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Pioneer VSX Receivers With Satellite Radio

by Tony Leotta — December 04, 2006

Filed under: Receivers/Processors

We looked at Pioneers receivers today at CES Las Vegas and were pleased to see the unveiling of three of the industry's first A/V receivers featuring satellite radio. Pioneer makes it easier for consumers to enjoy the digital programming of both SIRIUS and XM Satellite Radio with the three receivers that offer direct connectivity to both a XM Connect & Play antenna and SiriusConnect SC-H1 tuner (both sold separately; monthly subscription needed). Complete access and control of both SIRIUS and XM devices are made easy through the receiver's remote control with full on-screen display capability. All three models can receive XM HD Surround broadcasts powered by Neural Audio to provide listeners select music channels in 5.1 surround sound .

With the VSX-1017TXV, users gain access and control to personalized music and video files on their iPod. The unit offers direct connection via a separate iPod docking station. Consumers can purchase the optional Pioneer IDK-80 universal iPod docking station. With the unit's remote control and on-screen display capability, users can navigate the playlists in the player to share with friend and family through a high powered home theater system.

All three Pioneer receivers are outfitted with enhanced proprietary sound processing (DSP) technologies including, Sound Retriever and Front Stage Surround Advanced that are designed to improve the audio quality of movies and music in an array of room spaces. Customization and calibration is made easy with Pioneer's renowned Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration (MCACC) room tuning function, which optimizes sound levels for premium multi-channel performance of high definition devices.

Specifications	VSX-517	VSX-817	VSX-917V	VSX-1017TXV
Amplification	110 watts x 5	110 watts x 7	110 watts x 7	120 watts x 7
Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration	No	Yes Auto (w/microphone)	Yes Auto (w/microphone)	Yes Advanced (w/microphone)
THX Select 2	No	No	No	Yes
Dolby Digital	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Dolby Digital EX	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
DTS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
DTS ES	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
DTS 96/24	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Dolby Pro Logic IIx	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
DTS Neo:6	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
WMA9 Pro	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Video Converter	No	No	Yes Component	Yes Component
HDMI Video Switching	No	No	Yes x 2	Yes x 2
S-Video inputs	No	3 in, 2 out	3 in, 2 out	5 in, 2 out
Component video inputs	3 in, 1 out	3 in, 1 out	3 in, 1 out	3 in, 1 out
Front A/V Input	No	Yes	Yes with Optical Digital input	Yes with Optical Digital input
Digital inputs	2 coaxial, 1optical	2 coaxial, 2 optical	2 coaxial, 3 optical; 1 digital out	2 coaxial, 4 optical; 1 digital out
Suggested Price	$199	$299	$399	TBD
Availability	April 2007	April 2007	April 2007	July 2007

About the author:

Tony is our resident expert for lifestyle and wireless products including soundbars. He does most of the reviews for wireless and streaming loudspeakers and often compares soundbars in round ups and helps us cover the trade shows.

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