread opted for the 494 when the dust had settled as i recall.
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[Sean Laughter]

Mark,
I posted in that thread so I know all about that saga
This situation is a bit different though as this is a certifiable 709S. The receiver in question in that thread though was a refurbished receiver at Spidergear labeled simply VSX-709 (no "S"). I could never figure out what the difference was, even by emailing spidergear. Some people say it was just a typo and that it really was a 709S, but that doesn't explain why the receiver at Spidergear had a list price of $300+- (according to Spidergear) and the 709S has a list price of $800+-.
In my mind it really all comes down to the DPLII though. The only thing I'd really use it for would be videogames and the VERY few DVDs I have that don't have a DD or DTS track. I'm not sure what the "real" watt rating on the Pioneer is (since the specs give it at only 1khz for the 100w rating), so I don't know if I'm actually gaining any power from the 494 (which is rated at 55W at the full frequency range). I just can't decide dammit!!!
Of course, this is all speculation since I haven't been to my local Costco yet to know if they even have any of the Pioneers anyway, I'll check this weekend when I go home and can use my mom's card to get in -- I don't even know Costco's return policy come to think of it.

 

[Mark Dubbelboer]

Costco's return policy is gold
I broke my monitor at work the once and took it in for another one. They told me they don't do exchanges they're going to force me to return it for cash then make me buy another one. I thought that was really odd and i'd prolly end up getting screwed over somehow. But I returned it and went to look at the computer monitors and they had the exact same monitor for 50bucks cheaper.
So by breaking my monitor i made a profit
Schwing
So i go back to the office and tell my co-workers...we get out the sledgehammers and....
I'm going to see if the costco's in canada are carrying this receiver too. Someone told me that they carry the 710's in costco now. I really hope not as this would reduce the likelihood of finding the 709(S)
best of luck,
mark
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[Mark Dubbelboer]

update
Costco online only has the 510
I'll head out to the local costco here tomorrow if i got time...too bad it's so dang far away from my house
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[ThomasL]

It's been awhile since I shopped in a Costco. Can anyone tell me if they still check ids at the door? Or do they let anyone in to browse now? I don't have a membership card so I'm assuming that buying anything there is out of the question.
thanks,
--tom

 

[Patrick Sun]

They still check for Costco membership card (annoying). But if you pretend you want to get a memebership card, just go through the exit opening and walk towards the membership desk, and then just keep walking and then you're able to browse around.
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PatCave; HT Pix; Gear; DIY Mains; DIY CC; Sunosub I + II + III; DVDs; Link Removed

 

[ThomasL]

Thanks Patrick. We moved a number of years ago and now we're BJs customers so I relinquished my Costco's membership at that time. I would say though based on what I read here that Costco's seems to have much better deals on A/V equipment than BJs does, at least the ones close to where we are.
cheers,
--tom