Pioneer VSX-D309 Receiver
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Apartment Dwellers Delight
Pros
Great value.
Cons
None.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
A steal.
I think I bought the last one of these...there may still be some around but I have the impression this unit has been phased out. Why? Probably because it is such a steal, it was taking sales away from the more expensive, more high powered units! This unit has the proverbial "everything," but at 60 watts, the concern would be that 5.1 surround sound from a DVD might not be loud enough. And that could be a concern if you are in a huge room. As other reviews have noted as well, there have been times when I have played the unit at like 90% of its volume (particularly on DVDs, which by their nature output at lower levels than music CDs). But I have never needed to go higher, indeed the sound is so impressive I've had to worry about my downstairs neighbors complaining, so in my book I got the right system at the right price with 10% room to spare. Speaking of room, my room size is medium - about 20 ft by 15 ft. Is your room this size? If so, then DON'T WORRY. Use the savings to buy a good center channel speaker. The costs of a good home theatre system add up quickly, so buy smart. If your room is not huge, this will take care of you.
Most of all, I love Pioneer's "midnight mode." This option compresses the dynamic range so that softer sounds are brought up more, overcoming any background noise in your environment. Your room is not sound-proof like a movie theatre. You've got air conditioning, or fans going, or whatever, all adding subtle noise to your room. By compressing the dynamic range, everything is elevated above this background noise. Every nuance in the soundtrack is brought out. And I should add the effect is subtle; it retains the authenticity of the soundtrack. It just makes it seem like your hearing suddenly got better.
Besides the 60 watts, what else kept the price down? Nothing that I can tell except the omission of s-video ins/outs. Sometimes an inexpensive unit is just bait designed to catch the unwary customer, and other times it is a steal - an actual high end componant at a low price. This is the latter.
Most of all, I love Pioneer's "midnight mode." This option compresses the dynamic range so that softer sounds are brought up more, overcoming any background noise in your environment. Your room is not sound-proof like a movie theatre. You've got air conditioning, or fans going, or whatever, all adding subtle noise to your room. By compressing the dynamic range, everything is elevated above this background noise. Every nuance in the soundtrack is brought out. And I should add the effect is subtle; it retains the authenticity of the soundtrack. It just makes it seem like your hearing suddenly got better.
Besides the 60 watts, what else kept the price down? Nothing that I can tell except the omission of s-video ins/outs. Sometimes an inexpensive unit is just bait designed to catch the unwary customer, and other times it is a steal - an actual high end componant at a low price. This is the latter.
