Pioneer Elite VSX36TX Receiver Review by Tuneman

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Model:	VSX36TX
Category:	Receiver
Suggested Retail Price:	$1450
Description:	THX certified A/V receiver 100 watts @ 8 ohms THD 0.09%
Manufacturer URL:	Pioneer Elite

Review by Tuneman on March 30, 2001 at 22:40:01
IP Address: 205.188.192.47

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for the VSX36TX

I have been a fan of Pioneer receivers for as long as I can remember. I have had a few in my days. I wanted to check out a few DVDs and it was time to upgrade my stereo so I purchased the VSX36tx one day. In DTS the Eagles "Hell Frezzes over" DVD was an adventure within itself. I have heard a few good concerts in my day and this was as close to being there as I have heard. The VSX36tx is a solid preformer for movies as well. The Newest surround format Surround TX is also included in the VSX36tx, as it bares the THX ultra logo. Although you need a seperate amp to get the 7.1 surround for "The Wolrd is not Enough" it is worth it. The on screen display via your TV makes adjustments and calibration a snap. Now on to the music. Binding post connections give you the Option of using Banana plugs or just bare 12 guage wire. The Highs are not overly bright and the bass is tight, not sloppy as in lower models from the Pioneer line. The direct mode bypasses the useless tone controls and sound fields for a pure sound. Everything that I have threwn at the VSX36tx from Beethoven to Black Sabbath was well presented. The two 22,000 MF caps handle the peaks with Authority in all the tunes that I have played so far. At 100 watts RMS per channel none of the CDs I played never felt compressed or distorted while using a set of Paradigm Monitor 70P's rated at 91db with 1 watt@ 1 meter. The amp section never sounded strained even at my highest listening volumes. It is not without its faults, the VSX36tx lacks the DTSes decoding found on receivers such as the Denon AVR 5800 and and the copper bus bar found on the VSX39tx, but at a modest 1420 MSRP, it is easy to overlook such things. I would recomend this receiver to anyone who wants a good receiver at a reasonable price.

Product Weakness: Area behind binding posts a bit flimsy.
Product Strengths: THX ultra certified, 8 channels of Burr Brown processing pre outs for all channels, surround EX.......

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Pioneer VSX36tx
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	none
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Pioneer PF-D1039
Speakers:	Monitor 70P
Cables/Interconnects:	Monster MCX 2s, Radio Shack optical Digital cable
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Everything from Heavy metal to classical
Room Size (LxWxH):	20 x 10 x 7
Room Comments/Treatments:	None
Time Period/Length of Audition:	6 months
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	none
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

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Product Weakness:	Area behind binding posts a bit flimsy.
Product Strengths:	THX ultra certified, 8 channels of Burr Brown processing pre outs for all channels, surround EX.......