Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH

The Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH is one of four models of new Elite receivers released in 2007 including the VSX-90TXV, VSX-91TXH, and VSX-92TXH. The VSX-94TXH is a 7.1 channel receiver delivering 140 Watts of power to each of it 7 channels. Pioneer has caught up to its competition (see Onkyo TX-SR875 and the Denon AVR-3808CI) by including 4 HDMI 1.3a inputs with a built-in Faroudja DCDi video processor that upscales all sources to 1080p and sends to the HDMI output, and all analog sources to component video.

Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH
MSRP $1,600.00
Release date August, 2007
Brand Pioneer
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Pros & Cons

ProSCORE
18 reviews
88
negative
mixed
positive
16 positive
1 mixed
1 negative

[i] How is the ProSCORE calculated?

show me!

Pros:
Do you agree?
•
LAN / Internet streaming
+14agreedisagree

•
Send room acoustic data to your PC over RS-232
+12agreedisagree

•
Upscaling using Faroudja chip to 1080p over HDMI
+11agreedisagree

•
Advanced MCACC system /w full phase control
+10agreedisagree

•
Looks great; nice build quality
+9agreedisagree

•
stellar audio(in pure direct for cd listening and Dolby Digital + and DTS HD MA for Blu-ray) and video
+2agreedisagree

Cons:
Do you agree?
•
Lackluster UI compared to competitors
+6agreedisagree


19 people added to this review by submitting or voting on pros and cons. Add your say!
See individual votes »

Details

The VSX-94TXH has a LAN 10/100 Ethernet connection for streaming music from either your PC or over the Internet with any DLNA compliant source. It features a USB input for connecting external media players or storage devices like an iPod. It is XM/Sirius compatible.

MCACC

The VSX-94TXH has what Pioneer calls Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration Circuit (MCACC) for equalizing and automatically tuning your system to your specific room dynamics. Place the included microphone in your typical listening position, press the MCACC button, and the receiver will automatically calibrate itself. This model includes full Phase Control as well. For hardcore enthusiasts, graphical images of your room's reverberation frequency response can be displayed on your PC over its RS-232 output.

Features

  • 4 x HDMI 1.3a inputs, 1 x HDMI 1.3a output
  • 7.1 channel surround /w 140 Watts per channel
  • Faroudja DCDi video processing
  • Upscaling and transcoding all video inputs to 1080p over HDMI
  • Converts S-video and composite video inputs to component video output
  • Multi-room, multi-source with 3 zones
  • iPod/USB/XM/Sirius/DLNA/Internet Radio
  • dimensions: 16 9/16" W x 7 3/8" H  x 18 1/16 " D
  • weight: 41.14 lbs.

Competitors

The Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH was released in mid-August 2007 with an MSRP of $1600. The Pioneer Elite VSX-92TXH boasts similar specifications and features with 3 HDMI inputs and 130 Watts / channel for $300 cheaper with an MSRP of $1300.

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This report was started September 17, 2007 at 12:18 pm by Erik
with the last edit occurring October 11, 2008 at 11:44 am by penjwa
This page has been viewed 27681 times, with 172 edits by 22 contributors.
See the full report history »

Competitors

Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH is ranked 3rd among it's competitors.  See the top picks in A/V Receivers »
Onkyo TX-SR876

Onkyo TX-SR876

MSRP  $1,599.00    Released  September, 2008
Pros
  • Silicon Optix Reon HQV-50 Video Scaler
  • Audyssey Dynamic Volume, Dynamic EQ, and Auto Setup
  • Output Any Video Signal in 1080P (via HDMI output)
  • 2 HDMI Outputs
Cons
  • Only 4 HDMI Inputs
  • No USB ports
ProSCORE
6 reviews
88
Vote! (2 votes)
vote Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH 0% vs. vote Onkyo TX-SR876 100%
Yamaha RX-V3900

Yamaha RX-V3900

MSRP  $1,899.95    Released  September, 2008
Pros
  • 4 x HDMI inputs + 2 HDMI outputs
  • Internet + network connectivity with Web browser control
  • Anchor Bay VRS Technology + PReP video processing for large displays
Cons
  • Anchor Bay not as good as Silicon Optix HQV Reon-VX in Onkyo and Denon
  • No THX certification
  • No HDMI to HDMI upscaling
ProSCORE
12 reviews
95
Vote! (1 vote)
vote Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH 0% vs. vote Yamaha RX-V3900 100%
Onkyo TX-SR875

Onkyo TX-SR875

MSRP  $1,699.00    Released  July, 2007
Pros
  • Reon-VX HQV video processing (1080p)
  • Upscales all video sources to 1080p/HDMI
  • Supports bi-amplification and bridged operation
Cons
  • No tweaking of the REON processor except to disable xvYCC
  • Problems with HDMI handshaking with some video sources
  • Automated Audyssey setup required some manual tweaking for acceptable results
ProSCORE
23 reviews
85
Vote! (14 votes)
vote Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH 57% vs. vote Onkyo TX-SR875 43%
Denon AVR-3808CI

Denon AVR-3808CI

MSRP  $1,599.00    Released  July, 2007
Pros
  • All video sources switched to the HDMI output
  • Includes 4 HDMI 1.3a inputs
  • USB 2.0 ports and Ethernet connectivity
Cons
  • Poor 1080i deinterlacing (HDMI 1080i to 1080p conversion)
  • Cannot upconvert 1080p component video to the HDMI output
  • Expensive compared to Onkyo competition
ProSCORE
11 reviews
84
Vote! (13 votes)
vote Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH 62% vs. vote Denon AVR-3808CI 38%
Yamaha RX-V3800

Yamaha RX-V3800

MSRP  $1,699.00    Released  September, 2007
Pros
  • LAN-connected - can stream MP3, WMA, WAV
  • 4 HDMI 1.3a inputs
  • Upscales SD sources to 1080p
Cons
  • No HDMI-to-HDMI upscaling
  • Only upconverts 480i/p, and only over analog
  • Uses unproven Anchor Bay Technologies ABT1010 scaler instead of Faroudja or HQV
ProSCORE
9 reviews
74
Vote! (12 votes)
vote Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH 75% vs. vote Yamaha RX-V3800 25%
Marantz SR7002

Marantz SR7002

MSRP  $1,399.99    Released  October, 2007
Pros
  • Upconverts video sources to HDMI
  • Decodes Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA
  • 2 HDMI 1.3a outputs
  • Dual assignable component video outputs
  • Decent price
Cons
  • Not a toroidal power transformer
ProSCORE
2 reviews
92
Vote! (10 votes)
vote Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH 80% vs. vote Marantz SR7002 20%
Sony STR-DA5300ES

Sony STR-DA5300ES

MSRP  $1,699.00    Released  September, 2007
Pros
  • 6 HDMI 1.3a inputs (most competitors have only 4)
  • Includes 2 remotes - one advanced, one simple
  • Excellent graphical user interface
Cons
  • Doesn't upscale lower resolution HDMI sources to 1080p
  • Reon HQV chip is better than the Faroudja DCDi
  • No network streaming functionality
ProSCORE
10 reviews
81
Vote! (13 votes)
vote Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH 85% vs. vote Sony STR-DA5300ES 15%

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Comments

1.  avatar matis123 said:

Super Nice Receiver... Thats it.
Jan 25, 2008 12:21am
2.  avatar Ortam-AV said:

We test them all and the winner was the Elite VSX 94. Some are better in some areas but if you get all those areas and put them toghether in a receiver, the Pioneer gives you very Hight Quality features, as good as the others for a bit less money. The botom line is that the Pioneer gives you more, with excellent quality for the money. Clear winner.
Jan 25, 2008 12:30am
3.  avatar Erik said:

@Ortam-AV: can you point us to your results? Or be more specific? This space is highly competitive with the Denon AVR-3808CI (or 4308), Onkyo TX-SR875, and Yamaha RX-V3800.
Jan 25, 2008 10:07am
4.  avatar Sticks said:

just ordered mine on Monday Feb 18th... I cant wait!
Was really looking at the Onkyo 875, but after seeing them in person i was sold on the Pioneer based on the build quality. Yes the Onkyo may have better video upscaling, but i heard overall, upscaling is kind of a sham.

plus, i plan on getting a decent video SOURCE to begin with... i hopefully wont be doing too much "up converting" anyway.
Feb 21, 2008 2:30pm
5.  avatar heapatrouble said:

I agonized for awhile over whether to buy the '94' or the Onkyo TX-SR875, which I ultimately purchased. The major point of contention for me were: sound quality, video quality, ease of use, and expandability. Of those, the -94 only surpassed the 875 in terms of expandability and only in the fact that the 4 HDMI inputs are independently selectable instead of having to be assigned to be used. Ultimately, what this meant is that you got 7 HD-capable inputs instead of 5. For me, this benefit along with the network capabilities did not surpass the benefits to be gained with THX Ultra-2 certification (vs. Select-2), and Reon video processing. Further, I concluded that, on any system capable of resolving the sound quality differences, the Onkyo is simply likely to sound more audiophile-like. Besides, if I ever get to the point where I need more video switching, quality switchers are plummeting in price and easy to integrate into a systems using something like a Harmony remote.
May 21, 2008 1:13pm
6.  avatar heapatrouble said:

Also, as the latest issue of Home Theater Magazine conclusively demonstrated, video processing/upscaling is absolutely not a sham. There are real quantifiable differences that can easily be discerned. And, of all the receivers in this price range, only the Onkyo 875 and 905 have video quality that is competitive with the Denon AVR-5803, which is several times more expensive.
May 21, 2008 1:16pm
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Reviews

Sort by: Most helpful  •  Newest  •  Most positive

rcorda

avatar
April 7, 2008
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
86
negative
mixed
positive
6 pros
1 con

Pros

  • LAN / Internet streaming
  • Send room acoustic data to your PC over RS-232
  • Upscaling using Faroudja chip to 1080p over HDMI
  • Advanced MCACC system /w full phase control
  • Looks great; nice build quality
  • stellar audio(in pure direct for cd listening and Dolby Digital + and DTS HD MA for Blu-ray) and video

Cons

  • Lackluster UI compared to competitors

Competitors

rcorda prefers Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH over Denon AVR-3808CI, Yamaha RX-V3800, Marantz SR7002, Sony STR-DA5300ES, Onkyo TX-SR875
Did you find this review helpful? Yes  /  No

bmico-1

avatar
March 6, 2008
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
83
negative
mixed
positive
5 pros
1 con
love itlove it

Pros

  • LAN / Internet streaming
  • Send room acoustic data to your PC over RS-232
  • Upscaling using Faroudja chip to 1080p over HDMI
  • Advanced MCACC system /w full phase control
  • Looks great; nice build quality

Cons

  • Lackluster UI compared to competitors

Competitors

bmico-1 prefers Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH over Onkyo TX-SR875, Denon AVR-3808CI, Sony STR-DA5300ES, Marantz SR7002, Yamaha RX-V3800
Did you find this review helpful? Yes  /  No

tommy-pow

avatar
March 6, 2008
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
83
negative
mixed
positive
5 pros
1 con
love itlove it

Pros

  • LAN / Internet streaming
  • Send room acoustic data to your PC over RS-232
  • Upscaling using Faroudja chip to 1080p over HDMI
  • Advanced MCACC system /w full phase control
  • Looks great; nice build quality

Cons

  • Lackluster UI compared to competitors

Competitors

tommy-pow prefers Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH over Yamaha RX-V3800, Onkyo TX-SR875, Sony STR-DA5300ES, Denon AVR-3808CI, Marantz SR7002
Did you find this review helpful? Yes  /  No

speedsound

avatar
March 6, 2008
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
83
negative
mixed
positive
5 pros
1 con
love itlove it

Pros

  • LAN / Internet streaming
  • Send room acoustic data to your PC over RS-232
  • Upscaling using Faroudja chip to 1080p over HDMI
  • Advanced MCACC system /w full phase control
  • Looks great; nice build quality

Cons

  • Lackluster UI compared to competitors

Competitors

speedsound prefers Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH over Marantz SR7002, Onkyo TX-SR875, Sony STR-DA5300ES, Yamaha RX-V3800, Denon AVR-3808CI
Did you find this review helpful? Yes  /  No

picky

avatar
March 6, 2008
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
83
negative
mixed
positive
5 pros
1 con
love itlove it

Pros

  • LAN / Internet streaming
  • Send room acoustic data to your PC over RS-232
  • Upscaling using Faroudja chip to 1080p over HDMI
  • Advanced MCACC system /w full phase control
  • Looks great; nice build quality

Cons

  • Lackluster UI compared to competitors

Did you find this review helpful? Yes  /  No

audiofile

avatar
March 6, 2008
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
83
negative
mixed
positive
5 pros
1 con
love itlove it

Pros

  • LAN / Internet streaming
  • Send room acoustic data to your PC over RS-232
  • Upscaling using Faroudja chip to 1080p over HDMI
  • Advanced MCACC system /w full phase control
  • Looks great; nice build quality

Cons

  • Lackluster UI compared to competitors

Competitors

audiofile prefers Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH over Yamaha RX-V3800, Marantz SR7002, Sony STR-DA5300ES, Onkyo TX-SR875, Denon AVR-3808CI
Did you find this review helpful? Yes  /  No

hecticity

avatar
February 22, 2008
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
100
negative
mixed
positive
5 pros
0 cons

Pros

  • LAN / Internet streaming
  • Send room acoustic data to your PC over RS-232
  • Upscaling using Faroudja chip to 1080p over HDMI
  • Advanced MCACC system /w full phase control
  • Looks great; nice build quality

Cons

Did not agree with any cons

Did you find this review helpful? Yes  /  No

Erik

avatar
September 17, 2007
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
80
negative
mixed
positive
4 pros
1 con
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • LAN / Internet streaming
  • Send room acoustic data to your PC over RS-232
  • Upscaling using Faroudja chip to 1080p over HDMI
  • Advanced MCACC system /w full phase control

Cons

  • Lackluster UI compared to competitors

Comments

"@Ortam-AV: can you point us to your results? Or be more specific? This space is highly competitive with the Denon AVR-3808CI (or 4308), Onkyo TX-SR875, and Yamaha RX-V3800."

Competitors

Erik prefers Onkyo TX-SR875 over Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH
Erik prefers Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH over Sony STR-DA5300ES
Did you find this review helpful? Yes  /  No

dmuino

avatar
April 24, 2008
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
100
negative
mixed
positive
4 pros
0 cons
want itwant it

Pros

  • LAN / Internet streaming
  • Upscaling using Faroudja chip to 1080p over HDMI
  • Looks great; nice build quality
  • stellar audio(in pure direct for cd listening and Dolby Digital + and DTS HD MA for Blu-ray) and video

Cons

Did not agree with any cons

Competitors

dmuino prefers Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH over Sony STR-DA5300ES
Did you find this review helpful? Yes  /  No

Ortam-AV

avatar
January 25, 2008
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
100
negative
mixed
positive
4 pros
0 cons

Pros

  • LAN / Internet streaming
  • Send room acoustic data to your PC over RS-232
  • Upscaling using Faroudja chip to 1080p over HDMI
  • Advanced MCACC system /w full phase control

Cons

Did not agree with any cons

Comments

"We test them all and the winner was the Elite VSX 94. Some are better in some areas but if you get all those areas and put them toghether in a receiver, the Pioneer gives you very Hight Quality features, as good as the others for a bit less money. The botom line is that the Pioneer gives you more, with excellent quality for the money. Clear winner."

Competitors

Ortam-AV prefers Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH over Yamaha RX-V3800, Onkyo TX-SR875, Denon AVR-3808CI, Marantz SR7002, Sony STR-DA5300ES
Did you find this review helpful? Yes  /  No
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This product is also known as:

VSX, 94, TXH, VSX94, 94TXH, VSX94TXH