Pioneer VSX-323 AVR + Boston Acoustics Soundware XS 5.1 Speakers !

gksonic

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Hey guys,

So im interested in buying a Home Theatre
After reading a lot of hifivision articles and reviews for different speakers and AVRs i have zeroed in on the Pioneer VSX-323 AVR with the Boston Acoustics Soundware-XS 5.1 speakers.

Now Im good with sound but at the moment im not good with my budget, which is roughly 30k (could pull it to 35K but dont want to)
Im also NOT well versed in the home theatre arena.

So, i can get the pioneer for 19k and the BA's for 25K which means im already above my budget by 4k.

After reading so many articles about different packages n combos im actually pretty confused about what to buy.

I had zeroed in on the Denon DHt-1312xp but its missing a few features like iphone connectivity (im on mac completely).

This pioneer model has a lot of features built in.
(VSX-323-K |)

And i think most of you know about the quality of the BA's. (Boston Acoustics SoundWare XS 5.1)


1. The first question is whether this is a good combo.
2. Secondly what do u think about the AVR (most of posts that i read were mainly boasting of denon or yamaha or onkyo)
3. are there any options for replacing one of the items to bring my budget down to 30k (without losing my iphone connectivity).
4. What is the feature that allows me to watch tv without switching on the amp?

Thx
 
1. The first question is whether this is a good combo. -- Yes for the price, its very good.
2. Secondly what do u think about the AVR (most of posts that i read were mainly boasting of denon or yamaha or onkyo) --- Audition, if you like the sound then go for it . It entry-level receiver does not have Pioneers room calibration MCACC. But thats not a major drawback.
3. are there any options for replacing one of the items to bring my budget down to 30k (without losing my iphone connectivity). -- Try Denon 1513 or Older model of Denon 1612 if still in stock.
4. What is the feature that allows me to watch tv without switching on the amp? __ HDMI Passthrough. It seems Pioneer VSX 323 does not have this feature.
 
Hey guys,

So im interested in buying a Home Theatre
After reading a lot of hifivision articles and reviews for different speakers and AVRs i have zeroed in on the Pioneer VSX-323 AVR with the Boston Acoustics Sound ware-XS 5.1 speakers.

Now Im good with sound but at the moment im not good with my budget, which is roughly 30k (could pull it to 35K but dont want to)
Im also NOT well versed in the home theatre arena.

So, i can get the pioneer for 19k and the BA's for 25K which means im already above my budget by 4k.

After reading so many articles about different packages n combos im actually pretty confused about what to buy.

I had zeroed in on the Denon DHt-1312xp but its missing a few features like iphone connectivity (im on mac completely).

This pioneer model has a lot of features built in.
(VSX-323-K |)

And i think most of you know about the quality of the BA's. (Boston Acoustics SoundWare XS 5.1)


1. The first question is whether this is a good combo.
2. Secondly what do u think about the AVR (most of posts that i read were mainly boasting of denon or yamaha or onkyo)
3. are there any options for replacing one of the items to bring my budget down to 30k (without losing my iphone connectivity).
4. What is the feature that allows me to watch tv without switching on the amp?

Thx

Hi, I also own the Pioneer AVR 323k

As far as your speaker selection please note you wont get a good feel in the surround speakers. At-least that's why I didn't buy it also for my room size it was tat small.What is your room size anyway?

As far the AVR is concerned it quite good as an all round performer especially for a music lover like me. Though sometimes you may find some movies lack crispness like denon or yamaha but you can't compare it to them because of the price and they cannot play music in the same field. Its a taste of what you want from your AVR. If you prefer movies go for Denon else. If you like music only then its Mantraz.

As far as your Iphone connectivity in this budget I can say pionner has been designed to work with iPhone which is like a made for each other deal. I am not so sure about other AVR for iPhone. But after using my iphone with my pioneer AVR if you are a MAC person you love this connection.

I am not sure about the TV without the amp feature but Ill see if I can find info about it. For the HDMI pass through function u would still need your amp to be ON but you will not receive audio through AVR rather you will hear it through TV.

As far the price go here in person,

JJJ ENTERPRISES
NEW NO. 6, OLD NO. 32
VEERABHADARAN STREET, MYLAPORE
PIN - 600004
Dealer Contact No.: 994007103

the guy quoted me 17k for AVR-323k if had cash in hand I'm sure he would given me for 16k also. Try to pay a visit in the afternoon time if you can
 
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Hi guys,

Can any tell me the good price for the Pioneer VSX 823 from local dealer. In snapdeal I see it is there for around 25K. Please let me know if this is a good deal ?

hg
 
My actual requirement is
1) to be able to listen to internet radio through "Tune in"
2) to listen to downloaded music
3) Connect to Tata sky HD and my TV to enhance my my movie watching experience.. ( I am ready to live without a subwoofer , and surround for the next few years)
4) CD's once in a while through my DVD player.

Your expert opinion and guidance will be greatly appreciated.

In my opinion the AMP is an excellent choice for the budget but the final quality always relies on the speakers. Audition the speakers, if you like it, then buy the package. I went for Pioneer fr the budget constraint i had, low heat compared to onkyo AVR and the big feature list for support. I use my surround rarely and mostly its in always in ext stereo mode. Love the Sound retriever feature for playing downloaded music through USB. CD audio is crisp and clear. So I would say you are on the right track.

Also my AVR is always on and still less heat is generated which i didnt get with my Onkyo AVR. But if u want the HDMI standby pass-through this amp does not have it. So audition it, buy it and enjoy it.
 
Hi,

I recently tried the Pioneer VSX 823K, and I was totally dissatisfied with the AVR. The menu is made out of 'MS-DOS' like font and is very minimalistic. I was surprised to see such a cheap UI implementation. Pioneer is priced much lower than Yamaha, may be for the same reason even at the same wattage rating. Reviews also says that internet radio and LAN connection also doesn't payoff much. The Pioneer remote control is so badly made with 100+ settings cluttered around. (check Cnet review) .But Music, movies are sounding fine once it is configured. The best one, people buy in Pioneer nowadays is the Elite series which is costly.


I suggest to look at Harman kardon series also which may give you better settings and warm sound for the same price range (20k). The settings are overlaid over running HDMI video and no need to connect another video separately to access the configuration. It may give low wattage output (75/channel I think ) , but that is more than enough for the soundware speakers. The sound is acclaimed by all reviewers. HK is very much designed for a normal hometheater usage in mind along with other devices connectivity and has a good remote control. New series 151 are coming which is very low power usage with LAN etc.

There is a reason why people go into Marantz, Denon and Yamaha: because they are made with only thing in mind: Audio reproduction :). The Class of amplifier used internally and the DAC is very different in a low end AVR and higher one. With a better DAC, the approximated digital music will be conditioned better for analog audio reproduction.

hg
 
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Hi,

I recently tried the Pioneer VSX 823K, and I was totally dissatisfied with the AVR. The menu is made out of 'MS-DOS' like font and is very minimalistic. I was surprised to see such a cheap UI implementation. Pioneer is priced much lower than Yamaha, may be for the same reason even at the same wattage rating. Reviews also says that internet radio and LAN connection also doesn't payoff much. The Pioneer remote control is so badly made with 100+ settings cluttered around. (check Cnet review) .But Music, movies are sounding fine once it is configured. The best one, people buy in Pioneer nowadays is the Elite series which is costly.


I suggest to look at Harman kardon series also which may give you better settings and warm sound for the same price range (20k). The settings are overlaid over running HDMI video and no need to connect another video separately to access the configuration. It may give low wattage output (75/channel I think ) , but that is more than enough for the soundware speakers. The sound is acclaimed by all reviewers. HK is very much designed for a normal hometheater usage in mind along with other devices connectivity and has a good remote control. New series 151 are coming which is very low power usage with LAN etc.

There is a reason why people go into Marantz, Denon and Yamaha: because they are made with only thing in mind: Audio reproduction :). The Class of amplifier used internally and the DAC is very different in a low end AVR and higher one. With a better DAC, the approximated digital music will be conditioned better for analog audio reproduction.

hg

I think you are right about Marantz, Denon and Yamaha being made for Audio reproduction but comparing it to pioneer series in the low/mid end is were you are wrong. Please audition the Denon x500 with Pioneer323 I am sure you'll love pioneer more than the X500. For a first time user the pioneer is more feature against buck winner. Also more than my views people should trust their ears as taste differs from everyone's perspective. So its a budget mans entry to digtial audio.
 
Hi Team,

Would like to know this combination works better ?
vsx 323 avr with s11 speaker and s-21w subwoofer(powered) for the price of 30k in india.

All from Pioneer

Thanks in Advance.
 
3. are there any options for replacing one of the items to bring my budget down to 30k (without losing my iphone connectivity).

You may want to change the speakers. Try JBL SCS200.5. If you like it, the cost can come down to 37k
 
Wharfedale Linton Heritage Speakers in Red Mahogany finish at a Special Offer Price. BUY now before the price increase.
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