Pioneer ELITE VSX-21TXH vs....

Polkie2009
Polkie2009 Posts: 3,834
edited December 2009 in Electronics
A friend of mine is upgrading his AVR and I suggested getting one with preamp outputs in case he wants to upgrade.He's on a budget of about 550 bucks and has his eye on this Elite. I wanted to add the Yamaha RX-V863 to the mix(I know it's an older model, but still considered decent,plus I have the 663,lol) I wanted to add Onkyo also ,just wasn't sure if they have taken care of the heat issues etc. from past models??? He's running some JBL floorstanding speakers as mains,(not sure model #,about 3 or 4 years old,rated about 250 WPC at 8 ohms). Other suggestions welcome!
Post edited by Polkie2009 on
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  • Polkie2009
    Polkie2009 Posts: 3,834
    edited December 2009
    Chime in anytime,lol! All honest opinions are appreciated.
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  • cnh
    cnh Posts: 13,284
    edited December 2009
    Onkyo 706/7 or 806 the new 807 has a lot of features but not as much power as previous models because of the Height speakers, etc.

    Harman Kardon AVR 354 or the equivalent new series

    Marantz 6004/5 (whatever the current number is)...may have to drop down to the 5000 series for you price.....

    Most JBL towers are pretty efficient and all of the above will drive them...all of the above also have pre-outs so you can add external amps if you wish and all process HD-lossless formats through HDMI inputs.

    All are also High Current AVRs...


    cnh
    Currently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!

    Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
    [sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash]
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  • domflane
    domflane Posts: 653
    edited December 2009
    Definately go for the preouts, other than that, any name brand AVR in that price range will do just fine. I'm a little partial to Harman Kardon, but I would love to get a hold of some Elite gear.
    Home Theater
    RTiA5 - CSiA6 - FXiA6 - PSW650 - Pioneer Elite SC-55 - Carver AV-505 - Sony 46" 120Hz - Monster HP 2400 - Xbox 360 - Playstation 3
    2 Channel
    Polk RTA 15TL - Harman Kardon HK3485 - HK DVD48 - Signal Cable IC's and speaker cables
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,891
    edited December 2009
    I had the Yammi you are talking about and although I liked it well enough, it got infinitely better after I got external power to it. I second the need for pre-outs, but after going with separates, I will not look at an AVR again.

    If an AVR is the path you choose, the Elites with full HDMI would get my nod.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2800 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson

    How many flies need to be buzzing a dead horse before you guys stop beating it?
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  • Polkie2009
    Polkie2009 Posts: 3,834
    edited December 2009
    Awesome input guys,much appreciated. As one who has also added external amps to my 663 AVR , it's great to have that option:) I agree with you about separates nooshinjohn, if I did it all again, I probably would buy a Preamp and add to it,lol. Now you're putting ideas in my head!
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  • bigaudiofanatic
    bigaudiofanatic Posts: 4,415
    edited December 2009
    My vote goes to the pioneer. I have one bot the same model but I have been very impressed with it.
    HT setup
    Panasonic 50" TH-50PZ80U
    Denon DBP-1610
    Monster HTS 1650
    Carver A400X :cool:
    MIT Exp 3 Speaker Wire
    Kef 104/2
    URC MX-780 Remote
    Sonos Play 1

    Living Room
    63 inch Samsung PN63C800YF
    Polk Surroundbar 3000
    Samsung BD-C7900
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  • Polkie2009
    Polkie2009 Posts: 3,834
    edited December 2009
    It came down to him deciding between the Elite VSX-21TXH and the Onkyo 707 and he went with the Elite. I told him to start getting acquainted with the Official thread for the Elite model on the AVSforum. Thanks to all who offered advice, you guys are what makes this forum the best.
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  • selkec
    selkec Posts: 187
    edited December 2009
    I had Harmon Kardon and switched to the exact receiver your talking about. I love the elite and will never go back to Harmon Kardon. The elite sounds alot cleaner and has more fine tuning than my HK did. I had the dpr1005 HK. The elite also has that ipod usb port which I like. Its nice to be able to plug an ipod or iphone into the front when friends come over and listen to their music.
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