Home Theater System.

[MadMax]

I am currently looking to purchase a Pioneer system the 620 or 720 models. Does anyone on here have advice or experiance with these models?

I did try the Panasonic Ht75 and Ht95 , I was not pleased with the sound and video quality.

[ 02-23-2003, 02:28 AM: Message edited by: MadMax ]

[Evnings]

I'm happy with the cheapy $95.00 system I got at WalMart. Sirens blasting over my head for years and years before they were put out front kind of ruined the finer points of my hearing capabilities

[nickg]

Max -- when you say a Pioneer "system" are you talking about one of those "home theater system in a box" deal(all speakers and receiver in one package)??

those types of systems do have their place. especially if you are short on cash and/or have a relatively small room to cover.

in the same respect, for the cost of some of these "systems in a box" you can get better quality for about the same price or even just a little bit more.

what are the specs on the Pioneer (watts per channel, number of imputs/outputs, and especially cost)??

give me a little more info to go on and i can steer you in the right direction.

[MadMax]

Nick,
Here are the specs. Thanx for the input. This is from the Pioneer website. I can get the 620 for about $500.00 and the 720 for about $600.00


HTP-620DV
5-Channel/Single DVD/Sub-Sat/Digital A/V System


Do you have what it takes for maximum home theater? With the HTP-620DV, you will. The VSX-D411 digital A/V receiver features Crystal digital signal processing and delivers 100 Watts to each of five channels. Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 surround sound processing provide spectacular decoding of movie soundtracks, and for "Party Mode", 5-Channel Stereo routes the full-frequency stereo signal to five speakers at full 100-watt-per-channel power. The slim-design DV-353 DVD player features exceptional audio/video processing and error correction, and it plays MP3-encoded discs. The five speakers (each with 3-inch piezo tweeter and midrange woofer and a high-frequency wave guide) and the self-powered 100-Watt subwoofer are all acoustically matched for optimal sound. A remote control is included.


VSX-D411 Digital A/V Receiver

Power:100 Watts x 5 @ 8 Ohm
Crystal by Cirrus Logic DSP Engine
Dolby Digital 5.1
Pro-Logic II
DTS 5.1
5 Channel Stereo
5.1 Expanded Theater
Advanced Music
Advanced Movie
Midnight Mode
3 Audio (inc Tuner) & 3 A/V Inputs
1 Audio, 1 A/V, 1 Video Output
2 Dig. Inputs (1 coax.,1 opt.)
Subwoofer Pre-Out/5.1 Channel Input
New Silver Cosmetic with Blue LED
Simple Remote
NEW Quick Set Up Room Tuning!
Tuner Editing w/Station Naming

DV-353 Single DVD Player
Slim Design
MP-3 Compatible
Advanced GUI w/Set-up Navigator
Twin-Wave Laser Pick-up
192kHz/24-Bit DAC
10-Bit/27Mhz Video DAC w/Vitter-Bii error correction
5 Piece 2-Way Satellite Loudspeakers

3/4 inch Piezo tweeter
3 Inch Midrange Woofer
High Frequency Wave Guide
Integrated Low Diffraction Baffle
Freq. Response: 150 - 20KHz
Sensitivity: 85 dB @ 1m/2.83V ms
Maximum output: 102 dB SPL
Amp requirements: 15-100 Watts
100 Watt Powered Subwoofer

8 Inch Woofer
Bass Reflex Enclosure
Low standby power consumption (less than 1W)
Transformer-less dynamic power supply
Bass Level Control


__________________________________________________

HTP-720DV
Everything you need for an intensely powerful DVD movie experience is right here. The VSX-D811S digital A/V receiver delivers 100 Watts of power to each of six channels, and features Crystal digital signal processing and 96kHz/24-bit digital-to-analog conversion (DAC) for pure audio reproduction of music and movies. For advanced surround sound decoding of movie soundtracks, the VSX-D811S includes Dolby Digital, DTS-ES Discrete, and DTS NEO 6 technologies. The slim-design DV-353 DVD player features exceptional audio and video processing, with a 192kHz/24-bit audio DAC and a 10-bit/27MHz video DAC, and it plays MP3-encoded discs. The six speakers (each with 3-inch piezo tweeter and midrange woofer and a high-frequency wave guide) and the self-powered 100-Watt subwoofer are all acoustically matched for optimal sound. A smart remote is included.



VSX-D811S Digital A/V Receiver

Power: 100 Watts 6 @ 8 Ohm
Dolby Digital EX
Dolby Pro-Logic II
DTS-ES Discrete & DTS-NEO:6
Virtual Surround Back
6 Channel Stereo
6.1 Expanded Theater
Midnight Mode
96/24 DAC
4 Audio (inc Tuner) & 4 A/V Inputs
1 Audio, 1 A/V & 1 Video Outputs
5 Digital Inputs (2 coax.,2 opt., Front Opt.)
1 Digital Output
S-Video (4 in/2 out)
Component Video (2 In / 1 Out)
Front AV Input w/S-Video & Opt Digital In
7.1 Ch. Inputs/Pre-Out 5.1 (+ 2)
Large Banana Speaker Terminals - All
Smart Remote
Quick Set-Up Room Tuning
Tuner Editing with Station Naming

DV-353 Single DVD Player
Slim Design
MP-3 Compatible
Advanced GUI w/Set-up Navigator
Twin-Wave Laser Pick-up
192kHz/24-Bit DAC
10-Bit/27Mhz Video DAC w/Vitter-Bii error correction
6 Piece 2-Way Satellite Loudspeakers

3/4 inch Piezo tweeter
3 Inch Midrange Woofer
High Frequency Wave Guide
Integrated Low Diffraction Baffle
Freq. Response: 150 - 20KHz
Sensitivity: 85 dB @ 1m/2.83V ms
Maximum output: 102 dB SPL
Amp requirements: 15-100 Watts
100 Watt Powered Subwoofer

8 Inch Woofer
Bass Reflex Enclosure
Low standby power consumption (less than 1W)
Transformer-less dynamic power supply
Bass Level Control

[ 02-24-2003, 08:35 AM: Message edited by: MadMax ]

[nickg]

doesn't seem like a bad system by any means. you won't get a WHOLE lot of "fidelity" from speakers of that size and the sub will probably not give you any "earth shattering" lows without distortion. in the same respect, it sure beats the built-in speakers of any tv.

then again, what size ROOM are you putting this system in?? if you live in a small apartment, dorm, or condo type home this may be a good system if you are worried about disturbing the neighbors if you had anything larger. but if you have your own home and a decent sized room you may want to opt for something better (at least speaker wise) if you decide you want to crank it up at times.

a 100 watt receiver is more than enough for just about any home system. and don't let the wattage fool you. most times a 60 watt system won't sound any better than a higher watt receiver. it's just the idea of having enough power for "peak" performance (such as a loud movie or music passage) without causing any noticeable distortion.

volume wise you wouldn't notice a whole lot of difference for the most part between a 50 or 100 watt receiver. people think that a 100 watt system is twice a loud as a 50 watt system and that is NOT true. by doubling the power you only get a +3 db gain, which isn't that noticeable.

also by having more power, you are providing a clean signal to your speakers when the power is needed. once again, too many people think you are going to "blow you speakers with all that power"...on the contrary you pop a speaker more often than not by not having enough power. so when you do turn up the volume you're not sending as clean a signal to your speakers with 50 watts vs. 100. but you also don't want to send a 500 watt signal to a 3" speaker either, so it's all relative to speaker size as well.

for $600 bucks you can probably get a separate 100 watt receiver and still get better speakers for your money. Yamaha makes excellent speakers that are a great "bang for the buck".

shop around at your local best buy, circuit city, rex, frye's, etc. type stores and see what's out there. for about the same price or a little more, you can do better.

synopis --
small room, apartment, condo, dorm, won't be cranking it up loud -- a "system in a box" is not a bad deal.

bigger room, own home, want to crank up the jams or get more "oomph" out of your movies -- get a separate receiver and opt for better speakers (including your sub)