thinkin of upgrading to Pioneer VSX-919H-K

[Lt. Aldo Raine]

im thinking of upgrading my Sony str dg 720 to a Pioneer VSX-919H-K
will i hear a big difference in quality?
is it worth the upgrade?
i really like how the pioneer has all banana plug connections, cuz my sony doesnt, really wana hook up my speakers with thicker wire and banana plugs, so that would be a plus for me
but what other plus's am i looking at?

thanx

[dg5150]

I have it and love it. Sounds great, great price. The ipod connection is great, too.

[Lt. Aldo Raine]

thanks, i kno it will prob be better than the sony i have now

[blacklion]

An extra hundred bucks fetches you the 1019 with an extra HDMI port and GUI display...

[Fors*]

Originally Posted by blacklion

An extra hundred bucks fetches you the 1019 with an extra HDMI port and GUI display...

If you can get the 1019 for an extra $100...go for it....at that price point, you will get more than the extra $100 spent for it......

[Lt. Aldo Raine]

Originally Posted by blacklion

An extra hundred bucks fetches you the 1019 with an extra HDMI port and GUI display...

what is GUI display? and i really dont need a extra hdmi port, i only have one thing that connects with hdmi, and only see me getting one more thing in the future, if i do

[callas01]

Umm the bench test on the 1019 which uses the same amp on the 919 is a meager 28.7 watts per channel. I know that you wont get they stated 90-110/130 that all mid-level receivers claim when all channels are driven... unless you go with the Marantz 4003. But then you will need to send audio out via PCM for uncompressed audio, but you will have pre-outs for later upgrades.

You can also look into the Sony STR-DN1000, I have last years Sony 920 and it is actually a very good receiver... I had a Sony 710 like your 720, and the 920 uses the amp and power supply from the ES2400, there was a significant increase in sound and power that I noticed right away... It appears that the 1000 hadn't changed that... it actually got heavier instead of lighter like all the other receivers.

[Zman2k2]

As callas said, the 1019, and 919 aren't exactly "bench test queens". Here's the test on the 1019.

HT Labs Measures

Five channels driven continuously into 8-ohm loads:
0.1% distortion at 28.7 watts
1% distortion at 34.3 watts

Here's the link to the whole review.
Pioneer VSX-1019 review

As for GUI, it stands for Graphic User Interface. It means that any changes and settings you want to see and change, the menu's will show up on your TV, instead of the small display on the front of the receiver.

[Lt. Aldo Raine]

Originally Posted by callas01

Umm the bench test on the 1019 which uses the same amp on the 919 is a meager 28.7 watts per channel. I know that you wont get they stated 90-110/130 that all mid-level receivers claim when all channels are driven... unless you go with the Marantz 4003. But then you will need to send audio out via PCM for uncompressed audio, but you will have pre-outs for later upgrades.

You can also look into the Sony STR-DN1000, I have last years Sony 920 and it is actually a very good receiver... I had a Sony 710 like your 720, and the 920 uses the amp and power supply from the ES2400, there was a significant increase in sound and power that I noticed right away... It appears that the 1000 hadn't changed that... it actually got heavier instead of lighter like all the other receivers.

thats a little outa my price range, im in canada and they cheapest i see it is 699, and i dont want another sony anyways
thanx for the feed back tho

[Lt. Aldo Raine]

Originally Posted by Zman2k2

As callas said, the 1019, and 919 aren't exactly "bench test queens". Here's the test on the 1019.


Here's the link to the whole review.
Pioneer VSX-1019 review

As for GUI, it stands for Graphic User Interface. It means that any changes and settings you want to see and change, the menu's will show up on your TV, instead of the small display on the front of the receiver.

so why do they say 120w per channel, if in the end ur only getting like 30w?

is that what ur saying?

[callas01]

Originally Posted by iceman_mw21

so why do they say 120w per channel, if in the end ur only getting like 30w?

is that what ur saying?

yup, because they put out 120 watts when driving either 1 or 2 channels, not all 5

[arrt vandelay]

if you would like a somewhat decent upgrade, you may want to check out the many refurb harman kardon avr 254s that on ebay currently. it looks like they can be had for around $250, and i'm guessing that it would definitely sound better than your current sony. also, don't be fooled by the specs on the avr 254, 50wpc on the hk will mop the floor w/ the 110wpc on the sony or pioneer...

[Lt. Aldo Raine]

what about a onkyo 607? or yamaha HTR6250B? a lil outa my price range but hopefully my friend at bb can get a discount

the yamaha claims 150w per channel, and the onkyo claims 90w, what will i really be getting?

my sony 720 has been good too me, but im havin problems with it now, so i need to upgrade soon

[arrt vandelay]

Originally Posted by iceman_mw21

what about a onkyo 607? or yamaha HTR6250B? a lil outa my price range but hopefully my friend at bb can get a discount

the yamaha claims 150w per channel, and the onkyo claims 90w, what will i really be getting?

my sony 720 has been good too me, but im havin problems with it now, so i need to upgrade soon

+1 on the onkyo tx sr607.

i almost bought one when i came from a sony str dg820. seems to be a great buy by all accounts, and i think it would drive your current energy c-series speakers very well. you should notice a pretty significant improvement if you go from the sony str dg720 to the onkyo...

[Fors*]

Originally Posted by iceman_mw21

what about a onkyo 607? or yamaha HTR6250B? a lil outa my price range but hopefully my friend at bb can get a discount

the yamaha claims 150w per channel, and the onkyo claims 90w, what will i really be getting?

my sony 720 has been good too me, but im havin problems with it now, so i need to upgrade soon

I am not going to bash Onkyo's, as I had the 605 and it did a very good job. But Onkyo is known for their power ratings and their inflated specs in regards to this. I am almost 100% sure that those 90 watts are for 2 channel only. I am sure you will be down in the 30-40 watt area as well with the 607 when driving all 5 or 7 speakers.

I can't speak about a Yamaha, as I have never owned one.

[trekdude]

I got the vsx-919 about two months ago and love it. I agree with others that the Ipod feature is very nice, although now my wife wants a new Ipod because of it.

[Lt. Aldo Raine]

in reality, how much power per channel am i really getting from my sony 720?

[Steve]

Originally Posted by forsberg21

I am not going to bash Onkyo's, as I had the 605 and it did a very good job. But Onkyo is known for their power ratings and their inflated specs in regards to this. I am almost 100% sure that those 90 watts are for 2 channel only. I am sure you will be down in the 30-40 watt area as well with the 607 when driving all 5 or 7 speakers.

I can't speak about a Yamaha, as I have never owned one.

You are correct about the Onkyo specs. Here is a screenshot from the 607's specs. Notice every rating is for 2 channels driven.

[Zman2k2]

Originally Posted by iceman_mw21

in reality, how much power per channel am i really getting from my sony 720?

In reality, probably around 25-30wpc. I have no doubt though, that driving one channel would produce the rated 105w. Most receivers are like this though. Only when you get into the higher end models, Pioneer Elites, NAD, Integra etc., that's when the rated power is closer to the tested power. But of course, you have to pay to play in that class. My receiver retailed in Canada for $1900. I got it for half price on a liquidation sale though, so I got a screaming deal. So I would say keep the Sony you have now, if it does what you need, and save up for a higher grade receiver in the future. Do your research, and then you'll be happy with it in the end.

[ak_ka]

Originally Posted by arrt vandelay

if you would like a somewhat decent upgrade, you may want to check out the many refurb harman kardon avr 254s that on ebay currently. it looks like they can be had for around $250, and i'm guessing that it would definitely sound better than your current sony. also, don't be fooled by the specs on the avr 254, 50wpc on the hk will mop the floor w/ the 110wpc on the sony or pioneer...

+1 on the HK. I got mine just as it was going out of stock. It sounds amazing, and is loud enough for my setup. Its power ratings are honest, and it has pre-outs for an external amp in case you need more.