Pioneer VSX-1018AH 7.1-Channel A/V Receiver

Pro:
1. Great sound processing
2. Very detailed surround calibration, multiple presets can be stored in memory
3. HDMI repeater
4. iPod compatibility (I have 6 gen.)
Contra:
1. Cumbersome menu, feature access from the remote is not too obvious
2. Menu on a TV looks awkward: white on grey, low resolution ...

I would definitely recommend this receiver as a nice 1080p solution.

Horrible remote. I'm sure this is a great receiver, but if you have to turn on the lights to find a button on the remote, it's almost unusable. The setup is not easy and the manual very hard to follow. The sound after the auto setup was worse than "out of the box".

It says THX on the screenshot and on the box, but this system is NOT THX certified! It's very close to false advertising - except for the fact that they are using a technology called "neural THX" developed by THX. You can get more information from the THX web site. But I was duped by the big THX logo on the side of the box. Only to open it up to find no THX certification. Boy was I mad.

This receiver is awesome. It has everything you need with a modern receiver. I purchased this receiver after two failed Onkyo 606 receivers and I am much more happy with this receiver compared to the Onkyo.

The only reason I did not rate this receiver with 5 stars is because the remote is horrible. If you do not want to be using multiple remotes you will need to buy a universal remote to go with this if you do not already have one.

Other then the remote I have no complaints with this receiver. It looks great, it stays cool compared to other receivers. It supports all of the new audio codecs, and it is very adjustable.

This is an upgrade for me for a Pioneer VSX-816 receiver about 5 years old.
It still works great, but I wanted a newer one with 1080P video up-scaling
and severeal HDMI inputs.
This model has it all and has the same video
processor as the much more expensive Elite series. Received promptly in
excellent condition. Original carton was packed in a much more rigid outer
carton. The receiver supports up to 8 discrete audio channels(including
7.l)with amazing clarity and because if has phase control there is no
loss of sound quality due to distance from speakers. Setup is extra easy
and the default settings work just great for my system, although you can
tweak hundreds of individual settings if you prefer. Also it was neat to
save almost $200 on the unit and also not pay sales tax.

The Pioneer is my second attempt at the new and confusing A/V market. I was looking for a receiver that could drive my classic NHT 2.3 front channel speakers and match the black glossy look of my current stand and A/V electronics. While reading the owners manual and it's out of day on screen menus, you get the filling that you are operating a commodore 64. The remote also feels clumsy and difficult to read. On the other hand, this A/V receiver will not heat your room in the winter. The amp runs very cool while driving the 7.1 surround sound speakers in the 88db range and above. I wish Pioneer could have added one more HDMI input connection. Overall I am very please with this unit and would recommed it to all my friends looking to upgrade.