CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

wallace123456 · Joined: 14 Aug 2006 Posts: 2236 Location: Northwest VA area

I want to get the newer audio from HD or BD discs. From what I have read, the only way to get most of this is by using HDMI.

I do not really want a "all-in-one" box (processor and amp) as I have 2 amps sitting in my closet waiting to be used (NAD-2200 and B&K VMR654) and am from old school and still think that separate units equal better sound. (flame suit on!!! Evil or Very Mad

)

And getting older in age and wanting something that will accomplish the following, what are some options:

- Newer audio formats from HD & BD.
- Lip-sync correction (either by audio delay or frame delay setting I guess?)
- MCACC or equivalent type speaker set-up (I'm lazy...)

So without spending a boat-load (and I'm not even sure WTH I would buy), I am looking at the Pioneer VSX-94 or 92 TXH.

Also, by way of this post, does anyone have the Pioneer VSX 92 or 94 TXH? If so, what are your thoughts?

My speakers are the Klipsch F-3 series (from Best Buy); I got a really good deal on the entire set-up LCR and Rear.

Any and all help is appreciated.

wallace

rod · Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 3:09 am Post subject:

Wallace,

I recently purchased the Yamaha RX V2700 which appears to be a comparable unit. I had lipsync issues for a bit but simplifying the video chain seemed to fix the problem for all sources. The issue is many sources may have varying sync gaps and you don't want to be tweaking all of them. I don't know the answer but strive to redcue that problem by having simple video and audio chains. HDMI should help with all the new equipment.
I like the sound of the receiver and the 7.1 has great effects with the movies but I feel that the music is just better if you turn all the gadgetry off.
One thing I will caution is to have patience with these new devices as they are essentially processors/computers. I do miss the days when all I really had to deal with was on/off and attenuation. However, some of the newer features have some cool factor to them.
One other thing is I had also upgraded most of my speakers and took a pair of the older ones as my rear surrounds. I think they were 4 ohms and it appeared that the entire amp dropped as if all were 4ohm. this made me really have to crank the amp to get any real volume. this drove me nuts. Once I replaced the speakers with a newer 8 ohm set (to balance with the rest) the amp can "alive". It doesn't make sense since all channels are supposed to be entirely separate.

google your models and you will find all kinds of comparisons and reviews.

Clarence · Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 3:22 am Post subject:

Cliff has the VSX-94. That's the one I've always wanted, too.

wallace123456 · Joined: 14 Aug 2006 Posts: 2236 Location: Northwest VA area

Tom.W · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 6635

Wallace were you thinking of getting an HD player with discreet analog audio outputs ?

overclkr · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 4227

wallace123456 · Joined: 14 Aug 2006 Posts: 2236 Location: Northwest VA area

rod · Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 2:31 pm Post subject:

Wallace, Here is my "simple" chain

PS3 HDMI > Yamaha > HDMI to DVI > DVDO HD+ > DVI > HD Fury > Port 3 Barco.

I do have an outstanding issue with filling my 96" screen though, but I moved to HD 145s at the same time as recabling and routing all these devices. I will attempt to resovle once I get more time. My goal is to remove the DVDO right out of the scene but the Yamaha will have to do a good job. Manual says it has Anchor Bay chips in it but that does't necessarily mean a good thing.

wallace123456 · Joined: 14 Aug 2006 Posts: 2236 Location: Northwest VA area

ecrabb · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:03 pm Post subject:

Guys,

I've finally gotten the G70 installed and now I'm getting pretty juiced up to get high-res audio out of the PS3 (I can never just be happy, dammit).

Anyway, I was looking at the latest Marantz that replaces my current model (SR-7002), which does all the new HDMI audio stuff and looks very nice. Refurbs aren't quite available, but the price is right when it is. But, then I started doing some reading and found out that a few of the new receivers like the Denon 3808 and the Pioneer Elite 92 and 94 receivers will A) up-convert 1080i to 1080p and B) component to HDMI. The component conversion would simplify source-selection usability and more importantly the signal path itself in my system. The 1080i to 1080p up-conversion would be awesome, too; Since I sit really close to my screen, 1080i scan lines are a problem with the new G70.

But, how good are these receivers? Is the analog video section of the unit like older receivers - lackluster or just OK? Or, since video has become so much more important, have they upgraded the video sections to be on-par with something like the Kimcoder? Obviously, it's doing an A/D conversion to take the analog component source and put it on HDMI, but I wonder... how good is it? My analog sources would be primarily DirecTV and Xbox 360 mainly.

Bottom line is, beyond the audio stuff, is the video side of these machines good to excellent, now? Is anybody using the up-conversion capabilities and if so, how does it look?

Thanks!

SC

wallace123456 · Joined: 14 Aug 2006 Posts: 2236 Location: Northwest VA area

ecrabb · Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 6:26 am Post subject:

Thanks for the info, Wallace. Turns out it doesn't do quite what I thought it would...

One of the things I was really excited about was the upscaling. Reading the marketing materials, it looks as though it will scale all income signals to 1080p. Bzzzzzzz... wrong answer. According to an article I read, it will only upscale SD to 1080p - not HD. I have to admit - I was pretty surprised it would duplicate some of the functionality of a $1000 scaler, but who knows?!??! From the sound of it, if the receiver sees a 720p or 1080i signal on its input, it must just them on as-is.

I'll still be looking from an audio perspective, but the video side isn't quite the silver bullet it looked like.

Oh, as for pics... maybe this weekend. Right now the room is a mess, all the covers torn off the G70, and I'm fighting damn near everything on this machine! You'd think I was a CRT newbie! I'm fighting geometry, I'm fighting corner focus, I can't figure out how to save registration data to all blocks like you're supposed to be able to do... Damn. I'm having friends over to watch LOST on Thursday night, too. Must... climb... learning... curve....

SC