Pioneer VSX-56TXi specifications Mid-Priced Receiver With Punch And Performance, Equipment Review

Equipment Review

Pioneer Elite™

VSX-56TXi

Home Theatre Receiver

J o h n K o t c h e s

Mid-Priced Receiver With Punch And Performance

Pioneer Electronics has been a staple of the audio industry for many years and traces its ancestry back to the late 1930s as Fukuin Shokai Denki Seisakusho. In this company’s long career in the audio industry, the number of first products to the market is sub- stantial. Pioneer was the flag bearer for the LaserDisc format, which had a near 20-year reign as the format of choice for videophiles. Even in the DVD era of consumer electronics, Pioneer lays claim to the first Universal Disc player, in their DV-AX10. The DV-AX10 was the first of many universal players, and several years later a large number of the universal players on the market are based on Pioneer’s OEM kits.

“This $1,700 product’s warm, rich sonic character does an excellent job in conveying the message.”

Pioneer’s Elite Line is their premium lineup of audio/video prod- ucts. It is in the Elite line that Pioneer’s technological advancements are first brought to the marketplace. Pioneer continues to be a leader in delivering FireWire®/i.Link® (IEEE 1394) products to the market, and the VSX-56TXi receiver is their fourth receiver equipped with this interface for transferring digital audio. Another technologi- cal advancement included in the VSX-56TXi is Pioneer’s Multi- Channel Acoustic Correction Circuit, which is a DSP-based room calibration and correction tool. Originally introduced in the VSX- 49TX, MCACC™ has now trickled down in some form or another into a large portion of Pioneer's product lineup.

Exterior Construction And

Connectivity

The Elite line carries Pioneer’s Urishi finish, which is an elegant

gloss black finish on a thick aluminum faceplate. I'm generally a fan of silver over black on components, but the Urishi is one that could convince me to change my cosmetic preferences. As our home theatre

S		Inputs: A/V (4 Composite/S-Video/Stereo Audio),
P		Audio (4 including MM Phono), Component Video
		(2 assignable), Eight Channel Analog (1), Digital
		Audio (2 Optical, 2 Coaxial all assignable)
E		Outputs: Speaker Level (Front, Center, Back
		Surround/Zone 2, Surrounds), Line Level (Front,
C		Center, Surround, Back Surround, Multi-room/
		Source), Component Video (1), Monitor (1
		Composite/S-Video), Monitor 2 (Composite),
I		Digital Audio (2 Optical), Audio Tape Loops (2
		Stereo), Video Tape Loops (2 Composite/
F
		S-Video/Stereo Audio)
	Listening Modes: Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital
I		EX, Dolby Pro-Logic II, DTS, DTS-ES (Discrete
		and Matrix), DTS: Neo6, DTS 24/96, PCM (to
C
		24-bit/96 kHz), Numerous DSP Modes
	Power Output (Rated): 110watts x7 (8 ohms,
AT		20 Hz-20 kHz < 0.09% THD)
		Video Stage (Component): 5-100 MHz (+0, -3 dB)
		Dimensions (WHD In Inches): 16 9/16 x 7 7/16 x
		18 5/16
I		Weight (In Pounds): 45
	Price: $1,700
O		Manufactured In Japan For:
N		Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.
		2265 East 220th Street
		Long Beach, California 90810
S		Tel: 800 746-6337
		www.pioneerelectronics.com

products become more complex, the number of buttons on the faceplates seems to be growing exponentially with each year. The VSX-56TXi has a clean, symmetrical look, with identical-sized large knobs on either side of the faceplate, along with three buttons above each knob. The rest of the buttons and front panel inputs are hidden below the drop-down front panel with the Elite logo on it. This hides lesser-used controls and the microphone input for Pioneer's MCACC technology. I will discuss MCACC later in this review.

I was somewhat surprised by the heft of the VSX-56TXi, which weighs in at 45 pounds. Unusual in the under $2,000 price point, the VSX-56TXi has a dual-layer chassis, with an aluminum exterior, and a copper interior to improve noise shielding and stray EMI from entering and exiting the receiver. The chassis is deeper than it is

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Widescreen Review • Issue 97 • June 2005 Page 1/5