Pioneer VSX-521-K 5.1 Home Theater Receiver, Glossy Black

by Pioneer

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 14.3 x 17.2 x 6.6 inches ; 19.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 23.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B004M8RPAY
• Item model number: VSX-521-K
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,614 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #16 in Electronics > Televisions & Video > AV Receivers & Amplifiers

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Popular Receiver Options

	Pioneer VSX-521	Yamaha RX-V371 Check out the Yamaha RX-V371	Denon AVR-1312 Check out the Denon AVR-1312	Onkyo TX-SR309 Check out the Onkyo TX-SR309	Sony STR-DH520 Check out the Sony STR-DH520
Watts/Channel	110 x 5	100 x 5	75 x 5	60 x 5	100 x 7
Manufacturer Warranty	1 year	2 years	2 years	2 years	2 years
3D Pass-through Ready?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Remote Included	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Subwoofer Pre-Out	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Radio Antenna (FM/AM) Input	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
GUI/Onscreen Display	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Auto Calibration Microphone	No	No	No	No	No
Video Upconversion	No	No	No	No	No
Smartphone App Control	No	No	No	No	No
Network Connected	No	No	No	No	No
Zone Control	No	No	No	No	No
Advanced Audio Formats:	Dolby TrueHD DTS-HD Master Audio	Dolby TrueHD DTS-HD Master Audio Dolby Digital Plus DTS-HD High Resolution Audio	Dolby TrueHD DTS-HD Master Audio	Dolby TrueHD DTS-HD Master Audio	Dolby TrueHD Pro logic IIz and DTS HD enhanced audio codecs
HDMI Inputs	4	4	4	3	4
Composite AV Inputs	4	4	3	4	3
Component Video Inputs	2	2	1	2	2
Analog Audio Inputs	2	4	4	5	2
Digital Optical Audio Inputs	2	2	1	2	2
Digital Coaxial Audio Inputs	1	2	1	1	1
Stereo Mini Jack Input	0	1	1	0	0
USB Inputs	0	0	0	1	0
Headphone Jack Output	0	1	0	1	0

Product Description

Bluetooth Compatible with Optional AS-BT200 Bluetooth Adapter

HDMI (4 In / 1 Out) with 3D, ARC, Deep Color, x.v.Color

Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio Decoders

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

89 of 98 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's OK, April 9, 2011

By 

B - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pioneer VSX-521-K 5.1 Home Theater Receiver, Glossy Black (Electronics)

My choices for an entry level replacement receiver were between this and the Sony STR-DH720. I picked the Pioneer as I was replacing a 10 year old Pioneer that had just recently started acting up and I was quite happy with. This receiver is plenty loud, but I do have two primary complaints. My first (and biggest) is the fact that it doesn't seem to support ARC or Standby Passthrough unless you enable "Control via HDMI" which only works with certain pieces of equipment as is only spelled out in the manual. On the website, they simply have a check-mark next to both features, so I didn't expect either to have caveats. Perhaps I am wrong in thinking that the HDMI signal should pass through the receiver if it is in standby regardless of whether "Control via HDMI" is turned on and regardless of the equipment being Pioneer-compliant, but I feel it was a bit misleading in my mind. Please note that I am no A/V expert, so take what I say with a grain of salt and please research for yourself. In the mean time I am considering leaving the HDMI switching to my display and making use of the dual optical inputs like I did with my old receiver. My other complaint is that the on-screen-display (OSD) is only output through the RCA ports and NOT through HDMI. After purchasing brand new 1.4 HDMI cables and attempting to rid myself of all of the other optical-toslink, etc. cables, I find it a bit retro that you would only allow menu setup to happen through RCA video out. Just my opinions, decide for yourself, but given the info I have now, I believe I would've went with the DH720 and hoped for the best.

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great entry level receiver, March 31, 2011

By 

J. Childress (Montana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pioneer VSX-521-K 5.1 Home Theater Receiver, Glossy Black (Electronics)

Wonderful receiver with the audiophile quality performance one would expect from Pioneer. It has clean stylish looks and not terribly complicated with all the audio features any home theater system needs at a fraction of the cost of the higher end receivers. The owners manual is fairly well written and easy to understand. It took me about an hour to setup and get all the internal settings to my liking. All the receiver functions are available via the remote control. Only a couple minor negative issues I could find was is the on screen setting menu is analog only and anything beyond basic control of the unit requires the remote so don't lose it! I believe the higher end units in this model line don't have these issues. Things like these are obviously left out to help keep it affordable for the budget minded.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Entry Level Home Theater Receiver, August 14, 2011

By 

Gary "I'm An AMAZONIAN!!" (Las Vegas, NV) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pioneer VSX-521-K 5.1 Home Theater Receiver, Glossy Black (Electronics)

I researched many receivers before going with the Pioneer VSX-521-K. This model is loaded with features! The 5th star is missing because of the HDMI performance. I properly hooked up all of my devices to the HDMI inputs and then tested the Blu-Ray, Roku, PC (YouTube), and standard TV chanells. For some reason lips/voice were all out of sync?! I experimented with one device at a time, and still the same out of of syc result. I did not call Pioneer for support on this issue. I have plenty of HDMI inputs on my Sony Bravia 46" internet LCD, so I just opted to use those inputs. The Pioneer remote is laid out in a "busy dizzy" fashion, so I rather use my Sony remote to choose my HDMI devices.

As an amplifier, this Pioneer model is fantastic! I have the amp pushing a Polk Audio 5.1 surround system. Actually, I shouldn't say that the amp is "pushing" because the Polk's are rated for 100W and the Pioneer is rated the same. I can't even go past a volume level of 40 without rumbling all of the walls in the house! Now that is just with a movie!

The VSX-521-K has MANY surround & stereo modes to choose from. This is an AWESOME feature since I listen to a lot of music. Depending upon the the source of your music, the amp delivers crisp and clear output! Tryout [...] for a sampling of music at 256Bit! Not only will you become a "MOGGER", but you will be addicted to the clarity of this amp!

Setup was very easy with the comprehensive manual included. OH, if you have a Logitech Harmony Remote, this model is not a compatible device. That was a slight bummer, so I returned my Harmony back to Amazon without a problem. I used my favorite and what I consider to be the BEST speaker wire... Mediabridge 16 guage through Amazon of course.

I consider the Pioneer VSX-512-K as a mid-entry Home Theater Receiver. Possibly a more expensive unit would not have the HDMI problems that this unit has? Regardless, I'm VERY SATISFIED with this Pioneer unit, and highly recommend it! This unit is PACKED with features that should satisfy all of your needs.

Happy Theatering