I recently purchased Polk Audio's RTi12 as front L/R, CSi5 for center, and FXi5 for surround and rear surrounds. I have yet to purchase a A/V receiver. I have listed above the 3 choices of A/V receiver. Please advise on which one to chose and why?
I can't really comment on the pairing of these receivers with these speakers, though I have heard the Pioneer and the Yamaha with them. I wanted a receiver that performed really well on HT and 2 channel. I wanted something that was warm to neutral sounding. I wanted THX (though not a deal breaker)
I liked the Yamaha. I felt it sounded the most neutral of the receivers I listened to. The soundstage was probably the smallest, and seemed to be pretty firmly anchored between the speakers.
The pioneer sound was warmer, and more full. I felt that the soundstage was deeper, starting at the speakers and receding behind, and slightly wider than the speakers' positioning. I liked the fact that I could bi-amp the front speakers with the pioneer (the instructions are included in the manual - very easy to follow). Firewire was a major lust item for me.
I wound up choosing the Pioneer VSX-54tx (couldn't swing the extra cash for the 56. I am incredibly happy with this choice. If I were buying again, I would buy the elite again.
There is one other thing to consider... Recent reviews and discussions on another forum highlight a big plus for the Yamaha. If you have plans to move to separates, the Yamaha pre-amp section is apparently very quiet. In fact measurements show it to be as quiet as many dedicated pre-pros costing $2,000 or more.
I primarily listen to movies, and I bought the Yammi2500. The menus, setup, ease of use were much better on the Yammi, and it makes a great receiver for HT. The entire ergonomics of the Yammi made much better sense than many of the other models.
If having a firewire is a big deal to you, go with the Pioneer because it has one, and the yammi doesnt.
I've never heard anyone on these forums give the slightest mention to the JVC which doesnt exactly bode well for that model. If it offered a cutting edge product, there would no doubt be lots of chatter.
I had the opposite experience between the Pioneer and the Yamaha. I found the pioneer remote easier to use. I had all my codes and everything set-up in less than 10 minutes, which was pretty good for me.
Of course, the remote for the 56 is more advanced than the 54, so that may make a difference.
Yea, not bad. I dont use my receiver remote as a master. I prefer using basic 'master' remotes over ones with lots of buttons for general use.
I do use the Yammi remote to access my OSD during movies, or if I want to change specific settings, but that's about it. It's easy to use in the dark too
I guess my curiosity on the JVC is that it has the THX Ultra II certification. The JVC RX-DP20VBK and Pioneer Elite VSX - 55Txi were both reviewed and compared by Home Theater Magazine. Both have their strengths and weaknesses with Pioneer giving a wider soundstage while the JVC giving a fuller and accurate bass response. HTM's review is consistent with your onservation of having the VSX-54Txi. My readings on Yamaha were primarily based on Audioholic's review of the product. Knowing that it is ~$500 less than the Pioneer Elite is also very attractive to me. It is unfortunate that I live in a place where nobody carries either the Pioneer Elite VSX-56Txi or the Yamaha RX-V2500. The dealers carry lesser models. Therefore, I have to rely on "expert" reviews and other end users like yourself for good, bad, and neutral reviews . I had the pleasure on listening to the JVC RX-DP15VB at Fry's Electronics. I was well please especially when comparing it side by side with Onkyo's 702 and 801. Being a novice in the audio world, my only concern with the JVC is its absence of auto-room calibration for it's EQ. Obviously, the auto-room calibration is a feature that the Pioneer Elite and the Yamaha carries.
I went ahead and purchased the Yamaha RX-V2500 A/V receiver. I also added Monster HTS 5100 Signature Series as my power conditioner and Yamaha YST-SW1500 as my subwoofer. The subs were on sale at B&H Photo (Yamaha Authorized dealer) for 1/2 the price. MSRP is $1000 but they have it on sale for $450 + $87 S/H in Washington State. This is a unopened, brand new, with full manufacturer's warranty!
What do you recommend as far as the break-in period of the speakers? How long (hours or days) should I continuously play the speakers?...at what dB? What dB level should I not exceed during the break-in period?
