Receivers
Pioneer VSX-1020K 7.1 A/V Receiver
- Written by Andrew Yang
- Published on 30 December 2010
Introduction
The marketplace for receivers is undergoing a rather interesting transformation. In the early days, most of the pieces that went into a receiver were a result of in-house development. This was also a time when the audio components dominated. These days the audio specifications nearly show up as an afterthought behind a laundry list of audio formats. It seems the majority of manufacturers have accepted the reality that keeping in-house solutions competitive with third party solutions is difficult and costly.
Pioneer's VSX-1020K is a 7.1 receiver with all the bells and whistles for only $549. It delivers very good performance for that price range, including the ability to pass SACD digitally through the HDMI port.
Specifications
- Design: 7.1 A/V Receiver
- Power: 80 Watts RMS x 7 into 8 Ohms, 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- Codecs: All, Including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio
- DACs: Wolfson 24/192
- Connections: 6 HDMI In/Out, 2 Component Video, Composite Video, iPhone, USB, Ethernet, Digital Audio, Stereo Analog Audio, Pre-Out, Headphone
- Dimensions: 6.25" H x 16.5" W x 14.9" D
- Weight: 22.25 Pounds
- MSRP: $549 USA
- Pioneer
So in this context, how does the VSX-1020-K distinguish itself? It is one thing to offer every conceivable feature under the sun, but it is another entirely to make those features accessible to the average user. There are a few features that will serve as the focus of the review; these include the calibration and setup functions, iPod control, Pioneer AS-BT100 Bluetooth adapter and iControlAV.
- Prev
- Next >>
