Decided to go strolling through pioneers website and see what they had for their latest and greatest (I was scoping their elite line of products mainly)... only to discover, that their elite line of products looks about as exciting as their plain jane mainstream line of equipment...
I understand they stopped making plasma displays because they had to cut back and all... but the junk they are producing now may as well be thrown into a dumpster at the end of the assembly line...
It is very sad to see a company which actually had great audio and video equipment, cheapen their quality up to save money...
I still love pioneers older equipment (AV and silver faced alike), but I wont be buying anything that they currently have on their website,... thats for sure _________________ If it ain't broke, and you try fixing it without success, don't come crying to me!
Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 18190 Location: Langley, BC
Link Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 8:23 pm Post subject:
Seriously, you could put ANY manufacturer into your title. Pro and consumer audio.
THe stuff does a pile more than it did years ago, such as room calibration, etc, but the lifespan is 2-5 years. Pro stuff is 8-10 in my opinion, down from 20-25.
Joined: 06 Sep 2006 Posts: 116 Location: Indianapolis, IN
Link Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 9:26 pm Post subject:
Kind of like comparing a entry level Toyota Terrell to a Lexus LS 460. Both made by Toyota and share Toyota parts but totally different in the level of quality and comfort. Pioneer is for the masses just like Toyota is for the same. If you like Pioneer and desire quality, then step up to the Pioneer’s Elite brand of consumer electronics. You get what you pay for, a cheap gutless wonder or a real piece of technology with quality components. _________________ Dennis in Indy
Joined: 28 Sep 2006 Posts: 1505 Location: Fond du Lac, WI
Link Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 10:08 pm Post subject:
Matrix wrote:
Kind of like comparing a entry level Toyota Terrell to a Lexus LS 460. Both made by Toyota and share Toyota parts but totally different in the level of quality and comfort. Pioneer is for the masses just like Toyota is for the same. If you like Pioneer and desire quality, then step up to the Pioneer’s Elite brand of consumer electronics. You get what you pay for, a cheap gutless wonder or a real piece of technology with quality components.
But thats just the issue, Pioneers Elite line of equipment is as quality as their mainstream line.
I guess when I think of Pioneer Elite... I think of the copper plated honeycomb chassis with gold input and output terminals, copper screws, and a hefty weight to the item...
Today, the piano gloss finish is gone, now on their mainstream electronics, no copper chassis or screws... etc the overall build quality that made a Pioneer Elite component "Elite" is long gone...
Honestly the 2 most recent, best quality items I can think of that pioneer has manufactured, are the BDP-09FD blu ray player, and the SC-09TX 10 channel receiver. Those both resemble a glimpse of what made pioneer worth looking at...
the disposable world is upon us! _________________ If it ain't broke, and you try fixing it without success, don't come crying to me!
Joined: 06 Sep 2006 Posts: 116 Location: Indianapolis, IN
Link Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 11:03 pm Post subject:
The technology has, and is changing sooooo fast you could go broke staying current with it. Maybe settling for less is best because you will be replacing the component in a few months anyway to get the latest connectivity or compatibility with your other gear. I know my “state of the art” Elite AV receiver I purchased 5 years ago is now considered a dinosaur. No HDMI switching, no MP3 docking, no Wi-Fi. The list goes on. _________________ Dennis in Indy
Joined: 28 Sep 2006 Posts: 1505 Location: Fond du Lac, WI
Link Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 11:58 pm Post subject:
macgyver655 wrote:
What specifically makes you think the Elite series receivers are not built as well as earlier models?
Just take a VSX-49TXi/VSX-59TXi (I think those 2) model receivers, made over 10 years ago, compare them to todays elite receivers, even just off of the build quality, and design...
There was a website I stumbled across about a year ago that actually had a photo timeline showing Pioneer Elite Separates (amps, preams, tape decks, cd players etc..) and went from oldest to newest, you could visually see the lack of quality pioneer was putting into the newer units.
I agree the technology changes so fast it makes it less worth developing something that has enough brute to withstand the test of time and so on, but for the prices being charged there are better options out there...
A Pioneer M-91 is still worth $800 - $1000, it is 20 years old and still highly saught after... I know the same isnt true for tape decks (some anyway) or CD players, but people are still buying the older pioneer elite equipment because of the build quality and the things that made it "a step above everything else" _________________ If it ain't broke, and you try fixing it without success, don't come crying to me!
Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 21084 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G
Link Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 12:10 am Post subject:
I was at the Pioneer release party here in Toronto for their Elite DVD/LD player and DVD player. Copper chassis, 2 power supplies, 1 for analog.1 for digital. Copper screws, heavy duty transport. Great build.
'Bet most of those are still running. _________________ Tech support for nothing
Joined: 28 Sep 2006 Posts: 1505 Location: Fond du Lac, WI
Link Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 12:16 am Post subject:
AnalogRocks wrote:
I was at the Pioneer release party here in Toronto for their Elite DVD/LD player and DVD player. Copper chassis, 2 power supplies, 1 for analog.1 for digital. Copper screws, heavy duty transport. Great build.
'Bet most of those are still running.
Thats what i'm talking about, you wont see that kind of quality put into one of their new blu ray players... yet the price keeps going up :S _________________ If it ain't broke, and you try fixing it without success, don't come crying to me!
Joined: 28 Sep 2006 Posts: 1505 Location: Fond du Lac, WI
Link Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 12:52 am Post subject:
AnalogRocks wrote:
I'd love to see a copper chassis bluray player from Pioneer. Make it just like the mid 90's Elite stuff
That would be nice, could always get the chassis anodized in copper at the very least
I plan on putting together the 90s elite set of audio separates, the M-91, C-91, F-91, M-72, CT-93, DVL-99, PD-F27, DV-F07, and the SP-99D, I may be missing something else, the elite turntable that matches the set too... but thats pretty pricey. _________________ If it ain't broke, and you try fixing it without success, don't come crying to me!
Link Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 1:07 am Post subject:
Jeremy112 wrote:
macgyver655 wrote:
What specifically makes you think the Elite series receivers are not built as well as earlier models?
Just take a VSX-49TXi/VSX-59TXi (I think those 2) model receivers, made over 10 years ago, compare them to todays elite receivers, even just off of the build quality, and design...
All Elites since and including the SC05/SC07 use Class D amplifiers. Way better. _________________ macgyver566@gmail.com
Joined: 25 May 2010 Posts: 170 Location: Minneapolis, MN
TV/Projector: Runco VX-1C with VHD and Toshiba 65H84 CRT RPTV
Link Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 1:22 am Post subject:
Jeremy112 wrote:
AnalogRocks wrote:
I'd love to see a copper chassis bluray player from Pioneer. Make it just like the mid 90's Elite stuff
That would be nice, could always get the chassis anodized in copper at the very least
I plan on putting together the 90s elite set of audio separates, the M-91, C-91, F-91, M-72, CT-93, DVL-99, PD-F27, DV-F07, and the SP-99D, I may be missing something else, the elite turntable that matches the set too... but thats pretty pricey.
Don't forget to fit the U-24 in there somewhere.... _________________ Ray Nelson
Joined: 28 Sep 2006 Posts: 1505 Location: Fond du Lac, WI
Link Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 4:03 pm Post subject:
RayN999 wrote:
Don't forget to fit the U-24 in there somewhere....
The U-24 along with the rest of the Series 20 equipment is in a class by itself, Pioneer gave up the super high end after that _________________ If it ain't broke, and you try fixing it without success, don't come crying to me!
Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 12988 Location: West Seneca NY
TV/Projector: Marquee 8000, 8500 And a 9500LC RetroIV , 2 Longbow 8500 Ultras(2004!!)Hd145's , Ampro 3600, a G90!!
Link Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 4:08 pm Post subject:
AnalogRocks wrote:
I was at the Pioneer release party here in Toronto for their Elite DVD/LD player and DVD player. Copper chassis, 2 power supplies, 1 for analog.1 for digital. Copper screws, heavy duty transport. Great build.
'Bet most of those are still running.
I have the DVL 909 and the Elite version. But i hate their Amps.
I think the transports in the LD/dvd players are really great for their time compared to say sony or JVC etc.
I liked the sound better from my 909 over a sony ES cd player i had .
Athanasios _________________ Don't blame your underwear for your crooked ass~ unknown Greek philosopher
" To be truly Free is to be reliant on no one, but the Author of our Destiny"~~~ Elbert Guillory"
One Smart Dog!!! Tom Bauerle to Andre Cuomo" Elliot Spitzer Screwed some Prostitutes, you screwed the Constitution" On his call to Cuomo to Resign!!!
Link Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 12:04 pm Post subject:
Last year when I was looking for a new AVR I compared the yet released Pioneer competing model to the Denon model I wound up getting. I decided early on that I would not spend >$800 and I got the Denon for a hair under $700 IIRC. When the comparative Pioneer model finally came out a month later, no one wanted to sell it for <$800.
Now, I did go out and spend $299 on the 1021 consumer box, but that is being regulated to non-HT use. I now look at AVR's as being nothing more than a poor-man's pre-pro and in the HT use it only with external amplification. _________________ Trust no one. Absolutely no one. Advice of the board.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You cannot attach files in this forum You can download files in this forum
Forum FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Photo Albums
Register
Profile
Private Messages
Log in
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Link
