Pioneer VSX-D608 Receiver
Out of stock |
Similar in Receivers
- Type: Receiver
- Overview
-
Reviews
-
Compare Prices
User ReviewRead All Reviews »
Features abound in this Amazing Value
Pros
Versatile Audio Input/Output, Midnight Theater Mode, Price
Cons
None that I am aware of.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
It's now July 27th, 2002. Update: Still a great machine and has operated without fail all these years to my extreme satisfaction. My initial review stands.
The Pioneer VSX-D608 is incredible. Have you ever been confused just looking at the back of a new receiver, so much so that you were almost afraid to buy it. Relax with this gem. Everything on the back is clearly labeled as to what is expected to go into which spot. The 608 (as I will use to refer to the Pioneer VSX-D608) has the ability to except Audio input from a variety of sources. Lets take for example, my other favorite component, the Toshiba DVD SD3109. This DVD player has the ability to send an audio signal in many ways and every possible way to send the signal can be received perfectly by the 608.
For example, most people are familiar with the basic left and right RCA stereo output. You have the capability to use both the Toshiba and the Pioneer to handle this format. But with the newer technology, most people today are setting up a surround sound system. With this in mind the Toshiba can send 6 audio (analog) RCA signals out and the 608 will accept every one of the 6 as inputs. The 6 audio (analog) RCA cables are used for two front speakers, two back speakers, a center speaker and a sub-woofer.
Now, back to the future, the above mentioned output of the Toshiba DVD SD3109 has been dealing with an analog out and the 608 taking the analog in. The problem with this is that even if you wanted to hook it up in these manners, you are wasting some great technology. Enter the digital world. You have a DVD player working digitally and a receiver that can speak digitally with the DVD player, but in the above way of making the connections you are converting the signal to analog and then back to digital and this will cause a decrease in the quality of reproducing the sounds. Based on that it makes sense to never let the analog come into play. If you can produce a digital signal and you can interpret a digital signal, then you should send the signal digitally. The Pioneer VSX-D608 is very happy to provide you with the ability to avoid analog. This baby doesn't limit you to one option, but instead gives you 2 options.
The first option is to go with a fiber optic connection and the second option is to go with digital coaxial cable. Of these two options the choice of many stereo buffs is the digital coaxial cable. The fiber optic is a great choice, better than the 2 previously mentioned analog choices, but there can be complications such as when you use "cheap" fiber optic cables. Cheap cables can break the internal fibers if the cord is bent or constantly being over flexed. The digital coaxial cable doesn't have this concern and the signal is transported in a more efficient manner making the choice of kings.
Once you have the signal in the 608, you then have several choices as how you will send the signal out to the speakers. The most useful way to use the outputs of this receiver is to send a signal from a sub-woofer output (clearly labeled) to the back of your sub-woofer. There is also a center channel output to send to the center speaker (if it's a powered) centered speaker. If you are like most of us you will use the left and right output from the back of the 608 (labeled center speaker), to the back of your center speaker. You will also follow the same procedure to hook up the front and rear speakers.
The 608 can not only use it's built-in Dolby Digital Decoder to reproduce the theater sound quality delivered from the DVD player, but also was smart enough to include a built in DTS decoder for decoding those DVD's using this technology. The 608 has a wonderful "Midnight" sound mode. I live in an apartment and my neighbors especially enjoy this feature. It allows the sound to be produced in its fullness at a quieter noise level, so that you can enjoy the surround sound while the neighbors get their much needed 40 winks.
The instruction manual is easy to read and well laid out so that even the novice can have the system up and running in no time.
One other feature worth mentioning and I have researched that may surprise some of you. I have a surround sound speaker system with a powered sub-woofer. When setting up the 608 you have the ability to tell your receiver how you want to send the sound to your speakers. Basically you can have the system refer to the speakers as being either "large" or "small" speakers. What this feature is actually doing is telling your system to send either the full sound including the bass (large) or send only the sound from about 80Hz on up (the mid-bass on up to the high frequencies) (small). I discovered and was coached to choose the "small" choice. This allows the bass, to be handled strictly by the sub-woofer with all other frequencies being handled at the other 5 speakers (including center). I was upset when I heard this as I just spent money on surround speakers that have 6 1/2" woofers just for the bass. After testing out both methods, I found that I was correctly influenced to set up the 5 speakers as small. The voices were crisper during the louder bass moments and the movie Top Gun was inspiring. I guess that when you have so many sources handling the bass, the bass sounds overlap each other and you get a bit of a muddled effect. Besides all that, if the sub-woofer handles the bass, your receiver only has to deal with handling the other frequencies and there is a bit less of a work load on the amplifier (608) not having to work out the bass.
As far as pricing goes you can get all of this at less than $350.00 over the internet. In my review of the Toshiba SD3109 also found at this site I describe an effective way to find a good price on this beauty as well as any other component of the home theater setup. My 608 came from www.supremevideo.com. My Toshiba SD3109 came from www.suttertel.com. My speakers came from www.hometheaterdirect.com. I recommend any of these online sources.
I also refuse to give any recognition to www.netmarket.com. I had a nightmarish experience with them and advise all to stay away or use at your own risk. They wouldn't even give me a price unless I first became a member. Thumbs way down on www.netmarket.com. And I hope that this warning doesn't have the reverse effect of having people go there just to see how bad they are. Many other places are friendly and there's no guesswork or membership required to get information.
Enjoy
For example, most people are familiar with the basic left and right RCA stereo output. You have the capability to use both the Toshiba and the Pioneer to handle this format. But with the newer technology, most people today are setting up a surround sound system. With this in mind the Toshiba can send 6 audio (analog) RCA signals out and the 608 will accept every one of the 6 as inputs. The 6 audio (analog) RCA cables are used for two front speakers, two back speakers, a center speaker and a sub-woofer.
Now, back to the future, the above mentioned output of the Toshiba DVD SD3109 has been dealing with an analog out and the 608 taking the analog in. The problem with this is that even if you wanted to hook it up in these manners, you are wasting some great technology. Enter the digital world. You have a DVD player working digitally and a receiver that can speak digitally with the DVD player, but in the above way of making the connections you are converting the signal to analog and then back to digital and this will cause a decrease in the quality of reproducing the sounds. Based on that it makes sense to never let the analog come into play. If you can produce a digital signal and you can interpret a digital signal, then you should send the signal digitally. The Pioneer VSX-D608 is very happy to provide you with the ability to avoid analog. This baby doesn't limit you to one option, but instead gives you 2 options.
The first option is to go with a fiber optic connection and the second option is to go with digital coaxial cable. Of these two options the choice of many stereo buffs is the digital coaxial cable. The fiber optic is a great choice, better than the 2 previously mentioned analog choices, but there can be complications such as when you use "cheap" fiber optic cables. Cheap cables can break the internal fibers if the cord is bent or constantly being over flexed. The digital coaxial cable doesn't have this concern and the signal is transported in a more efficient manner making the choice of kings.
Once you have the signal in the 608, you then have several choices as how you will send the signal out to the speakers. The most useful way to use the outputs of this receiver is to send a signal from a sub-woofer output (clearly labeled) to the back of your sub-woofer. There is also a center channel output to send to the center speaker (if it's a powered) centered speaker. If you are like most of us you will use the left and right output from the back of the 608 (labeled center speaker), to the back of your center speaker. You will also follow the same procedure to hook up the front and rear speakers.
The 608 can not only use it's built-in Dolby Digital Decoder to reproduce the theater sound quality delivered from the DVD player, but also was smart enough to include a built in DTS decoder for decoding those DVD's using this technology. The 608 has a wonderful "Midnight" sound mode. I live in an apartment and my neighbors especially enjoy this feature. It allows the sound to be produced in its fullness at a quieter noise level, so that you can enjoy the surround sound while the neighbors get their much needed 40 winks.
The instruction manual is easy to read and well laid out so that even the novice can have the system up and running in no time.
One other feature worth mentioning and I have researched that may surprise some of you. I have a surround sound speaker system with a powered sub-woofer. When setting up the 608 you have the ability to tell your receiver how you want to send the sound to your speakers. Basically you can have the system refer to the speakers as being either "large" or "small" speakers. What this feature is actually doing is telling your system to send either the full sound including the bass (large) or send only the sound from about 80Hz on up (the mid-bass on up to the high frequencies) (small). I discovered and was coached to choose the "small" choice. This allows the bass, to be handled strictly by the sub-woofer with all other frequencies being handled at the other 5 speakers (including center). I was upset when I heard this as I just spent money on surround speakers that have 6 1/2" woofers just for the bass. After testing out both methods, I found that I was correctly influenced to set up the 5 speakers as small. The voices were crisper during the louder bass moments and the movie Top Gun was inspiring. I guess that when you have so many sources handling the bass, the bass sounds overlap each other and you get a bit of a muddled effect. Besides all that, if the sub-woofer handles the bass, your receiver only has to deal with handling the other frequencies and there is a bit less of a work load on the amplifier (608) not having to work out the bass.
As far as pricing goes you can get all of this at less than $350.00 over the internet. In my review of the Toshiba SD3109 also found at this site I describe an effective way to find a good price on this beauty as well as any other component of the home theater setup. My 608 came from www.supremevideo.com. My Toshiba SD3109 came from www.suttertel.com. My speakers came from www.hometheaterdirect.com. I recommend any of these online sources.
I also refuse to give any recognition to www.netmarket.com. I had a nightmarish experience with them and advise all to stay away or use at your own risk. They wouldn't even give me a price unless I first became a member. Thumbs way down on www.netmarket.com. And I hope that this warning doesn't have the reverse effect of having people go there just to see how bad they are. Many other places are friendly and there's no guesswork or membership required to get information.
Enjoy
