The "Official" Pioneer VSX-1019AH Owner's Thread - Page 75

Thanks RTP, your suggestion worked! Unchecking 7.1 setting fixed the issue. Now my 919 displays PCM and i get audio from all channels.

On a related note, does this mean PS3 cannot work with a 7.1 speaker setup?

Ok, just out of curiosity, is the reason that no one is taking a stab at answering this, is because it's a lame question, or that no one knows the answer?

My guess is that it's the latter. I certainly don't think it's a lame question. I for one don't know the answer for sure, and can't check for you as my receivers don't have the up mix function. I could make educated guesses, but you can do that for yourself.

Ok, I'll give it a shot:
It's my understanding it should have no effect on a 5.1 system or if you have the surround back speakers off.
Per the manual, the UpMix is for 7.1.

Page 56 in the VSX-1019, 66 in the sc-27:
With a 7.1-channel surround system, audio signals
that have undergone matrix decoding processing
through surround back channel processing to which
the Up Mix function is added are output from the
surround back speakers.

and:
SBch OFF - Matrix decoding processing for
generating the surround back component from the
surround component is turned off.

page 67 (sc-27) 57 (VSX-1019):
The Up Mix function mixes the
sound of the surround speakers with the surround back
speakers so that the surround sound is heard from
diagonally to the rear as it should be



So: in a 7.1 system with 5.1 material:
SBch off, but Up Mix on - Nothing.. it should be normal 5.1 decoding
SBch on, but Up Mix off - Nothing.. it should be normal 5.1 decoding
SBch on and Up Mix on - The sound should matrix the surround speakers with the surround backspeakers so that the surround sound is heard from diagonally to the rear

Sorry, this is only an educated guess. Have you experimented with it? What are your thoughts?

FWIW, that's exactly the same educated guess I would have made.

Ok, I'm with ya on the first one. With ya on the third one. But it's the second one "SBch on, but Up Mix off - Nothing.. it should be normal 5.1 decoding" that I question. I've tried listening, but it's really hard to tell what's going on.

btw, thanks a bunch for taking a shot at this.

What you are hearing in this circumstance would depend on your other settings. If you are using something like THX Select2 Cinema, DD PLIIx, or DTS Neo 6, with a 5.1 source, that processing will matrix some sound from the surround channels and direct it to the rear speakers, exactly as it did before Up Mix was included as an option. If you are using Direct, Pure Direct or something else that bypasses that extra processing, it should work as CHP_VR suggested.

So do you guys leave SBch & Up Mix on for just about all settings?

I just recently found this thread and I love all the info that is available. I have just started scouring this forum, so forgive me if this question has been answered.
I set up my receiver over the weekend with new Definitive Technology Pro Monitor speakers, 1000 series.
They are rated at 8ohms and have a power rating of 200 watts max.
I listened to these at Best Buy and was blown away.
My question is this: When I listened at BB, everything was SUPER clear and LOUD, the test material was Transformers, and I felt as if I was actually IN the battle.
My concern is this, should the 1019 produce the same effect, or will it just not push the Def-Techs the way the Magnolia receiver did at BB?
I did some research and it doesn't appear that the wattage ratings are much different between the 1019 and the Mag receivers.
I am just a little concerned that maybe I should upgrade my recever while I
can.
In short, I want to rock the house, I know these speakers can do the job, just haven't seen them do it as of yet with this receiver....

Have you tried tweaking the settings on the receiver? There are many useful suggestions on this thread but you'll have to go over it patiently to extract the gold nuggets

I have learned the hard and expensive way to my chagrin and at my nickel, that Pioneer receiver power ratings are waaaaaaay over-stated. If you go through this thread and a couple of others on this forum, there are peeps who say the 110w ratings for the 1019 is actually only for 2 channels driven. At 5/7 channels driven, it comes down to an average of about 28w. Keep in mind that for watching movies in surround, not all channels are driven simultaneously.

From what I can glean here and over at AVForums (UK sister of this forum) it appears the only CE manufacturers who offer honest power ratings on their amps (i.e. on all 5/6/7 channels driven) are Cambridge Audio, NAD and Harman Kardon.

Thank you for the reply.
I've read about nearly all power rankings being overstated, but even still the Pio1019 has 840 watts total output (supposedly).
The Magnolia receivers were all around the same wattage (some even lower), this is what made me believe this receiver was a good fit for these speakers.
I know from experience with car stereo systems that you rarely ever use the full max wattage of the speakers, and I do not believe you should.. it is just an indication of the speaker's max limit, and RMS rating is quite a bit lower.
This is my first "built" surround system, as all others have been HTIB, so I'm still learning how to set this receiver up.
...I just wanted to know if anyone was using similar speakers with this receiver and the results they were getting.
The nearest electronics store for me is a Best Buy over an hour away, which is why I need to make SURE an exchange is warranted.

A little info on my den and home theater setup:
The room is 15' X 20
HDTV: Panasonic Viera 65" Plasma.
A/V: Pioneer 1019.
DirecTv: HD-DVR.
DVD's/Blu-ray's/Gaming: PS3.
Speakers: Definitive Technology 1000 Series surround and center, 800 Series subwoofer.

I believe from what I've learned after the fact that I may need to upgrade to the 2000 series Center, as the 1000 Center has a smaller woofer (4.5") versus the 5.25" in the surrounds.
Again, I am new to system building, so I don't know how much of a difference this would make... and if it is worth the $100 mark-up.
I was originally going to purchase the 800 series surrounds, but due to an inventory issue, BB let me upgrade to the 1000's at a discount. (The 800's are what I actually listened to).

The dimensions of the room make setup difficult, the seating area is along the long back wall, T.V. apprx 10' feet away from the listening position.
We have a couch and a loveseat, the loveseat is where my wife and I watch T.V., and it is positioned to the side of the couch at an angle.
There is a wood burning heater on the side wall (beside the loveseat) that severely limits my speaker placement options.
This means that my two right speakers are very close to the seating position, while the lefts are far away.
The other side wall (where the left speakers are) is a partial wall with a small cutout under the stairwell where we have a microwave and table.
This makes room re-arranging near impossible.

So, I know from the beginning I may never have the 'wrap around, true surround' effect, but by adjusting speaker gains I do get a descent sound.
Like I said, I have not been able to do much tweaking, and when I do, it seems I am going in circles....
I.E. over-tweaking, resetting the receiver, rerunning MCAAC, etc.
When I wake up today (I work nights), I'm gonna try some things I've learned in this forum.
Any suggestions anyone may have, please feel free to let me know.

I suppose what I hope to find in this forum is some good, sound advice (pun intended).
I do feel this can be an excellent receiver, and I hope it has the power to do what I hoped it could.
Now if I could just learn how to unlock it's true potential.

Aqua -

No, the PS3 will *definitely* work with a 7.1 system. There are boatloads of people on these forums with 7.1 setups that are perfectly happy with their PS3. I assume that there is an option on our receiver that would need to be set differently to get 7.1 sound, but I'm not sure what it might be. I never have bothered to figure it out since I have no way to test it.

Glad you got your system working though! Enjoy.

RTP

I got a chance to play with the changes last night and that worked. Thanks. It did not make much sense to me since the manual refered to this option has having an impact only when alternate commentary appeared on the disk but in any case, I am now able to do the decoding in the receiver where I wanted to do it. Thanks to those who offered help on this item

Harry

I don't know what your definition of "rock the house" is, although I suspect it is different than mine. However, the 1019 should be able to do what you seem to want, at least for 99% of listeners. If you are among the 1% that wants to play beyond reference levels, you may be pushing it.

Still, few of us ever use more than 20 watts per channel on a receiver, so the power ratings are marketing tools with little relevance in real world use. I have meters, and they seldom show as much as 5 watts output. They are usually well under one watt. (And guests generally ask me to turn it down. ) Obviously, some people are exceptions, but most find anything above ~85dB (average) hard to bear over sustained periods, and tend to listen about 10dB lower than that. Keep in mind that lab tests rate continuous output. Most receivers are capable of handling peaks a few dB (which equals many watts) higher.

You might be able to garner some useful information by plugging your specifics into this SPL Calculator. That may help you decide if the 1019 has enough power for your needs.

hi guys, i have an issue and i would appreciate some help.

This morning while listening to some music (reggae) at about -23dB my 919 simply cut out and the power light (the one under the direct energy sign) was flashing. when i turned it back on it played without any issue and right now it is playing without any issue at -20dB. when i looked in the manual it all suggest that there may be a problem with my power unit. Could anyone tell me whats happening? right now it is playing well but i am monitoring it right now....has this ever happened to anyone else?

Does anyone know why is it when I hit "receiver" and then "video parameters" it flashes "not available"?

It will do that if you are using an HDMI input. It only works with an analog video sources.

if it was me, i'd check all my speaker connections first... make sure there aren't any stray wires... sounds like you could have had some type of a random short that caused the unit to go into protection...

out of curiosity, can you point me to where in the manual does it note about the power unit (so i don't have to find it myself )? just thinking out loud, it would probably be a repetitive problem if your power unit was failing, especially if it originally happened at a playback level that shouldn't cause protection faults...

If it's the power light it could also have been the fan.
I would just watch it to see if it happens again.
If it does, call Pioneer.

page 103:

I agree with both. Even a single stray strand of wire can cause such things to happen, so it's worth a look. However, it could well be an isolated, random incident. With complex electronic gadgets, sometimes inexplicable stuff happens, but never happens again.

^^^

true dat...

it's actually relatively amazing that there aren't more random glitches that "just happen"...

I just set up my 1019 this past weekend and after many hours of tweaking and research, I was finally blown away by batman dark night on blue ray.

Lonwulf - If you're looking to blow your house down, you'll be able to do it with this AVR. Just make sure that you go back and check the auto MCACC settings after it's run. Also, be sure to play with the distances to the prime seating area not just the dB levels of the speakers. You'll notice wonders.

On another note, I read 50 some odd pages of this thread and didn't find any info on a 7.1 set up and line-level zone 2 audio. For those of you who are looking to do this, it is not possible. Much to my dismay. You have to switch off or unplug SBL and SBR to enable analog line out zone 2. Unless someone else has found a way to do it...

All in all I am very pleased with this receiver, I have been a long time pioneer fan and AV enthusiast. My neighbours hate me.

Zone 1
VSX-1019
Viewsonic pro8100
Elite 125" screen
PS3
Paradigm Monitor v6 (Front)
Paradigm CS-290 (Center)
Paradigm CS-60 (Surround)
Paradigm CS-60-SM (Rear)
Paradigm mini Cube 10" (subwoofer)

Awesome system, pblo12

Congratulations and welcome to the forums!

Lonwuf,

Consider the possibility that it may be a combination of room conditions and MCACC cailibrations...

You maight want to spent some time on the MCACC thread. There's a wealth of information there...
There's an aweful of tweaking available to custom tailor your sound from EQ to timing delays.

Microphone positioning is critical as well. Ray wrote a short guide here that may help.

Have you tried the Advanced Auto MCACC and compared differences with SYMMETRY, ALL CH ADJ, and FRONT ALIGN?

Those speakers should match the Pioneer pretty well.
Looking at the site, Def Tech does seem to indicate the 2000 Center is matched (important for a center) for the your 1000 series.
http://www.definitivetech.com/Produc...Monitor%201000

"The ProMonitor 1000 is Definitive's best satellite speaker in the acclaimed ProCinema Series.
Four ProMonitor 1000s along with a ProCenter 2000 and ProSub 1000 makes a complete ProCinema 1000 system"

But play around with it for now, before laying out more cash.

Good luck!

I have a set of Carver Cinema 5.2 speakers. They are 4 ohms. Would this Pioneer receiver be able to handle these speakers? The manual for these speakers says the manufacturer recommends power between 50 and 200 watts.

having an issue.

trying to connection wdtv, ps3, 360 to the 1019 then from the reciever to a viewsonic 8100pro. not getting any sound/picture on the projector from any of hdmi devices.

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong..
I wouldn't recommend that setup with the VSX-1019 without external amps.
The SC-25/27 on the other hand would probably do fine as quite a few SC-05/07 owners run 4-6 ohm speakers.

thanks guys, i always appreciate all the help you guys provide. i will definitely monitor it and let you guys know what happens.

You're right on the 4 ohm, the 1019 / 919 can handle 6 ohm. Good call on the SC's.

Can you get any video on the projector from the 1019? Does the GUI display?