Pioneer VSX-1019-AHK Receiver Reviews

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By Phillip E. Matthews

I am, by no means, a tech guy or an avid videophile. I am, however, a musician, that knows what sounds good and what doesn’t. So, I was going to get the Geeks, at Best Buy, to set my system up. But, they wanted WAY too much money. So, I got off my lazy butt and read the manual, on how to set it up. The manual was easy to read and understand. I jumped right in, bought the HDTV cables I needed and hooked the thing up! That simple! I have rear surround speakers that I wasn’t sure of the polarity, but process of elimination fixed that. My subwoofer was not compatible with this receiver, as it has an RCA plug in. My sub had two regular speaker wires coming out of it. But, even without the sub(which I plan on adding later) the system sounds GREAT. Just like in the theaters! It has IPOD and IPhone USB hookup, which is also GREAT! No need for CD changer! I have my HDTV running through it and the picture is awesome! So, very easy hookup and great performance. By reading the manual for a couple of minutes, I easily figured out how to hook it up, which saved me a LOT of money! One gripe is the remote. It’s layed out good, but I wish it had a backlight.

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By William

After using an LG brand HTib for many years it was time for an upgrade.
I purchased the VSX-1019 along with Bose Acoustimass 6 Series III.
I use the Pioneer 90% music, 10% movies / games.

I listen to all of my music on vinyl on the Numark TTX1 connected to the receiver via Digital Coaxial.
My main concern before buying is was whether or not it can force a Stereo source (turntable / or non Dolby 5.1 television shows) through all 5 speakers – which it can.

Blu-ray, DVD, and PS3 games sound great. Crisp bass and low frequencies and the vocals are loud and clear.

I rarely use the ipod feature but the Ipod connectivity is certainly a plus. An ipod cord comes with the unit so there’s no need to buy an additional dock or connection cord. The on-screen display including album artwork is a nice touch, however, scrolling through thousands of songs or playlists on screen can be sluggish. It’s best to use the Ipod control feature. Highly compressed mp3’s sound excellent. Higher bitrate mp3s sound even better.

Set up is a simple. The auto mic speaker set-up is accurate and easy to use. It’s simple to manually adjust the settings afterwards although I felt no need to do so.

If you are currently using an all in one home theater in a box, or are looking for an upgrade to your current receiver with more connectivity and features, I highly recommend this product.

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By N. Cheung “Really Happy!!”

After studying the various audio forums and reading all the pro reviews out there I decided that the Pioneer VSX-1019AH-K was the machine for me. And damn it is a sweet machine! It’s beautiful to look at, with a nice glossy finish and big digital screen on the face! Sound is wonderful in both stereo and surround so while listening to music is a joy, watching a movie is just thunderous!

Let me start by saying I am coming from a Marantz SR73 receiver hooked up to Swan 4.2 fronts with Swan C2 center channel speaker. My sub is a Velodyne and my rears were Polk Audio RM101’s. The setup was wonderful but I wanted a receiver that could decipher all the new audio codecs and have HDMI connections coupled with a usb port for my ipod. I wanted another Marantz but just couldn’t afford them at this moment. They’re premium receivers and my budget couldn’t swing it. So I stuck to the companies that made more budget conscious audio equipment like Denon, Yamaha, Onkyo and Pioneer. I kept my speakers and after months of research I settled for the Pioneer!

Like I said it answers all my needs with wonderful sound and the ipod connection which is extra on almost every other manufacturer was a added plus!! The ipod integration is seamless and Pioneer even included a USB cable! Apple white too!

I was going to get the Pioneer pioneer Elite 21TXH but it was to big and way to complicated. It’s a beautiful machine, as is the entire Elite line, but I wouldn’t have the patience to nuance the thing to get what I wanted and it would have been a waste. Granted the Pioneer VSX1019 is also complicated and the number of adjustments that are available are pretty incredible, but it wasn’t as complicated as the Elite.

The 1019 does get hot! So you better have some good ventilation or a fan if you are going to put it in a cabinet. The instructions suck and does require patience and some intensive study. But the 1019 is pretty intuitive and with a little time everything will become clear.

If you’re in the market for a receiver consider the Pioneer VSX1019AH-k! Granted Onkyo, Denon and Yamaha make great products but I really think Pioneer struck gold with this one! It’s a can’t miss proposition!!

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By EAE “ewaz57″

I purchased the Onkyo TX-SR-606 and had disappointing results with video conversion and shutdowns. Onkyo refused to fix it so I returned it to Amazon. Got the Pioneer VSX-1019 AH-K with Energy 5.1 Take Speakers and could not be happier. I use this home theater setup with my 60″ Kuro Pioneer Plasma. Works fantastic with the LG WiFi Blu Ray player also. Excellent sound reproduction and strong Bass. I am very happy with this purchase and would highly recommend it. CNET review was right on.

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By Cary L. Brown

I did my homework before buying a new A/V receiver. I downloaded the manual. I made a list of everything I needed, and what I would NOT want as well. This receiver is the best match I was able to find for what I wanted. The overwhelmingly positive reviews, from multiple sources, put me over the edge.

To anyone who thinks that this is “too complicated” or that the manual is “unclear,” I’m sorry… reading is fundamental, learn it. I knew everything I needed to know about using this device before I even bought it. And when I got it, I was able to make everything work… perfectly… and painlessly.

The sound quality, with my 7.1 system (a pair of original Bose 301 speakers for my fronts, a set of Klipsch Quintet III speakers for my front-center and my four surround speakers, and a Polk PSW505 12″ subwoofer) is phenomenally nice. I’ve got three auto-generated sound/equalization calibration schemes set up… these were done “automagically” with the provided microphone… so I get perfect sound imaging from my recliner, from my couch, or near-perfect centered on the entire seating area (for shared viewing). I’ve got a blu-ray drive, a 5-disk DVD changer, an LP player (through an external phono preamp), a tape deck, a VCR, a cable DVR, and an Archos portable “Internet Media Tablet” all hooked in, and still have room for two more inputs if I need them… plus the built-in AM/FM tuner and the interface to an external Sirius device, of course, and the iPod/USB-drive interface.

Control is really pretty simple… IF YOU READ THE MANUAL. It’s not intuitive if you’re the type who would rather muddle through it all, though. Remember… “measure twice, cut once”… in other words, think it though before you start trying to do it.

I was prepared to pay a LOT for the “ideal device” for my purposes. Instead, I was able to find a terrific device for a reasonable price that does everything I could ask for. So far, after several months of continuous usage, I’m happier than ever with this device.

The only drawback I’ve found is that, like any “high-power” device, this device generates quite a bit of heat. If you’re putting this into an enclosed space, expect it to get warm. (In my case, I do have it in an enclosed space, along with all the other devices listed above… but I have a large, slow-turning ventilating fan in the back of the cabinet to pull air through.. it’s silent and removes all the heat. If you’re in an “open” installation, this isn’t an issue… but if you want to mount into a cabinet, either implement forced-air-flow, or accept that things will get fairly warm.)

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By M. Purifoy

I just replaced my JVC Receiver that I had over 12 years. The VSX-1019AH-K has the best sound of any receiver I have listen to this year. I have shopped around for a replacement and this is the best mid-range for the price and sound.

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By vicnow “vnowo”

I downloaded the Pandora application from Itunes, and installed it on my Itouch, it works with the IPod usb connection on the Receiver. This turns the receiver into a Internet capable radio, nice!

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By S. Kaplan

After narrowly escaping the sales pitch in a nearby Bose store, I came home and decided to put together my own surround system for less than the $3000 the salesperson quoted me. My last receiver was a Sony so at first I was leaning towards the new Sony STR-DN1000 7.1-Channel Audio Video Receiver (Black) but after researching I realized this offered better design but sacrificed performance. When I came across this receiver I was impressed by its design AND performance, and all the reviews seemed to suggest this was the best I was going to get in this price range. I paired this receiver with Klipsch Quintet SL Home Theater System (Set of Five, Black) and a Klipsch Synergy SUB-10 subwoofer. The connections were a breeze. Currently, I have an HD cable box and a PS3, both connected via HDMI. Another HDMI cable from the video output to my Samsung UN55B6000 55-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV and its done. The receiver basically sets itself up for optimal performance by plugging in the included microphone. I did have to go back and play with some of these settings, but it was a good start. I like being able to edit the inputs to only those I actually need, so I don’t have to scroll through and endless list of inputs when I want to switch from tv to a blu-ray movie. The sound that comes out is incredible. Plenty of power to the 5 channels, even at high volumes. I haven’t really been able to push it to its limits because I live in an apartment and want to be considerate of my neighbors, but I have turned it up and wow did it rock. I will admit, from an aesthetic standpoint, the remote is somewhat lackluster, but I hardly ever need to use it now that everything is set up the way I want it, and I have my cable remote programmed to the receiver.

To dispel some of the complaints… about the heat, I have mine on a shelf in my tv console, which offers only a couple inches of clearance on both the sides and the top. I thought this might be an issue, but I’ve checked it after its been on for a few hours and its no hotter than my macbook pro. Also, some had said it’s settings are too confusing. This isn’t an entry level receiver, it has many features that consequently mean lots of menus and settings. If you want to avoid this, go with a “plug and play” HTIB. I do admit though, the manual does leave a lot of questions unanswered. But in my opinion, if you’re a technology/home theater junkie, then figuring it out yourself is part of the fun. It took me a couple days looking through all the settings and reading the guide, when ultimately the solution was a setting on my PS3, which obviously wasn’t in the manual.

Overall, I am very glad with this purchase, which vastly exceeds the performance of the Bose system, for a fraction of the cost. If you are looking for high-end features and performance with the price tag of a mid range receiver then this is perfect for you.

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By Dennis R. Hoyer

I really love this receiver as it sounds great and I’d like to cover three aspects not adequately covered in the previous reviews. I bought this model over the 919 model because of the video up-conversion. However, it does not operate like I thought it would. It DOES NOT up-convert any HDMI inputs like I thought it would. I have a Comcast DVR which is capable of 1080i, 720p, and 480p/480i outputs through the HDMI or video component jacks in back. In order for the 1019 video up-conversion to work, you must connect via a component video cable (Belkin PureAV AV21000-03 3-Foot Component Video Cable) to the output of the Comcast DVR and input it to the 1019. And I use an optical audio cable (Belkin Av20000B03 PureAV Digital Optical Audio Cable – 3 Ft.) for the sound. The 1019 receiver outputs only the video to the HDMI output and NO audio (in the same HDMI output cable) to the tv (audio is taken care of through the receivers speakers). The only up-conversion that happens is from 480i/480p up-converts to 1080p (or 720p/1080i if your HDTV doesn’t support 1080p). To my surprise it did NOT up-convert 720p to 1080p nor 1080i to 1080p even when you use the video component cable into the 1019.

Now on my 480i/480p SD cable channels I can view in 1080p and if I hit the stretch button (52″ Sharp HDTV) I get an extra inch on each side of the border and it does NOT distort the picture at all. It also nicely up-converts the dvd’s to 1080p also using the component video cable. As a previous review has stated, Page 67 of the manual, when setting the ASP setting (aspect ratio) make sure you change it to NORMAL because it is by default on THROUGH setting which stretches the picture and distorts the image which looks terrible.

Now, on the heating issue I solved that problem by getting a Honeywell fan (Honeywell HT-900C Tabletop Air-Circulator Fan, Black) locally at Target which was the same price as amazon. Running the fan (on the lowest speed) on top of this receiver keeps it running cool after hours and hours of use. Would I still buy this model over the 919 had I known about the video up-conversion? Yes, the extra couple of inches and not distorting the picture in 1080p on my SDTV cable channels and the DVD 1080p up-conversion makes it worth it for me. The 919 receiver only has video up-conversion from the 480i to 480p (i.e., it just De-interlaces 480i), and that’s what makes it the best buy if you don’t care about video up-conversion because that is the only significant difference between the two (other than the fact that the 1019 has one more HDMI input than the 919).

However, If you can live without up-converting your 480i/480p SD cable channel’s, your best bet is to go with the 919 and buy a Blu-Ray disc player that will up-convert your regular DVD’s to 1080p such as the Panasonic DMP-BD60 Blu-ray Disc Player (Black). If you purchases this particular Blu-ray player presently through amazon with your amazon store card you can get 6 month’s of no payments and interest free financing for that purchase and anything else you buy on the same order with the Panasonic BD60. Hard to beat that deal anywhere.

UPDATE: 1/27/2010 I just bought the Pioneer 819 as a second unit which is advertised as a 5.1 receiver. However, the 819 has 7.1 channel capability because it has pre-amp out for left and right surround back speakers and I just happen to have an old SAE 2200, 100 watt amplifier, which I connected up to it for the back speakers, works great. The MCACC’s GUI on the 819 is not as nice (not colored either) as the 1019’s, but it checks out, calibrates, and registers the 7.1 speakers system when you hook up the external amplifier for the back speakers. Also on the 819 you must use a component video cable to see the MCACC’s B/W GUI whereas on the 1019 you view it through the HDMI out cable. The 819 has 10 watts less per channel than the 1019/919, ie 110 watts per channel. So If you have an external 2 channel amplifier lying around, consider getting the Pioneer 819 and you will easily convert it into a more expensive 7.1 receiver and save yourself some big bucks like I did buying the 819 used (in new condition at half amazon’s new price) on ebay.

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By G. Ng

In my younger days I was a stereo audiophile. I had NAD components, Magneplanar speakers (among others), a Denon DPL-60 turntable…. pretty good stuff where you could sit back and listen to music and hear a soundstage. With the advent of home theater (and kids) my stereo turned into pretty basic stuff. My last set up was an Onkyo 7.1 receiver, Infinity bookshelves, Polk surrounds, and Apple TV to store my music. Everything sounded flat and compressed, zero soundstage, just a wall of sound. The amp sounded terrible in stereo and I was forced to go into fake surround. I put up with this for many years assuming that my serious listening days were over (can’t afford the good stuff anymore)and that the convenience of Apple TV outweighed the sound quality.

Then I bought the Beatle remasters. I read how they sounded like you were sitting in Abbey Road studio with them. I put them on. Flat and compressed. I then put them in my car, which has a terrific sound system, and they were over the top great. So I decided right then to upgrade.

I read about the Pioneer series sounding “powerful” and “musical” and decided to take one step at a time in my upgrade process. Setting it up was quite a challenge, even with HDMI, as the manual is one of the worst designed pieces of junk ever. I seriously took it to bed for 3 nights in a row to read it like it was a textbook. I’m glad I did as I would never have known, for example, that I needed to set up a digital audio out from the TV back the receiver. Anyway, I ran the MCAAC (which is pretty cool as it tests the room acoustics and sets the tone, tests the reveb, sets the speaker levels, etc) and put on the Apple TV. Remember, before Apple TV was compressed and pretty AM radio sounding. POW! All of a sudden I was hearing nuances I had never heard before. A brush on the cymbal, a breath of air before the singer began, I could even pick out the harmony voices in Nowhere Man. No longer was it a flat wall of sound, I was hearing the vocalist in the middle and, get this, totally clear in the mix as if there was a discreet center channel with just the vocalist. I even had to check to make sure the surround wasn’t on. My collection of thousands of CDs now sounds new and fresh, as if they were all remastered. Even old recordings like Loggins and Messina’s “Brighter Days” sounds new and remastered.

Then I put on a movie. Took out Lord of the Rings’ Two Towers and played the scene where Gandalf is caught in the caves and pulled down to his (spoiler alert!) fake death and wow again, so much clarity in the sound. Dialog was clear even though there was chaos all around, the rears were active but blended, the room rumbling like never before. I was going to sell those Infinitys and so glad I did not.

One feature I love is the Automatic Level Control. On my old setup watching HD TV the commercials were significantly louder than the program. I would always quickly turn down the volume when a commercial came on. With ALC, which is easily assessable with one button on the front or the remote, the sound levels were perfectly matched. And unlike the Onkyo, the voices and the picture are always in sync. No more annoying “off by a milisecond” sync.

So I wholeheartedly recommend this receiver. The sound is superb, the settings (once you get used to the remote) logical. Get it!