Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

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.

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.

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

I was torn between this and the original VS-520-k but decided to try this out. Obviously it is chopped full of connections. I am happy with the HDMI switching interface however if you plan on using more than HDMI, there is no video converter in this unit. This meaning, you cannot connect a component device and output it to a television via HDMI. This isnt quite a problem for me however for the wiring hardcore and multiple device maniacs, it could prove problematic. Sound output is quite good. I am currently using the Dolby 5.1 surround and am very satisfied with not only the quality, but also that it maintains this quality when reaching higher volumes. Typically i would run into issues with quality when cranking the volume.

All in all, as someone who will gain the most from a very versatile audio AND video switch and power amp, i am very happy with the purchase. I feel you will be too.

For a device that boast 4 hdmi inputs and 1 hdmi output, it is dissapointing that to access the receiver on-screen display (OSD) setup menu, you must use the video component (i.e. the yellow RCA wire).
OSD is needed to use the speaker calibration microphone (MCACC - multi-channel acoustic calibration).
I had to go out and purchase a small flat screen tv and RCA wire to hook it up. My current tv is too far and pre-wired with in-wall HDMI. Was not going to go through the trouble of fishing the RCA wire just to do the setup.
hopefully this receiver is worth the trouble.
Please note the manual has in fine print the following:
"The OSD will not appear if your have connected using the HDMI output to your TV. Use composite or connections for system setup."
So much for the "Easy setup" in the advertisement

After reviewing what is on the consumer market for a Dolby 5.1 system with a price ceiling of $200.00 U.S. dollars for the receiver this one was the best in manufactures specifacations available.

Once again Amazon.com had the lowest internet price with the free shipping fee.

It works good at what it is designed for and has a standard warranty as all the Asian made electronics have.

I picked this up as a replacement for a 10 year old Onkyo that's been a workhorse in my living room. Unfortunately, it was from an age without HDMI, so it was time for a change.

Shipping was excellent, thanks to Amazon Prime. After unboxing, I read the manual, which is severely lacking as far as being able to understand it goes. I'm a techie, have been all my life, and I still found the instructions to be light on details and just plain hard to follow. Thanks to the internet, I was able to find a few good threads about the unit, so that helped. My siggestions for this is that this unit, though an entry to HT, should be passed up for something else if the person isn't HT savvy.

As far as performance goes, it is working well. The included MCACC setup worked like a charm. Even though I loved my Onkyo, I found myself always adjusting the outputs over the years. With the Pioneer, I connected the included MIC, went through the on-screen setup, and done. And remarlebly well, I mught add, as I've never had better sounding surround.

My only other peeve is with bass response. I have never liked the idea of using a sub-woofer, mostly because of the added space and expense to have it. My Onkyo was well able to conpmensate with just the front channel Bose speakers. The Pioneer is very light on this, which may force me to get a subwoofer now.

All in all, the product was good and I am satisfied with the performance. As I stated earleir, this unit is NOT for the non-technical folk that might want to try it. My advice would be to try another brand if you don't know what you're doing.

I'm happy with the receiver so far. I bought it to replace an outdated Sony that I got at the Goodwill. I chose it over similarly priced/featured models because of the auto calibration feature, which sounded like a nice plus.

I really like the connection options, especially the multiple HDMI inputs. I also upgraded my Blu Ray player to one with two HDMI outs, one for video and one for audio. So, now I enjoy my Blu Rays with HDMI audio. I connected my cable box to the receiver with an optical cable, so now, I get Dolby 5.1 audio when watching TV. Sweet.

Getting the on-screen display (OSD) working was a bit of a challenge. The manual has all kinds of warnings about making this connection, but doesn't really explain how to make the right connection. I got it to work by unplugging the component audio cables from the cable box to the receiver. Then I connected a yellow RCA from Monitor Out on the receiver to video in on the TV, and red and white RCAs from the TV to the receiver. I then had to choose AV on my TV remote. I used OSD to turn off the demo mode, and to configure the speakers with the provided microphone and set up option.

I'm not an audiophile, but to me the receiver sounds great. I live in an apartment and can't crank it, but it is nice to have a modern, brand new receiver -with a remote!

I shop for value and think I made a good purchase.

UPDATE: I originally wasn't getting DTS-HD audio from the blu ray player. On the receiver unless you see 'DTS-HD' on the display you're not getting the best audio. If you connect a blu ray player with HDMI audio out to the receiver you will likely need to adjust the audio settings of the blu ray player. In my case (Panasonic dmp bdt310) I had to change the HDMI Connection and Digital Audio Output settings. Once that was done and I played a disc with DTS-HD Master Audio format (the best format for movies as far as I know) the receiver automatically detected the DTS signal and set the surround sound. 'DTS-HD' now appears on the display, and the sound is AWESOME!

I purchased this receiver from amazon and have had no issues with it at all!!! The manual is easy to understand and the setup is easy as well, as long as you READ IT!!!! I have seen people say that it doesn't have any sound or doesn't work. Or that the menu doesn't display, all wrong!!! This is one of the best deals you will find on a new receiver anywhere for sure! It has great sound, and easy to use, for the price it can't be beat! I mean it is not top of the line, but it really is a very good receiver, I would recommend it for sure! Oh, the auto mcacc was great, couldn't believe how good it worked! Just keep in mind people this is a 150.00 receiver. If you are comparing this to a 800.00-1500.00 receiver of course it will not sound as good as them! But i will say it sounds just as good or better than a lot of 5 or 600.00 hundred dollar receivers... I took back the Dennon receiver that I paid 599.99 at Best Buy for cause I could not tell a difference in the sound at all! Just remember you have to READ THE MANUAL!!! It has a lot of functions and special features, you cannot just hook it up, turn it on, and expect that to be it! READ THE MANUAL!!!!!!! If this manual came to you in a TEXT MESSAGE you would read it! Lol! Hope this was helpful!

Once in a while, you'd have to reset this device because it would freeze without any audio output. Hence, you'd need to have the manual ready because the sequence for resetting includes pushing several buttons simulultaneously and in proper sequence. Since the buttons do not have back-light, it is extremely difficult to see which buttons are which. The sound output from this device is terrible, with serious distortions in some modes. I can never get the sound right or natural. I'm tempted to just give this thing away.