Pioneer SC25 / SC-25 / SC-25 Elite 7.1 Channels A/V THX Receiver
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The Pioneer Elite SC-25 A/V receiver is the entry point for Pioneers exclusive Direct Energy HD amplifier with ICEPower Class-D technology; specifically designed to bring a new level of performance to stereo and multi-channel surround sound. The driving force for its development was the anticipation of new uncompressed soundtracks from Dolby True-HD and DTS-HD Master audio now emerging on the Blu-Ray Disc format, bringing sonically exact studio duplication into the home.
Features
- 140 Watts X 7 Direct Energy ICEpower Amplification
- Networking Entertainment Featuring Streaming Internet Radio
- 3-Zone Multi-Zone And Source (A/V
- HDMI Ver. 1.3a (5 Inputs: Front HDMI Input / 2 Outputs )
- Dimensions (W x H x L): 0 x 0 x 0 inches
- Weight: 44 pounds
Superior sound and Great Video Up Conversion
I have had this receiver up and running for a week now. It is driving the 7.1 set-up in my family room with digital audio out to my old pioneer elite 72-txv, which is driving audio for the rest of the house and outside.
Pros:
1. Network capability. I have this hard wired to my LAN, but I think it has wireless capability. Other the network you can stream from various internet radio stations and THX Neural. On the neural site their are very few options now, but they are broadcast in THX surround and the sound is spectacular. After a couple second buffer, the music is streamed and there wasn’t a single hiccup the entire time I was listening
2. Ipod interface. Much improved from my old Elite. Much faster and more intuitive. Even displays album art on your TV. I wasn’t able to access videos on my Ipod, but not sure if it has this capability.
3. Stunning sound. This receiver matches well with my Boston Accoustics center and surround speakers. Easiliy the best they have ever sounded. Using the Advanced MCACC – Auto function, set-up was fairly straightforward.
4. Video display. I have an LG Blu-Ray and Bravia LED-LCD as part of my system. The picture is awesome with vibrant, sharp colors. Clearly the SC-25 isn’t adversely impacting picture and may even be helping.
Cons:
1. Size, it is a beast and 5 pounds heavier than my old Elite, which I thought was heavy.
2. Remote – No LCD display so some functions may be hard to do if you aren’t close enough to read the receiver itself and have your diplay off
I am very happy with my SC-25 purchase and highly recommend.
beg, borrow, cheat, steal!
As the title instruct you to do above, do what you have to, to be able to get one of these gems! I have had this receiver for about a month, and I never cease to be satisfied with this Unit! This unit is all about the details, both in sound quality and build quality. The thing is a monster(over 40 lbs). The connection panel in the back even has copper screws to attach grounding wires to for your individual connections if your connection needs have a ground available or necessitate it. Not to mention, the sheer amount of inputs at your disposal means that you can hook up almost anything your heart desires. Anyone can hook this unit up and use the M.C.A.C.C. and get a good sound, but, as the saying goes the devil is in the details. If you want to take it a step further, you can hook your receiver up to your P.C. (as I took the time to do) with a non supplied cable and download pioneers advanced M.C.A.C.C. software and fine tune your sound stage to your hearts content. I have a Horn loaded set-up for speakers which some people whine about the sound (klipsch: rf63’s, rc64, rsw10d, and 2 pairs of rs62’s), but if you are knowledgeable enough about tuning to use you computer skills and M.C.A.C.C. then you can get a sound that’s on par with the best. The ICE power amps deliver effortless clean and coherent power to all channels, and have been tested to deliver with in approximately 1% of the claimed power rating on test benches by several different magazines/reviewers, not like other brands (Onkyo to name one in specific,I have previous ownership experience tsxr-806, which might have reached its power rating if there was a power surge and the unit was blowing up). The kuro link is a nice feature for those of us who own Pioneer Kuro’s (myself included). One last feature that is worth noting is the pure direct feature that delivers the sound with no processing as it should be, in 2 channel full range with no sub out put so make sure your speakers are up to snuff and you will get a sound that is as incredible as it was intended to be, you will hear things that you have not noticed on the recording in previous listening sessions on other equipment. If you can afford it, or at least over extend yourself to get one, buy it as fast as you can.
SC 25
This is my favorite Av Receiver. I like that it has 2 HDMI outputs and 1 front HDMI input.