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发表于 2011-7-23 19:15
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At least the Pioneer’s performance assuages some of this operational frustration. With 5 x 130W of audio horsepower in the tank, the VSX-520 musters a muscular and engaging sound with movies, particularly when you’ve got a raucous actioner like Avatar in the tray.
During the 'Eywa' chapter, its DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack is sharp and zesty, with precisely placed surround effects, terrific steering and an expansive soundstage. Crisp top-end detail emanates from every speaker and clear dialogue cuts through the cacophony of battle. On the downside, it’s a little harsh in places – especially the banshees hissing in chapter 16 – and that lack of smoothness puts it down a peg or two compared with Onkyo’s latest offerings.
But during the movie’s quieter scenes the Pioneer displays an impressive deftness of touch. As the camera follows Jake on his first sortie into Pandora’s jungle, a rich sonic tapestry surrounds you. From the crinkling leaves on the floor to creatures howling in the distance, the Pioneer fashions a layered, believable atmosphere that holds the attention throughout. It’s utterly engrossing.
Bass output is also solid too – thumping footsteps and the sound of exploding helicopters have satisfying heft without bludgeoning the other speakers into submission. Overall, the Pioneer is a solid movie performer but not the best you’ll find at this price point.
We also tried out some music and although it doesn’t sparkle in the way we were expecting, failing to eke out delicate detail and reproduce vocals with the same finesse as some rivals, it’s still an enjoyable performance for the money.
Verdict
In its own right, the Pioneer VSX-520 is an impressive AV receiver. With its attractive looks, future-proofed 3D-ready HDMI sockets, a wealth of audio processing and decent sonic performance, it has a lot to offer. It’s not perfect – some harshness to the sound and an awkward operating system being the two main problems – but otherwise it’s a sound choice.
The trouble is, you can pick up receivers like the Onkyo TX-SR308 and Yamaha RX-V467 for a similar price, both of which offer more features and slightly better performance.
Pioneer VSX-520  £ 280 80 4
A solid performer, but sounds a little underwhelming compared to its rivals.Write your own review
- ForSolid build; automatic speaker calibration; focused, direct sound; three 3D HDMI inputs.
- AgainstLacks the punch, scale and dynamics of the top amps at this money; speaker terminals detract from the build quality
Pioneer has already impressed us with its VSX-920 and VSX-LX53 surround sound amps over recent months. Now it's time to get to grips with the ultra-affordable, five-channel VSX-520.
As you'd expect from a budget amp, the feature count isn't especially high, but all the basics have been accounted for.
There's onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio high-def audio formats. No new amp can afford to ignore the emergence of 3D technology, so the Pioneer equips you with three, 3D-ready HDMI sockets, together with component video, digital coaxial and digital optical ins.
It's a great all-round provider
On the rear of the amp you'll notice that the front left and right channels are the only ones to use standard-issue speaker terminals – rather disappointingly, the surround and centre channels have to make do with cheap-looking spring-loaded connections.
The Pioneer does include a socket for attaching its optional Bluetooth adaptor (AS-BT100), but it's a shame that there's no iPod connectivity via USB (an excellent feature found further up Pioneer's range).
Video upconversion and upscaling are also absent, but that's hardly a punishable offence when you take into account the amp's price tag.
Thankfully, the ‘520 still features Pioneer's accurate and thorough MCACC automatic speaker calibration system, so your speaker package will be up and running with minimal fuss.
Faced with Robin Hood's DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack, the Pioneer produces a very focused, precise surround field.
Action sound is not vague or messy
As everyone's favourite mythical villain battles the French on Dungeness beach, the action sounds solid and controlled, not vague or messy. As swords clash, the Pioneer impressively resists the temptation to sound bright or hard.
When you're listening to movies, we'd recommend hitting the amp's Stream Direct button. This bypasses the machine's tone controls, thus allowing it to produce the purest sound possible.
Our only reservation concerning the VSX520 is that real sonic punch and dynamics are in relatively short supply. Even at this money, the current class leaders produce a more invigorating and involving sound, a performance of more verve and power than the Pioneer can manage.
It's a solid enough option for an entry-level system, but there are better home cinema amplifiers out there, even at this price.
Pioneer VSX-520 review
A sexy, feature-packed AVR from Pioneer with sizzling soundOur Score 4
Last reviewed: 2011-02-04February 4th
Receivers Review
A sexy, feature-packed AVR from Pioneer with sizzling sound
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Pioneer's 2010 receivers are the best looking on the market, and that applies even to the bottom-end of the range, represented in our roundup by the VSX-520. The build quality is up to Pioneer's usual impeccable standards, too.
Cleverly, most of the front panel buttons are tucked into the cracks and crevices, which makes this AVR look clean and uncluttered despite its fairly high button count. Sadly, there are no AV connections on the front, just a headphone jack and a port for the setup mic.
The Pioneer's budget credentials are further confirmed by the disappointing presence of springclip terminals for the surround and centre channels, which means only the front ones are connected to binding posts. Otherwise, the feature list is pretty solid.
Aside from a healthy amount of audio and video inputs (including three HDMI v1.4 inputs ), there's an adaptor port for a Pioneer Bluetooth wireless adapter that lets you stream music from mobile phones, laptops and so forth (although there's no iPod support via USB), and Dolby Pro-Logic IIz processing, which uses dedicated pre-outs.
The VSX-520 also decodes HD audio (unlike the Yamaha RX-V367) and there's a wealth of DSPs and other sound options, including Pioneer's Front Stage Surround and Phase Control.
Tweaking the sound is easy thanks to the Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration feature, but the lack of onscreen menus makes further adjustment via the front panel display feel laborious. The remote is also fiddly to use due to its tiny keys and cluttered layout. You even have to use a shift key for certain functions, which feels too much like work for me.
Audio steerage
Thankfully, the VSX-520 atones for its operational faux pas with solid audio performance. Avatar's DTS-HD MA track is conveyed expansively, firing effects to the far-flung reaches of the room and steering them from speaker to speaker like Lewis Hamilton around Silverstone.
Meanwhile, burly bass tones lend authority to pounding footsteps and explosions, while the elegant high-frequency reproduction ensures that sounds such as tinkling glass and metal on metal sound crisp, but not grating. There's a level of control and cohesion during action scenes that's a joy to behold, and it also displays a deftness of touch that makes quiet scenes absorbing.
The Pioneer does, however, lack a little punch and dynamism.
(Reviewed by Danny Philips - Home Cinema Choice Issue 191)
Tags: Pioneer VSX-520, AVR, Home Cinema, HDMI, 5.1, DTS-HD
Pioneer VSX-520-K review
Gallery
Verdict:Competent, but the better-sounding Onkyo SR308 makes it seem overpricedReview Date: 23 Jul 2011
Price when reviewed: £300
Buy it now for: [url=http://www.reevoo.com/widget_buy_link/29475345/home-cinema-systems/1495586/affiliate/amazonmarketplaceelectricals/top_three_offers/EXR?locale=en-GB&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2Fgp%2Foffer-listing%2FB003N75DDG%2Fref%3Dasc_df_B003N75DDG3688681%3FlinkCode%3Dasm%26tag%3Dreevoocomexr-21%26creative%3D22278%26condition%3Dnew%26ie%3DUTF8%26creativeASIN%3DB003N75DDG]£236[/url]
(see more store prices)
Supplier: http://www.forumhifivisual.co.uk
Reviewed By: Ben Pitt
Our Rating 
User Rating 
The VSX-520-K isn’t Pioneer’s cheapest AV receiver, but its three HDMI 1.4a inputs plus decoding of Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD MA soundtracks makes it more appealing than the 420-K, which costs £50 less but only has two HDMI 1.3 inputs and can’t decode these advanced formats.
We’re pleased to see the inclusion of a microphone and corresponding input for automatic speaker calibration - something that's often missing from budget AV receivers. However, you only get the one zone for speakers, so you can't pipe music into another room.
An Adapter Port is designed for an optional Bluetooth audio receiver, the AS-BT100. This is perfect for playing music wirelessly from a smartphone, laptop or iPod Touch, but set-up was a little unwieldy and the connection was dropped every time we selected a different input. The AS-BT100 is expensive at around £85 too. The Belkin Bluetooth Music Receiver is simpler to use and costs just £25. It can also be used with any amplifier, so you can move it around the house as you see fit.
The remote control is friendly, with space to make the most important buttons bigger than the others. The front panel of the receiver looks elegant but we would prefer buttons rather than a dial to cycle through inputs. The lack of front-mounted inputs could prove frustrating, too.
It is sound quality that really counts, but the VSX-520K wasn't quite as good as we'd hoped. We found that it sounded slightly harsh, and music seemed a little flat where it had more space and depth on the other receivers. The difference was small and certainly much less than the differences between rival speaker systems.
Ultimately, it’s hard to recommend the 520-K when the Onkyo SR308 generally matches it for features, provides better sound quality and costs significantly less. The automatic calibration is one argument in the Pioneer’s favour, though, and may ultimately lead to better results when optimal speaker placement is impractical. |
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发表于 2011-7-23 00:36
Pioneer VSX-520-K AV Receiver
