hi what is the model number of this receiver? Casey ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dane Trethowan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2005 8:29 AM Subject: ARTICLE: SURROUNDING YOURSELF IWTH SOUND
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 > > Greetings! > > Just purchased and installed a new surround-sound system and I've done a mini > review that I thought others may be interested in. I didn't spend much time > editing the thing, its only a draft but I'm sure you'll get the idea just the > same. > > SURROUNDING YOURSELF WITH SOUND > A REVIEW > OF THE > PIONEER > VSX-D512-S > SURROUND-SOUND > RECEIVER > > BY > > DANE TRETHOWAN > > This receiver is the second system I've had which has enabled me to enjoy > music, films and sources with the extra information which can be decoded by a > Surround-Sound system. > > When I first started my journey with more than 2 speakers, I was using a Denon > AVR-2000 Pro-Logic Surround-Sound receiver. I purchased this beast 11 years > ago but times (like the technology for Surround-sound) have changed and the new > Pioneer really shoves the Denon set I have into the Dina sore pool, the main > reason being that there are several different standards of decoding > Surround-Sound content, the Denon only handled Dolby "PRO-LOGIC" format whereas > the Pioneer handles that and More, I've been re-mastering allot of 4-channel > cartridges using my cartridge player I have here and converting them to the > Dolby DTS format, put them onto a CD and play them back through the DVD > connected to the digital port of the Pioneer and you open up a whole new world > of audio and you transport yourself back to the days of "QUAD" sound in the > 70s, only difference is that it sounds allot better now than it did then. > > DETAILS > > Now down to the details, I purchased this receiver as part of a "HOME THEATRE > IN A BOX" pack which Pioneer are still selling, the pack contained the receiver > with 6 speakers, (2 rear, 1 centre, 2 front and a 100-watt sub-woofer). > Placement of the speakers took some time but I now have them placed about the > lounge area so I can enjoy the affect of them all when I'm sitting in my > favorite armchair. > > All speakers connect to the Receiver vi cables and clip terminals, I'm not > particularly happy with this idea, I would have preferred binding posts, the > clips mean that you have to be a bit careful about the thickness of the speaker > cable you use. > > Ok, a first glance of the manual, the manual is in 3 languages (including > English), Pioneer tell you that before making any connections that you're to > connect the receiver to the power and go through the "QUICK SETUP" menu, this > menu is accessed by its own button on the front of the receiver and all menu > content is displayed in the display of the unit rather than on a TV screen as > some manufacturers insist on doing. The other good thing is that the options > for the menu appear n the order as stated in the manual so it's a matter of > selecting the options you want, pressing enter, changing the option and > pressing enter twice to confirm your setting. Only a few options available > here, one to set the surround mode you wish to use and the other to select the > number of speakers you're planning to use (you can set anything from 3 to 6). > If you only have a standard 2-speaker configuration for stereo then don't > panic, this receiver works well in stereo mode, ready for you to expand at a > later stage. Navigating through the menu choices is done by using the jog-dial > on the front panel. Once all connections have been made and you have the > receiver up and running, you may consider making further adjustments to > fine-tune your system in the "ADVANCED SETUP" menu, these adjustments include > distance between front and centre speakers, distance between where you're > sitting and speakers, sub-woofer frequency thresholds etc. If you don't want > to rely on the menu system then you can make the necessary adjustments by using > the test-tone facility offered (use your own ears). > > CONNECTIONS > > This receiver can take a host of devices through a vast array of connections at > the rear, amongst the various inputs/outputs you'll find connections for a VCR > or DVR (which ever you like), DVD (inputs for 6 analog channels if required), > CD, TV/Satellite receiver and cassette deck/Minidisc Recorder etc. > > The video side boasts composite inputs and outputs as well as S-Vhs, I was a > little disappointed that the receiver didn't have any component video > inputs/outputs but this is overcome by wiring the DVD players component video > outputs directly to the TV'S component video inputs. > > The receiver has 2 digital inputs, (one is a toslink fiber-optic and the other > a coaxial cable input, these can be set to various sources including DVD, > TV/SAT and CD though why this was done I don't know, I would have thought that > Pioneer would have found things easier to have a digital input/inputs for each > of these functions rather than just having 2 inputs which the user has to set > up between 3 functions etc). > > When you're listening to DVD, TV/SAT or CD you can use the "SOURCE" button on > the front panel to toggle between analog or digital inputs, there is even an > "AUTO" which will "AUTO-SELECT" the input for you, if a source is playing > through the analog or digital input then its automatically selected for you. > You could for example connect both your satellite receiver and TV to the same > selection (TV/SAT), connecting your satellite receiver to the digital input and > your TV to the analog. When the satellite receiver is turned on and starts > playing, the analog connection to the TV is terminated and playing of the > satellite through the digital input starts. > > I Mentioned that the DVD selection has 6 analog inputs (2 for front left and > right, 2 for rear left and right, 1 for the centre and one for the sub-woofer), > if you have a standard DVD player then you'll want to use the 2 front channels > for your analog connections and the digital port for all your surround-sound > needs. If you have a DVD player which supports the playing of SACD (Super > Audio CD) or DVD-audio (or your computers sound device has multi-channel sound > output) then the extra DVD analog channels come in handy, you can select > between the various input methods for your DVD sources with the "SOURCE > BUTTON". > > VARIOUS SURROUND-SOUND AND STEREO OUTPUT MODES > > If you feel the world of surround-sound daunting then perhaps you'll just > consider using this set for a while in "STEREO DIRECT" mode, in this mode, only > the front 2 speakers (and the sub-woofer) are active and all tone controls etc > are bypassed, if you want good quality stereo sound from your CD player or any > other source then this is the mode you should use. In the "STANDARD STEREO" > and other modes, the Bass and Treble controls can be adjusted. The bass and > treble controls are not pots rather they're adjusted electronically, one press > of the tone button takes you to the Bass adjustment which is adjusted by the > use of the jog-dial on the front of the unit. You can hear the new bass and > treble settings for yourself as you adjust, once you've finished the adjustment > just wait for a few seconds for the settings to be permanently memorised until > the next adjustment. > > This unit has many "SURROUND-SOUND" modes pre-programmed but you can create > your own, the manual suggests that you experiment with each mode to see which > you prefer. Note that some modes will not work affectively or at all depending > on the source content. > > "LOUDNESS" and "MIDNIGHT LISTENING" functions are available if you plan to > listen to a DVD or CD at low volume. > > TUNER > > The tuner boasts 30 presets in 3 banks of 10. These can be randomly preset > meaning that you can set say 5 for Medium-Wave and 20 for Fm if so desired. > > To my knowledge, this receiver will not allow the user to "AUTO-PRESET" the > presets (meaning that the tuner will not scan the band automatically, putting > the signals it finds into the preset memories.) > > The standard seek and scan modes are available both from the front panel and > from the remote control unit. > > One interesting feature of the tuner is the "DIRECT FREQUENCY" function, you > can use the number pad of the remote control to enter a frequency (say 1020KHZ > Medium-wave) and the receiver will be tuned to that frequency, I've only ever > seen 2 Hi Fi tuners with this function. > > Naturally, the user can scroll through each bank of presets with either the > remote control or from the front panel, each preset is associated with a number > (each bank is numbered from 1-10 and you use the "CLASS" button to cycle > between the 3 banks). > > Station naming is possible (each station which is preset can have a station > name of 4 characters assigned to it). > > If you're living in the U.S., you can switch this receiver to accommodate 10KHZ > stepping on the Medium-Wave band. For those living outside the U.S., you can > switch the receiver to use 9KHZ steps. > > Tuner sensitivity is excellent on Medium-Wave and FM bands though the band > width on the Medium-Wave band is very narrow so if you're a person with a > hearing impairment this may be a problem but if you're looking for something > which performs like a rocket in the sensitivity stakes then this tuner will > serve you well. The aerial used for the Medium-Wave is a loop wire antenna > whilst for FM a coaxial cable connection is provided, that's the way all tuners > seem to be going these days. > > OTHER STUFF > > This set is the first I've seen to contain 2 Power on/off switches, one is a > primary switch (disconnects all power from the unit) whilst the other is a > secondary, (switches the unit to the "STANDBY" mode so that it can be turned > back on again by the remote control or by other components hooked up to the > "REMOTE" jack of this unit. > > The remote control can control most other products which are equipped with a > remote control sensor and programming of the remote control for this purpose is > easy! Control of various components is automatically set by typing in the > appropriate 3 digit code for the item to be set and controlled, the manual > details all the available codes. > > The model I have is a "MULTI VOLTAGE" model so it can be operated throughout > the world, the manual suggests that you check to see that the voltage selectors > are set to match your countries power requirements. > > The unit weighs in at just over 9 kilograms which is quite light for a unit of > this power. > > Total power output for each channel is 120 Watts RMS though Pioneer rate it at > 100 Watts, the specifications section of the manual gives both measurements. > The sub-woofer my set was supplied with is a 150 watt unit. > > If the unit gets hot a fan automatically kicks in to cool the unit. > > The set isn't equipped with an analogue master volume pot, rather the pot is > electronic and speed sensitive, the faster you turn it the faster the volume > setting reacts so you can get some really nice fading affects if you take it > "SLOW". > > Well, I think that about wraps up my review. Naturally, because this unit has > such a great deal of features included this review doesn't even attempt to > cover everything. > > > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- > Version: PGP 8.1 > Comment: A Member Of The TFT BBS Digital Security Initiative > > iQA/AwUBQhNY1ylBPqY64aUBEQKfXgCfaWKQLjTtDjnVVZqfxxCqSQXlSysAoM2r > lEm9gV1+rH8/M9KRIHNzXuTh > =LNq9 > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- > > Dane Trethowan > http://www.tft-bbs.com/grtdane/ > > > -- > Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.8.7 - Release Date: 10/02/2005 > > > > _______________________________________________ > PC-Audio List Help, Guidelines, Archives and more... > http://www.pc-audio.org > > To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ PC-Audio List Help, Guidelines, Archives and more... http://www.pc-audio.org To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
