3805 vs VSX56TXI

 

RAK
Unregistered guest
I KNOW EVERYONE HAS COMPARED THE 3805 TO THE 2500 BUT WHAT ABOUT PIONEER ELITE 56TXI. I MEAN IF THEY WERE ALL THE SAME PRICE WOULD EVERYONE STILL PICK THE 3805 AND WHY OVER THE 56?
 

Anonymous
 
I think the 3805 would have a superior preamp section, especially given its 16 Burr-Brown DACs in differential mode topology.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Xsound

Myrtle Beach, SC United States

Post Number: 46
Registered: Sep-04
I would take the 56 in a heartbeat. I like the connectivity potential with the USB and the firewire. I also found the Pioneer remote much more user friendly, even though the 3805 has a greater wow factor - (it just looks dang cool). I find that the mosfet amp in the elite line is very smooth and has plenty of power.

I am not so sure about the 3805's pre-amp being that much better than the 56. The 56 uses a combination of Burr-Brown and specially designed Motorola DACs.
 

Anonymous
 
I heard the 56txi in comparison to 54tx in a store and could not justify the extra money.
 

Silver Member
Username: Gman

Mt. Pleasant, SC

Post Number: 642
Registered: Dec-03
The justification for the extra money with the 56Txi is if you own a dvd player with firewire or HDMI. Or if you want to stream PC or MP3 music through the USB port, or show still or moving pictures on your HDTV from your digital camera connected through USB.

I have a Pioneer Elite 49Txi with a Pioneer Elite 59Avi dvd player and have them connected via firewire. The firewire connection allows for complete digital connection and recognition of SACD surround, DVD-A, plus almost any other conceivable format. The receiver in conjunction with a good firewire player automatically recognizes the disc format--and all with one wire for all channels. Since the 59Avi also has HDMI, you can hook the player to an HDMI equipped HDTV for best video performance. Or if you have a DVI HDTV one just gets an HDMI/DVI adapter. You get the best of both worlds---best audio (and only with one cable) and best video(only with one cable).

If the receiver had an HDMI input/output, it would permit other video sources to be upconverted and switched. But currently most HDMI does not pass full surround sound channels--mostly just stereo. Hence it is presently wise to just use the HDMI for its excellent video capability.

The only surround receivers of high quality that have HDMI and firewire are much more expensive than the 56Txi. Sure, there are one or two cheap Panny receivers with HDMI, but they aren't in the performance class of either the Elite or the Denon.

The Denon 3805 is particularly good if you have a Denon DVD player with 3rd generation D-link (Denon's proprietary firewire-type link, which is incompatible with all other firewire equipment). Since only some Denon players have D-link, if you have any other brand dvd player you must connect through all the standard analogue cables as do most people.

Certainly the Denon 3805 and the Denon 3910 dvd player would be a great match. Hopefully Sony has finally given the code to Denon for proper digital pass-through for SACD surround to Denon for use on the D-link. Until recently, only firewire has been able to offer the complete gamut of formats and the only Denon receiver to have firewire in addition to D-link is their top of the line 5805 (MSRP-$6000).
 

RAK
Unregistered guest
Thanks for the info. I currently have a Denon dvd 3800 but cannot take full advantage of the D-link. What I am looking at is the future as far as technology. With HD-DVD players coming out next fall at under 1k I will be taking full advantage of the new generation DVD HD players and will buy the best matching player to the receiver that I am purchasing very soon.
By the way does any one know which of these two receivers will match up better with Def Tech speakers?
 

New member
Username: El_zorro37

Post Number: 3
Registered: Mar-05
Greg,

Are you sure that the 56TXi has HDMI. I thought is has I-Link. If so is there a way to interface I-Link to HDMI.

 

Silver Member
Username: Gman

Mt. Pleasant, SC

Post Number: 644
Registered: Dec-03
Steve--

I wrote-"The only surround receivers of high quality that have HDMI and firewire are much more expensive than the 56Txi." I mean exactly that--the 56TXi doesn't have HDMI, only much more expensive receivers currently have it. The 56Txi has firewire (i-link). And i-link is generally a high quality audio interface for all surround and stereo formats.

There is no way for i-link to interface with HDMI. They are currently incompatible.

HDMI would be nice on a receiver for both switching purposes between various video sources and for upconverting video to component grade outputting through the HDMI to the HDTV.

But if I had to choose between firewire (i-link) or HDMI on a receiver, I would choose firewire, just for the fact that firewire equipped universal dvd players play all surround audio channels with one cable and the receiver also automatically recognizes whatever disc format is playing. Also, there are firewire equipped dvd players with HDMI and/or DVI output, so the video can be sent to the HDTV on one cable with the highest resolution, while the firewire (i-link) is connected from the dvd player to the receiver--giving the best and simplest surround sound.

Obviously, buying a firewire and HDMI receiver would be icing on the cake---but that icing is currently very expensive. I imagine within a year or two the pricing and availability on receivers with these inputs/outputs will be much more affordable and considerably more common.
 

Silver Member
Username: Gman

Mt. Pleasant, SC

Post Number: 645
Registered: Dec-03
In addition, the two different firewire (i-link) receivers I have used when connected to firewire universal dvd players also perform bass management generally better than analogue connections, as even the SACD surround (besides DVD-A) and other formats are passed in digital form to the receiver and can take advantage of the receivers natural digital bass management.

Obviously this depends on whether the receiver has good bass management or the dvd player with firewire has good digital bass management.
 

RAK
Unregistered guest
Thanks for all the input but I have narrowed my search to the following 3 models:
Yamaha RX-Z9
Pioneer Elite VSX-59TXI
Denon 4806 (Due out soon)
 

Bronze Member
Username: Xsound

Myrtle Beach, SC United States

Post Number: 54
Registered: Sep-04
RAK
I believe that Pioneer has unveiled the replacement model fo rthe 59TXi. I am not sure when it will be available, but I would imagine about the same time as the 4806. I remember seeing some early press on it and it looked in pressive.

Here is a link to the blurb I was talking about.
http://www.audioholics.com/cedia/cedia2004/pioneereliteprototype.php

I don't know if there is any more info available.
 

RAK
Unregistered guest
Thanks for all the input. For the price I bought a PE59 and it should be here tomorrow.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Xsound

Myrtle Beach, SC United States

Post Number: 65
Registered: Sep-04
Enjoy!!!
I am not jealous at all.
X
 

Bronze Member
Username: Xsound

Myrtle Beach, SC United States

Post Number: 66
Registered: Sep-04
ok, so maybe I am a little jealous. Great purchase for you!
 

Silver Member
Username: Gman

Mt. Pleasant, SC

Post Number: 656
Registered: Dec-03
RAK-

You bought a great receiver and it has huge power supplies. One warning--don't put other equipment on top of it. It has big heat sinks, but also needs to "breathe" through the top vent holes.

I once was stupid enough to put my Sony TIVO on top and after a few hours started having problems. Thankfully there was no permanent damage. I just moved the Tivo device elsewhere and the receiver played as good as ever.
 

RAK
Unregistered guest
Thanks for the info. I plan on Bi-amping the mains so it may run even warmer and all my equipment has and always will have a seperate shelf.
BTW I received my PE59 last monday and Love it! I have had minimum tinker time due to work but my next day off I will give it a full work out!
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