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Pioneer VSX-LX505 AVR Review
- Thread starter amirm
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Voxx International's press release regarding earnings ending Sept. 30, 2024 shows they lost money as they pared debt and sold the Jamo brand of loudspeakers:
The CEO of Voxx was asked during the earnings call: 'Is Klipsch up for sale ?' and he replied 'We are in a process to determine the company's value, and there may be offers for the entire company or parts of it, similar to the Gentex offer.'
Given that an activist investor wants Masimo to sell their Sound United subsidiary, I wonder what brands of AV receivers will be available to purchase in five years.
The CEO of Voxx was asked during the earnings call: 'Is Klipsch up for sale ?' and he replied 'We are in a process to determine the company's value, and there may be offers for the entire company or parts of it, similar to the Gentex offer.'
Given that an activist investor wants Masimo to sell their Sound United subsidiary, I wonder what brands of AV receivers will be available to purchase in five years.
Based on the mixed feedback from the RZ50 thread over at AVS, it doesn't sound like 505 owners are missing much....yet.
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I have been following these stories. I don't think most of the consumers understand how niche our hobby is.
true.. Pioneer basically stopped producing their high-end car audio stuff, too..
I recently bought the now "top tier" radio (because I wanted the option to stream Tidal and listen to DAB radio since my country killed FM radio for good) and it's not great at all.. but the worst is the glossy display that I cannot read for the love of me, lol..
(I previously had a nearly 20yo Alpine radio with a MUCH better display..)
I recently bought the now "top tier" radio (because I wanted the option to stream Tidal and listen to DAB radio since my country killed FM radio for good) and it's not great at all.. but the worst is the glossy display that I cannot read for the love of me, lol..
(I previously had a nearly 20yo Alpine radio with a MUCH better display..)
Pioneer, Elite, Onkyo, and Integra AV receivers get major update for Amazon Music, Tidal, and Dirac
AV receivers from Pioneer, Elite, Onkyo, and Integra are getting better support for Amazon Music and Tidal, plus enhancements to Dirac room tuning.
www.digitaltrends.com
Some explanation of changes are in the text, too.
ban25
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Interesting that the 805/8.4/RZ70 will receive an update on 11/18. Presumably it'll be for the Chromecast -> Google Cast rebranding.Pioneer, Elite, Onkyo, and Integra AV receivers get major update for Amazon Music, Tidal, and Dirac
AV receivers from Pioneer, Elite, Onkyo, and Integra are getting better support for Amazon Music and Tidal, plus enhancements to Dirac room tuning.
Some explanation of changes are in the text, too.
fadetoblackbs
Member
The USB Port apparently delivers 5V /1A.
I would use it to power a Wiim mini that needs 5V /1,5A.
Do you think that should work anyway? Any experiences in that direction?
I would be interested to know what you say before I order the wiim mini for testing.
Thanks.
I would use it to power a Wiim mini that needs 5V /1,5A.
Do you think that should work anyway? Any experiences in that direction?
I would be interested to know what you say before I order the wiim mini for testing.
Thanks.
ban25
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Should work fine.
popej
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Older Pioneers have 1.5A limiter at USB. Wiim can take less than specified. All together, my guess is that it could work, but no recommendation here, it is up to you to decide.
Anyway, what Wimm can do, that Pioneer can't?
fadetoblackbs
Member
User interface. Nice app that works fine and gets updates. Very good integration of streaming services like Tidal connect etc. Good User experience. Smooth operation. Those things matter to me. I am aware that not everybody thinks the same. Thats just me.
I use the Pioneer Apps but to be honest I dont like them. They are outdated and buggy.
I can get a wiim mini for 85€ and will give it a try.
Bit perfect connection with Toslink. If I am not convinced after testing I send the mini back.
popej
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It is kind of primitive, but mostly works. There are some advantages like integrated volume control or some Atmos support. For me the substantial upgrade is Fire Stick TV, which brings multichannel music from Amazon.
fadetoblackbs
Member
Thanks. Will check it out.
fadetoblackbs
Member
So I tested it and it works fine!
Just wanted to share my feedback with you.
Very happy with the wiim mini upgrade, I like the app and user experience - now I feel like in 2024
fadetoblackbs
Member
Is there a way to set this AVR to change the active input/source to toslink automatically if it gets a signal from there? In this case I use the toslink input for my Wiim Streamer, it would be nice if the AVR changes to toslink/optical when the wiim starts streaming.
Thanks for the review and this indeed quite long thread.
I own a ten-year-old SC-LX59. Although it has some well known weaknesses, I appreciate Auto Phase Control Plus and the MCACC approach to only adjust softly above the Schroeder frequency. On top, it came with Class D.
Apparently, technology hasn't got much further after 10 years. When buying a VSX-LX505, I do get Dirac Live (which is great even if I would limit it to somewhat around 250 to 300 Hz) and IMAX settings (which is to me a minor feature).
But on the dark side, I also do get hazzles with amplification - something I would only expect from a slimline AVR (remember these back in the days?) and something I didn't experience before with my current device. And that's the point.
As mains, I have low-impedance DIY floorstanding speakers with a minimum of 3.4 ohms @ 100 Hz (which is still within the 4 ohm nomenclature according to the norm).
They run fullrange when listening to stereo music, hence they are quite demanding at high volumes (while they are cut off at 80 Hz in multichannel for homogenity reasons). As bulky as the device is, I want it to feed my speakers easily within the limits of my listening situation. And the old Class D AVR can.
Center and surrounds are more "amp-friendly", so to be on the same level compared to other brands, I clearly need to add a 2-channel power amp to the cart, so losing the bargain effect of a model that is – at first sight – cheaper than most competitors.
I see the fact that most owners of the newer device are satisfied as they did not yet experience any trouble with power limitation, nanny mode or whatsoever. But it is still a downgrade even when coming from an AVR this old. Class D is literally a cool thing, but not rocket science once you had this technology already implemented in your products.
Considering it a decent pre pro demands for the power amp section to be able to be switched off. Otherwise, the device would waste energy and heat up unnecessarily (be aware that Class A/B has a notably high base consumption even when there is no or a minimal load).
As a consequence, I bought an Anti-Mode X2 for the subwoofers (hoping that the SC-LX59 will do another two or three years). The AM will replace a miniDSP 2x4 that has been programmed manually using a UMIK and REW. So this should now come close to DLBC, which the LX505 regrettably doesn't have.
I own a ten-year-old SC-LX59. Although it has some well known weaknesses, I appreciate Auto Phase Control Plus and the MCACC approach to only adjust softly above the Schroeder frequency. On top, it came with Class D.
Apparently, technology hasn't got much further after 10 years. When buying a VSX-LX505, I do get Dirac Live (which is great even if I would limit it to somewhat around 250 to 300 Hz) and IMAX settings (which is to me a minor feature).
But on the dark side, I also do get hazzles with amplification - something I would only expect from a slimline AVR (remember these back in the days?) and something I didn't experience before with my current device. And that's the point.
As mains, I have low-impedance DIY floorstanding speakers with a minimum of 3.4 ohms @ 100 Hz (which is still within the 4 ohm nomenclature according to the norm).
They run fullrange when listening to stereo music, hence they are quite demanding at high volumes (while they are cut off at 80 Hz in multichannel for homogenity reasons). As bulky as the device is, I want it to feed my speakers easily within the limits of my listening situation. And the old Class D AVR can.
Center and surrounds are more "amp-friendly", so to be on the same level compared to other brands, I clearly need to add a 2-channel power amp to the cart, so losing the bargain effect of a model that is – at first sight – cheaper than most competitors.
I see the fact that most owners of the newer device are satisfied as they did not yet experience any trouble with power limitation, nanny mode or whatsoever. But it is still a downgrade even when coming from an AVR this old. Class D is literally a cool thing, but not rocket science once you had this technology already implemented in your products.
Considering it a decent pre pro demands for the power amp section to be able to be switched off. Otherwise, the device would waste energy and heat up unnecessarily (be aware that Class A/B has a notably high base consumption even when there is no or a minimal load).
As a consequence, I bought an Anti-Mode X2 for the subwoofers (hoping that the SC-LX59 will do another two or three years). The AM will replace a miniDSP 2x4 that has been programmed manually using a UMIK and REW. So this should now come close to DLBC, which the LX505 regrettably doesn't have.
I called Onkyo about this because I have primarily used it as a pre/processor. What they told me is that if there is no load on the amplifiers (i.e. no speakers attached) power consumption will be inconsequential. I never measured to confirm this, but I have observed that the unit does not generate much heat when using the pre-outs.
Nonetheless I appreciate the convenience of having built in amplifiers for circumstances where I cannot set up the full 7.1.4 system but need a single box solution for 5.1. I have never had a problem when using the internal amplifiers, though I prefer external amplification.
I also appreciate the excellent remote app that gives me super fast access to music on external storage, and the true mono switch (sending all audio to the center channel) an essential for those with any significant mono music in their collection (such as 50s - 70s rock and soul). This is a feature missing from nearly all processors.
Okay, that's a fair deal. Good to know.
Yes, that's the idea behind an AVR even when firing a 7.1.2 or 7.1.4 system (the latter requiring a VSX-LX805). Any limitation would be acceptable for a low-budget AVR but not for a somehow bulky flagship model.
I don't miss it as I never had the opportunity to test it. But for sure, it's a nice and indispensable feature once you are used to it.
I just don't see the overall evolution or progress in AVR design here. Clearly, the market is difficult and also Sound United brands are struggling while people move to soundbars and are satisfied with smartphone sound quality. But again, a good amp design is no more rocket science. You can keep that for years and just add on new features in the digital domain, that's it. In sum, it's a minor feature upgrade at the expense of a severe amplification downgrade.
Just a small clarification, the LX-505 processor supports 7.1.4, with internal amplification is limited to 5.1.4. I've never used internal amplifiers for anything more than 5.1 and for that, only temporarily. I'm not fond of AVRs as a concept, I prefer separates, but at the price, it is a good deal just as a processor, and it isn't extremely big and heavy (I've seen AVRs topping 50 pounds!)
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