Pioneer THE PERFECT VISION VSX-816 User Manual

Pioneer vsx-816, A budget product in price only, Channel audio/video receiver

or years, Pioneer has
offered both stan-
dard-series AVRs,
thought to offer good

value for money, and more expen-
sive Elite-series models targeted
toward performance-minded
enthusiasts. Recently, Pioneer
surprised us by replacing its
entire standard AVR lineup with
a handful of dramatically im-
proved, value-priced receivers,
such as the $399 VSX-816, whose
feature sets remind us of those
typically found in Elite models.

Features Spoken Here
The VSX-816 is a 7.1-channel,
XM radio-ready AVR that puts
out 110Wpc. The receiver sup-
ports multizone playback or can
assign two channels to bi-am-
plify the front main speakers. The
VSX-816 incorporates Pioneer’s

MCACC (Multi-Channel Acous-
tic Calibration) room EQ system
plus special features such as a
D

ialog

nhancEmEnt

mode that

“localizes dialog in the center
channel to make it stand out.” A
S

ounD

EtRiEvER

mode promises to

“bring CD quality-sound back to
compressed 2-channel audio.”

Elaborate MCACC test/setup

procedures took around 8 minutes
to complete, but the end results
were worth the wait. We compared
MCACC against Yamaha’s com-
peting YPAO (Yamaha Parametric
Acoustic Optimizer) EQ system and
found that both systems improved
the accuracy and tonal balance
of our test speakers. However,
the Pioneer system went even
further, unlocking an extra
layer of clarity and openness
the Yamaha could not match.

Wide-Open Sound
Actually, “openness” and “reso-
lution” are probably the two
words that best describe the
Pioneer’s sound. These quali-
ties brought alive all kinds of
cinematic and music material,
enhancing everything from the
creaking of the ship’s hull in
Master and Commander, to the

aggressive snap of Marcus Mill-
er’s bass guitar on “Rampage”
from The Sun Don’t Lie [Sony].
The only drawbacks we ob-
served were occasional traces
of excess brightness on vigor-
ous treble transients, and bass
that sometimes seemed too
lightly balanced. But these are
very minor shortcomings com-

pared to this receiver’s strengths.

The VSX-816 offers a user interface

and remote control that are well
thought out. The VSX-816’s sheer per-
formance per dollar is just remark-
able. Highly recommended.

TPV

Chris

Martens

PHO
TO CREDIT

AUDIO REVIEW

Pioneer VSX-816

7.1-Channel Audio/Video Receiver

A Budget Product in Price Only

• Open, richly detailed sound
• MCACC room EQ really works
• Funny, it doesn’t sound like a

“budget” receiver

• Could use greater bass weight,

warmth

Specifications

• Power output: 7 x 110Wpc @ 8 ohms
• Surround-sound and stereo decoding

formats: Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Digital,
and Pro Logic IIx; DTS-ES, and Neo:6;
nine proprietary surround mode for
music, films, games, and headphones;
Sound Retriever (restores CD-quality
sound from compressed sources); WMA
9 Pro decoder.

• Video inputs/outputs: Composite and

S-video (4 inputs, 2 outputs), component
video (3 inputs, 1 output)

• Audio inputs/outputs: Digital audio (5

inputs—3 optical, 2 coaxial), stereo
analog (7 inputs, 2 outputs), 5.1-channel
analog (1 input), analog subwoofer (1
output), XM satellite radio.

• Dimensions: 17.1" x 6.2" x 16.6"
• Weight: 20.3 lbs.
• Price: $399

Manufacturer Information

Pioneer Electronics USA

(800) 421-1404
www.pioneerelectronics.com

The Last Word

Pioneer VSX-816 7.1-Channel

A/V Receiver (rated in comparison to

mid-priced, sub-$1000 AVRs)

Poor

Good

Excellent

Sound Quality, Music

Sound Quality, Films

User Interface

Value

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Electronically reprinted from September 2006