Contents | Pioneer VSX-521-K guide

Thank you for buying this Pioneer product. Please read through these operating instructions so you will know how to operate your model properly. After you have finished reading the instructions, put them away in a safe place for future reference.

Before you start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Checking what’s in the box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Installing the receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Flow of settings on the receiver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

01 Controls and displays

Front panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Loading the batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Operating range of remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

02 Connecting your equipment

Placing the speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Hints on the speaker placement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Connecting the speakers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Connect the surround back or front height speakers . . 11 Making cable connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 HDMI cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 About HDMI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Analog audio cables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Digital audio cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Video cables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 About video outputs connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Connecting a TV and playback components . . . . . . . . . . 14 Connecting using HDMI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Connecting your component with no HDMI terminal . . 15

Connecting a satellite receiver or other digital

set-top box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Connecting an HDD/DVD recorder, Blu-ray Disc recorder and other video sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Using the component video jacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Connecting other audio components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Connecting optional Bluetooth® ADAPTER . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Connecting antennas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Using external antennas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Connecting to the front panel audio mini jack. . . . . . . . . 18 Plugging in the receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

03 Basic Setup

Canceling the demo display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Automatically setting up for surround sound (MCACC). . . 19 Other problems when using the Auto MCACC setup . . . 20

04 Basic playback

Playing a source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Selecting the audio input signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Bluetooth® ADAPTER for Wireless Enjoyment

of Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Wireless music play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Pairing the Bluetooth ADAPTER and Bluetooth wireless technology device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Listening to Music Contents of Bluetooth wireless technology device with Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Listening to the radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Improving FM sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Saving station presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Listening to station presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Naming preset stations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

05 Listening to your system

Choosing the listening mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Auto playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Listening in surround sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Using the Advanced surround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Using Stream Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Using the Sound Retriever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Listening with Acoustic Calibration EQ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Better sound using Phase Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Using surround back channel processing . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Setting the Up Mix function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Setting the Audio options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Making an audio or a video recording. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

06 The System Setup menu

Using the System Setup menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Manual speaker setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Speaker Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Crossover Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Channel Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Speaker Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 The Input Assign menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 The Pre Out Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 The Auto Power Down menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

The FL Demo Mode menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

07 Control with HDMI function

Making Control with HDMI connections . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 HDMI Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Before using synchronization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 About synchronized operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 About connections with a product of a different brand

that supports the Control with HDMI function . . . . . . 35 Cautions on the Control with HDMI function . . . . . . . . . 35

08 Additional information

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 HDMI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Important information regarding the HDMI connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Resetting the main unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Cleaning the unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

VSX-521-K specifications

The Pioneer VSX-521-K is a versatile and high-performance AV receiver designed to enhance your home entertainment experience. This model stands out for its impressive array of features, delivering robust audio and video capabilities, making it an ideal choice for audiophiles and casual listeners alike.

One of the key characteristics of the VSX-521-K is its 5.1 channel surround sound capability, providing an immersive experience that draws you into your favorite movies and music. With a total power output of 100 watts per channel, it ensures clear and potent sound reproduction that can fill large rooms without distortion. This model supports various surround sound formats, including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, which offer high-definition audio that brings cinematic experiences to life.

The technology behind the VSX-521-K also includes advanced audio processing features. The receiver incorporates Pioneer's proprietary Acoustic Calibration System (MCACC), which automatically calibrates your audio setup based on your room’s acoustics, optimizing sound quality for any environment. This feature, combined with its 192kHz/24-bit DACs, ensures that every note and nuance is rendered accurately.

In terms of connectivity, the VSX-521-K provides multiple HDMI inputs, allowing you to connect various devices like Blu-ray players, gaming consoles, and streaming devices, all while maintaining high-definition video quality up to 1080p. Furthermore, it features an HDMI pass-through option, enabling the transmission of HD video signals even when the receiver is off.

For those who enjoy streaming music, this receiver supports various audio formats, and its USB input allows you to connect external devices easily. The front panel display is user-friendly, and navigation through the menu is intuitive, making it accessible for users of all levels.

The receiver is also designed with energy efficiency in mind, meeting energy-saving guidelines without sacrificing performance. Its sleek black finish and compact design ensure it integrates seamlessly into any entertainment setup.

Overall, the Pioneer VSX-521-K is a well-rounded AV receiver, offering exceptional audio quality, advanced features, and flexible connectivity options, making it a worthy addition to any home theater system. Whether you're watching movies or enjoying your favorite songs, this receiver is built to enhance your audio-visual experience in a substantial way.