Pioneer Elite VSX-01TXH vs Marantz SR 5003

Falcon01

Hi Everyone,

I posted this in another thread but got no response so I'm hoping by starting a thread I may get some help with my dilemma.

I'm currently looking at either the VSX01 or the Marantz SR5003 to go with my Paradigm monitor 7's, matching center channel (CC370 I think?) and I currently use Polk RTi4's in the back. At the moment I have a 5.1 setup but will be getting 2 more speakers to complete the 7.1 in the very near future. I was thinking about RTiA1's. Both of these receivers have similar specifications and roughly the same MSRP.

My question is, is the quality of sound as good as previous Pioneer Elite receivers? My concern is that this is their lowest end in the Elite line and I worry they may have really cut some corners to get it down to this price (I have the same worry about the Marantz).

Have any of you heard the SR 5003 or VSX-01? Any feedback? I know Marantz is generally top quality musically but this is their entry-level receiver with the Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD decoders so I'm worried they may have also cut a few corners with the DAC's or something.

I will be using the receiver almost exclusively for watching movies and some TV.

Any help, information or advice would be GREATLY appreciated from anyone here.

Thank you in advance!

bigred7078

Falcon01 wrote: »

Hi Everyone,

I posted this in another thread but got no response so I'm hoping by starting a thread I may get some help with my dilemma.

I'm currently looking at either the VSX01 or the Marantz SR5003 to go with my Paradigm monitor 7's, matching center channel (CC370 I think?) and I currently use Polk RTi4's in the back. At the moment I have a 5.1 setup but will be getting 2 more speakers to complete the 7.1 in the very near future. I was thinking about RTiA1's. Both of these receivers have similar specifications and roughly the same MSRP.

My question is, is the quality of sound as good as previous Pioneer Elite receivers? My concern is that this is their lowest end in the Elite line and I worry they may have really cut some corners to get it down to this price (I have the same worry about the Marantz).

Have any of you heard the SR 5003 or VSX-01? Any feedback? I know Marantz is generally top quality musically but this is their entry-level receiver with the Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD decoders so I'm worried they may have also cut a few corners with the DAC's or something.

I will be using the receiver almost exclusively for watching movies and some TV.

Any help, information or advice would be GREATLY appreciated from anyone here.

Thank you in advance!

Hey Falcon01 !!!

Nice receivers your looking at.

I have heard extensively the VSX-01. Its a great receiver but it has no real advantage over its little brother the VSX-1018. It adds trigger outputs and a two year warranty and different cosmetics and thats about it. Sonically it sounded the same as the 1018, which doesnt suprise me since im pretty sure they are almost the same units. IF your looking to get the better Elite stuff my recommendation is to step up the SC-05/07. Obviously much more expensive but thats where its worth it IMO. Dont want to step on any toes over that, but the lower end Elites just dont offer much over the 1018. But they do sound great so thats the most important thing

The Marantz SR5003 is a fantastic unit as well. Its much better IMO for musical performance. For movies its pretty much a toss up between it and the pio. The marantz does imploy Audyssey MutliEQ, so this alone IMO makes it worth it. I'm actually not a big audyssey fan, but it seems to help the vast majority of people out with their room acoustics. And it is better than the MCACC (pioneers proprietary auto setup).

Also if your not aware you can use a coupon code at 6ave.com and get the SR5003 for only $599. or get the SR6003 for $749 Its aflaud25 if you were wondering:)

In the end you should enjoy either of the units you narrowed it down between

Falcon01

"The marantz does imploy Audyssey MutliEQ, so this alone IMO makes it worth it. I'm actually not a big audyssey fan, but it seems to help the vast majority of people out with their room acoustics. And it is better than the MCACC (pioneers proprietary auto setup).

Also if your not aware you can use a coupon code at 6ave.com and get the SR5003 for only $599. or get the SR6003 for $749 Its aflaud25 if you were wondering"

Hey BigRed, thanks so much for the reply! That information alone is very useful to me as I will most likely be using the auto calibration feature for my room.

I was honestly leaning toward the Pioneer Elite for cosmetic reasons because I have the Pioneer 5080HD Plasma (shallow I know) but in the end if the Marantz sounds better I will get it instead. The salesman I am dealing with also recommended the Marantz so I just wanted to make sure what he was saying is true.

I also plan on buying a Polk 12" sub to go with my system so I'm looking forward to the final outcome.

Thanks again!

bigred7078

Falcon01 wrote: »

"The marantz does imploy Audyssey MutliEQ, so this alone IMO makes it worth it. I'm actually not a big audyssey fan, but it seems to help the vast majority of people out with their room acoustics. And it is better than the MCACC (pioneers proprietary auto setup).

Also if your not aware you can use a coupon code at 6ave.com and get the SR5003 for only $599. or get the SR6003 for $749 Its aflaud25 if you were wondering"

Hey BigRed, thanks so much for the reply! That information alone is very useful to me as I will most likely be using the auto calibration feature for my room.

I was honestly leaning toward the Pioneer Elite for cosmetic reasons because I have the Pioneer 5080HD Plasma (shallow I know) but in the end if the Marantz sounds better I will get it instead. The salesman I am dealing with also recommended the Marantz so I just wanted to make sure what he was saying is true.

I also plan on buying a Polk 12" sub to go with my system so I'm looking forward to the final outcome.

Thanks again!

No prob. But me saying it sounded better was just my opinion. Im sure others may disagree lol. But i have heard both units and thats just my thoughts.

And if you really do plan on implementing the auto-room correction i think you will be better of with Audyssey as its a bit more advanced IMHO. Also the new Marantz reveivers have had no issues, so thats a good sign of a well built reciever. Although to be fair i dont believe the new pioneers have had any issues either lol.


The Marantz is a very musical receiver so if you like music your in luck. And like i said before if your looking into the lower end elites they just really dont offer much more than the 1018, which you can get much cheaper.

And i understand you liking to match components (pioneer and pioneer for cosmetics) we all of a little bit of that in us . But the Marantz is no eye sore IMO. But in the end go with what you like more. If your dealing with an actual salesman i assume your able to hear both of these units? If thats the case give them both a listen and choose whichever one sounds better to your ears:)

Falcon01

To be honest I'm leaning toward the Marantz now because of the sound as that is my priority UNLESS the difference in sound is not drastic.

Like you said, we have to trust our own ears plus people have different setups so it's a little hard to know for sure. I'm going by the store after work today to listen to the Marantz as they already have it setup in a 5.1 system. I'll see if they can hook up the Elite to compare cause that would be sweet.

bigred7078

Falcon01 wrote: »

To be honest I'm leaning toward the Marantz now because of the sound as that is my priority UNLESS the difference in sound is not drastic.

Like you said, we have to trust our own ears plus people have different setups so it's a little hard to know for sure. I'm going by the store after work today to listen to the Marantz as they already have it setup in a 5.1 system. I'll see if they can hook up the Elite to compare cause that would be sweet.

Well in this price range, there is definately not going to be a night and day difference in SQ.

BUT...

Like i said Audyssey MultiEQ is much more advanced so it could help produce a drastic difference IF you have an unsual room strange furniture placement.

Overall i think the Marantz is a better buy. But go listen again like you said and make the final decision.

cnh

I have to agree with Bigred above. I don't see any real difference between the lower end elite and the 1018 Pioneer.

I haven't heard the Marantz, people always say they are more musical. But I wonder how they can be in that price range. My experience with Onkyos tells me that you need to be up in the 870s before you can say Onkyos are musical, unless you were lucky enough to buy an 805 before they put it on a diet and removed the Burr Brown DACs, and lightened its EL transformer in the 806?

Also, higher end Pioneers use the ICE Power hybrid amp which has been getting good reviews except among the super wealth 'separate' guys on this site! I'm kidding a bit of course. But not all of us can drop 10's of thousands at the drop of a hat these days.

cnh

DollarDave

BTW, the xxx3 series of Marantz receivers have been updated cosmetically.

Check out accessories4less.com for some great Marantz pricing.

bigred7078

DaveMuell wrote: »

BTW, the xxx3 series of Marantz receivers have been updated cosmetically.

Check out accessories4less.com for some great Marantz pricing.

Great prices, but they are refurbs, so keep that in mind. and with the coupon code at 6ave its only $50 more for brand new. But i know alot of people that buy refurbs and enjoy the heck out of them , but good find!

mantis

I'm a fan of both camps but I'm a Pioneer ELite Installer. We do not carry Marantz so I can only go by store demos and such. I can tell you anything you want to know about the Elite line.
As far as being out classed for music, I don't think so. Pioneer ELite receivers are very musical. I have been running Polk rtia series and such with excellent results. I also run Focal, Def Tech , Paradigms etc all with stellar results for music. I 'm extremely picky when it comes to music abilities. I will clown a receiver if it does not perform well with music first. Theater is a bit easier but still very important in performance.

Dan

bigred7078

mantis wrote: »

I'm a fan of both camps but I'm a Pioneer ELite Installer. We do not carry Marantz so I can only go by store demos and such. I can tell you anything you want to know about the Elite line.
As far as being out classed for music, I don't think so. Pioneer ELite receivers are very musical. I have been running Polk rtia series and such with excellent results. I also run Focal, Def Tech , Paradigms etc all with stellar results for music. I 'm extremely picky when it comes to music abilities. I will clown a receiver if it does not perform well with music first. Theater is a bit easier but still very important in performance.

Dan

Not saying Marantz is more musical, but Marantz in general is known to have very musical receivers.

Honestly i dont think there is much difference between these receivers, except for the fact that the Marantz does implement Audyssey MultiEQ which is a little bit more advanced than Pioneers MCACC (although their Elite SC line does do a pretty good job with MCACC). Its just the majority of peoples preference for auto-room EQing. In my enviroment i didnt really like Audyssey that much though, i felt Yamahas YPAO did a better job...lol so YMMV hardcore with auto-setups.

Falcon01

Hi Mantis,

Is it true there's no difference between the 1018 and the VSX-01 aside from the trigger outputs (which I don't have a use for) and the warranty?

The only thing positive about the Marantz at this point is the audessey EQ for my needs.

In your opinion is it worth to pay the extra cash for the VSX-01 over the 1018?

BTW, I went and checked out the Marants SR 5003 hooked up to a Monitor Audio 5.1 system and I was not wowed. Sure it sounded good but given that we were listening to DD and DTS core tracks (they couldn't find any blurays) I did not notice any improvement over my Yamaha receiver.

They're getting the VSX-01 back in stock in a couple of weeks so I can wait.

Thanks to all of you for your input, it's greatly appreciated. If you have anymore to add please do.

bigred7078

Falcon01 wrote: »

BTW, I went and checked out the Marants SR 5003 hooked up to a Monitor Audio 5.1 system and I was not wowed. Sure it sounded good but given that we were listening to DD and DTS core tracks (they couldn't find any blurays) I did not notice any improvement over my Yamaha receiver.

Well keep in mind MA is pretty different than paradigm lol.

Its a little hard to find differences if its not hooked up to similar equipment. You should have had them put in a VSX-01 in the Marantz's place to see if the sound changed because comparing it to the equipment you own is impossible

mantis

Falcon01 wrote: »

Hi Mantis,

Is it true there's no difference between the 1018 and the VSX-01 aside from the trigger outputs (which I don't have a use for) and the warranty?

The only thing positive about the Marantz at this point is the audessey EQ for my needs.

In your opinion is it worth to pay the extra cash for the VSX-01 over the 1018?

BTW, I went and checked out the Marants SR 5003 hooked up to a Monitor Audio 5.1 system and I was not wowed. Sure it sounded good but given that we were listening to DD and DTS core tracks (they couldn't find any blurays) I did not notice any improvement over my Yamaha receiver.

They're getting the VSX-01 back in stock in a couple of weeks so I can wait.

Thanks to all of you for your input, it's greatly appreciated. If you have anymore to add please do.

Go for the Elite and don't look back. It's a step up from Yamaha. Yamaha used to make fine receivers, I don't like them at all now. I think they sound thin and weak unlike a few yeas ago when they where clear and powerful.
The 01 is a home run. I love the thing especially for the money, it's a done deal.

Dan

Cardinals-1

I know this is not the easy answer, but your best bet is to bring your gear into the audio store and audition them.

The challenge anymore is to find a real audio store that you can audition equipment.

bigred7078

mantis wrote: »

The 01 is a home run. I love the thing especially for the money, it's a done deal.

Dan

But how can you say that when its really not that different from the 1018 which is quite a bit cheaper?

mantis

bigred7078 wrote: »

But how can you say that when its really not that different from the 1018 which is quite a bit cheaper?

Because I can, because I have Installed about 100 of them now and they have yet to let me down in any area of the game. It's a huge step up from last years Elite model and I don't Install regular Pioneer products.
There is a reason the 1018 is cheaper then the 01.

Dan

bigred7078

mantis wrote: »

Because I can, because I have Installed about 100 of them now and they have yet to let me down in any area of the game. It's a huge step up from last years Elite model and I don't Install regular Pioneer products.
There is a reason the 1018 is cheaper then the 01.

Dan

Whoa dont get all defensive. Installing them really means nothing, remember i do this too .

And your making it sound like the 1018 is a completely different machine...

Well its not. Pop them open and have a look, then you'll see what im talking about. Your essentially looking at he VSX-01 being more expensive because it has the Elite name on it and it has a 2 year warranty. This happens ALL the time in the electronics industry. You should know this as well as i do.

Please don't try and get all glitzy on me and say "i dont install regular pioneer products"....please c'mon man. I at least gave the guy reasons to look into both models, and a reason why he should choose one. The only valid points you have come up with for why he should choose the Pioneer is because you install them... I'm not trying to push a flame war over this, but dont be going all elitist on me and act like your words better than mine. When you say things like "home run" and "done deal"...well those are a bit general and one sided, especially when you give the guy no reason to go with it. Perhaps if you would have given some reasons i would not have questioned you, but you did not, besides its reliable..well both products are.

Falcon01

Hey Gents, thanks again for your input and information, you have no idea how much I appreciate it. After the anti-climactic demo of the Marantz I'm starting to think that maybe I won't have my socks blown off in this price range (I'm hoping that I'm wrong though) so I will keep my options open.

I just saw the Denon 889 (identical to the 2309 I believe) on sale at the same price as the 5003 and the 01 so now I'm really in a mixup. I really like the extra HDMI input (4 in/1 out) that the 889 has.

Stress!

Thanks again everyone. Mantis, aside from installing them is there any difference sonically between the 1018 and the 01? I don't want to pay extra just for the Elite name unless there's a noticeable improvement. I noticed the 01 has Wolfson DAC's which are supposed to be very good. Not sure about the 1018 though.

bigred7078

The 01 does have some THX processing. So you might like that.

Dont go for that model Denon. IMO its not really as comparable. It doesnt even have pre-outs if you ever decide to add an amp. But overall the 889 is a decent product, just not as good as the other two mentioned.

Falcon01

Glad you mentioned it (surprised I missed that one) because I will definitely be hooking up on amp down the road. Back to the 01 and 5003 for me although you really have me wondering about the 1018.

Searching on the net doesn't give me any solid confirmation that there is much of a difference between the 1018 and the 01 like you mentioned. If true that's a significant savings money wise.

bigred7078

Falcon01 wrote: »

Glad you mentioned it (surprised I missed that one) because I will definitely be hooking up on amp down the road. Back to the 01 and 5003 for me although you really have me wondering about the 1018.

Searching on the net doesn't give me any solid confirmation that there is much of a difference between the 1018 and the 01 like you mentioned. If true that's a significant savings money wise.

Recently the 01 can be found for like $20-$40 more than the 1018, in that case it IS a no brainer to go with the 01 over the 1018.

Craigbmw

Hey Bigred,


This was a great thread! tThank you for a detailed comparison between the 01TXH and the SR5003; I've been obsessed reviewing the comparisons on these two models and I found your responses to be most helpful in helping me decide to go with the Manrantz. Unfortunately, there are no retail stores in the Phoenix area to actually see and test Manrantz's, although there are a number of installers willing to obtain the unit at a slight discounted rate.

This is the first significant purchase that I have made without actually "test driving" and your thoughtful responses to the original poster persuaded me to buy sight unseen. The unit will replace my outdated Pioneer VSX D810 S, which recently started to power off while watching TV and, of course, I'm unable to take advantage of the latest technology. The coupon code with 6AVE.com was an added benefit, how did you discover it? Again, thank you!:)

mantis

bigred7078 wrote: »

Whoa dont get all defensive. Installing them really means nothing, remember i do this too .

And your making it sound like the 1018 is a completely different machine...

Well its not. Pop them open and have a look, then you'll see what im talking about. Your essentially looking at he VSX-01 being more expensive because it has the Elite name on it and it has a 2 year warranty. This happens ALL the time in the electronics industry. You should know this as well as i do.

Please don't try and get all glitzy on me and say "i dont install regular pioneer products"....please c'mon man. I at least gave the guy reasons to look into both models, and a reason why he should choose one. The only valid points you have come up with for why he should choose the Pioneer is because you install them... I'm not trying to push a flame war over this, but dont be going all elitist on me and act like your words better than mine. When you say things like "home run" and "done deal"...well those are a bit general and one sided, especially when you give the guy no reason to go with it. Perhaps if you would have given some reasons i would not have questioned you, but you did not, besides its reliable..well both products are.

So let me get this straight, you say because I install them, it means nothing. So how can I make any points now that you completely discredited
me? Since I only installed them, I have no ability to learn anything about them. I have no business even talking to anyone i should shut my Installer mouth and listen to you since you know so much with all your years in the business..... Dude give me a break.

So also I should not get all glitzy because I don't install regular Pioneer. Dude wake up if someone doesn't have hands on experience with a product, this person should not be strongly recommended this product. I don't Install regular pioneer so I don't have any experience with it unless I run into in the field. If you are in the business , you do know the difference between Elite and NON elite. We should not even be having this conversation IF you know anything.

So why should YOU dictate how i decide to give anyone advise??? Who the hell are you? No one has to talk my advise about anything. Take it for what it's worth, if HE had more question about why I feel the way I do about the 01, I will answer him, not you.

so when was this a contest, when are my words more important then your? I don't even know you and you don't know me. I have been giving advise and sharing my in field experiences for years in here. Some enjoy it some don't.

So as far as Marantz vs Pioneer Elite. I try to be fair but Marantz's track record is no where near the level of Pioneer ELite. I know a few dealers who dropped Marantz due to there poor built quality and high returns. Something happened with them and Denon when the lived under one roof. Denon's quality is in the toilet as well. I also know a few who dropped them.. no names out of respect.

bigred7078

mantis wrote: »

So let me get this straight, you say because I install them, it means nothing. So how can I make any points now that you completely discredited
me? Since I only installed them, I have no ability to learn anything about them. I have no business even talking to anyone i should shut my Installer mouth and listen to you since you know so much with all your years in the business..... Dude give me a break.

So also I should not get all glitzy because I don't install regular Pioneer. Dude wake up if someone doesn't have hands on experience with a product, this person should not be strongly recommended this product. I don't Install regular pioneer so I don't have any experience with it unless I run into in the field. If you are in the business , you do know the difference between Elite and NON elite. We should not even be having this conversation IF you know anything.

So why should YOU dictate how i decide to give anyone advise??? Who the hell are you? No one has to talk my advise about anything. Take it for what it's worth, if HE had more question about why I feel the way I do about the 01, I will answer him, not you.

so when was this a contest, when are my words more important then your? I don't even know you and you don't know me. I have been giving advise and sharing my in field experiences for years in here. Some enjoy it some don't.

So as far as Marantz vs Pioneer Elite. I try to be fair but Marantz's track record is no where near the level of Pioneer ELite. I know a few dealers who dropped Marantz due to there poor built quality and high returns. Something happened with them and Denon when the lived under one roof. Denon's quality is in the toilet as well. I also know a few who dropped them.. no names out of respect.

lol whatever man

mantis

Falcon01 wrote: »

Hey Gents, thanks again for your input and information, you have no idea how much I appreciate it. After the anti-climactic demo of the Marantz I'm starting to think that maybe I won't have my socks blown off in this price range (I'm hoping that I'm wrong though) so I will keep my options open.

I just saw the Denon 889 (identical to the 2309 I believe) on sale at the same price as the 5003 and the 01 so now I'm really in a mixup. I really like the extra HDMI input (4 in/1 out) that the 889 has.

Stress!

Thanks again everyone. Mantis, aside from installing them is there any difference sonically between the 1018 and the 01? I don't want to pay extra just for the Elite name unless there's a noticeable improvement. I noticed the 01 has Wolfson DAC's which are supposed to be very good. Not sure about the 1018 though.

I have no idea. I have not installed one or sat with one in a one on one shootout. The 01 is very dynamic and seems more powerful then it is. Yes it has Wolson DAC's , the entire line of Elite receivers and Blu ray players all use the Wolfson DAc's, as you go up , you get better models of Wolfson.
Bigred brings up a good point about the Elite receivers which I agree with, the 05 and 07 are a step above the 01 and 03. I don't however think they are deal breakers for the 03 and 01. You seem to be in a price class that supports the 01. I feel that it's the best entry level Elite receiver in a long time. Last years 90 was a disaster which I hated for a few good reasons. The 91 was not much better. The 92 and 94 where really the only models worth getting then. Today I feel completely different.
I also Install Paradigm speakers which sound great on the 01. Remember I speak from personal experience. It's up to you if it works for you or not. I did see you said you would like 4 HDMI inputs. Well having more HDMI is always a good thing. If you could step up to the 05 model, I don't know another receiver in it's price class that outperforms it. Have heard many and I also would be willing to test the 05 vs any others under 2000.00.
It really comes down to what works in your room , with your speakers and your wallet. Go for the best receiver you can as it will benefit you in the future.

bigred7078

Craigbmw wrote: »

Hey Bigred,


This was a great thread! tThank you for a detailed comparison between the 01TXH and the SR5003; I've been obsessed reviewing the comparisons on these two models and I found your responses to be most helpful in helping me decide to go with the Manrantz. Unfortunately, there are no retail stores in the Phoenix area to actually see and test Manrantz's, although there are a number of installers willing to obtain the unit at a slight discounted rate.

This is the first significant purchase that I have made without actually "test driving" and your thoughtful responses to the original poster persuaded me to buy sight unseen. The unit will replace my outdated Pioneer VSX D810 S, which recently started to power off while watching TV and, of course, I'm unable to take advantage of the latest technology. The coupon code with 6AVE.com was an added benefit, how did you discover it? Again, thank you!:)

your welcome man. I hope you enjoy the Marantz! In reality you really could not have made a "bad" decision so thats always nice

Conradicles

+1 for the Pioneer ELITE. I have the older VSX-1015TX and it continues to impress me with the sound quality. Sold my Onkyo and Denon and went with the Pioneer and it is a noticeable improvement in sound quality.

If you can not afford the ELITE, my guess is that the 1018 is still a better bargain than the Marantz. Notice how many refurb Marantz products are available, and how you have a hard time finding a refurb Pioneer ELITE product.

The Marantz does look pretty cool, I really like the way the new line looks.

At the end of the day...have fun and just enjoy what you get. Just my $0.02.

mantis

bigred7078 wrote: »

lol whatever man

Dude just so you know, I had no desire to try to discredit you in any way. I speak from experience, not what you put on your replies. You can say anything you want about any product. I have my own opinions.

bigred7078

Conradicles wrote: »

Notice how many refurb Marantz products are available, and how you have a hard time finding a refurb Pioneer ELITE product.

lol having refurbs has nothing to do with anything. A refurb can be anything from a crapped out unit, to something that didnt pass cosmetics inspection.
In fact some companies dont allow many refurbs to be sold, or dont allow any to be sold at all.

mantis

QC mean anything???