Customer Reviews

Pioneer VSX-515K 6.1 Channel Surround Sound AM/FM Audio-Video Home Theater Receiver

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've had this receiver for three weeks now, and I absolutely love it. I did a lot of research and I think this is by far the best receiver in its price-range. It is easy to set up, easy to operate, and full of options. The remote is really nice too. (UPDATE, SEPT 2009: still really glad I bought this receiver!)

I purchased this from a B&M electronic retailer last week and used it to replace an older Pioneer receiver that only had Pro-Logic capabilities. The Pro-Logic surround was so limited that I had even taken down my rear-channel speakers since they did so little.

Hooking this new receiver up to my DVD player (via the digital coax port) and re-attaching the rear surrounds, added a whole new dimension to my movie-watching. The DD and DTS decoding is really an astounding difference over Pro-Logic, and at less than $160, this was a no-brainer upgrade.

The setup options on the unit were pretty easy to use and the sound it puts out is more than acceptable for my medium-sized living room. The sound was clean and I didn't notice any distortion. Setting the volume between -40 and -30 dB (about 55-65% of the max level) is more than enough for an immersive, theater-like experience. I normally set it lower for day-to-day TV duty.

I also like the automatic mode capabilities; the receiver tries to determine the best listening mode based on the source and automatically sets itself appropriately. You can also select modes manually, but it's one less thing for my wife to worry about when she wants to watch a movie.

The front-face of the unit is very clean looking, and the buttons don't feel cheap or flimsy. The remote isn't anything special, but I don't need to use it very much. At least it has dedicated buttons for the important functions.

If you're looking for an inexpensive way to add multi-channel audio to your home entertainment center, this is a good way to go.

Pioneer has created a wonderful low-end surround amp for cheapskates like me since I had to ask dad for the money. It has so many good features I will simply not list them because there's no room to type them all!

The only gripes are pretty minor, such as no S-video inputs, but it does have component input which is better, but it would have been nice to have S-video. More expensive pioneer receivers have them, so it basically boils down to how much money you want to spend for that. The rear surround channel essentially is one channel, but it does support 2 speakers. The last gripe is the teeny-tiny remote with small buttons. It should have been twice the size because even I have to squint to read the lettering, forget about using it in the dark!

Unbelievable number of features for a reciever in this price range. Plenty of jacks on the back to connect all of your A/V equipment. \ I'm thrilled with mine and recommend it highly.

This was my entry level reciever that i bought when i purchased my xbox360. Everything works great. i have 5 speakers and a power sub and the music and movies sound great and fill the room. Only thing that has bugged me is that there is only 1 optical input for digital audio

This is even better than the old receiver in my living room...plugged a pair of Polk RTI-6 speakers, and with the optical line from my PC, the system SINGS!

I have been looking at digital receivers on lineand in stores for sometime. But I was satisfied with the performance of my Pro Logic so much thatI could not make my self buy a new one. But whenI saw this Pioneer ranging from $150-$200 I couldno longer resist. This receiver has more featuresthan what is advertised. It is even 7.1 channelcapable. Simply this receiver is Great for anybeginner and Is well worth it price.

The only good thing about this purchase was the super fast shipping (maybe they want to get rid of it ASAP) It was not late when I realized WHAT HAVE I GOT AND WHY DID I. Man trust me I have a Denon AVR 600 5.1 and there is absolutely NO COMPARISON between the two. I returned it in hours.. Ended up paying 20$ out of pocket for the shipping. The LED display looks cheap and so does the remote and the rear connectors are a pain in the ... It doesn't power all your speakers equally and there is ABSOLUTELY NO DEPTH in the sound. I would highly recommend you to stay away from it. I have learnt it the hard way. Better throw in some more and get what truly is AN UPGRADE.