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The "Official" Pioneer VSX-1020-K Owner's Thread

786K views 5K replies 872 participants last post by  gregoryperkins 
#1 ·
Just received my new Pioneer VSX-1020 receiver (pre-ordered direct from Pioneer)


Here are a few pics of the exterior:






After spending an hour or so with the unit, I've noticed the following:

Positives
  • Gorgeous GUI for main menu (After Denon AVR1909, this is appreciated!)
  • Very detailed auto-calibration using multiple patterns
  • Very granular adjustments (overall)

Negatives
  • Awful remote
  • Input switching takes longer than Denon it replaced
  • (So far) Don't see any way to control crossover for individual channels


Although it isn't fair to compare the sound of the Denon AVR-1909 and this unit yet as I spent a TON of time calibrating and adjusting the Denon and have only played with this unit an hour, I did notice a few things after the initial auto calibration:
  • MCACC has odd distances for my wall-mounted rear surrounds. They're about 2ft away, but MCACC sees as ~6ft
  • MCACC dials the sub level much lower than Denon's Audyssey
  • A filter of some sort is being applied to LFE channel as the Rythmik F12 sounds very different (lacking detail) than when I used the Denon. This is 110% a setting someplace I just haven't seen.


After going through the manual, I now see there's an Advanced MCACC (Manual) mode that has a TON of adjustments. More importantly, there seem to be some incredible tools at your disposal. I'll be playing with this soon and will post some images/results.
 
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#103 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by afrogt /forum/post/18570485


I don't understand why this is such a deal breaker for people? Its already confirmed the iPod works in Zone 2. How difficult is it to run analog RCA cables from your sources to the receiver? Pretty much all A/V receivers need analog connections for Zone2.

+1... it's not like this is "something new"...


@lojack and mitsu... good to see a couple actually in the hands of people and the positive results...
if you guys get to a point where you can't decipher the manual (been there
), post questions... there's a few of us floating around who have the secret decoder ring...
 
#104 ·
Just got my 1020 yesterday and got everything hooked up...coming off of an onkyo sr607 that had its hdmi fried in a lightning storm this 1020 is just amazing.


its been running cool and features are great but i have one issue..


playing a blu ray this morning i lost a/v sync. changed the input and went right back to the blu ray and the a/v sync was ok again.


anything im missing here? i havent had to deal with a/v sync since the DLP days


everything right now is hooked up hdmi btw


--edit found the ASync function. problem should be fixed
 
#105 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by ccotenj /forum/post/18571400


+1... it's not like this is "something new"...


@lojack and mitsu... good to see a couple actually in the hands of people and the positive results...
if you guys get to a point where you can't decipher the manual (been there
), post questions... there's a few of us floating around who have the secret decoder ring...

Appreciate it! That's why I love this forum



I purchased a HTB system in 2003 that has internet capabilities and video playback from PC that is very primitive. This unit (although does not play video files) is pretty cool.it actually is more computer like and very interesting!


I'm sure I will be coming up with questions as time goes on! Still enjoying this and tossing the wifey for this thing..for at least several hours a day!!!
 
#107 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by tmiddleton /forum/post/18568737


I set it to my Airport input which is connected with digital optical and got no sound from Speaker B. I switched it to iPod and got sound.


I might have missed a setup step somewhere but I don't think so. Its behavior does seem odd though.

check to make sure that the optical input you are using is assigned correctly to the "airport" input... also, if you have a hdmi port assigned to that input as well, use the "signal select" button on the remote control to tell the avr to get the audio from the optical port, rather than the hdmi port.... also make sure you are feeding the avr a file that it's happy with...


if none of the above works...


this is truly odd... i'm not doubting at all what you are seeing, but let's investigate this a little deeper... because if indeed this is true, "speaker b" is now essentially "zone 2", with the liability of not being able to play separate sources or have separate volume control (versus replicating "speaker a", which is the way this has worked forever)...


and there's no mention of it working any differently than in the past in the manual... of course, as we know, there are often undocumented "features" that are discovered once these are in the field...



after trying what i posted above, if it still doesn't work, post some pics of your input assignments, audio parameters and whatever else might seem useful...


you get to be the first "guinea pig"...
aren't you the lucky one...
 
#109 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin57 /forum/post/18570023


The only problem I'm having is when I'm watching a bluray and select another source the bluray player locks up. The only way to recover is to shut down the player and turn back on. I'm using HDMI cables. Other than that everything else is working great. Any ideas or is this normal?

You might try turning off the HDMI control option in the HDMI setup page. See page 63 in the manual.


I downloaded the manual from Pioneer, it's easier to read and search using Adobe than using the actual hard copy.
 
#111 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by redsoxfan_1 /forum/post/18572020


I noticed the 1020 has anchor vs. 1120 marvell. I just got new LED LCD and PQ is important feature for me. any idea how much of an upgrade this is, if any? Overall, does anyone see a major reduction in PQ using HDMI switching (newbie, sorry if these are basic questions)

Historically, one should not rely on their receiver for video processing in most cases. Most tvs or source components (bdps) are superior in cadence recognition, edge enhancement, and deinterlacing.


Denon had the best video processors last year with the high end abt chip. Onkyo was closely behind in their higher end models with the reon hqv. marantz and last year's pioneers could only upscale analogue signals. The 1120 appears to be the first pioneer receiver to offer upscaling of digital signals with the marvell chip. The 1020 will only upscale analogue signals.


Once again, as a rule of thumb, worry more about the receiver passing through hdmi signals unmolested and less about video processing.
 
#112 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by redsoxfan_1 /forum/post/18572020


I noticed the 1020 has anchor vs. 1120 marvell. I just got new LED LCD and PQ is important feature for me. any idea how much of an upgrade this is, if any? Overall, does anyone see a major reduction in PQ using HDMI switching (newbie, sorry if these are basic questions)

it's of zero value for a blu-ray source...


for cable/satellite/fios, unless your new tv is a total pos, the video processing in it will be more than adequate for virtually all but the pickiest people (i.e. the "frame by frame" junkies)... i've made this point before, but this isn't 5 years ago, even the most inexpensive components have at least adequate processing in them now... it'll be lack of bits that will be the limiting factor of pq for that, not video processing...


where external video processing (i.e. other than in the display) can help is for sd-dvd when you have a large screen... keep in mind that "scaling" is easy... it's "deinterlacing" that is hard... deinterlacing difficult material is what separates the men from the boys... for sd-dvd, you are far better off getting a player with a well implemented chip (like the oppo bdp83, for example) or if you want more doo-dads, a dvdo edge rather than a completely cripped avr implementation...
 
#113 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by DSmith /forum/post/18571971


You might try turning off the HDMI control option in the HDMI setup page. See page 63 in the manual.


I downloaded the manual from Pioneer, it's easier to read and search using Adobe than using the actual hard copy.

Thanks for the advice. I had this turned off when I checked it. I will keep trying. Any more thought would be great. I can't tell you how much I enjoy this new receiver.
 
#114 ·
Sold my Onkyo NR807 and interested in either 1020K or 1120K. Mainly because of "future proofing" - Love that lingo. I think, need for 1.4HDMI is really what I'm looking for. Any applications / hardware availability using ether channel that 1.4 HDMI offers?


Any good deals on this 1020K oflate? I definitely seem to have missed 450$ price for this a month ago. Probably will check with JR tomorrow to get some sort of deal.
 
#115 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by milehighxr /forum/post/18570488


So is this thing warm feces or what? I think I'm gonna get one soon. Might wait til Wii Black comes out, and do the damage all at once. Any major draw backs on this thing? Also I can't find it in Energy Star website to see how much power it uses, and can't find it in owners manual. It is more for curiosity sake, than a potential deal breaker.

I hope you mean hot #### .. what you said sounds like... so is this thing crap or what..?? It's only been out for a few weeks, don't think the ES websites going to have the info yet.. I thought the manual was on Pioneers website..??
 
#116 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by didadi /forum/post/18572724


Sold my Onkyo NR807 and interested in either 1020K or 1120K. Mainly because of "future proofing" - Love that lingo. I think, need for 1.4HDMI is really what I'm looking for. Any applications / hardware availability using ether channel that 1.4 HDMI offers?


Any good deals on this 1020K oflate? I definitely seem to have missed 450$ price for this a month ago. Probably will check with JR tomorrow to get some sort of deal.

The unit has been out only a few weeks and it is already in short supply. Google is your friend here, as price discussion is discouraged on the threads..
 
#117 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by winston9332 /forum/post/18572114


historically, one should not rely on their receiver for video processing in most cases. Most tvs or source components (bdps) are superior in cadence recognition, edge enhancement, and deinterlacing.


Denon had the best video processors last year with the high end abt chip. Onkyo was closely behind in their higher end models with the reon hqv. Marantz and last year's pioneers could only upscale analogue signals. The 1120 appears to be the first pioneer receiver to offer upscaling of digital signals with the marvell chip. The 1020 will only upscale analogue signals.


Once again, as a rule of thumb, worry more about the receiver passing through hdmi signals unmolested and less about video processing.

+1
 
#118 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by tmiddleton /forum/post/18564637


No ability to listen and watch two different inputs. (My five year old Yamaha did this just fine)

Does this mean that I wouldn't be able watch an HDMI source (say a gaming console) while listening to an optical audio source (say a Sonos or CD)?


That would actually be a dealbreaker for me and is something I just assumed all receivers would be able to do nowadays. (My 8 year old Denon does it just fine.)
 
#119 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stilly77 /forum/post/18571087


^^^^^^^


Glad to hear the power is adequate for you. Is there a cooling fan inside the unit?

I'm not sure if there's a fan. I didn't really look into it, but after hours of running I can put my hand on it and there's barely any heat coming out. Truly impressive to me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ccotenj /forum/post/18571400


+1... it's not like this is "something new"...


@lojack and mitsu... good to see a couple actually in the hands of people and the positive results...
if you guys get to a point where you can't decipher the manual (been there
), post questions... there's a few of us floating around who have the secret decoder ring...

Someone jacked a Hobbit for his ring huh? LOL. I actually didn't bother to look in the manual for setup instructions. Everything seemed mostly straightforward. Setup was very different than how Onkyo and Harman does things so everything seemed foreign at first glance.


It seemed odd that the optical audio could only be passed through HDMI 1. For some reason the option stayed grayed out on HDMI 2 so I had to switch a couple of things around. Then it still didn't work.


I racked my brain trying to figure that one out since I just assumed it worked right when the option is set to pass it in the menu. After messing around with the remote I discovered the Signal Select button and by default it was set to Auto which in theory should still work fine, but it didn't. Once I changed it to Digital it worked fine.
 
#122 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by mgkdragn /forum/post/18572798


I hope you mean hot #### .. what you said sounds like... so is this thing crap or what..?? It's only been out for a few weeks, don't think the ES websites going to have the info yet.. I thought the manual was on Pioneers website..??

Hot ****e, yes. If I thought it was pooh I wouldn't be drooling over it. Local BB has it on the shelf, without a display. It's the first receiver I have seen under $600.00 that has Ethernet. Though if I can stream internet radio through a Wii, it might be moot anyhow. Apparently Wii will do Netflix now, so I'll have a potential option of downgrading one TV from DirecTV If I want.


Owners manual is on Pioneers website, and I apparently missed the page on the power usage
. It is 16% more energy efficient than the Sony it will eventually replace.
 
#123 ·
Picked one up from Best Buy on Friday to replace my HDMI-less Yamaha RX-V659. Smooth sailing so far. Not doing anything too fancy - 5.1 setup with Plasma, PS3, cable box, Wii and Roku. The OSD is nice but not really a big deal.


It doesn't feel like much of an upgrade as yet given my simple use case. Reduced clutter a little by removing a few cables (2x optical + 1 component) but otherwise it feels like more of the same. Biggest benefit is probably the front HDMI connection for when I want to hook up my laptop (a rare occurrence).
 
#124 ·
In for one here also, Picked it up yesterday along with a psw111 sub for dirt cheap. Most likely i think im gonna return that sub and pick up some def tech pro monitor 800's for the rear surround. Still not sure, but anyways this receiver is slick. I love it, finally got rid of that piece of crap samsung hts-720 receiver i had. Now to slowly start replacing the speakers :-D
 
#125 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by ccotenj /forum/post/18571595


check to make sure that the optical input you are using is assigned correctly to the "airport" input... also, if you have a hdmi port assigned to that input as well, use the "signal select" button on the remote control to tell the avr to get the audio from the optical port, rather than the hdmi port.... also make sure you are feeding the avr a file that it's happy with...


if none of the above works...


this is truly odd... i'm not doubting at all what you are seeing, but let's investigate this a little deeper... because if indeed this is true, "speaker b" is now essentially "zone 2", with the liability of not being able to play separate sources or have separate volume control (versus replicating "speaker a", which is the way this has worked forever)...


and there's no mention of it working any differently than in the past in the manual... of course, as we know, there are often undocumented "features" that are discovered once these are in the field...



after trying what i posted above, if it still doesn't work, post some pics of your input assignments, audio parameters and whatever else might seem useful...


you get to be the first "guinea pig"...
aren't you the lucky one...

When I had the source set to the Airport I could hear sound from main front speakers but not the B speakers. I switched to iPod and heard sound from all.


I'll be out of town for the next couple of days. I'll try more options and post results with I get back.
 
#126 ·
So finally got it all hooked up, and configured. My case was pretty simple. I had an old H/K AVR 35 (Which I loved), and am using this as my first stepping stone to HD. Plan on adding TV and BD sometime this year.


Well first off it blows my AVR 35 out of the water. It was a pretty decent receiver back in the day, but i never realized how much I was missing.


MCACC worked like a charm (I was used to having to set levels and delays manually) My only problem with it was that after MCACC, I felt that it was a little light on the bass notes. Since all of my speakers are large, It was trying to put all of the LFE for analog sources through the fronts. And while they are more than capable of handling most of it, the really low stuff
 
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