I'm trying to decide between these two receivers. They both share the features I'm looking for, most especially 7.1, component video upconversion, THX certified and Auto calibration. I've been a big fan of Yamaha in the past and I haven't had much experience with Pioneer but the Pioneer is about $200 cheaper here in Canada. I'd appreciate any opinions on the performance of these two receivers and if anyone has been able to actually compare how they soundI'd really appreicate your thoughts.
Sarandon
Unregistered guest
Posted on
Hari dont feel bad I too am a yamaha fan and i am going to try the pioneer 1014!! but i would have to say that to try and listen to both of them. but you probably can get the 1400 real cheap since the 1500 is going to replace the 1400 later this year.
I have not heard the 1014, but if it sounds similar to the AX3 (53TX) then I would easily pick it over the 1400. At least it has great features for such a low price.
That's part of my problem too. I haven't been able to find a dealer who has one on display so i'm not sure how it sounds myself. I've actually read on many other boards that it's a repackaged 52TX. I've had one dealer tell me that the 1400 would sound a bit clearer on more subtle sounds like the twang of a guitar or such. A friend of mine has a predecessor of the 1400 and it's very appealing but I've not been able to hear much of the performance of any pioneer before. Have you been able to compare yamahas to pioneers? I'm really leaning toward the Pioneer price difference at the moment but like the other poster said I might be able to get the 1400 at discount should the newer models come out. Then it makes my decision even tougher. :S
I dont know. I dont have too much experience with the new Yamahas which should be much better than the previous ones. The RX-Vx40 range was bad, but I would like to try a new RX-Vx50 at home to see if it's really better.
Awhile ago Elitefan told here that 52TX would have better internal components than 1014TX, copper conductors etc, but we dont know how big is the difference in sound quality between 52 and 1014.
Sarandon
Unregistered guest
Posted on
well rad sci guy, when i heard about this receiver from the other home theater forums, i thought to my self, maybe i sould give pioneer a try. Hell, ironically before i even heard of Yamaha, i've always like Pioneer. so after hearing all the features and the surround formats and power that the 1014 has, i will buy it and test it out!! Oh man i can not wait to see it at my local best buy here in Dallas, Texas!!!
If you pick yours up soon could you give us a review of your testing? The more I think of it the more i'm starting to like the Pioneer. I've sampled their car audio line and been fairly pleased. My DVD player is a pioneer and I love it. Hope everything works out well for you.
Sarandon
Unregistered guest
Posted on
thanks for the reply!! sure when i get the 1014, i will give a detailed review on the receiver. Now for DVD players, i've always been a HUGH fan of their DVD line. Did you know that if you have a scratched or dirty disc, the pioneer and panasonic can read them?
I demo'd a Pioneer 914k in recent months and I thought it sounded very crisp and clear. It sounded neutral to me with tight bass and clear highs. I was actually looking at upgrading to the 1014k or perhaps one of the Elite models (43tx) I think. If I could have found the Elite model for the right price I would have gone that route but ended up with a Kenwood Sovereign Vr570.
I think you would be happy with the 1014k if it sounds as good as the 914k (I can't imagine it wouldn't). Try looking at ecost.com as this is where I found the cheapest price on Pioneer. This is where I bought my kenwood which I love, very similar to the Pioneer but a tad bit warmer in sound. My receiver is quite a bit more powerful with 120 watts x 5 all channels driven and Thx Ultra vertification among other things.
I would suggest doing a demo if you can, I went to Circuit City and Bestbuy for my demo on the Pioneer and Onkyo, they will let you return it within 30 days for your $ back. Good luck
Sarandon
Unregistered guest
Posted on
i think the Pioneer Elites are a better sounding and quality than the Kenwood Sovereign series.
I would agree on the Elites, however I was not able to find one in my price range therefore ended up buying the Kenwood as it was better than the 914k I demo'd and right around the same price as the 1014k
Well I finally found a store that had both a Pioneer 1014 and a Yamaha 1400 available for comparison. In my opinion the Pioneer was able to keep up with the sound quality of the Yamaha. I only tested direct stereo mode on a pair of floor standing Missions (not sure which model numbers). Wasn't able to compare the home theater modes.
I found that vocals on the pioneer seemed more alive (I guess some of you would say bright), but the yamahas seemed more natural but not as vivid as the pioneer. The Yamaha's bass and lower tones were more full but the Pioneer wasn't bad either. I tested several different music types and each receiver seemed to shine better during different tracks. I kept switching back and forth for about an hour and it was difficult to decide which one sound better. I'd say that for me it was pretty much a tie. The were distinct sounding from each other but I'd have to say I enjoyed the way both performed.
The Pioneer seemed to play much louder than the Yamaha. The salesperson was cranking it up to almost full throttle and I couldn't detect any distortion while with the Yamaha I could start to hear some distortion as we approach the top end of the volume dial.
The build quality seems to be better on the Yamaha. The dials were firmer and the flip down face plate seems more sturdy, but the Pioneer has nice aesthetics.
The salesman said that come Saturday both will be discounted so I'm trying to decide which one I like. I'm really leaning toward the Pioneer, mainly because of the smaller price tag. Feature wise they are almost identical except for a boat load more DSP modes in the Yamaha. I'll only be running a single room setup so I won't be missing the zones that are not present on the Pioneer. The nice looks of the Pioneer are also a consideration for me (and my better half) since the receiver will be in plain site in our living room.
I have to say that the Pioneer really surprised me. I've hear the lower models before (814, 712, etc) but they really don't compare to the 1014. I've been a big fan of Yamaha for a while now so even though I had a slight bias toward the 1400, the 1014 was able to level the playing field with it's performance.
One other note. One of the other salesman who hadn't heard the 1014 till today said that to him the sound seemed like a cross between a Yamaha and a Marantz. I've not heard Marantz before so I can't comment.
I'll let you guys know what I decide to get and how it sounds at home once I'm finally able to finally pick one of these receivers. Either way I think I'll have made a good choice.
I'm still trying to decide which one of these two receivers I'll be getting. I'm trying to find out if the Pioneer 1014 has audio delay to allow for lip sync with digital video. I know the Yamaha has it but I can't find any mention of it in the Pioneer documentation. I think this feature may be important to me because I've noticed a few programs where I could see the video wasn't in sync with the audio. Anyone know if it's avaiable on this Pioneer?
