The "Official" Pioneer VSX-1019AH Owner's Thread - Page 136

Ok,so can anyone tell me at what db level in the receiver does the sub start getting a distorted signal? I want to turn up the receivers sub level to as close to 0 db as possible without going any higher but i have heard that anything above -2 on other pioneer receivers sends like 2.9% distortion to the sub.What is an acceptable sub channel level for this receiver where i am getting a stong signal with minimum distortion??

^^^

where did you hear that?

no, you can go to 0 if you like...

you can adjust your sub "volume" in 2 different ways...

- change the sub trim level on the avr...

- change the gain on the sub's amp...

actually, a third way too... move the sub to whereever it "wants" to be in the room... proper positioning will improve perceived volume, as it will flatten the response...

generally speaking, it's usually a good idea to start around 11 o'clock on the sub's gain knob and work from there with the trim...

Basically my sub is an SVS.SVS says that your receiver should not be set any higher than -3 due to distortion being sent to your sub.I have seen it all over the forums and the net.I also read a post somewhere that was in reply to a similair question.The OP had a different pioneer receiver but at any rate one person that answered him told him that at 0 db on the AVR the signal had a distortion of 2.9% and it was recommende that the level not be set any higher than -2 to avoid this. SVS cautions against setting the AVR sub level too high due to distortion being sent to the sub.

believe what you like...

I have mine at 0db right now and just under 1/3 gain which seems to be doing the trick.My only concern is the distortion of signal from the AVR.I have seen others with SVS subs that have their gains at less than half and the sub level in the AVR at like -9.I don't know how they get adequate bass like that at all.I know i wouldn't with this AVR.

^^^

do you have any idea what level of distortion would be necessary in order for you to perceive it at that low of a frequency?

they likely have their subs positioned correctly, and have at least some trapping...

have you tried graphing your response?

you have a point,never though of that.I think my position is pretty good.I have messed with it alot and it is now close to but not right in the left corner.It is not adjacent to any openings on the opposite wall.Like i said,i am now getting enough output although i know for sure that it is well above reference.I bought an analog SPL and i used it to set my other speakers to 75db.The sub however just doesn't have the punch i want at a few db above reference.I am also curious though.I have the meter on the right settings,but when i measure my sub,the needle bounces all over the place.It has like a 4 db swing between the low point and high point.When i measure the other speakers the needle stays still.Do i measure the peaks or the lows as the correct db??

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...37143&page=178



This is what myself,SVS tech support,and lots of other people all over the web believe.Look at the bottom of the page where they discuss turning the level up too high on the AVR and sending a clipped signal to the sub.Therefore causing distortion when the sub trys to play the clipped signal.From my research many AV heads never put their AVR sub level above 0,much less -2 or -3 because setting it higher clips the signal.

as i said, believe what you like...

i asked you this before... do you have any clue at what level distortion becomes audible at those frequencies?

good luck.

I set the gain of my sub such that the AVR gain is low - -8/-9dB. The SUB gain knob is at 10-11 o'clock. This gives me headroom to increase the SUB level at the AVR to my liking for music listening (-2dB to +2dB).

If you increase the SUB gain after the MCAC and then decide to do other calibrations, MCAC will ask you to turn it down and then you can't compare apples to apples by switching memories. So pick a setting for the SUB gain that is low enough for MCAC to do it's job and stick with it.
Then do the adjustments of the sub level at the AVR.

Don't worry about clipping or distortion at the SUB preout of the AVR. This is a low power signal that should not have issues if the AVR is designed properly. The circuit has to accommodate the full input signal span and the +/-10dB gain for the SUB level by design.
The clipping, if any, could occur in the SUB amp if the AVR output level is at the maximum end and the SUB gain is set high too. If you notice that the SUB is working too hard - i.e. producing unnatural sounds and moving as if the cone will fly out of the case any moment or it ends its movement abruptly, then you are in a need of a more powerful sub

does anyone know how many watts the 1019 puts out when bi-amped for stereo?

^^^

the same amount as it puts out when it isn't bi-amped...

edit: from a technical standpoint, that's incorrect, but the actual speaker drivers don't see any more power...

What are folks general impression of this self-firmware update? Has anyone had problems resulting from doing it themselves?

Are there any regional issues with it or can it be used anywhere (I'm in the US)?

Besides remote power on and audio issues previously mentioned that this firmware update fixed - have there been any other improvements?

Thanks!

I have a Pioneer 1019 which I love, but I have trouble in one area. We have a Paradigm 5.1 setup. The front (Millenia) speakers work great, and the subwoofer is okay. The back speakers are 6.5" ceiling speakers. I know they work fine because we get the occasional sound effect during a tv show/movie, or sometimes sounds will come out in commercials. We are unable, however, to get any music to play through the back speakers. I have tried various surround settings on the 1019, but music will only play through the front speakers and subwoofer. To double check my settings I ran the MACC basic setup, and everything checked out OK. Does anyone have a suggestion as to how to get music to play through the back speakers as well as the front? Thank you.

5/21/10 - folks, a followup to this. I spoke to Pioneer Support today, told me that an "official" firmware self-update for the 1019 will be made available to customers. No ETA yet but according to them it should be available very soon.

Try the EXT.STEREO setting. The main issue is that regular CD's are usually produced in stereo, so they will broadcast on the front speakers and the sub as designed. The different modes like PLIIx, Neo 6 are going to distribute the sound to the back speakers based on their algorithms, but the EXT.STEREO looks like it's the most aggressive at distributing the stereo signal to all speakers.

If you really want true multi channel music, you'll have to get a multi channel player that plays SACD or DVD-A disks - they sound great, but are not widely popular formats. DVD-A's are not being produced anymore (AFAIK) and SACD is very slow. I have a player (OPPO BDP-83) that does play those and they sound great, but for regular CD's, it is in the same boat as any other CD player.

Long winded and hope it helps.

I did HKan's FW update on 919 and it was smooth sailing...all is well Take your time and follow the instructions it's very straight forward. If you are at all uncomfortable with these things, I would suggest thinking twice about doing it yourself.

I'm not uncomfortable at all (quite technical in fact!) - but I'd rather wait for the "official" firmware update Pioneer's planning to release soon. IMO that's better than risking toasting your AVR or voiding your warranty installing a non-official one.

Well, not a few Pioneer product owners swear by Hkan's firmware

Pls don't get me wrong - I totally understand not wanting to brick an AVR that's still under warranty. on the other hand, its not like this unit is a $2k plus EliteN.B. not at all dissing your preference to wait for the official firmware.

Was hoping someone could help me out with the video parameters function on my 1019. All connections are via HDMI and I'm trying to see how it upscales using the "res" parameter with my Pio 320 BD player.

I want to set the 320 to Source Direct for DVDs and let the 1019 upscale it to 1080P, my display is 1080P capable. Anyway, when I hit the video parameter button on the 1019 remote, it says "unavailable" and I can't get into the menu. I keep thinking that I'm missing something really simple here. Any help is appreciated, although the 320 is a pretty capable upscaler, I'd like to see how the ABT in the 1019 handles things. Thanks.

Mike T

you can't. hdmi sources will only be passed straight through.

That's what I thought I was reading from the manual but as already stated by many others, the manual is somewhat confusing. Thanks for the clarification.

Mike T

yes, those are things to consider and it is a personal decision to flash or not. always nice to have choices though and HKan has always been reliable for me.

you are welcome.

yes, the manual can be a bit confusing at times.

I recently purchased this receiver to replace a 10 year old Sony Home Theater System but a comment on a post I made yesterday has me rethinking my decision. The comment was on the wattage.

One reason I bought a new receiver is I needed a second zone to run outdoor speakers. I plan on using my Zone 2 to run a pair of Atrium 65-SDI outdoor speakers. They are a maximum 125 watts (Frequency response: 50 Hz to 20 kHz)

Will the VSX-1019 run these speakers? I sure hope so

Just wondering what everyones preference is. What setting do you think provides the best sound? Symmetry,All channel adjust,or front align?

anyone have a link to hkan's firmware? I trust it can be flashed via serial cable?

even easier.....PM HKan here......

I use symmetry for general audio when viewing movies/TV. I haven't used all channel adjust. I use front align for all music media (TV concerts, BD concerts and CDs). Just my $0.02...

Hey all,

My question is about the t.v. pic aspect ratio. When I watch the news or a channel that has a stock ticker or somthing of that sort the aspect ratio is all fubared. I'm hooked up hdmi and the t.v. is a 3 year old jvc 47. Soon going sharp aquos 52 120 hz. I'm soory if this is the wrong place to post this. The aspect ratio is killing me. I have to keep switching the aspect to full native on the t.v. every time I turn the channel. I have comcast dvr hd scientic atlanta box. is it the reciever.... can't be. The t.v. is olny hooked to cable box as theeht was taken down do to fact we are moving to our new house on Friday. This aspect thing is a constant with or with out ht. Heeeellllppp.