Pioneer Elite SC-05 vs. Onkyo TX-SR876

kevhed72

OK...ABT has both of these in stock. The Pioneer is 1000.00 and the Onkyo is 1100.00. Everyone pick 1 of the 2 and give me the top 3 reasons for your choice...thanks folks.

Murray1

Seen 05 Elite for 699 new. Shop around.

leroyjr1

Just bought the sc-07 for $899 and they also had the sc-05 for $699.
Go to Videogon.com.

mantis

kevhed72 wrote: »

OK...ABT has both of these in stock. The Pioneer is 1000.00 and the Onkyo is 1100.00. Everyone pick 1 of the 2 and give me the top 3 reasons for your choice...thanks folks.

Reason 1) The Pioneer is retail 1800.00 so thats a 800.00 price drop.
Reason 2) Because it sounds better.
Reason 3) You wanna join the ICE club.

Honestly both are fine receivers but personally I would buy the Pioneer over the Onkyo even at full wood.

Dan

kevhed72

Ah...the peer pressure of the ICE club is working on me. Plus, the 100.00 difference is still 100 bucks...
thanks,

Sherardp

Definitely shop around, go for 05/07 put the money save towards new BD player or BD media. You won't regret it.

videogon, valueelectronics, axxisdurango all have these on sale. GL.

mantis

Don't wait to long, the sale is suppose to end in March.

Dan

kevhed72

I took the plunge and have an sc-05 on the way from ABT. They were out of the sc-07 and the salesperson didn't think they were getting ANY more in, but I got a deal on the sc-o5, and 12 mos. no interest. There were a few more in stock and you probably do better than the 999.00 list price on their site if you ask, if anyone else is looking for one. Looking just at price, I think this was the better choice over the Onkyo, plus all the great reviews the Elites are getting out there.

leroyjr1

Why didn't you jump on the sc-05/07 they have listed on videogon for $699/$899?

kevhed72

I really needed to finance the purchase...but, I do have 30 days to send it back.

How would the manufacturer's warranty hold up through them?

leroyjr1

Don't see why not, the place it ships from is an authorized dealer.

Congrats and welcome to the ICE club.:cool:

jeahsj

leroy, how do you know "the place it ships from is an authorized dealer"? What is the name of the authorized dealer?

ben62670

What speakers?
Ben

leroyjr1

jeahsj wrote: »

leroy, how do you know "the place it ships from is an authorized dealer"? What is the name of the authorized dealer?

Hifi Heaven

Greenbay, Wisconsin

jeahsj

Thanks leroyjr1. i pulled the trigger and got it from Hifi Heaven for 782 shipped.

vijayl

good move.. u'll love it

cnh

kevhed72 wrote: »

I took the plunge and have an sc-05 on the way from ABT. They were out of the sc-07 and the salesperson didn't think they were getting ANY more in, but I got a deal on the sc-o5, and 12 mos. no interest. There were a few more in stock and you probably do better than the 999.00 list price on their site if you ask, if anyone else is looking for one. Looking just at price, I think this was the better choice over the Onkyo, plus all the great reviews the Elites are getting out there.

The Elite sounds fine...cleaner than the Onkyo by a degree but the Onkyo, on paper, has more power reserves. But people here so love the ICE-amps. I like them myself. But I'm not completely convinced that they're the best sounding receiver out there...because they're a bit too neutral for me personally. I like a bit more 'warmth' I'm afraid. There's still a matter of 'taste' after all.

IN any case....a good choice.

Enjoy your ICE....

cnh

Sherardp

Hey CNH,

Good call, as I agree not everyone will like the ICE. I'd suggest you give them a listen before buying. Seeing as everyone here is just selling their gear and buying them. They are not for everyone, if you prefer the laid back sound then these Pio Elites are not the way to go. Just don't want anyone disappointed, that's all I'm saying here. Other than that, enjoy the tunes/show.

jeahsj

Actually, I went to Best Buy and listened very carefully to the Pioneer and compared it to Denon and Yamaha before buying online. I think I get what some of you are talking about..."warmth" or "laid back sound". I found that to be true of the Denon, but to this listeners ear I considered it rather dull or even muddy. I preferred the brightness of the Elite way better. The Best Buy salesperson agreed when I had him constantly switch between each one several times for music and movies. It really all depends on what appeals to you. One man's warmth is another man's dullness. One man's brightness is another man's harshness. In choosing a receiver, it's better to go with what you like and try not to be influenced by someone based on their personal preference. I'm a guitarist and it's similar in how players choose their tone or amp.

NotaSuv

Had a nicer Denon for years.....have a SC-07 now....I personally enjoy the sound of the Pioneer better............neighbor likes his Denon...as has been here so many times....buy what sounds good to you....and enjoy....

gonzalr

I'm searching also for a good deal for SC-05 and looks like that most of the vendors are not an authorized dealer that's why they can sell it for a lower price.

Any advise for buying to unauthorized vendor?

ckphoto

gonzalr wrote: »

I'm searching also for a good deal for SC-05 and looks like that most of the vendors are not an authorized dealer that's why they can sell it for a lower price.

Any advise for buying to unauthorized vendor?

It was mentioned already HiFi Heaven has the best deal and is a authorized dealer.

gonzalr

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/FindStore/Buy+Pioneer+Products+on+the+Internet

I check Pioneer website regarding HiFi Heaven and doesn't look like they are an authorized online dealer since they are not on the list. Does it mean that Pioneer website is not updated?

Please check above link. Thanks for the help.

jeahsj

1. You asked, "Any advise for buying to unauthorized vendor?" My advice is seek testimonials from actual buyers, check sites like resellerratings.com or bbb.org, and convince yourself you don't care about the warranty.

2. Online retailers are NOT the ONLY authorized resellers. Did you click on the "Where to Buy" link for brick and mortar stores? Type in "Green Bay" for City and select "Wisconsin" for State. Click the "Search" button. Well, lookie what we have here!

Rocco1

It seems like everyone is recommending the pioneer.
Is this just because of the difference in sound. The pioneer being more natural. As opposed to what for the Onkyo? I am confused everyone just said Elite Elite Elite and listed no reasons why.

I like to get everyones input. I just got the 906 and i thought it had a much fuller sound that the elite.

cnh

Hey Rocco,

That's sort of what I was saying above. That Onkyo is a warmer sounding receiver than the Pioneer. Some would argue that that means it has a bit less 'detail' and 'colors' the sound, or that it's maybe a bit muddy compared to the neutrality of the brighter Pioneer. I would not say that myself because I rather like that Onkyo model and its sound, it's laid back and very 'smooth'. This is precisely where one's 'subjective' tastes enter. And it's a matter of what 'you' like.

Let me continue with one more example since I've owned Onkyos and Denons. Above someone defines the Denon as muddy...but "I" find the Denons more neutral and having more detail in their high end than the Onkyo units?

You really have to go with what you like! A lot of people here are entranced with the Elites and, I will admit, they sound wonderful. But unlike some members of the Ice-club, I'm not in a mad rush to dump my Onkyo and I've heard both receivers. To me, they're just different sounding....not better or worse necessarily.

And I suspect you're a bit more like me.

cnh

Rocco1

CNH,

I am like you. I also think that the build quality on the onks are much better. Now dont anyone kill me on this, but a few years back when i was selling this stuff, pioneer was one of those products that always had minor issues here and there. Things obviously could have changed in the past couple of years.

I am in no way blasting the pioneers. i just think onks have been doing it better for longer.

NewHTguy

Rocco,
I own an Onk 875 and have no plans on selling it. At the same time, I have never listened to a Pio. Here are a few thoughts:

1) The Onk runs hot and I would not keep it in an enclosed cabinet. I use a Sanus open-style TV stand, so the heat is not really an issue. But don't let anyone tell otherwise. Once it has been running for a good 30 minutes, you cannot place your hand on the top back portion without feeling pain.

2) Up until recently, I used it to run some Rti 10's/Csi5 up front and found the sound to be fairly bright for music. Too bright for my tastes.

3) Although I have been out of town and not been able to do much crittical listening, the Onk sounds much better paired with the Lsi 25s when it comes to music. (I don't have a center yet so I can't comment on HT.)

4) I don't whether the Pio shines all that much when it comes to video upscaling. This may not matter to you if you have an upconverting blu-ray player. However, I can tell you that despite my love of "upgrading" the Onk 875 does such a great job upscaling standard dvds played on my 5-year old dvd player that have had almost no desire to pull the trigger on Blu-ray.

5) The power specs on the Onk are impressive for an AVR. I would feel quite comfortable having it drive my center and rears if i ever move beyond 2.1, while using my two-channel amp for the fronts.

6) It is *heavy*!!! and needs some airspace above it. I would be afraid to place it on the middle or top Sanus shelf.

I hope that helps somewhat.

cnh

Nice review, New...

I can't disagree with anything up there except for one thing. Which 'proves' how subjective all this 'hearing' stuff is...I've never found Onkyo's to be bright. To me they are less bright than almost any other mid-fi receiver excepting the Harman Kardon--which I find to be the 'warmest'. So there we go....one man's bright is another's warm. Most of the guys I know who have Onkyo 50 pounders describe them as a 'lush' sounding receiver. But no doubt synergy is a factor.

The other thing that I find is that Onkyo is one of the 'most' forgiving receivers, maybe because it is more laid back, it sounds less harsh with a wider range of speakers than almost any other receiver...again excepting, perhaps the H/K. But so much of this is so very 'subjective'...they're my ears, after all.

cnh

NewHTguy

CNH,
Our differing views regarding brightness could be explained by the RTi speakers, which many consider bright. I don't hear any brightness when the Onk is driving my Lsi's.

jeahsj

This thread has turned into an Onkyo owner feel good thread!

I just received my SC-05 today and hooked it up. I'm not going to brag about how good it is. Don't want to make anyone feel bad. ;-)