AV Receivers

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Mark Craven  |  May 06, 2014  |  0 comments

Onkyo's TX-NR929 is not one of the brand's heavyweight offerings, but this well-priced receiver – it now sells for around £1,000, after initially launching at nearer £1,500 – packs enough performance and feature tricks to comfortably drive and tune most people's setups. The value for money offered is superb, and it's therefore easily recommended.

Jamie Biesemans  |  Jan 10, 2024  |  0 comments
It was very quiet around Onkyo for the last few years, but an invigorating partnership between Sharp and the Premium Audio Company means the iconic Japanese brand is making a comeback. And the charge is being led by the TX-RZ70, an 11.2-channel AV receiver launched in 2023 at £3,099.
Steve May  |  Dec 13, 2015  |  0 comments

Onkyo's TX-RZ800 marks a break from the brand's typical AVR design, offering an oversized volume dial and a pimple rash of tiny buttons. As a fashion statement, it must be said it’s not particularly pretty, but it is at least different. Other changes are less obvious.

Adrian Justins  |  Jan 19, 2013  |  0 comments

Pioneer's SC-2022 AV receiver proudly ditches the VSX prefix of its predecessor (the VSX-2012) to join the more illustrious company of its SC-toting brethren, although it doesn’t quite make it into the elite LX club, falling short 
in its construction and lacking Air Studios calibration. It gains its SC credentials largely through the adoption of an all-digital Direct Energy HD amplifier, which uses shorter signal paths and has more efficient cooling, leading Pioneer to claim a better performance and lower power consumption.

Ed Selley  |  Mar 05, 2014  |  0 comments

Pioneer’s range of AV receivers caters to budgets from the extremely frugal to the decidedly lavish. If you feel that you sit in the latter category, you will need to look at the top of the pile and the SC-LX87. And, although this flagship might not be as pricey as some of the company's previous one-box offerings (such as the SC-LX90), it's still a very serious amplifier indeed.

Richard Stevenson  |  Feb 07, 2015  |  0 comments

Pioneer’s new flagship AVR comes to the HCC test bench fresh from its Dolby Atmos firmware upgrade, bristling with features that will have both music and movie fans salivating. It's a lavishly-engineered top-flight powerhouse that deserves an audition if you're upgrading your setup – although it does have one curious flaw...

Steve May  |  Mar 18, 2016  |  0 comments
With Dolby Atmos and DTS:X in its armoury, the Pioneer SC-LX89 is currently the brand's best-dressed AV receiver. No stone has been left unturned when it comes to advanced functionality. But is there more to this badass box than high-tech feature overload? 
Jamie Biesemans  |  May 21, 2024  |  0 comments
hcchighreccomendAfter a period of absence, Pioneer wants to return to its former position as one of the main AV receiver brands. And what's the best way to go about this? By launching an all-singing, all-dancing 11-channel model to compete with the similarly specified amps of its rivals. Enter the VSA-LX805.
Mark Craven  |  Dec 12, 2016  |  0 comments

It's getting hard to find many points of difference between AV receivers around the key £500 mark. Pioneer's VSX-1131, originally priced £550 but available now for less if you shop around, offers a specifications sheet with few surprises, beyond the fact that it's very well featured indeed. Whatever you're hoping to find here, you probably will. 

Ed Selley  |  Dec 12, 2011  |  0 comments
Apple-tiser amp Richard Stevenson considers this receiver as Pioneer’s homage to Apple, and calls it the VSX-2021 Steve Jobs Signature Edition

Pioneer’s VSX-2021 is a receiver for the Apple generation. It’s all but intrinsically linked to the company’s wares with iPhone/iPad control Apps, dedicated music sharing for multiple iPods, remote control of the latest OS devices and full AirPlay integration. Even the user manual and set-up navigator are fully interactive iPad Apps. Okay, this £800 receiver can be operated with its own remote control and you can ignore the Apple-centric features, but that would be like buying a BMW and never using the iDrive. Even those VSX-2021 buyers with a penchant for Android devices (there is an app for that platform, too) might find themselves considering an iPad for its Pioneer-centric features alone.

Richard Stevenson  |  Oct 27, 2012  |  0 comments

May saw Pioneer doing its traditional launch of a new range of AV receivers. As usual, the lower- and mid-range models break cover first – and the VSX-922 is one of the latter.

Mark Craven  |  Aug 09, 2013  |  0 comments

AVR manufacturers are obsessed with matching their TV counterparts and introducing a gamut of new models each year, despite bona fide audio developments being few and far between. As such, Pioneer's VSX-923 represents a revamp of the VSX-922 (itself a revamp of the VSX-921), sharing many of the same features and design. In fact, apart from doing away with the drop-down flap on the front which hid the USB input and setup mic jack, the front of the VSX-923 is identical to its forebear. This equates to a nice big display flanked by two hefty knobs (volume and input selection), all set off by a brushed black chassis that will match the other noir components on your rack. It's kinda stylish, in a discreet sort of way.

Mark Craven  |  Sep 11, 2014  |  0 comments

Anyone enjoying a game of 'spot the difference between two AV receivers' would face a stiff task if faced with Pioneer's new VSX-924 and its predecessor, the VSX-923. This £500 home cinema power-pusher sports the same neat styling and shares many of the same specifications. But dig a little deeper and you'll find some key upgrades that see Pioneer embracing new trends in AV.

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