Reburb Denon X4000 worth $200 more than a Pioneer SC-1223 (aka Elite SC-71)?
PolishDude
Posts: 58
I thought my receiver ordeals were over but then came the Pioneer SC-1223 on sale yesterday and I got sucked right back in...
I bought a Pioneer Elite SC-63 for $454 including tax at BB (open box, missing remote but has everything else). It is an Elite so it has a 2 year warranty.
Yesterday I also purchased the Pioneer SC-1223 which is basically the newer version of my unit but down about 5watts per channel on power (125x7 versus 120x7, power supply 290 watts versus 260 watts). However I bought the unit as I watched a video on it and saw that the unit now actually displays volume and input on screen (SC-63 does not), it is about 2 inches shorter so fits better in the cabinet, has a 2nd HDMI out if I decide to do a projector setup along with the TV setup down the line and I like the new android app versus the 2012 model. However preouts dropped to just the front two channels unlike the SC-63 that had all channels but I live in a townhouse so I don't think I would take advantage of that anyways. All in with a 3 year warranty it was $599.
I can also purchase a refurb Denon X4000 for 799 shipped from accessories4less. What I like about this unit is Audyssey XT32 with sub control (I have two subs), Audyssey LFC (townhouse so hoping this would help not piss off the neighbors). I like the OSD and GUI of the Denon more than the Pioneer unit however I like the android/ipad app more of the Pioneer over the Denon. I also like the fact that it does have room for future upgrades with 7 channels of preamps and I am currently going to be running a 5.2 in the living room and a 2.0 on the patio off the unit. With the Denon I can run a 7.2 (wide fronts or height fronts) when I am not using the patio speakers or a 5.2 when I am using it. So that gives me the option to go 7.2 in the near future while the other two units would require me to purchase a separate amp or receiver for 2 of the speakers if I wanted to have both options.
However with this unit I feel like I would be giving up some power considering it does not have the Class D amps and looking at the 2 year old unit the 3311, I believe it put out about 20watts less per channel when all 7 channels were driven. Plus I would have the shortest warranty of all the units, only 1 year on refurbs.
My setup consists of:
Living Room
2 Polk RTi A5 mains
1 Polk CSi A6 center
2 Polk FXi A6 surround
2 Polk PSW505s
Panasonic 65vt60 plasma
Patio
2 Definitive Technology AW 5500
I need some opinions as I am going crazy here haha
Also another option would be to keep the SC-63 and with the savings I could add an amp for about $250ish and have 7.2 and 2.0 at the same time, I still don't have Audyssey XT32 though and I doubt I would ever need both the 7.2 and the patio 2.0 on at the same time.
I bought a Pioneer Elite SC-63 for $454 including tax at BB (open box, missing remote but has everything else). It is an Elite so it has a 2 year warranty.
Yesterday I also purchased the Pioneer SC-1223 which is basically the newer version of my unit but down about 5watts per channel on power (125x7 versus 120x7, power supply 290 watts versus 260 watts). However I bought the unit as I watched a video on it and saw that the unit now actually displays volume and input on screen (SC-63 does not), it is about 2 inches shorter so fits better in the cabinet, has a 2nd HDMI out if I decide to do a projector setup along with the TV setup down the line and I like the new android app versus the 2012 model. However preouts dropped to just the front two channels unlike the SC-63 that had all channels but I live in a townhouse so I don't think I would take advantage of that anyways. All in with a 3 year warranty it was $599.
I can also purchase a refurb Denon X4000 for 799 shipped from accessories4less. What I like about this unit is Audyssey XT32 with sub control (I have two subs), Audyssey LFC (townhouse so hoping this would help not piss off the neighbors). I like the OSD and GUI of the Denon more than the Pioneer unit however I like the android/ipad app more of the Pioneer over the Denon. I also like the fact that it does have room for future upgrades with 7 channels of preamps and I am currently going to be running a 5.2 in the living room and a 2.0 on the patio off the unit. With the Denon I can run a 7.2 (wide fronts or height fronts) when I am not using the patio speakers or a 5.2 when I am using it. So that gives me the option to go 7.2 in the near future while the other two units would require me to purchase a separate amp or receiver for 2 of the speakers if I wanted to have both options.
However with this unit I feel like I would be giving up some power considering it does not have the Class D amps and looking at the 2 year old unit the 3311, I believe it put out about 20watts less per channel when all 7 channels were driven. Plus I would have the shortest warranty of all the units, only 1 year on refurbs.
My setup consists of:
Living Room
2 Polk RTi A5 mains
1 Polk CSi A6 center
2 Polk FXi A6 surround
2 Polk PSW505s
Panasonic 65vt60 plasma
Patio
2 Definitive Technology AW 5500
I need some opinions as I am going crazy here haha
Also another option would be to keep the SC-63 and with the savings I could add an amp for about $250ish and have 7.2 and 2.0 at the same time, I still don't have Audyssey XT32 though and I doubt I would ever need both the 7.2 and the patio 2.0 on at the same time.
Post edited by PolishDude on
Comments
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PD, in my view the X4000 is the clear choice. Room EQ is the major factor differentiating receivers these days and Audyssey XT32 with SubEQ HT give it the edge.
Any power difference appears to be trivial. Relatively close comparisons which have Home Theater Magazine lab results(now found in Sound&Vision)would be the SC-61 with the 3312. The 2-channel results were 127.2 for the SC-61 and 122.9 for the 3312. This can be viewed as essentially identical, having much less than a 1dB difference in maximum loudness. The 2-channel numbers are the ones significant in the real world, not all channel numbers at maximum loudness which never happen simultaneously in home listening outside test labs. The FTC explicitly rejected making all channel the requirement for its power regulations, and affirmed that the 2-channel numbers were more realistic in actual use.
