Pioneer VSX-1020-K
Look at many current “best in category” or “bestseller” AV receiver lists and you will see the Pioneer VSX-1020-K 7.1 Home Theater Receiver featuring prominently. This is not without reason, not only is the Pioneer VSX-1020-K feature heavy and very capable power wise but there are also some incredible deals around on this unit right now. With this in mind I though Id give you a rundown of why you should put the Pioneer VSX-1020 on your “under consideration” list. The Pioneer VSX-1020-K has a very modern look right down to the digital style text on the display, they design of the unit itself is quite nice but a little busy on the front panel for my liking with a plethora of switches and various front mounted ports (including the iPod dock) being clearly visible. Not really to my taste but if you like having everything easily accessible it may be for you. Build wise most of the fixtures and fittings are reasonably solid with the exception of the front port cover which feels slightly on the cheap side to me. The supplied remote is easy to use with nice glow in the dark keys but with perhaps one or two of the main functions being a little small for my meaty fingertips. The feature set of the Pioneer VSX-1020-K is extensive and very much oriented towards current sensibilities. It covers all the basics nicely, sporting 6 HDMI 1.4 ins (1 front/5 back) and a single rear 1.4 out, multi zone audio with 7.1 or 5.1 + 2 configuration possible and most of the standard audio codecs supported (TS-HD Master Audio, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Pro Logic IIz) the VSX-1020-K covers most peoples needs well. The Ethernet port allows for easy access to internet radio services and also allows wireless control of the system with the free iContolAV iPhone app which is a rather cool bonus, though I found it couldn’t control the internet radio right now which is a shame, perhaps something worth sorting out in an app update? Initial setup of the VSX-1020 is not exactly a breeze (this is quite a complex unit after all) but neither is it over complex. The menuing system is well designed and with few glitches or oversights and the auto assist system is pretty intuitive to use. If you have previous experience with setting up surround systems you shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes or so to be up and running. Check Amazon for Current Pricing So how does it sound? To my ear it is has a very pleasing overall tone, in 7.1 configuration I found the overall feel of the system to be both powerful, immersive and controlled. The VSX-1020-K handled everything I threw at it with grace and subtlety especially handling the high end well when used in conjunction with the Onkyo SKSHT750 So overall the Pioneer VSX-1020-K is a very competent mid range receiver, it is user friendly for the most part, its HDMI switch speed is quite fast, it has a very solid feature set a good level of power handling (7x 110 w per channel) and its overall sound quality is extremely good. As I said at the start of this review if you are inthe market for a new 7.1 receiver right now the VSX-1020-K is well worth giving a listen especially with the amazing deals on this unit right now. Manufacturers Specifications
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