The little receiver that could.
Written: Aug 04 '00 (Updated Aug 04 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great sound, great price, great value!
Cons: 60W doesn't sound loud or impressive. (Though it can be loud!)
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| Peteer01's Full Review: Pioneer VSX-D309 Receiver |
My parents just recently purchased a 55" 16:9 HDTV after our last TV decided it had lived a full life of 8 years. On our old TV, VHS and a Dolby Pro Logic receiver seemed to provide us with quality video and audio. Unfortunately, our new set, being larger and wide screen, showed us how poor our picture quality was and suggested we buy a progressive scan DVD player. (We choose the Pioneer DV-434, read my review to find out why.) Of course, having a progressive scan DVD player and a 55" wide screen TV, the perfect present for my Dad's 49th birthday would be a receiver with digital in that could play Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS audio from DVDs, exactly as it was intended to sound.
On my quest for a receiver I originally found a Kenwood VR-307 at Service Merchandise for 35% off their list price of $299. I purchased that receiver but found it didn’t support DTS, so I returned it and eventually decided on the Pioneer VSX-D309.
The Pioneer VSX-D309 has been very pleasant surprise. At 60W x 5 and under $200, I was very impressed with how good (and how loud) the audio is. It is very noticeable improvement over our old Pro Logic receiver. Combined with our wide screen TV and Progressive Scan DVD player, it does an amazing job of making our home theater feel more like a real theater. The volume has never been turned all the way up, 90% is as high as we’ve turned it, and the audio is both very loud and very clear.
The setup is relatively intuitive and it is very easy to use. Both our digital cable (Time Warner box) and our DVD Player (Pioneer DV-434) offer digital audio, so both digital inputs are being used, as well as analog connections for the TV and VCR. The digital audio from our cable was the biggest surprise, since it is such an improvement over the analog audio we’d been listening to, most of the movies on the movie channels offer Digital Dolby audio.
If there is one thing I would like to stress about this receiver, it is that the 60W and low price tag should not scare anyone away. The 60W is more than enough power for everyone except audiophiles, and the low price tag is not indicative of what you receive in return. This receiver has all the bells and whistles most people will need, and if you’re looking for Dolby Digital and DTS, you can’t beat the price.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Peteer01
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Member: Eric Peterson
Location: Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
Reviews written: 18
Trusted by: 10 members
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