Home > Consumer Reviews > Pioneer VSX-817-K Home Theater Receiver (Black)

I've had this reciever for about 5 months now and let me tell you its the real deal! My friend and I both purchased the same set of JBL basic theater speakers to go with our recievers, the difference being he got a sony reciever and I went with the pioneer. Even on the same speakers my reciever has a sharp, clear, full (and in no way tinny) sound where as his is muddy and inacurate (just in case you're wondering we are using the same speaker wire.)
I dont think i've seen a reciever for this price range support this many different audio modes and settings, which can be frustrating except this Pioneer has a simple menu and can be sent to your tv making it even easier! So far I have my Xbox360 and HD-DVD player both hooked up by optical and various others (Tv,Zune) hooked up analog. I also have taken advantage of the XM HD that this reciever supports with good results. I noticed that the "XM Surround" setting is terrible so I always run it in DTS NEO:6 for a better listening experience.
I suppose the only downsides would be that is dosen't support HDMI but oh well, you can always just run it optical. They also dont include the really cool remote that I got anymore, you get this lame white one. (they've made the nice remote available only on the highest models, or if you can find the VSX-816K.)
One note for anyone looking to match this with HD-DVD players, dont worry that this does NOT support Tru-HD or DTS-HD it sounds amazing anyway, optical audio is all converted over to DTS. I tested this by running Batman Begins in regular Dolby 5.1 then switching over to the Tru-HD track, the difference almost blew my windows out! In closing, I would highly recommend this reciever for anyone and everyone who wants a product that can easily turn your living room into a movie theater and then over to a music hall without blending the two together!!

Being new to the home theater game,I really don't have anything to compare this product to. I bought it because it had all of the features I thought I might need,at a price I could afford,AND,it was a Pioneer,a name I have come to trust over the years. As far as what I've been able to discern,the unit is quite "user friendly". I had it up and running in an hour or two. One problem I ran into,was trying to connect all of those speaker wires using the "bare wire into the lug,and tighten" method!! WOW...By the time I was done,I was well on my way to a blistered thumb and index finger!! This problem was quickly remedied by the installation of banana plugs on all speaker leads. Other than that,the connectivity was pretty straightforward. After getting into different methods of connecting different components,I did find that the unit could have used one more optical input,as I have three components that have this type of output. I am pretty sure this problem will go away when I step up to an HDTV! The only other issue I have with the unit,is that when using the 6th & 7th speaker outs for running a stereo pair out on my deck,rather than using them for additional surrounds,one has to turn the volume up until the 5 inside speakers are REALLY REALLY LOUD,before the two outdoor speakers reach a comfortable (audible!) listening level. This is a minor problem I have learned to work around though,and it would not stop me from purchasing this unit,had I had to do it over again!

I bought this after upgrading to Polk surround speakers, Klipsch uprights, a Polk PSW10 10" sub, and a Yamaha NS-C225 center channel. This unit served as an upgrade from a Sony 5.1 50w per channel receiver. First things first, you may get a good sound out of the box, but with the Auto MCACC (this is customized with on screen guide) it shines bright. recognizing and customizing to the acoustics, component distance, and setup, this machine does more than some know. No HDMI, but honestly, if your looking at a "bargain" HDMI in/out compatible receiver, you should take your money and save it for a custom installer (or start reading sound & vision). I ran my Blu-ray HDMI to my LCD and out via regular RCA's to the VSX - it sounds amazing. As a reference disk, I used my sons Blu-ray format of PIXAR's "Cars" even with my 5.1 my friends (and son) were blown away at the detail and clarity especially the race and crash scenes. The output wattage is near perfect for my needs, even for my power hungry tower speakers. After Auto MCACC was ran (you place the microphone from the receiver to where you would sit, it does the rest) I added the SB PLUS option, spreading a little low end (bass) to all the speakers instead of only letting the Polk 10" handle it. Great choice, my Polk R15 shelf speakers serve their side surround purpose with great depth this way. I also added a bit more power to the NS-C225 center speaker, as this channel doesn't seem as bright (could very well be the speaker itself). Mind you I'm using a 5.1 speaker setup with a 7.1 receiver. This is a pretty advanced receiver, even for the relatively cheap price, it is the first piece of equipment I haven't used with my Harmony 880 remote because of the options ... now for the pro's & con's

)Pro's

Auto MCACC
7.1 channels
great options - both on the remote and on screen
ample inputs, and outputs to boot
great layout - gorgeous look, great blu glow matches LCD, Blu ray player
Its a Pioneer
price is fantastic

)Con's

runs a bit warm
a bit complicated for the girlfriend (and...)
doesn't work well with options on my Harmony 880 remote (with LCD)
no tickmark to see volume (but does show DBl)
no HDMI (not an issue at this price though)

Fully satisfactory in every respect. A little complicated to hook up and set up as many different types of A-V equipment I have but I have been working with "hi-fi" equipment since they invented the name shortly after World War II. I ended up with features I didn't even expect and am totally pleased with this equipment.