Feb 4 Podcast #464: Pioneer VSX-1120-K Audio/Video Receiver
We recently switched our go-to value receiver to the Pioneer VSX-820-K. For under $300, it packs in a great deal of features. But it also makes some sacrifices to get the cost down that low. So for those who want to step up to a 7.1 receiver, we decided to check out the Pioneer VSX-1120-K. Right now it’s just over $200 more at a street price of $535.
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Today's Show:
News:
- Experiment Shows Cord-Cutting Simply Too Difficult For Average Families To Grasp
- Computers Hooking Up With TVs
- Early-Purchase Oppo BDP-95 Players Sold Out - Shipping in February
- Analyst: Studios Must Cut Theatrical Window in Half
Other:
- Lizander's Urban Loft Theater
- Lyle's take: Why 3D Won't Work and Never Will
- Five bargain TVs worth taking a chance on
Pioneer VSX-1120-K Audio/Video Receiver
Street Price $535
We recently switched our go-to value receiver to the Pioneer VSX-820-K. For under $300, it packs in a great deal of features. But it also makes some sacrifices to get the cost down that low. So for those who want to step up to a 7.1 receiver, we decided to check out the Pioneer VSX-1120-K. Right now it’s just over $200 more at a street price of $535.
So what do you get for that extra cash? Here are some key features of the step-up solution from Pioneer.
Features:
- 7.1 surround sound, 120 watts per channel
- 6 HDMI Ports with v. 1.4, 3D, Deep Color and X.V. Color
- DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Pro Logic IIz with pre-out, THX Select2 Plus
- 1080p video conversion and upscaling
- USB input / "Works with iPhone"-certified
- Sirius and Internet Radio
- iPhone Remote App
- PC Control
- On-Screen GUI Display
- Multi-zone audio (7.1 or 5.1 + 2)
- Digital Formats: JPEG, MP3, WAV, WMA
Setup:
Like the little brother, the 1120 feels pretty light; it is heavier that the 820, but still weighs in at around 28 pounds. Of course it’s a receiver, so you have to connect speakers, input sources, and power. Since this unit supports Internet and network connected features, you can plug an Ethernet cable in as well. The default DHCP configuration grabbed an IP address right away, so for us, network setup didn’t add any time at all. We spent a lot of time with the Bluetooth functionality of the 820, so we decided to skip that in the review of the 1120.
The auto calibration was very easing using the included calibration mic. It plugs into the front of the receiver with a cord easily long enough to reach our ideal listening position. Calibration took a while, but we got a nice on-screen GUI on the HDMI output that showed us what was going on. That helped pass the time a bit. Pioneer's exclusive Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration system (MCACC) did a pretty good job, but of course we fined tuned things a bit as well. Nothing beats a trusty Sound Pressure Meter for getting your audio dialed in just right.
Performance:
With all your video sources going through your reciever these days, it’s tough to say that we buy a receiver for it’s audio performance anymore. These days video is just as important as audio. The 1120 has Marvell video processing so you can upscale your picture to digital 1080p from virtually any source, even digital HDMI. While the video looked good, we experienced quite a few video drop-outs we weren’t used to seeing with other receivers from brands like Onkyo and Denon. While it was on, it looked great, we just wish it stayed on all the time.
The more we used the unit, the worse the dropouts became. Eventually, it was just plain unusable as an AV Receiver. For the sake of this review, we assumed it was a bad unit so we could continue with our testing. But for us, this unit is not at all usable. It’s a shame, too, because the video processing was very good. The Marvell technology really worked, while it was on screen.
As to audio, this unit did really well. It supports Dolby True HD, Dolby Pro-logic IIz and DTS Master Audio. Like the Onkyo TX-SR608 we recently reviewed, the Pioneer won’t let you run 9 speakers at once, even if you connect an external amplifier to the audio pre-outs. That’s annoying, but since there really isn’t any content for the 9 channels, we can live with it. The 1120 produced very good sound. We would describe the sound as very accurate and clear. Other receivers are louder, others might have a “fuller” sound, but the Pioneer is very crisp. We tried with several speaker configurations and got the same impression.
Other Features:
The 1120 includes an iPod cable so you can connect your iPod, iPhone or iPad directly to the front of the receiver. It works just like the 820, so we don’t need to get into it too much. You can also use the front USB for other devices that store digtal files. Beyond the iPod cable, the 1120 also works with Pioneer’s free iControl app. We actually found it to be quite useful. Of course nothing beats an good universal remote, but for quick access to the Pioneer without having to pull out the factory remote or dig through device menus, it works really well.
The network connection is for more than just iPhone control, though. You can use it control the unit from your PC or Mac as well. We didn’t see a whole lot of use for that, but it’s there if you want it. The 1120 will also connect to the Internet and allow you to stream Internet radio directly to the receiver. This gives you literally thousands of stations - almost unlimited amount of choices for things to listen to. We don’t do a lot of radio listening in our home theaters, so the feature might be wasted on us, but for those who do, this should come in pretty handy and save you from having to buy a secondary device.
While the 820 didn’t provide any on screen display over HDMI, the 1120 does provide a rich GUI over HDMI for setup and configuration. This is great, but it fell short of being perfect. Many other receivers in this price range will also display status information onscreen, over-layed on top of the video you’re watching. For example, volume levels, changes in audio mode, etc. With the Pioneer you have to keep an eye on the front LCD display to know what’s going on. We would have expected more from such a feature rich receiver.
Conclusion:
The Pioneer VSX-1120-K does add quite a bit of capabilities to our go to receiver for value, the VSX-820-K and we believe it’s worth the extra $200 if you can swing it - if you can ignoring the video dropout issue assuming ours was a bum unit. We won’t go as far as saying it’s the best receiver we’ve used in this price range, but it does a solid job and should satisfy most needs. It’s a good receiver, but it would have to be a bit better to get a unanimous seal of approval.
Reader Comments (9)
I just received an VSX-1120-K. Haven't set it up yet - I'm waiting on my Samsung PN50C450 to arrive to assemble with the new Samsung BD-C6500 just received. Yup, I doing a big remove 'n replace operation. Haven't used any modern equipment with HDMI, video scaling, etc. before. I'll send a message when I see how everything goes, including video dropout issues (assuming I can figure out what's what.) Thanks as always.
I have had the VSK-1020-K up and running for a couple of months now. It's a solid unit. I'm hoping your video dropout issues with the 1120 really were related to a bum unit problem, not an overall design flaw. The iPhone app is great. I have a 2nd zone setup on the receiver for a pair of stereo speakers in our kitchen area. With the app I can turn on/off the main and 2nd zones independently, I can control the volume level on both, and I can select input sources for both (zone 2 can only get input from an analog source). It's really nice for those lazy Saturday mornings when the kids have the cartoons turned up too high. I can turn down the volume while laying in bed - talk about lazy!
Overall I'm very pleased with my VSX-1020-K. I grabbed it on special for $350, so it's certainly giving us our money's worth. Thanks for the show!
I have had the 1120 for a few months now and have never had a video drop out. The AVSForum has a ton of pages in its 1120 thread, so if it was a common thing it would be plastered all over it, but it is not.
Trade out your unit and try again. :)
I just received mine yesterday and after setting it up last night all I can say is I love this AVR, no video drop out so far.
The video conversion is outstanding, the wii never looked so good not to mention SD channels from the cable box, for the internet capabilities I just hooked my ethernet cable and I was ready to go in no time, I love the internet radio is very clear and only 5 or 6 links were outdated which is not an issue.
I wouldn't say hes around 28 lb as I use my scale and it weight in at 35 lb!!!
The guy is really heavy not to mention long, he didn't fit in the spot I had for it.
In all I love this receiver, very happy with my purchase and I have to mention I used the amazon link provided by the HT guys and I bought mine for $509 w/ s&h included!
As someone who is looking to buy this receiver and as a mac user looking to setup indigo home automation I'm disappointed you guys glossed over the PC control as something you "didn’t see a whole lot of use for". For me this feature will be the deciding factor.
I have aslo had the VSX-1120-K for several months. I have had no video drop out issues. I have gotten a HDCP error while programming my Universal remote but, I was simultaneously switching alot of components off/on. I too hope that you were testing a bad unit.
I must agree with cybrsage on this one. I haven't read anything about these issues on the AVS forums.
I am a somewhat long time user of 1120 and have had no issues whatsoever. I really like the Video Processor in this unit which IMO is one the better one's I have seen for SDTV (exception being the Pio Plasma that bought in 2007) have had no issues thus far and have no regrets whatsoever for the price I paid. I changed from a Denon back to Pio and have luved this unit so far. A hard unit to beat in this price range and if you really want upgrade this unit and pair it with a separate amp and you are golden like emotiva (this combo will be hard to beat at any price range IMO and I am talkign teh big boys which cost 5K+)
Podcast Alley voting issues seem to be resolved
I've owned this unit -- a Pioneer VSX-1120K receiver -- for over six months now and have had no video dropout issues, or any others as far as I recall.
It's paired with a Pioneer PDP-5020FD TV via HDMI and I can use either remote to control the other device for most functions. Picture quality when passed through the receiver is indistinguishable from a direct HDMI cable connection from the source to the TV.
Off-topic: the picture on this TV is exceptional -- so far it's best I've owned -- I bought one of the last few made while I had the chance.
The reviewers stated "Many other receivers in this price range will also display status information onscreen, over-layed on top of the video you’re watching. For example, volume levels, changes in audio mode, etc."
I just tested this assertion (to make sure, as I knew it was incorrect) with both volume and audio mode changes, and both are displayed on the TV screen, although volume is shown on TV as an analog bar rather than a specific dB value as on the receiver. Input source changes are also displayed on the TV, and can be edited to the user's preference for the LCD display, although on the TV they will show up as "HDMI 1" etc.
Perhaps their monitor/TV was incompatible or there was another fault with their review unit?
Since the receiver is hooked up to my self-built HTPC I don't really use the network interface, but I am able to control basic functions like volume via a web browser. It's easier just to use the remote or the Windows taskbar volume control though - my Gyration Air Mouse controls 95% of my home theater usage.
Since my TV also doubles as my PC monitor, the receiver and the TV are in use over twelve hours daily (I do a fair amount of gaming too, and there is zero lag with plasma!), so my usage is likely double the average.
With blu-ray sources, audio from Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio are correctly identified and displayed on the receiver LCD, whether coming from my Oppo blu-ray player (rarely used now) or LG blu-ray burner and NVIDIA GTX-460 graphics card.
In summary, I have no regrets about purchasing this receiver.