Hi Dane, What is your e-mail address. If you don't mind, I have a couple questions about the Pioneer.
I have the VSX-D814S which is essentially the same receiver as yours. I probably should have gotten the 512 because I believe the only difference is some additional video stuff, which I really don't need. Thanks much. Kris Hickerson [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dane Trethowan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <pc-audio@pc-audio.org> Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2005 8:29 AM Subject: ARTICLE: SURROUNDING YOURSELF IWTH SOUND -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Greetings! Just purchased and installed a new surround-sound system and I've done a mini review that I thought others may be interested in. I didn't spend much time editing the thing, its only a draft but I'm sure you'll get the idea just the same. SURROUNDING YOURSELF WITH SOUND A REVIEW OF THE PIONEER VSX-D512-S SURROUND-SOUND RECEIVER BY DANE TRETHOWAN This receiver is the second system I've had which has enabled me to enjoy music, films and sources with the extra information which can be decoded by a Surround-Sound system. When I first started my journey with more than 2 speakers, I was using a Denon AVR-2000 Pro-Logic Surround-Sound receiver. I purchased this beast 11 years ago but times (like the technology for Surround-sound) have changed and the new Pioneer really shoves the Denon set I have into the Dina sore pool, the main reason being that there are several different standards of decoding Surround-Sound content, the Denon only handled Dolby "PRO-LOGIC" format whereas the Pioneer handles that and More, I've been re-mastering allot of 4-channel cartridges using my cartridge player I have here and converting them to the Dolby DTS format, put them onto a CD and play them back through the DVD connected to the digital port of the Pioneer and you open up a whole new world of audio and you transport yourself back to the days of "QUAD" sound in the 70s, only difference is that it sounds allot better now than it did then. DETAILS Now down to the details, I purchased this receiver as part of a "HOME THEATRE IN A BOX" pack which Pioneer are still selling, the pack contained the receiver with 6 speakers, (2 rear, 1 centre, 2 front and a 100-watt sub-woofer). Placement of the speakers took some time but I now have them placed about the lounge area so I can enjoy the affect of them all when I'm sitting in my favorite armchair. All speakers connect to the Receiver vi cables and clip terminals, I'm not particularly happy with this idea, I would have preferred binding posts, the clips mean that you have to be a bit careful about the thickness of the speaker cable you use. Ok, a first glance of the manual, the manual is in 3 languages (including English), Pioneer tell you that before making any connections that you're to connect the receiver to the power and go through the "QUICK SETUP" menu, this menu is accessed by its own button on the front of the receiver and all menu content is displayed in the display of the unit rather than on a TV screen as some manufacturers insist on doing. The other good thing is that the options for the menu appear n the order as stated in the manual so it's a matter of selecting the options you want, pressing enter, changing the option and pressing enter twice to confirm your setting. Only a few options available here, one to set the surround mode you wish to use and the other to select the number of speakers you're planning to use (you can set anything from 3 to 6). If you only have a standard 2-speaker configuration for stereo then don't panic, this receiver works well in stereo mode, ready for you to expand at a later stage. Navigating through the menu choices is done by using the jog-dial on the front panel. Once all connections have been made and you have the receiver up and running, you may consider making further adjustments to fine-tune your system in the "ADVANCED SETUP" menu, these adjustments include distance between front and centre speakers, distance between where you're sitting and speakers, sub-woofer frequency thresholds etc. If you don't want to rely on the menu system then you can make the necessary adjustments by using the test-tone facility offered (use your own ears). CONNECTIONS This receiver can take a host of devices through a vast array of connections at the rear, amongst the various inputs/outputs you'll find connections for a VCR or DVR (which ever you like), DVD (inputs for 6 analog channels if required), CD, TV/Satellite receiver and cassette deck/Minidisc Recorder etc. The video side boasts composite inputs and outputs as well as S-Vhs, I was a little disappointed that the receiver didn't have any component video inputs/outputs but this is overcome by wiring the DVD players component video outputs directly to the TV'S component video inputs. The receiver has 2 digital inputs, (one is a toslink fiber-optic and the other a coaxial cable input, these can be set to various sources including DVD, TV/SAT and CD though why this was done I don't know, I would have thought that Pioneer would have found things easier to have a digital input/inputs for each of these functions rather than just having 2 inputs which the user has to set up between 3 functions etc). When you're listening to DVD, TV/SAT or CD you can use the "SOURCE" button on the front panel to toggle between analog or digital inputs, there is even an "AUTO" which will "AUTO-SELECT" the input for you, if a source is playing through the analog or digital input then its automatically selected for you. You could for example connect both your satellite receiver and TV to the same selection (TV/SAT), connecting your satellite receiver to the digital input and your TV to the analog. When the satellite receiver is turned on and starts playing, the analog connection to the TV is terminated and playing of the satellite through the digital input starts. I Mentioned that the DVD selection has 6 analog inputs (2 for front left and right, 2 for rear left and right, 1 for the centre and one for the sub-woofer), if you have a standard DVD player then you'll want to use the 2 front channels for your analog connections and the digital port for all your surround-sound needs. If you have a DVD player which supports the playing of SACD (Super Audio CD) or DVD-audio (or your computers sound device has multi-channel sound output) then the extra DVD analog channels come in handy, you can select between the various input methods for your DVD sources with the "SOURCE BUTTON". VARIOUS SURROUND-SOUND AND STEREO OUTPUT MODES If you feel the world of surround-sound daunting then perhaps you'll just consider using this set for a while in "STEREO DIRECT" mode, in this mode, only the front 2 speakers (and the sub-woofer) are active and all tone controls etc are bypassed, if you want good quality stereo sound from your CD player or any other source then this is the mode you should use. In the "STANDARD STEREO" and other modes, the Bass and Treble controls can be adjusted. The bass and treble controls are not pots rather they're adjusted electronically, one press of the tone button takes you to the Bass adjustment which is adjusted by the use of the jog-dial on the front of the unit. You can hear the new bass and treble settings for yourself as you adjust, once you've finished the adjustment just wait for a few seconds for the settings to be permanently memorised until the next adjustment. This unit has many "SURROUND-SOUND" modes pre-programmed but you can create your own, the manual suggests that you experiment with each mode to see which you prefer. Note that some modes will not work affectively or at all depending on the source content. "LOUDNESS" and "MIDNIGHT LISTENING" functions are available if you plan to listen to a DVD or CD at low volume. TUNER The tuner boasts 30 presets in 3 banks of 10. These can be randomly preset meaning that you can set say 5 for Medium-Wave and 20 for Fm if so desired. To my knowledge, this receiver will not allow the user to "AUTO-PRESET" the presets (meaning that the tuner will not scan the band automatically, putting the signals it finds into the preset memories.) The standard seek and scan modes are available both from the front panel and from the remote control unit. One interesting feature of the tuner is the "DIRECT FREQUENCY" function, you can use the number pad of the remote control to enter a frequency (say 1020KHZ Medium-wave) and the receiver will be tuned to that frequency, I've only ever seen 2 Hi Fi tuners with this function. Naturally, the user can scroll through each bank of presets with either the remote control or from the front panel, each preset is associated with a number (each bank is numbered from 1-10 and you use the "CLASS" button to cycle between the 3 banks). Station naming is possible (each station which is preset can have a station name of 4 characters assigned to it). If you're living in the U.S., you can switch this receiver to accommodate 10KHZ stepping on the Medium-Wave band. For those living outside the U.S., you can switch the receiver to use 9KHZ steps. Tuner sensitivity is excellent on Medium-Wave and FM bands though the band width on the Medium-Wave band is very narrow so if you're a person with a hearing impairment this may be a problem but if you're looking for something which performs like a rocket in the sensitivity stakes then this tuner will serve you well. The aerial used for the Medium-Wave is a loop wire antenna whilst for FM a coaxial cable connection is provided, that's the way all tuners seem to be going these days. OTHER STUFF This set is the first I've seen to contain 2 Power on/off switches, one is a primary switch (disconnects all power from the unit) whilst the other is a secondary, (switches the unit to the "STANDBY" mode so that it can be turned back on again by the remote control or by other components hooked up to the "REMOTE" jack of this unit. The remote control can control most other products which are equipped with a remote control sensor and programming of the remote control for this purpose is easy! Control of various components is automatically set by typing in the appropriate 3 digit code for the item to be set and controlled, the manual details all the available codes. The model I have is a "MULTI VOLTAGE" model so it can be operated throughout the world, the manual suggests that you check to see that the voltage selectors are set to match your countries power requirements. The unit weighs in at just over 9 kilograms which is quite light for a unit of this power. Total power output for each channel is 120 Watts RMS though Pioneer rate it at 100 Watts, the specifications section of the manual gives both measurements. The sub-woofer my set was supplied with is a 150 watt unit. If the unit gets hot a fan automatically kicks in to cool the unit. The set isn't equipped with an analogue master volume pot, rather the pot is electronic and speed sensitive, the faster you turn it the faster the volume setting reacts so you can get some really nice fading affects if you take it "SLOW". Well, I think that about wraps up my review. Naturally, because this unit has such a great deal of features included this review doesn't even attempt to cover everything. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: PGP 8.1 Comment: A Member Of The TFT BBS Digital Security Initiative iQA/AwUBQhNY1ylBPqY64aUBEQKfXgCfaWKQLjTtDjnVVZqfxxCqSQXlSysAoM2r lEm9gV1+rH8/M9KRIHNzXuTh =LNq9 -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- Dane Trethowan http://www.tft-bbs.com/grtdane/ -- Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.8.7 - Release Date: 10/02/2005 _______________________________________________ PC-Audio List Help, Guidelines, Archives and more... http://www.pc-audio.org To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ PC-Audio List Help, Guidelines, Archives and more... http://www.pc-audio.org To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
