Denon 2310ci or Pioneer VSX-21TXH?

grateful72

Hello all. I am on the fence between the Denon 2310ci or the Pioneer VSX-21TXH. My speakers are the following 5.1 setup (I do not plan on going to 7.1:

Polk RTi6 (fronts)
Polk CSi5 (Center)
Polk RTi4 (surround)
HSU VTF-2 MK3 (sub)

For me, Music vs Movies/TV is about 50/50.

From the specs, I do not see much of a difference in the 2 receivers. One plus of the Pioneer is the pre-outs for possible upgrade to external amplification, but would the RTi6's need any more power than what these 2 receivers have to offer?

Anyone had real world experience with these receivers and Polk RTi speakers? How does the Denon sound match up with the Polks vs. the Pioneer Eliete sound?

Any help would be appreciated.

cnh

The 2310 is not quite as good as the the Pioneer because With Denons you really need to get to the 2800s and higher....but since Denon has eliminated the 2800 I would compare the new 3x10s to the Pioneers.

Frankly, I'd go for the Pioneer ICE AVRs (Elites)...they're a bit more expensive but better than both units above.

I have an old Denon AVR 2807...that I often run with a power amp...I find the pre-outs essential even for fairly efficient Polk speakers. You'll NEVER regret having pre-outs, really....

cnh

grateful72

Thanks for the quick reply cnh.

I don't think I can spend that much on the Pioneer ICE right now, but oh well.

That's 1 vote for the Pioneer. Anyone else?

concealer404

Pre-outs are a must when i'm shopping, and i like the way my pioneers sound, so i'll cast my vote that way as well.

grateful72

Thanks concealer. The table is leaning towards the elite .

Knucklehead

another vote for the Pioneer.

grateful72

3 votes for the elite. It's a landslide!

MADGSF

Another vote for the Pioneer. I recently replaced my trusty VSX-54tx with the VSX-21TXH. This was to get a unit with HDMI capability to decode the new Blue Ray sound formats. I also wanted to try the new Advanced MCACC and ALC (auto volume level) and wanted to simplify my setup with HDMI. As you can see from my sig. I have external amplification and needed the pre-outs and 12v trigger on the Pioneer. I only have a couple of weeks with it but am happy with the performace, sound and/or otherwise, but have not tried the internal amps.

To answer your question I think the internal amps would be great for your setup but if the upgrade bug bites it's nice to have options. I have not heard a Denon since I was shoping for the 54tx but back then to my ears the Denon sounded thin. Not sure how to describe it but I thought the Pioneer was a much richer sound. Currently any Denon with pre-outs was more than I wanted to spend, around 600, and I had very good service with my old Pioneer which made the descission easy for me.

GZ

FWIW - I replaced a 4 year old Denon with a Pioneer Elite a couple years ago. Couldn't be happier.

mantis

the Pioneer elite is a fantastic entry level receiver with above average dynamic range. The Ipod jack in the front which it comes with the cable is also a step above the rest.

Pioneer Elite.

Bernal

Denon 4308Ci.

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01) DENON AVR-4308CI: Advanced 7.1 CH/5.1+2 CH/ 3.1+2+2 CH A/V Home Theater /MultiMedia Multi-Source/Zone Receiver with Networking and WiFi/170 watts x 7 channels
02) SUNFIRE Grand Signature - Bob Carver's
03) OPPO DV-980H 1080p Up-Converting Universal DVD Player with HDMI and 7.1CH Audio
04) OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player w/SACD & DVD-Audio / DENON DVD-2500BTCI: Blu-ray Disc™ DVD/CD Digital Player/Transport
05) HITACHI P55T501. 55" HD1080 Plasma HDTV
06) POLKAUDIO LSiC (Center speaker)
07) POLKAUDIO LSi15 LEFT (Front speaker)
08) POLKAUDIO LSi15 RIGHT (Front speaker)
09) POLKAUDIO LSif/x LEFT (Surround speaker)
10) POLKAUDIO LSif/x RIGHT (Surround speaker)
11) VELODYNE OPTIMUN 12" (High Output Digital EQ SubWoofer 2400W/1200WRMS)