Pioneer Elite VSX-01TXH vs Marantz SR 5003

bigred7078 · February 2009

mantis wrote: »

QC mean anything???

aaagain looking at websites to determine who has more refurbs available is no way to compare anything...

And besides neither company is better quality than the other for crying out loud. To say otherwise is just stupid. These are two well known, well respected companies.

cnh · February 2009

bigred7078 wrote: »

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.

I agree about the AVR 889, but I have an older AVR 887 that has 8 pre-outs. So the question. Why did Denon dumb down some of the previous model features?

Also left unanswered here. Is, does the Pioneer 1018 have Wolfson DACs...I HIGHLY suspect the answer is NO! And that would be an important difference between it and the Elite version which would not be radically noticeable from looking inside unless one looked very carefully and thoroughly.

What about the EL transformer in the 1018 and the Elite, and the capacitors, etc.?

cnh

mantis · February 2009

cnh wrote: »

I agree about the AVR 889, but I have an older AVR 887 that has 8 pre-outs. So the question. Why did Denon dumb down some of the previous model features?

Also left unanswered here. Is, does the Pioneer 1018 have Wolfson DACs...I HIGHLY suspect the answer is NO! And that would be an important difference between it and the Elite version which would not be radically noticeable from looking inside unless one looked very carefully and thoroughly.

What about the EL transformer in the 1018 and the Elite, and the capacitors, etc.?

cnh

I don't know if the 1018 uses Wolfson but the Elite 01 does. They are the Wolfson 192kHz/24-bit WM8728 DAC's. The 03 uses these dac's as well, if you get into the 05/07 then you get the Wolson Wm8740. Only the sc09 uses the Wolfson Wm8741 and it has six of them. Wolson is deemed the worlds best sounding DAC. I don't know if thats true or not but there is a higher clairty and tone to the new Elite line. Right out of the box the first 01 I set up , I notcied something was different. More punch and clarity.

Dan

bigred7078 · February 2009

cnh wrote: »

I agree about the AVR 889, but I have an older AVR 887 that has 8 pre-outs. So the question. Why did Denon dumb down some of the previous model features?

Also left unanswered here. Is, does the Pioneer 1018 have Wolfson DACs...I HIGHLY suspect the answer is NO! And that would be an important difference between it and the Elite version which would not be radically noticeable from looking inside unless one looked very carefully and thoroughly.

What about the EL transformer in the 1018 and the Elite, and the capacitors, etc.?

cnh

they dumbed them down so people would have to PAY MORE for stupid pre-outs....grrrrrr lol

And Wolfsons are definately not the "best" or "worlds greatest" dac's but they are extremely good. Wolfson dac's have come a long way, they were great, then they cheaped out like some Burr-Brown dacs, now they are starting to become implemented more and more and getting better and better. But anyway the point is they are great dac's.

mantis · February 2009

bigred7078 wrote: »

they dumbed them down so people would have to PAY MORE for stupid pre-outs....grrrrrr lol

And Wolfsons are definately not the "best" or "worlds greatest" dac's but they are extremely good. Wolfson dac's have come a long way, they were great, then they cheaped out like some Burr-Brown dacs, now they are starting to become implemented more and more and getting better and better. But anyway the point is they are great dac's.

So let me ask you something Bro, Who does make the worlds greatest or best DAC if Wolson does not? This post seems like your holding some info back, spill the beans Bro

Dan

SEH · February 2009

cnh wrote: »

Also left unanswered here. Is, does the Pioneer 1018 have Wolfson DACs...I HIGHLY suspect the answer is NO!

The answer is yes. Wolfson WM8728. The part numbers from Pioneer for the power supply assembly, power transformer, power amp assembly, regulator assembly, DC/DC assembly, pre-amp assembly, DSP assembly, AM/FM tuner, HDMI & DVC assembly, and a bunch of other stuff are identical for the 1018 and Elite 01/03. The Elite has these things that the 1018 doesn't:

THX Select2 Plus processing modes
S-video inputs
12v triggers
Front-panel input cover
Amber display
Front-panel Elite logo
2yr warranty

And probably better resale value.

SEH · February 2009

mantis wrote: »

QC mean anything???

If lots of refurbs being sold are a sign of poor QC, what are we to make of Polk Audio? I'm willing to bet right now that most refurbs are nothing more than open-box returns from people "shopping" which can't be sold as new. Marantz isn't in every big box store to be tried out like some others, hence more in-home trying before really buying.

There's nothing wrong with QC at Marantz or Pioneer (or Polk).

Falcon01 · February 2009

Whats odd between the Pioneer VSX 01 and the 1018 is that the 01 is rated at...

110 Watts x 7 (20Hz - 20kHz, 8 ohms, 0.09% THD - FTC)

while the 1018 is...

130 x 7

So 20 watts more per channel on the cheaper 1018. If they do in fact have the same parts internally how can this happen? Seems like the 1018 beats the 01 in terms of watts per chanel. This is the biggest thing throwing me off.

It could be that the VSX 01 is 110 watts with all channels driven while the 1018 may not be?

Some receivers have a major drop in wattage when all 7.1 channels (or even 5.1) are in use.

bigred7078 · February 2009

Falcon01 wrote: »

Whats odd between the Pioneer VSX 01 and the 1018 is that the 01 is rated at...

110 Watts x 7 (20Hz - 20kHz, 8 ohms, 0.09% THD - FTC)

while the 1018 is...

130 x 7

So 20 watts more per channel on the cheaper 1018. If they do in fact have the same parts internally how can this happen? Seems like the 1018 beats the 01 in terms of watts per chanel. This is the biggest thing throwing me off.

It could be that the VSX 01 is 110 watts with all channels driven while the 1018 may not be?

Some receivers have a major drop in wattage when all 7.1 channels (or even 5.1) are in use.

i imagine they are just rated a bit differently. Manufacturers sure like to be tricky when placing specs on their receivers;)

Like i said though, the 1018 and the 01/03 are extremely similar and if the "elite" name is really what your looking for go after it. Otherwise step up to their considerably better SC-05/07/09.

bigred7078 · February 2009

mantis wrote: »

So let me ask you something Bro, Who does make the worlds greatest or best DAC if Wolson does not? This post seems like your holding some info back, spill the beans Bro

Dan

...ok "bro"...:rolleyes:

Who makse the greates dac? The one that sounds best to your own ears. All you ever do is gush the BS you are fed being a pioneer installer, you sound brain washed about it. Yes its great stuff, but there is alot of other gear on the market thats as good or better. What you cant seem to understand is that there is no "best" in audio...

Burr Brown, Cirrus Logic, Wolfson, Analog Devices, Texas Instruments.

But the recently released ESS Technology Sabre32 is supposed to be the "worlds best"

The point is each manufacturer makes several dac's, and they each make one or two that is top notch.

SEH · February 2009

Falcon01 wrote: »

Whats odd between the Pioneer VSX 01 and the 1018 is that the 01 is rated at...

110 Watts x 7 (20Hz - 20kHz, 8 ohms, 0.09% THD - FTC)

while the 1018 is...

130 x 7

So 20 watts more per channel on the cheaper 1018. If they do in fact have the same parts internally how can this happen?

More distortion when they rated the 1018, and/or they're lying.

Falcon01 · February 2009

bigred7078 wrote: »

i imagine they are just rated a bit differently. Manufacturers sure like to be tricky when placing specs on their receivers;)

Like i said though, the 1018 and the 01/03 are extremely similar and if the "elite" name is really what your looking for go after it. Otherwise step up to their considerably better SC-05/07/09.

True about the specs. See the thing for me is I don't want to get the Elite just because it says "Elite" on it. Like anyone else I want to get the best bang for the buck which is why I'm researching different brands.

At this point I may just hold off, save up, and get the SC-05. Unless of course there's something else in the price range of the SC-05 that may be better. Decisions decisions.

bigred7078 · February 2009

Falcon01 wrote: »

True about the specs. See the thing for me is I don't want to get the Elite just because it says "Elite" on it. Like anyone else I want to get the best bang for the buck which is why I'm researching different brands.

At this point I may just hold off, save up, and get the SC-05. Unless of course there's something else in the price range of the SC-05 that may be better. Decisions decisions.

If you can afford it the SC-05 is pretty awesome.

There is ALOT of stuff out there. Do lots of demoing and find your perfect receiver

Falcon01 · February 2009

Bigred, I see you post in the Emotiva forums

I never even heard of Emotiva until I got to this Polk Audio forum and now I'm SERIOUSLY thinking of going the Emotiva route for my home theatre (I know I seem to jump around a lot which is why I take my time thankfully and research as much as possible).

After reading the Emotiva forums, plus some of the posts in this forum, I'm pretty certain that I will get the UMC-1 when it comes out and either a XPA-5 or the UPA-7 for nearly the same price as the Pioneer Elite SC-05. I'm pretty sure the Emotiva route will be a much better setup, no offense to the Pioneer Elite lovers (I still like them myself).

bigred7078 · February 2009

Falcon01 wrote: »

Bigred, I see you post in the Emotiva forums I never even heard of Emotiva until I got to this Polk Audio forum and now I'm SERIOUSLY thinking of going the Emotiva route for my home theatre (I know I seem to jump around a lot which is why I take my time thankfully and research as much as possible).

After reading the Emotiva forums, plus some of the posts in this forum, I'm pretty certain that I will get the UMC-1 when it comes out and either a XPA-5 or the UPA-7 for nearly the same price as the Pioneer Elite SC-05. I'm pretty sure the Emotiva route will be a much better setup, no offense to the Pioneer Elite lovers (I still like them myself).

lol yeah thats where i spend the majority of my time, but i jump around to the other forums (like this one) from time to time.

And yeah im actually waiting for the Emotiva XMC-1 to come out. But i will still get the UMC-1 when it comes to play around with it for awhile. :cool:

I was going to mention the UMC-1 to you, but anytime someone mentions Emotiva on THIS forum, some of the "senior" members get a little cranky and let their butt cheeks pucker up

But the UMC-1 looks to be very impressive. They are giving it INSANE specs for a little processor at the $699 price point. I cant wait, should be alot of fun to play with. I think you would really like the emotiva route, i've used almost all of their products at some point, and every single one has been a flat out performer.

Falcon01 · February 2009

Great to hear. Pretty much every review I read about Emotiva products is more than positive.

I never thought I would be able to afford the amp/pre amp route but Emotiva makes it possible with an incredible price point, great performance (from owner reviews) and excellent customer service (again from owner reviews) which is very important.

Now I just have to be patient and save up.

Terra S · February 2009

Hi guys, i'm brand new to the forum but been reading a lot of your posts for the last few weeks. i'm looking to get my fist HT system. We had a very nice one but me and my bf recently broke up and he took all his stuff. I gave him my love but I guess that wasn't good enough (but that's for another thread in a different forum).

Anyway we had a really nice setup and i loved watching movies on it. i learned quite a bit about this stuff and the terminology. So now i want to get my own so i can invite guys over to watch movies with me (make him jealous and make me happy). i want it to be really cool though so I was looking around and found this thread. Nice deal on the Marantz SR 5003 with the coupon code, but i never bought from 6ave.com before. And it states product ships in 8 to 10 business days!

That sounds like a "drop shipper" to me (told you guys I knew the lingo)

Would i be stupid to buy from 6ave.com or should i go for a more recognized e-tailer like Crutchfield? ($200 more) Oh, and one more thing, i was thinking bout maybe adding an amp someday down the road. The Marantz has pre-outs for all channels?

bigred7078 · February 2009

Terra S wrote: »

Hi guys, i'm brand new to the forum but been reading a lot of your posts for the last few weeks. i'm looking to get my fist HT system. We had a very nice one but me and my bf recently broke up and he took all his stuff. I gave him my love but I guess that wasn't good enough (but that's for another thread in a different forum).

Anyway we had a really nice setup and i loved watching movies on it. i learned quite a bit about this stuff and the terminology. So now i want to get my own so i can invite guys over to watch movies with me (make him jealous and make me happy). i want it to be really cool though so I was looking around and found this thread. Nice deal on the Marantz SR 5003 with the coupon code, but i never bought from 6ave.com before. And it states product ships in 8 to 10 business days! That sounds like a "drop shipper" to me (told you guys I knew the lingo)

Would i be stupid to buy from 6ave.com or should i go for a more recognized e-tailer like Crutchfield? ($200 more) Oh, and one more thing, i was thinking bout maybe adding an amp someday down the road. The Marantz has pre-outs for all channels?

Hey Terra welcome to the forum!

6ave.com is a well respected electronics company. I bought my SR6003 from them. It took about 10 days to get it, but thats because of the high demand. Most of their products take 2-3 days.

And yes the SR5003 has pre-outs for a separate amp.

Terra S · February 2009

Thanks for the reply bigred. It says "usually ships in 8 to 10 business days". That is strange because if it's on hand and in stock, it doesn't take 8 business days to process and ship an order. Tells me they're likely a drop shipper. Any idea when that coupon expires?

Just curious why you went with the SR6003 over the SR5003 ? What's the main differences between them?

bigred7078 · February 2009

Terra S wrote: »

Thanks for the reply bigred. It says "usually ships in 8 to 10 business days". That is strange because if it's on hand and in stock, it doesn't take 8 business days to process and ship an order. Tells me they're likely a drop shipper. Any idea when that coupon expires?

Just curious why you went with the SR6003 over the SR5003 ? What's the main differences between them?

There is not alot of differences between them. The 6003 has a GUI, a usb input, dual HDMI outs, slightly more power (which is negligible), a much cleaner front face due to the front plate covering the buttons, and i think thats it.

Terra S · February 2009

If I were to get the SR5003, I'm going to need speakers (my ex-bf took everything). I was thinking bout buying used speakers to try and save some money. I found a set of Klipsch Synergy S1 surrounds and 1 Synergy C2 center for $300 on CL. Could probably get them for $250. Would those be decent for a start? I'd still need a sub and a pair of satellites.

I also found a pair of PSB Image 6T Stereo Tower Speakers for $400 that have a couple minor nicks and the grilles have several broken tabs and don't stay on really well, but they sounded fantastic and otherwise looked to be in good condition. Obviously I'd still need a center, sub and a pair of satellites with those.

Lastly, I came across a pair of used Polk Audio RT800i Speakers in black that look very nice and also sounded very clear. I think I kinda like that they're black because they match my Samsung TV. But I also like the cherry wood finish I seen on the others.

So am I on the right track for speakers? I know this thread is about the VSX-01TXH vs Marantz SR 5003 and I don't mean to take it over with my questions, but I didn't want to start a new thread since I'm new and I am asking about what speakers would be good w/SR 5003.

Thanks for any help y'all can offer, Terra

digitalvideo · February 2009

New member here, hello everyone.

I was searching online for a new reciever and came across this forum and thread and found it very interesting because I am looking into a Pioneer Elite VSX-01TXH and was comparing it to the Pioneer Elite SC-07 and seeing if the SC-07 price of $1399 on ebay was worth it over the VSX-01 price of $559 on ebay. When I looked at the features on both, they are almost 95% same features, the SC-07 just has "some" additional features but most the features are in both but the SC-07 just has more HDMI ports and S-VIDEO ports but they both have the same ports. How many HDMI ports do you need when today's plasma/LCD's, Blu-ray, recievers/home entertainment systems make it easier to connect to HDMI with fewer HMDI wires?

The two systems have all their features listed on ebay in comparison below:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Pioneer-VSX-01TXH-Elite-A-V-Theater-Receiver-VSX01TXH_W0QQitemZ390030143246QQcmdZViewItemQQptZReceivers_Tuners?hash=item390030143246&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1234%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

http://cgi.ebay.com/Pioneer-Elite-SC-07-7-1-Channel-HT-Receiver-SC07-NEW_W0QQitemZ220352069516QQcmdZViewItemQQptZReceivers_Tuners?hash=item220352069516&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1234%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

I've read so many different views and comments by customers at amazon.com and other forums where most people are happier getting a better deal on a cheaper product and get almost if not the same results. For example, all the reviews I read about the Onkyo SKS-HT540 7.1 speakers which you can get for around $299-$399 beats the more expensive Boston Accoustics 5.1 MSC100 and MSC130 systems and Bose in terms of sound and power.

I have a plasma Pioneer Elite Kuro 111fd and want to add these products to it:
new Pioneer Elite BDP-23FD profile 2.0 blu-ray player coming out in April
Pioneer Elite VSX-01TXH reciever
Onkyo SKS-HT540 7.1 speakers <

Best bang for the buck, out performs many $1000+ speaker systems.

Now if I were to get the Pioneer SC-07 instead would I hear a big difference in sound hooked up to the same Onkyo system? If I'm watching Apocalypse Now or Star Wars are the explosions going to be really noticeable? I really don't think so.

Terra S, for speakers, like I mentioned above checkout the Onkyo SKS-HT540 7.1 system, great deal, comes with 7 speakers, all the reviews at Amazon.com are 4-5 stars and many say the system out performs many more expensive speaker systems, best bang for the buck. Checkout the reviews for it at amazon.com snd cnet.com -

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-SKS-HT540-Channel-Theater-Speaker/dp/B000GU78Z4

http://reviews.cnet.com/surround-speaker-systems/onkyo-sks-ht540/4505-7868_7-31930496.html

avhomedesigns · February 2009

Marantz

messiah · February 2009

skip the 01 and go for the 03. There has to be a really good reason other than aluminum faceplate for why it weighs so much more. My guess is quality

bigred7078 · February 2009

digitalvideo wrote: »

New member here, hello everyone.

I was searching online for a new reciever and came across this forum and thread and found it very interesting because I am looking into a Pioneer Elite VSX-01TXH and was comparing it to the Pioneer Elite SC-07 and seeing if the SC-07 price of $1399 on ebay was worth it over the VSX-01 price of $559 on ebay. When I looked at the features on both, they are almost 95% same features, the SC-07 just has "some" additional features but most the features are in both but the SC-07 just has more HDMI ports and S-VIDEO ports but they both have the same ports. How many HDMI ports do you need when today's plasma/LCD's, Blu-ray, recievers/home entertainment systems make it easier to connect to HDMI with fewer HMDI wires?

The two systems have all their features listed on ebay in comparison below:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Pioneer-VSX-01TXH-Elite-A-V-Theater-Receiver-VSX01TXH_W0QQitemZ390030143246QQcmdZViewItemQQptZReceivers_Tuners?hash=item390030143246&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1234%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

http://cgi.ebay.com/Pioneer-Elite-SC-07-7-1-Channel-HT-Receiver-SC07-NEW_W0QQitemZ220352069516QQcmdZViewItemQQptZReceivers_Tuners?hash=item220352069516&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1234%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

I've read so many different views and comments by customers at amazon.com and other forums where most people are happier getting a better deal on a cheaper product and get almost if not the same results. For example, all the reviews I read about the Onkyo SKS-HT540 7.1 speakers which you can get for around $299-$399 beats the more expensive Boston Accoustics 5.1 MSC100 and MSC130 systems and Bose in terms of sound and power.

I have a plasma Pioneer Elite Kuro 111fd and want to add these products to it:
new Pioneer Elite BDP-23FD profile 2.0 blu-ray player coming out in April
Pioneer Elite VSX-01TXH reciever
Onkyo SKS-HT540 7.1 speakers <
Best bang for the buck, out performs many $1000+ speaker systems.

Now if I were to get the Pioneer SC-07 instead would I hear a big difference in sound hooked up to the same Onkyo system? If I'm watching Apocalypse Now or Star Wars are the explosions going to be really noticeable? I really don't think so.

Terra S, for speakers, like I mentioned above checkout the Onkyo SKS-HT540 7.1 system, great deal, comes with 7 speakers, all the reviews at Amazon.com are 4-5 stars and many say the system out performs many more expensive speaker systems, best bang for the buck. Checkout the reviews for it at amazon.com snd cnet.com -

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-SKS-HT540-Channel-Theater-Speaker/dp/B000GU78Z4

http://reviews.cnet.com/surround-speaker-systems/onkyo-sks-ht540/4505-7868_7-31930496.html

The SC-07 is ALOT better than the VSX-01...

But its kinda overkill for HTIB speakers.

DeadFeat1 · February 2009

A nice thing about Marantz is the three year warranty they come with...

Pioneer Elite VSX-01TXH vs Marantz SR 5003

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