Pioneer VSX-LX305 Home Theater Receiver (Bestbuy) shop-links.co/cgWiVsGNU8A --Pioneer VSX-LX305 Home Theater Receiver amzn.to/372SmRw ---Tidal Deal bit.ly/3siuqSF ----Crutchfield shop-links.co/cguPK8XEGmt ----Best Buy Deals shop-links.co/cf9yDZeYtUH ---amzn.to/3GkNaop ---CAM Store (New Products!) bit.ly/30Lgu4K --apos.audio?sca_ref=552340.TY98BPcZ6P -massdrop.7eer.net/qnOye5 =======Amazon Unlimited Music and Disney Plus Free Trial amzn.to/3DRAVj9 =========www.patreon.com/cheapaudioman
Thanks for the heads-up! Strictly soundwise, which sounds better _for your own "objective" ears_ in 5.x/2.1/2.0 2 chan. modes: The Pioneer VSX LX305; the Denon AVR-X2700H; the Denon AVR-X4700H/4800H; or the Marantz NR1711....?
Great review. Watching this in February 2024. Amazon has this receiver priced at $640. Updating my home theater gear and your videos have really helped. Much thanks…
I have this receiver now and I've always just played my music through my receiver for 2 channel because it was easier and cheaper to do than having separate since my speakers are always part of a home theater, but recently after reading online started feeling like I was missing out by not having an amplifier and been researching which ones to get how much money I need to spend etc. Thanks for the comparison of this receiver to amplifiers it really made me feel better about it and like I don't need to go buy a separate $1-2k amp to have a good audio experience without missing out on something. Besides that I love everything about this receiver as a person who uses my speakers for equal amount music and home theater. Awesome video as always, thanks Randy!
Randy, Thanks for review, I just found this amp listed for $652 w/ your link! FYI link for Best Buy has one too. Truly a Cheap Audio Man to the core ;)
I've been using a Denon X6700H paired with SVS Prime Pinnacles and two PB-3000 sub for the past 3 months. Two channel music performance is exceptional in my living room. Moved it yesterday to its permanent resting place, 7.2.4 channel family room setup, and boy I have a lot of tweaking to do to make it sound right. All-in-all, multipurpose reciever was the right choice for me over separates. Great video!! 👍 👌
Marvellous no-nonsense review, I bought this amp after a lot of research and am delighted with the audio performance both for music and films. Thank you.
I’m glad to hear that Pioneer isn’t (so far) having any HDMI issues. From experience, I can say that the Sony “ES” AV receiver that I own has shown zero HDMI issues as well.
This is a great video! From the Pomeranians to the description of your experience with the plethora of features this receiver has. It definitely sounds like a high value proposition.
Dude. Nice circling back to the matrix at the end. Absolutely clever. Appreciated that. It brought the whole video together. Nicely done. Next review, the red dress DAC.
Several years ago I got a Pioneer 5.2 receiver. It's really quite easy to use, and the room/sound correction is really quite good at gets a good balance between the speakers. Sure, doesn't have the most modern features, but for me it has a good sound stage and a good balance to the sound. The HDMI is modern enough to still do the current standards. Honestly, it may not be the most sophisticated but price point comparison, dollar to dollar it is so much better than a 2 channel amp.
I have had 5 Marantz AVRs (even a 7006), and they all did 2 ch music well (6000 and 7000 series the best tho). Now I have a Marantz AVP 7705, and man, the 2ch experience on this processor is out of this world! And yes, it is a crazy 7.1.4 experience as well.
Makes me almost want to go out and buy one.. almost. Nice to know there is a good AVR at that price point. Glad you stumbled across a nice one, great review as usual
You’ve sold it to me. Only thing is, over here in the U.K. our gas and electricity has risen 55% today which is about $200 a month extra. It will have to wait
Here in the States, things aren’t must better… gas was at 1.79 when Pres Trump left office and now it’s 4.39/gl Home heating oil is at 5.39/gl… So now I’m burning trees…
I bought the pioneer vsx-ls105 and I love it. You only get 7 channels and no dirac but almost all the other features are present. It's a great option if you don't need/can't fit 9 channels in your listening space. 10/10 great product.
I picked up this receiver a couple months ago. It sounds great. I like it overall but it has a few features I wish were improved. One being the up firing atmos speakers front and rear can’t be set at different distances from the ceiling. My rear atmos speakers are closer to the ceiling. Edit: Maybe this can be set in Dirac. I only set it up in MCACC so far. Looks like I have some fiddling to do.
I absolutely love this receiver. Paired it with the Sony SS CS5’s for now and added a SVS sub. Want to add some better fronts later but it’s pretty good with the Sony’s tbh. What do you recommend for a good center?
Great review. So many AVR reviews totally ignore the quality of music delivery. For those of us who will only ever have 1 component for movies and music, this is a huge factor. Thanks for focusing on it.
I love my Pioneer SC95 (2015 model), Its class D amp at 135 wpc plays my 5.2.2 set up flawlessly. Side note, for the price I'd like to see more pre outs
Nice review and great product and thanks for not going through the gazillion of features it offers. I'm a simple man so I like simple things, going back to washing machines I bought a Speed Queen 12 years ago, 3 cycles, used daily and still working great with no service and/or breakdowns. My main AVR is a Cambridge Azur 640R from about 12-13 years ago, very "primitive" in features for today's standards but just like the Speed Queen, set it up, all manual, and forget about it. Very powerful, 100wpc all 7 channels driven at 0.006%THD. An Oppo disc player, GoldenEar speakers all around and an SVS sub do the job. Great sounding in movies, music and 2 channel listening but not vinyl, that's set up in another room powered by a wonderful SX550. I do have a Yamaha and Onkyos AVR's set up in other rooms but never a Pioneer, could the VSX-LX305 be the replacement once the old Cambridge goes to AVR heaven? The price is certainly right!
Speed Queen washers and driers are the Mack trucks of home appliances! The home units are built with the same parts as the commercial units. I'll say you've made great choices on all of your gear listed here. Enjoy your day.
@@gigigg That’s easy. What I don’t like, is what is cool about it. The MCACC feature. Once set is awesome. Any changes to the listening space or other audio devices, speakers, furniture placement, etc, it pays to run it again to capture acoustic changes. And the remote has a thousand button pads almost too small to read. But once set, sounds great any mode.
@@gigigg I should also mention I have 2 Polk RTA11TL towers front channel Creative Soundworks “The Center” 5 driver center channel A pair of Cambridge Soundworks Ensemble mounted from the ceiling for rear effect and a SunFire SDS10 sub. That’s multimedia. My music only system is Yamaha VSX330 a great little Receiver CD player. Has LFE I connected to a Hsu VTF 2 and a second sub, my older Polk 10” front firing ported with the high side currently feeding a pair of Hsu Satellites on stands. Yep, 2.2 in a high (22’ high ceiling) front living room. The room seems to amplify 30 watts to a point where my neighbors complain at times depending music choice. Frank Zappa drives’em nutz…. But, sounds great.
I just discovered your videos! I have a question about the VSX-LX105. I don’t know if I can let myself spend the money on the 305. Can you recommend the 105? Thank you if you get to answer this.
Thank you for not going through all the features that’s rather bored, however thank you for telling us how amazing this receiver is having a amazing day God bless you sir
Thanks Randy really enjoyed the review of the Pioneer VSX-LX305. I think at the end of the day chasing that feeling of being there live and hearing the music the way the artist presented it is what we are looking for. If a home theatre receiver can do that I'm happy, I just don't want someone trying to push me out of my chair to get my ideal spot when I am listening.
Liked your review, getting into the way it functions, ease of use, quality of the sound and the main features most people will use. I can always read about the other features. I think you danced around the obvious with your comments through....should have just said, if you don't want or have a lot of money to spend, this is a great product for the price. I know some audiophiles might not like that type of comment, but I'm not ready to pay $4K for a NAD receiver. 😁
I got the Onkyo version- NR7100 a week ago, and am very pleased with it. Movies have way more impact than my old Denon. Dirac really fixes some of the humps in bass response, but it's a bit of a pain and can be flaky. Love the 3 different Dirac slots for different calibrations- I have a cals for movies and stereo listening, and the soundstage is very wide. Unfortunately the prices jumped $200 across the board one these.
Love your injected humour in your videos. Keep up the great work and info. Thank you. One criticism, there's no link to purchase antibiotic, free-range Pomeranian. 😂👍
I’m still running a Marantz SR8002. Does everything I need it to do and is great for 2 channel. Fads come and go but you can never outgrow good sound. I quit chasing after the x.1 stage
I had an older Pioneer receiver that I bought new in 2000. It had no HDMI but always sounded great, especially on two channel listening. Blew the left channel last year and ended up getting the Marantz SR6015 on sale for $600.00 off to replace. I almost got the Pioneer you're reviewing here, but for only $400.00 more, and a little more power I went with the Marantz for the sound of two Channel music. With all that being said, I noticed that the Pioneer and Marantz were real close in their music sound comparing side by side with settings set the same. I was surprised by the similarities. So, is Pioneer using Marantz as their target sound, or vice versa?
Great idea with the cute dog. When that dog gets a lot older, you can play back this video and show him and explain to him that when he was really young, he was on RUclips. It'll be really special!
These are great receivers. I have the elite 504 and the 103 and I love them. The pioneer remote app for the phone is fantastic, you can control almost everything for it including the 9 band eq and built in streaming options.Only crossover an distances initial etc have to be done on screen with the actual remote. I use the bluesound node for streaming, but before I got that I was using receivers built in streaming and it was fine. I absolutely love the dsp with surround music listening with atmos to create a 3 dimensional sound field which puts you IN the music. Sound stage can’t be beat. Was waiting for this review , thank you! 😃
@@joelane4670 I have a 9ch denon receiver and I would say that my pioneer 504 , actually like better but they both perform really well in terms of sound quality.
Is the crossover still global for all speakers, or can I set a different crossover for different set of speakers? I know mcacc is global, but how us Dirac implemented on this receiver?
@@travel5456 they are still one crossover for all which is lame. I just go 80hz , would like a bit lower for the LR towers but it is what it is. As far as Dirac goes, that on the 05 generations (new). My receivers use MCAAC room correction which is really good but DIRAC is better. ✌️🤟🍻
I'm still using my Pioneer VSX-D511. It works and sounds great. I don't see the need to spend a lot of money on a new receiver which I might not like as much, so until my VSX-D511 kicks the bucket...
Hey Randy! Are there any other, more budget friendly, AVRs you would recommend? I'm mainly switching between 5-channel for TV/movies and 2-channel for turntable music. This Pioneer seems to have far more features than I would ever need, so I'm curious what else you might recommend that can handle surround sound while also sound good as a turntable stereo setup? Thanks!
I got a great NAD T773 for 800 in 2012 and it had to go to the shop this time last year and they never seem to get around to fix it and I'm on disability so I can't find anything to replace it with the same or cheaper price yet but it gave me years of fun
I have a lesser model Elite receiver in a secondary system. No Dirac but it's a very good piece for the money. I have a JBL Synthesis processor in my main system with full Dirac bass management, it's a game changer.
I went out and bought a couple of pair of Baby Advent II speakers for my back channels and overheads..I loves me the Vintage stuff especially the top line Yamaha stuff..
Love my marantz sr 5017 it’s a beast with pre-outs , we use it for everything with my Elac Debut reference system. Xbox, 200 inch projector , 4K dvd, streamer but in 2 channel direct mode… simply phenomenal
Agreed sir. I have the SR5014. I didn't use the pure direct mode until I started watching Randy and a few other audiophile channels a couple of years ago. Since then I run, exclusively, pure direct. My only complaint is that HEOS is terrible.
I have the VSX-LX104 and it is a great unit. While shopping for receivers I realized that most of the modern features were available in most of the integrated receivers so I searched for the harder to find feature that was most important to me and that was phono input. I don't have the money/space/time to set up a 2channel and a surround system and I found this one on closeout at a great price and I couldn't be happier with it. I set it up with my Klipsch reference 5.1 surround speakers I got on a yuuuuge discount and love it.
Great video. I use a Pioneer sc-lx57 and I'm looking to upgrade this year. Hopefully Pioneer and Onkyo will bring their latest receivers to a local hifi show next month :)
I'm not an audiophile, but I like this channel. IMHO a good HT system will never sound as good as a good stereo system for enjoying music, but maybe I don't get around much. I do have a HT setup, but I only use it for watching movies or listening to loud rock.
i just bought this reciever 2 days ago. my onkyo tx-sr607 hdmi is dead. i came across this pioneer for 499. i thought that was a pretty fair deal so i purchased it. cant wait for it to arrive im pretty excited to mess w it for sure. it should last me a good long while for sure.
Can you run Dirac and then tweak the equalizer on the fly without disabling your Dirac calibration? Like with Denon/Marantz if you enable the eq sliders it fully disables Audyssey.
Question please? Pioneer Elite VSX-LX305 doesn’t have Preouts that I see. I have two BO self amplified front speakers, is there a way to use these with this receiver? Always a great show and look forward to your answer. Al
Glad to hear the Elite VSX-LX305 has the HDMI issues resolved that also plague my Marantz. Was also looking at Cambridge Audio CX81 around same price. Also looking forward to trying some tasty Pomeranian snacks during my next hours long critical listening session.
Alright dude I'm convinced, you brought it up in the stream today and I'm just gonna buy it. I was gonna do this, I was gonna do that, but I'll just buy this and it seems like it's the end all be all to do everything.
Keep in mind the Pioneer versions don't allow independent crossovers, only a global crossover. The Onkyo versions do. The NR 7100 is readily available, even open box deals at Best Buy. I will buy one of these this year, maybe the RZ50 though. I brought it up to the wife that my AVR is 12 years old and she agreed we got our money out of it.
@@moniack I'm not at the level of audiophilia where I'd need anything more than the full range at this price point, but it is a good point you bring up, I heard it in another review as well.
Still use a Pioneer VSX-AX4AVi from 2006. It's been driving electrostatic speakers (plus an active subwoofer) from the beginning. At first a full 5.1 HT setup, but now it's driving a conventional stereo setup of fairly large speakers. Done a great job, but now it's starting to falter. Had to switch to the B speaker terminals as the end stages for one front speaker was failing.
Great review. I'm looking to upgrade my home theater / music setup. I am looking at the SVS speakers as well. Will this Pioneer run the SVS Ultra Towers + Ultra center speaker and two rear speakers? Will a sub be necessary? Thanks. Any advice is appreciated.
I spent up for a Pioneer VSX 933 last year, that was after trying the equivalent from Denon returning that, then Yamaha and returning that because the Pioneer's sound stage and imaging was superior i dont even use the inbuilt phono input. The LX305 is the bottom of the range and is still almost 2K here in Australia.....cant justify the expense!
Not knocking Pioneer, but the RZ50 with Dirac is fantastic for two channel listening. Plus so much more! Paired with SVS Ultra Bookshelves and SVS sub... Super happy!
It's the Burr Brown DAC PCM1690 it's a fantastic DAC. Even the NAD T778 uses that and look at the price of that. Some of the very best receivers years ago used to use that DAC. Now it's back.
Best thing I've done to my systems around the house ever is a calibrated mic and REW software (aka DSP). Correcting frequency response in all my listening spaces made very noticeable improvements all for about $70. 2nd best is room treatment. To me its just as exciting as getting new gear to try. Great video Randy.
I would like trying the the rew setup but it’s very confusing to me. I bought the mic last year. But don’t know what the hell im doing. Perhaps someday..peace fellow Audio men!
@@joelane4670 Joe N Tells video from a few years ago is pretty good helped me out a lot. Yes I've thought about doing just a basic video of how I use REW and EQ APO or miniDSP 2x4 to tune my systems. This is also why I use a PC to stream and play my music since dedicated streamers are over priced and can't do everything a PC does. I don't do videos very often anymore but I guess you could sub to my channel and I'll try to get a video on it done. Or maybe Randy has the equipment, leave a comment for him see if he'll do a video on it.
@@iowaudioreviews Hey I appreciate the advice..And..I hope Randy is seeing this. Lol. But I will check joe & tells video out. I can’t believe I haven’t seen it. I watch his channel pretty often..
I just set up my VSX-LX305. I came from a Pioneer VXS-LX503. I'm using a pair of KEF Q350s for my mains and a Q650C for my center. I'm using an RSL Speedwoofer 10II with another RSL being delivered Monday. It's a 7.1 system with no Atmos speakers. My room really doesn't lend itself to being wired. I know the Pioneer is the entry-level Dirac receiver, but I'm really impressed. Is there any reason to upgrade the receiver while I'm still in my return window? Thanks for any input.
Just scored this on Amazon black Friday deal for $749, going to pair with emotiva B2+ speakers and Sony UBP-X800M2 4K UHD Home Theater Streaming Blu-Ray Disc Player (UBPX800M2) for what should be a killer all in one system for small home studio. Thanks for all the great recommendations and reviews Randy!😃
Back in the early 2000's, I was all gung ho over HT, had a nice Denon receiver, until I realized that I mostly listened to music and that HT and surround speakers are a PITA. My living room and bedroom setups are both Stereo with my smart TV optical out to my DAC, 99.8% music but on the rare occasion that I want to use my stereo for the TV, it's all setup. Smart TV's are so useful, Streaming apps for Audio and Video.
I'm 2 channel all the way, 2 strong mains is all that's needed, but...I have had pioneer elites and Sony ES models that are really good, not like NAD, adcom, emotiva, separates are still king but these receivers are still good and affordable after a few years.
It has almost everything... Preamp output... But, theres a VSX-L505 for a modest upscale in price. Thanks for the review! I've been looking for an upgrade over the YPAO on my Yamaha RX-V777.
Emotive has a new prepro for 1,000, and it's sound is decent enough for audio. 13.2 channels (My system is 7.2.4) but the big thing is the way it sounds. Bought it for HT but might be running my audio through it. It's that good. Only has what you need also
i had the old 4.1 and 5.1 pioneer recievers not too long ago i built a system with a factory refurbished onkyo 393 was glad to modernize but let down sonically s809 towers 2 c912 subs old kenwood center old jbl 2050 satellites. i have been looking to find the piece of my system that is the weak link well at least the first piece to replace is this the solution
I have no need for that many channels but it sounds like this is my next item to get for music and HT in one box. I'd rather have an easy to use receiver with extra channels than one I can't expand on if I want. Thanks, Randy.
I almost just ran out and bought this, but then I got to thinking... maybe my room is too big for this? It is 20x45 with 14' ceilings. What do you fine folks think? I'm really only interested in two channel listening.
Aww a deal where the lx305 is on sale for $550, new. I heard the Onkyo NR7100 is the same receiver except for pre outs and the ability to change the crossover for each speaker. Should I wait for a sale on the NR7100 or just jump on the lx305 deal?
I bought a new vsx-lx505 to replace my outdated sc-85 , absolutely loved it for almost 4 months until it just randomly shut off the other night 10 mins into a movie won't turn back on now. So far just getting a run around trying to get it resolved. Time will tell but I'm not impressed at this point. For the short time that it worked it was great but now I'm hooking my sc-85 back up because it at least works
I got rid of mine last year. I had the old 15+ years old elite. Beast. The only reason I sold it because i wanted hdmi. The sound quality was excellent.
I didn't know Pioneer was putting out something at this price point still. I had a vsx-82t xs and needed a replacement for it. I looked high and low and couldn't find anything this cheap. I ended up with a Denon and the Audyssey is a mess to setup. Took me over 20 hours to figure out how to turn all the junk off so I could find a sound I liked.
Audyssey does strange things I still can't figure out after 12 years. Mine might be a bit broken, but i have had issues with crossovers and sub settings not making any difference. The other day I lost all bass and had to do a hard reset. If that didn't work I'd be looking hard at this.
@@moniack I put a whole review out on the 4700h that's rated 1 star on Amazon just for this reason. I think the Denon is much better clarity wise than the pioneer. It just took me ages to figure out the settings for it. I don't understand why pure audio isn't one button. I think I spent weeks trying every setting to get it to that point. The oldest thing is most reviewers call it user friendly. I found it anything but user friendly.
Pioneer VSX-LX305 Home Theater Receiver (Bestbuy) shop-links.co/cgWiVsGNU8A
--Pioneer VSX-LX305 Home Theater Receiver amzn.to/372SmRw
---Tidal Deal bit.ly/3siuqSF
----Crutchfield shop-links.co/cguPK8XEGmt
----Best Buy Deals shop-links.co/cf9yDZeYtUH
---amzn.to/3GkNaop
---CAM Store (New Products!) bit.ly/30Lgu4K
--apos.audio?sca_ref=552340.TY98BPcZ6P
-massdrop.7eer.net/qnOye5
=======Amazon Unlimited Music and Disney Plus Free Trial amzn.to/3DRAVj9
=========www.patreon.com/cheapaudioman
admit it, you use Playfi, and you love it!
Would you be able to compare this to the little brother LX 105? I’m curious how the cheaper price would effect the sound quality.
Thanks for the heads-up! Strictly soundwise, which sounds better _for your own "objective" ears_ in 5.x/2.1/2.0 2 chan. modes:
The Pioneer VSX LX305; the Denon AVR-X2700H; the Denon AVR-X4700H/4800H; or the Marantz NR1711....?
Great review. Watching this in February 2024. Amazon has this receiver priced at $640. Updating my home theater gear and your videos have really helped. Much thanks…
1400 Euro here in rip off Ireland
@@johnthebimmerman1406 1.249€ in germany.. thats an rip off.. ur still good 🤪
I have the VSX-LX303 and I absolutely love it. Hope it lasts for many many years to come!
I have this receiver now and I've always just played my music through my receiver for 2 channel because it was easier and cheaper to do than having separate since my speakers are always part of a home theater, but recently after reading online started feeling like I was missing out by not having an amplifier and been researching which ones to get how much money I need to spend etc. Thanks for the comparison of this receiver to amplifiers it really made me feel better about it and like I don't need to go buy a separate $1-2k amp to have a good audio experience without missing out on something. Besides that I love everything about this receiver as a person who uses my speakers for equal amount music and home theater. Awesome video as always, thanks Randy!
Randy, Thanks for review, I just found this amp listed for $652 w/ your link! FYI link for Best Buy has one too. Truly a Cheap Audio Man to the core ;)
I've been using a Denon X6700H paired with SVS Prime Pinnacles and two PB-3000 sub for the past 3 months. Two channel music performance is exceptional in my living room. Moved it yesterday to its permanent resting place, 7.2.4 channel family room setup, and boy I have a lot of tweaking to do to make it sound right. All-in-all, multipurpose reciever was the right choice for me over separates. Great video!! 👍 👌
Marvellous no-nonsense review, I bought this amp after a lot of research and am delighted with the audio performance both for music and films. Thank you.
I’m glad to hear that Pioneer isn’t (so far) having any HDMI issues. From experience, I can say that the Sony “ES” AV receiver that I own has shown zero HDMI issues as well.
@@moonytheloony6516 are you happy with the power output?
Probably one of the best down to earth reviews I’ve seen in ages on AV Receivers.. great work please keep them coming..
LOL, "down to earth" ?????? Using a line from The Matrix? LOL, wow, I guess ANYTHING will impress YOU.🤣🤣🤣
@@markmalasics3413 I guess your cheap comments have impressed me too .. great work !
This is a great video! From the Pomeranians to the description of your experience with the plethora of features this receiver has. It definitely sounds like a high value proposition.
Thanks, Steve O
Dude. Nice circling back to the matrix at the end. Absolutely clever. Appreciated that. It brought the whole video together. Nicely done. Next review, the red dress DAC.
Several years ago I got a Pioneer 5.2 receiver. It's really quite easy to use, and the room/sound correction is really quite good at gets a good balance between the speakers. Sure, doesn't have the most modern features, but for me it has a good sound stage and a good balance to the sound. The HDMI is modern enough to still do the current standards. Honestly, it may not be the most sophisticated but price point comparison, dollar to dollar it is so much better than a 2 channel amp.
I have had 5 Marantz AVRs (even a 7006), and they all did 2 ch music well (6000 and 7000 series the best tho). Now I have a Marantz AVP 7705, and man, the 2ch experience on this processor is out of this world! And yes, it is a crazy 7.1.4 experience as well.
Makes me almost want to go out and buy one.. almost. Nice to know there is a good AVR at that price point. Glad you stumbled across a nice one, great review as usual
Proud owner of a Pioneer Elite VSX-LX302 here.
You’ve sold it to me. Only thing is, over here in the U.K. our gas and electricity has risen 55% today which is about $200 a month extra.
It will have to wait
Ugh. I’m so sorry
Here in the States, things aren’t must better… gas was at 1.79 when Pres Trump left office and now it’s 4.39/gl
Home heating oil is at 5.39/gl…
So now I’m burning trees…
@@davidbailey6350 I'll be tuning up my chainsaws soon also. Let's go Brandon!
I bought the pioneer vsx-ls105 and I love it. You only get 7 channels and no dirac but almost all the other features are present. It's a great option if you don't need/can't fit 9 channels in your listening space. 10/10 great product.
nice
Pioneer is selling the LX305 refurbished for $999. Dirac is worth the extra $150 in my opinion
I picked up this receiver a couple months ago. It sounds great. I like it overall but it has a few features I wish were improved. One being the up firing atmos speakers front and rear can’t be set at different distances from the ceiling. My rear atmos speakers are closer to the ceiling. Edit: Maybe this can be set in Dirac. I only set it up in MCACC so far. Looks like I have some fiddling to do.
I absolutely love this receiver. Paired it with the Sony SS CS5’s for now and added a SVS sub. Want to add some better fronts later but it’s pretty good with the Sony’s tbh. What do you recommend for a good center?
Klipsch RP-504C :D
Randy: "I'm not going to talk about it's features."
*Proceeds to talk about it's features for the entire video*
Loved it.
I talked about 4 or 5 features. But I'm glad you loved it.
Were you not entertained?
Great review. So many AVR reviews totally ignore the quality of music delivery. For those of us who will only ever have 1 component for movies and music, this is a huge factor. Thanks for focusing on it.
I love my Pioneer SC95 (2015 model), Its class D amp at 135 wpc plays my 5.2.2 set up flawlessly. Side note, for the price I'd like to see more pre outs
Thanks!
Thank you so much for your generosity!
Nice review and great product and thanks for not going through the gazillion of features it offers.
I'm a simple man so I like simple things, going back to washing machines I bought a Speed Queen 12 years ago, 3 cycles, used daily and still working great with no service and/or breakdowns.
My main AVR is a Cambridge Azur 640R from about 12-13 years ago, very "primitive" in features for today's standards but just like the Speed Queen, set it up, all manual, and forget about it. Very powerful, 100wpc all 7 channels driven at 0.006%THD. An Oppo disc player, GoldenEar speakers all around and an SVS sub do the job. Great sounding in movies, music and 2 channel listening but not vinyl, that's set up in another room powered by a wonderful SX550.
I do have a Yamaha and Onkyos AVR's set up in other rooms but never a Pioneer, could the VSX-LX305 be the replacement once the old Cambridge goes to AVR heaven? The price is certainly right!
Speed Queen washers and driers are the Mack trucks of home appliances! The home units are built with the same parts as the commercial units. I'll say you've made great choices on all of your gear listed here. Enjoy your day.
@@welderfixer Thank you and you too.
I’ve got the Pioneer Elite VSX30. It’s been a great box of goodies for all of these years, since 2007.
What's the part/thing that you don't like about your elite vsx 30 ? I'm looking to buy a used one
Thank you
@@gigigg That’s easy. What I don’t like, is what is cool about it. The MCACC feature. Once set is awesome. Any changes to the listening space or other audio devices, speakers, furniture placement, etc, it pays to run it again to capture acoustic changes.
And the remote has a thousand button pads almost too small to read.
But once set, sounds great any mode.
@@gigigg I should also mention I have
2 Polk RTA11TL towers front channel
Creative Soundworks “The Center” 5 driver center channel
A pair of Cambridge Soundworks Ensemble mounted from the ceiling for rear effect and a SunFire SDS10 sub.
That’s multimedia.
My music only system is
Yamaha VSX330 a great little Receiver CD player.
Has LFE I connected to a Hsu VTF 2 and a second sub, my older Polk 10” front firing ported with the high side currently feeding a pair of Hsu Satellites on stands. Yep, 2.2 in a high (22’ high ceiling) front living room. The room seems to amplify 30 watts to a point where my neighbors complain at times depending music choice. Frank Zappa drives’em nutz…. But, sounds great.
@@gravitystorm61158 thank you much
@@gravitystorm61158 it will be first reciver for me
I just discovered your videos! I have a question about the VSX-LX105. I don’t know if I can let myself spend the money on the 305. Can you recommend the 105? Thank you if you get to answer this.
Thank you for not going through all the features that’s rather bored, however thank you for telling us how amazing this receiver is having a amazing day God bless you sir
Just started watching your channel. Keep up the good work. Loved the sponsor in this one
Thanks Randy really enjoyed the review of the Pioneer VSX-LX305. I think at the end of the day chasing that feeling of being there live and hearing the music the way the artist presented it is what we are looking for. If a home theatre receiver can do that I'm happy, I just don't want someone trying to push me out of my chair to get my ideal spot when I am listening.
Lol lay down the law! It’s your spot!
What a performance ! Thank you Thierry
I bought the Integra DRX3.4 which is similar from what I understand but has preamp out for$100 more.
Liked your review, getting into the way it functions, ease of use, quality of the sound and the main features most people will use. I can always read about the other features. I think you danced around the obvious with your comments through....should have just said, if you don't want or have a lot of money to spend, this is a great product for the price. I know some audiophiles might not like that type of comment, but I'm not ready to pay $4K for a NAD receiver. 😁
I got the Onkyo version- NR7100 a week ago, and am very pleased with it. Movies have way more impact than my old Denon. Dirac really fixes some of the humps in bass response, but it's a bit of a pain and can be flaky. Love the 3 different Dirac slots for different calibrations- I have a cals for movies and stereo listening, and the soundstage is very wide. Unfortunately the prices jumped $200 across the board one these.
Wow! you have a McIntosh system. That’s how you get a great reference for the cheap audio gear. What are you running in the way of speakers with them?
Lintons perhaps
Great review. Do you think this applies to the Pioneer 105? (Particularly stereo listening).
Love your injected humour in your videos. Keep up the great work and info. Thank you. One criticism, there's no link to purchase antibiotic, free-range Pomeranian. 😂👍
This was a great review. I was on the fence. But now I’m gonna buy it
I’m still running a Marantz SR8002. Does everything I need it to do and is great for 2 channel. Fads come and go but you can never outgrow good sound. I quit chasing after the x.1 stage
solid AV receiver for sure, Elite series rocks
I had an older Pioneer receiver that I bought new in 2000.
It had no HDMI but always sounded great, especially on two channel listening.
Blew the left channel last year and ended up getting the Marantz SR6015 on sale for $600.00 off to replace.
I almost got the Pioneer you're reviewing here, but for only $400.00 more, and a little more power I went with the Marantz for the sound of two Channel music.
With all that being said, I noticed that the Pioneer and Marantz were real close in their music sound comparing side by side with settings set the same.
I was surprised by the similarities. So, is Pioneer using Marantz as their target sound, or vice versa?
Great idea with the cute dog. When that dog gets a lot older, you can play back this video and show him and explain to him that when he was really young, he was on RUclips. It'll be really special!
These are great receivers. I have the elite 504 and the 103 and I love them. The pioneer remote app for the phone is fantastic, you can control almost everything for it including the 9 band eq and built in streaming options.Only crossover an distances initial etc have to be done on screen with the actual remote. I use the bluesound node for streaming, but before I got that I was using receivers built in streaming and it was fine. I absolutely love the dsp with surround music listening with atmos to create a 3 dimensional sound field which puts you IN the music. Sound stage can’t be beat.
Was waiting for this review , thank you! 😃
Would you say that pioneer out performs Demon and other avr ‘s in this price range?
@@joelane4670
I have a 9ch denon receiver and I would say that my pioneer 504 , actually like better but they both perform really well in terms of sound quality.
How does the 103 sound compared to the 504?
Is the crossover still global for all speakers, or can I set a different crossover for different set of speakers? I know mcacc is global, but how us Dirac implemented on this receiver?
@@travel5456 they are still one crossover for all which is lame. I just go 80hz , would like a bit lower for the LR towers but it is what it is. As far as Dirac goes, that on the 05 generations (new). My receivers use MCAAC room correction which is really good but DIRAC is better. ✌️🤟🍻
I like the display color of the Pioneer, it is similar to the JVC I have from 1993. 5.1 system.
I'm still using my Pioneer VSX-D511. It works and sounds great. I don't see the need to spend a lot of money on a new receiver which I might not like as much, so until my VSX-D511 kicks the bucket...
Cheap people are good people. We know how to spend money. That’s why when we spend $1200 on a receiver, we are generally spending well.
Hey Randy! Are there any other, more budget friendly, AVRs you would recommend? I'm mainly switching between 5-channel for TV/movies and 2-channel for turntable music. This Pioneer seems to have far more features than I would ever need, so I'm curious what else you might recommend that can handle surround sound while also sound good as a turntable stereo setup? Thanks!
Love it, Can't wait for you to comind Dirac with some basic room treatments, gets even better!
I got a great NAD T773 for 800 in 2012 and it had to go to the shop this time last year and they never seem to get around to fix it and I'm on disability so I can't find anything to replace it with the same or cheaper price yet but it gave me years of fun
I have a lesser model Elite receiver in a secondary system. No Dirac but it's a very good piece for the money. I have a JBL Synthesis processor in my main system with full Dirac bass management, it's a game changer.
Been reading some reviews on the Klipsch I’d-51 speaker, looks like the whole world is waiting for your review on these 👍
HDMI issues… so true! Thanks for the review Cheap Audio Man!
I went out and bought a couple of pair of Baby Advent II speakers for my back channels and overheads..I loves me the Vintage stuff especially the top line Yamaha stuff..
Love my marantz sr 5017 it’s a beast with pre-outs , we use it for everything with my Elac Debut reference system. Xbox, 200 inch projector , 4K dvd, streamer but in 2 channel direct mode… simply phenomenal
Agreed sir. I have the SR5014. I didn't use the pure direct mode until I started watching Randy and a few other audiophile channels a couple of years ago. Since then I run, exclusively, pure direct. My only complaint is that HEOS is terrible.
@@brianmefford630 Agree HEOS is terrible, I made my own streamer using a Raspberry pi and it’s awesome
Did you mean sr 5015?
@@JaredSchumaier yes!
I have the VSX-LX104 and it is a great unit. While shopping for receivers I realized that most of the modern features were available in most of the integrated receivers so I searched for the harder to find feature that was most important to me and that was phono input. I don't have the money/space/time to set up a 2channel and a surround system and I found this one on closeout at a great price and I couldn't be happier with it. I set it up with my Klipsch reference 5.1 surround speakers I got on a yuuuuge discount and love it.
Just got the 104 myself. Going the same route on speakers. Got the receiver new on a eBay for $151
Great video. I use a Pioneer sc-lx57 and I'm looking to upgrade this year. Hopefully Pioneer and Onkyo will bring their latest receivers to a local hifi show next month :)
I'm not an audiophile, but I like this channel. IMHO a good HT system will never sound as good as a good stereo system for enjoying music, but maybe I don't get around much. I do have a HT setup, but I only use it for watching movies or listening to loud rock.
i just bought this reciever 2 days ago. my onkyo tx-sr607 hdmi is dead. i came across this pioneer for 499. i thought that was a pretty fair deal so i purchased it. cant wait for it to arrive im pretty excited to mess w it for sure. it should last me a good long while for sure.
Can you run Dirac and then tweak the equalizer on the fly without disabling your Dirac calibration? Like with Denon/Marantz if you enable the eq sliders it fully disables Audyssey.
At that price point, it is expected to have a full compliment of preouts. Is Dirac really worth the trade?
Question please? Pioneer Elite VSX-LX305 doesn’t have Preouts that I see. I have two BO self amplified front speakers, is there a way to use these with this receiver? Always a great show and look forward to your answer. Al
I have a pioneer elite VSX 52 and the 2 channel is crazy good on it.
Glad to hear the Elite VSX-LX305 has the HDMI issues resolved that also plague my Marantz. Was also looking at Cambridge Audio CX81 around same price. Also looking forward to trying some tasty Pomeranian snacks during my next hours long critical listening session.
they're great
FYI, the Cambridge CX81 jumped from $1299 to $1499 over at Crutchfield today 😱😱.
@@steventsimtsos4029 Thanks for the update dude. Inflation strikes again. Will have to downgrade from Pomeranian treats to Poodle treats 😂
Alright dude I'm convinced, you brought it up in the stream today and I'm just gonna buy it. I was gonna do this, I was gonna do that, but I'll just buy this and it seems like it's the end all be all to do everything.
I hope you like it…. If not I know you’re coming after me
Keep in mind the Pioneer versions don't allow independent crossovers, only a global crossover. The Onkyo versions do. The NR 7100 is readily available, even open box deals at Best Buy. I will buy one of these this year, maybe the RZ50 though. I brought it up to the wife that my AVR is 12 years old and she agreed we got our money out of it.
@@moniack I'm not at the level of audiophilia where I'd need anything more than the full range at this price point, but it is a good point you bring up, I heard it in another review as well.
@@moniack (I cancelled the order and went with an RZ50 for the amp outs... What if I need more juice, ya know?)
@@0-60STYLE where did you find an RZ50?
Have a Pioneer SX receiver. Cost me $100.00 and sounds great. I'm the super cheap audioman.
Still use a Pioneer VSX-AX4AVi from 2006. It's been driving electrostatic speakers (plus an active subwoofer) from the beginning. At first a full 5.1 HT setup, but now it's driving a conventional stereo setup of fairly large speakers. Done a great job, but now it's starting to falter. Had to switch to the B speaker terminals as the end stages for one front speaker was failing.
Good day... could you tell me more about the term you use, Direct?
Hey Randy would you recommend the LX301? How similar is it to the 305?
Great review! I’ve been pondering the idea of a home theater… The 2008Sony all in one box isn’t cutting it anymore.
awesome.
When you performed your analysis of the Pioneer VSX-LX305 did you use an external DAC or just rely on the internal built into the Receiver?
I'm perfectly happy with a left and right and center channel.
Nice to see you giving Avrs some love Randy
Great review. I'm looking to upgrade my home theater / music setup. I am looking at the SVS speakers as well. Will this Pioneer run the SVS Ultra Towers + Ultra center speaker and two rear speakers? Will a sub be necessary? Thanks. Any advice is appreciated.
I spent up for a Pioneer VSX 933 last year, that was after trying the equivalent from Denon returning that, then Yamaha and returning that because the Pioneer's sound stage and imaging was superior i dont even use the inbuilt phono input. The LX305 is the bottom of the range and is still almost 2K here in Australia.....cant justify the expense!
Not knocking Pioneer, but the RZ50 with Dirac is fantastic for two channel listening. Plus so much more! Paired with SVS Ultra Bookshelves and SVS sub... Super happy!
Great video… I bought the pioneer and love it just trying to figure out the Dirac… any help would be appreciated… can you use a iPad?
what do you think about the LX304?..does the 304 have direct?
You were going over music streaming apps... Which one has the best audio, in your opinion. Or is it the native- free one?
It's the Burr Brown DAC PCM1690 it's a fantastic DAC. Even the NAD T778 uses that and look at the price of that. Some of the very best receivers years ago used to use that DAC. Now it's back.
Best thing I've done to my systems around the house ever is a calibrated mic and REW software (aka DSP). Correcting frequency response in all my listening spaces made very noticeable improvements all for about $70. 2nd best is room treatment. To me its just as exciting as getting new gear to try. Great video Randy.
Thanks, man
I would like trying the the rew setup but it’s very confusing to me. I bought the mic last year. But don’t know what the hell im doing. Perhaps someday..peace fellow Audio men!
@@cheapaudioman have you ever done a rew video? I know there’s tons out there..but none I’ve found that make it easy for me.
@@joelane4670 Joe N Tells video from a few years ago is pretty good helped me out a lot. Yes I've thought about doing just a basic video of how I use REW and EQ APO or miniDSP 2x4 to tune my systems. This is also why I use a PC to stream and play my music since dedicated streamers are over priced and can't do everything a PC does. I don't do videos very often anymore but I guess you could sub to my channel and I'll try to get a video on it done. Or maybe Randy has the equipment, leave a comment for him see if he'll do a video on it.
@@iowaudioreviews Hey I appreciate the advice..And..I hope Randy is seeing this. Lol. But I will check joe & tells video out. I can’t believe I haven’t seen it. I watch his channel pretty often..
I just set up my VSX-LX305. I came from a Pioneer VXS-LX503. I'm using a pair of KEF Q350s for my mains and a Q650C for my center. I'm using an RSL Speedwoofer 10II with another RSL being delivered Monday. It's a 7.1 system with no Atmos speakers. My room really doesn't lend itself to being wired. I know the Pioneer is the entry-level Dirac receiver, but I'm really impressed. Is there any reason to upgrade the receiver while I'm still in my return window? Thanks for any input.
That Pom is so chill.
Just scored this on Amazon black Friday deal for $749, going to pair with emotiva B2+ speakers and Sony UBP-X800M2 4K UHD Home Theater Streaming Blu-Ray Disc Player (UBPX800M2) for what should be a killer all in one system for small home studio. Thanks for all the great recommendations and reviews Randy!😃
Adorama has it right now for 549$ if u can return bestbuy one and save urself 200$
All caps alert: I LOVE YOUR STUFF DUDE
I apologize for the ignorant question but does anyone know if the DIRAC work for correcting only the 2.0 setup? thanks
Back in the early 2000's, I was all gung ho over HT, had a nice Denon receiver, until I realized that I mostly listened to music and that HT and surround speakers are a PITA. My living room and bedroom setups are both Stereo with my smart TV optical out to my DAC, 99.8% music but on the rare occasion that I want to use my stereo for the TV, it's all setup. Smart TV's are so useful, Streaming apps for Audio and Video.
I'm 2 channel all the way, 2 strong mains is all that's needed, but...I have had pioneer elites and Sony ES models that are really good, not like NAD, adcom, emotiva, separates are still king but these receivers are still good and affordable after a few years.
I have an onyko receiver had it for 7 months I like it, never had a pioneer but this one sounds great
Onkyo makes pioneer. This is the same as the onkyo 7100 and integra 3.4
@@milehighboost5521 the more you know
Does your 1711 have Audyssey Multeq, Multeq XT, or Multeq XT32? I have had them all and Multeq XT32 is by far the best
It has almost everything... Preamp output... But, theres a VSX-L505 for a modest upscale in price. Thanks for the review! I've been looking for an upgrade over the YPAO on my Yamaha RX-V777.
Emotive has a new prepro for 1,000, and it's sound is decent enough for audio. 13.2 channels (My system is 7.2.4) but the big thing is the way it sounds. Bought it for HT but might be running my audio through it. It's that good. Only has what you need also
Do you have a link for it?
i had the old 4.1 and 5.1 pioneer recievers not too long ago i built a system with a factory refurbished onkyo 393 was glad to modernize but let down sonically s809 towers 2 c912 subs old kenwood center old jbl 2050 satellites. i have been looking to find the piece of my system that is the weak link well at least the first piece to replace is this the solution
I have no need for that many channels but it sounds like this is my next item to get for music and HT in one box. I'd rather have an easy to use receiver with extra channels than one I can't expand on if I want. Thanks, Randy.
I almost just ran out and bought this, but then I got to thinking... maybe my room is too big for this? It is 20x45 with 14' ceilings. What do you fine folks think?
I'm really only interested in two channel listening.
Hey I love your channel I have a pioneer AVR that's a 2010 model that I bought in January 2011 how much longer will it last?
Aww a deal where the lx305 is on sale for $550, new. I heard the Onkyo NR7100 is the same receiver except for pre outs and the ability to change the crossover for each speaker. Should I wait for a sale on the NR7100 or just jump on the lx305 deal?
Always been Pioneer fan & been thinking about making the upgrade to the 305...✌️
I bought a new vsx-lx505 to replace my outdated sc-85 , absolutely loved it for almost 4 months until it just randomly shut off the other night 10 mins into a movie won't turn back on now. So far just getting a run around trying to get it resolved. Time will tell but I'm not impressed at this point. For the short time that it worked it was great but now I'm hooking my sc-85 back up because it at least works
Excellent unbiased review for us non audiophiles. I have an older Pioneer Elite receiver that I still enjoy and I think this will be my next one.
Nice
I got rid of mine last year. I had the old 15+ years old elite. Beast. The only reason I sold it because i wanted hdmi. The sound quality was excellent.
Hello, which is a better bang/buck, Polk R100, SVS Prime, or RP500 at $320/pair?
I didn't know Pioneer was putting out something at this price point still. I had a vsx-82t xs and needed a replacement for it. I looked high and low and couldn't find anything this cheap. I ended up with a Denon and the Audyssey is a mess to setup. Took me over 20 hours to figure out how to turn all the junk off so I could find a sound I liked.
Audyssey does strange things I still can't figure out after 12 years. Mine might be a bit broken, but i have had issues with crossovers and sub settings not making any difference. The other day I lost all bass and had to do a hard reset. If that didn't work I'd be looking hard at this.
@@moniack I put a whole review out on the 4700h that's rated 1 star on Amazon just for this reason. I think the Denon is much better clarity wise than the pioneer. It just took me ages to figure out the settings for it. I don't understand why pure audio isn't one button. I think I spent weeks trying every setting to get it to that point. The oldest thing is most reviewers call it user friendly. I found it anything but user friendly.