The "Official" Pioneer Elite SC-55/SC-57 Owners Thread - Page 125

I have trying to find a clearance SC-55 at a local BB with no luck. Are there any other stores or places that one can find such a unit (other than Amazon or Ebay, of course). It stinks that BB won't ship clearance items.

Also, if anyone is unloading their SC-55 please PM me.

Thanks,

Jim

I don't have it now either. I recently did the firmware upgrade. Did either of you?

My SC-55 keeps switching back and forth between 2 channel and 5.1 based on the source material but the way my speakers are set up it doesn't really work to use just two channels (need the LFE for bass). Is there a way to force the SC-55 to play all sources at 5.1?

Thanks!

I haven't upgraded the firmware on my SC-57. I currently don't even have networking enabled on it.

- JD

sure, just use one of the surround modes: Dolby PLIIx, DTS Neo or THX (THX Cinema/Music) PLIIx is probably your best overall bet for a nice, surround field. it's a good starting point, anyway.

makes sense. Thanks!

On my last pre-hdmi receiver i was able to have tv on with no sound while playing music. Watch football while listening to music for example.

Is there a way to set up the sc-55 to do this? Perhaps using zone two or something?

(I only have one room, one set of 5.1 speakers and one tv all hooked up to the sc-55).

Sorry if this is a remedial question. Seems like i must be missing something simple...

thanks.

Good Morning.This also happens to me.
It is true.I can't watch tv and at that time listen to radio.The music stops and goes to tv sound.I think it has to with HDMI Control.If someone has a solution he can tells us how to avoid that.

i'm looking for the remote ir codes for mode 2 to 4. for mode 1 they are at pioneer avaible for download.
2012_Pioneer & Elite AVR IR Codes with Hex 5-8-12.xls
Pioneer

You can do it if you plug the cable or satellite box directly into the TV. You can still listen to TV audio through the receiver at full quality via the HDMI Audio Return Channel, which shows up on the TV Input. (You can't have any analog audio plugged into that input or the ARC won't work.) When you want to listen to a different source, let's say the FM tuner in the receiver, select Tuner. The TV will still stay on, but you won't hear any TV audio. If you also want TV audio from the TV at the same time the receiver is playing FM, you have to go into the TV set settings and change the output from AV System to Speakers. (At least that's the way it works on my Sony TV).

When you select Tuner on the receiver, select it directly - don't rotate through all the inputs because when it hits your Blu-ray input, HDMI control will change the input on the TV to the receiver.

The only hangup is this: If the source you want to listen to is a BD player (let's say because you're playing a CD on the BD player) and HDMI control is turned on, it's going to automatically change the input on the TV from the HDMI cable box input to the HDMI feed from the receiver. And if you change the TV input back to the Cable box input, the receiver will change along with it. So this will only work with analog inputs on the receiver. Not sure if it will work with the iPod input.

The other option is to shut off HDMI control on the receiver, but that means you'll have to manually change the receiver to the TV input or whatever when you want TV sound via the receiver.

Thanks.

The source I want most is HMG or AppleTV (for iTunes music streaming while watching football or CNN) but i'll settle for being able to listen to phono or tuner. HMG and AppleTV are both audio AND video sources so would switch my TV monitor to display them, correct?

That said, if I'm using ARC and running the cable box into the TV instead of into the receiver, when i switch to Tuner or Phono, the cable signal will remain on TV but audio will be Tuner or Phono, right? (Just double checking as i'd have to buy another longer hdmi cable and run it through the wall to try your suggestion).

Finally, I don't currently use HDMI control. I have it turned off. I use my sc-55 remote as my main universal remote control to control cable, Apple TV, etc.

I just tried my iPhone playing back iTunes via AirTunes and that worked fine. Since I do have HDMI control turned on, it switched the TV automatically to display the receiver output, but then I was able to switch the TV back to the cable box. But again, no audio from the TV while iTunes was playing unless I switch the TV to "speakers" in the TV's settings. (And no video from the iPhone, aside from the track title, etc.)

And yes, your second paragraph is correct. One HDMI cable from the cable box to the TV and one HDMI cable from the receiver output to a TV HDMI input. When you want TV audio through the receiver, just tune the receiver to TV. If you have HDMI control turned on, the TV will automatically switch output from its own speakers to the receiver and switch the receiver to TV. (I recommend this). In your case when that happens and you want music, just change the receiver to Tuner or start playing your iPod or whatever and click the Airplay icon. The receiver will automatically switch to H.M.G. Without HDMI control, I think the H.M.G will still auto-switch, but the receiver won't switch to TV automatically when you put theTV on. You'll have to switch manually or with a programmable remote control.

Well, turns out my TV doesn't have ARC. So thanks for your help but I'm not sure i have the space to run an additional 2 hdmis and an optical cable through the wall...

I just wanted to jump back in and thank those that were able to help with my questions.

I ended up going with the SC-55. I was able to pick it up for a little under $500 out the door thanks to a few coupons that BB let me stack.

Unfortunately, I asked for the unit to be powered on before I paid for it, no dice, it would immediately go into an overheat fault, even though it was sitting cold on a shelf. I ended up buying it, then having it immediately sent to repair. I won't be out anything, worst case scenario I can return it, but this way I was still able to grab it and use the ~$100 worth of discounts.

So hopefully it comes back all fixed up. I'm excited to get it installed!

Quick question - if I turn on the SC-55 after my Samsung TV, the TV volume, mute, power will control the SC-55 (which I LOVE). It also shows a nice graphic on the TV when I turn the volume up or down. However, if I turn the SC-55 BEFORE the TV it doesn't do this. The TV volume still control the TV speakers. Is there a way to make the TV control the SC-55 without turning the SC-55 off then back on?

I tried reading the manual, but it is written so poorly I can't really make out if I have my settings correct. Plus I am not even sure what I am trying to do is called.

Hey guys thanks for the help, I did get music to sound really good through the system with your help. Now I'm working on surroundsound and I'm really struggling I just can't get it to sound better than my old Yamaha. Or for that matter even as good. I've got three more days to bring the system back and I'm seriously considering it. I really don't want to. I want it to be awesome but the surround-sound just seems empty.

It seems like most of the sounds coming out of the center channel. It's hard to describe. It doesn't fill the room like the other one did. I'm sure there must be just some settings that I have set wrong.

It has a sharpness to it, a high-pitched S at the end of every word.. Just doesn't sound full, deep and dramatic.

If anyone has anything they That may help dial in my surround-sound I would be very grateful.

Thanks.

Magnolia Home Theater( inside Best Buy) is clearing the these out
I saw a store with one new in box this week for 50% retail....I have seen open box deals for about 55-65% off retail

BB is running a huge open box clearance event...so you might check the stores near with a Magnolia Home theater in them

any one own both a SC37 and a SC57?

I own a SC37...and have for the past 14 months or so
Last month I saw a firesale deal at Magnolia for a display they had at about 80% off retail( with power cord only)

This past week I saw an open box SC57 at Magnolia for about 1/3 of retail( with all the accessories)

I bought both of them

I like some of the advanced features of the SC57

However.......build quality seems a little lower and the SC57 sounds a lot "brighter" than the SC37

can anyone comment who has owned both?



Warren

Hi there.I don't own a SC 37 but i have to say that the build quality is a bit low.For Example my SC LX 75 (SC 55) has a small difference on assemble in every side.Look at these pictures to see what i mean
pIONEER.jpg 44k .jpg file

pIONEER 2.jpg 36k .jpg file


Please look at yours.Is it the same?
I don't think it's a big mess but in that price range i think it should be perfect.
Apart from that i am very pleased with it's sound.
The only i think i miss is the 4K Support that the new SC LX 76 (SC 67) has!
I hope you enjoy it!

I guess my Sc57 looks pretty much the same as the one you have in the photo

I disconnected it today and reconnected the Sc37

Perhaps its the speakers I have ...BUT...the of the three speakers I have had in the same room with the same speakers

The Yamaha A3000 was very detailed and neutral sounding...but I felt lacking a little in the power department

The SC37 had less detail than the Yamaha...though it sounded more powerful..

The SC57 had more detail than the Sc37...however the tone quality for me and the speakers...was a little bright

Please look at yours.Is it the same?
I don't think it's a big mess but in that price range i think it should be perfect.
Apart from that i am very pleased with it's sound.
The only i think i miss is the 4K Support that the new SC LX 76 (SC 67) has!
I hope you enjoy it!


I agree that doesn't look right, my sc55 looks perfect on those same corners

I think it's a factory fault (mine)
Anyway it doesn not bother the specs.It is just bad when you watch it.Nothing else.
I hope it was a new one and not a refurbished unit.
Do you know how i can confirm that?
When i purchased it it costed me 1300 euros.I took it with 3 years warranty.

I insert the images again to see them and tell me your opinion:
Here the left right side:



Here the right (faulty) side:



What do you think?

No. My SC55 is not like that at all. The sides of mine are perfectly flat and meet the front panel perfectly. I wonder if your unit was either dropped or exposed to excessive heat. Do you have it in a well-ventilated position. I have no problem with the "build quality" of this unit. As I've reported many times in the past, I've never been all that thrilled with the overall sound quality for sources other than Blu-ray, but I think I'm in the minority in the that regard.

Has anybody had any problems with airplay? Mine keeps cutting out. I'm not sure if it's my network or the SC 55. It shows up on the TV like it's still playing the time is counting down but there's no sound. Sometimes it comes back up and starts playing but other times it doesn't. I have to try to reconnect it go back to iPhone and then back to SC 55. It just started doing this yesterday.

AirPlay is pretty solid

Most likely the access point

Now it's to the point where I have to actually shut the receiver off and unplug it in order to get airplay to connect again. so that leads me to believe there's something wrong with the receiver. I'm wondering if it can be tested without sending it to pioneer and being without a receiver for a month.

Yesterday it locked up twice. I couldn't get Internet radio to work or anything until I unplugged it and plugged it back in.

^^^^


you should be fine

I had a similar scenario with a Yamaha A2010..open box...got it home and it had a network connection issue

I was lucky another store had one and swapped it out for me




Warren

if you other network connected devices are functioning well...and Pioneer is not..you might have an access card issue in the Pioneer



Warren

The problem is they don't have anymore. I had them search other stores and they're all out. So now the only option is to send it in. unless I can talk them into giving me an upgrade which I highly doubt.

might be the best thing to do

On another note...if you are in the midwest I know a Magnolia that has two SC55's...one open box and the other in a sealed box

send me a PM....if you are in the lower midwest ...and I will tell you where they are

its the same store I bought my SC57 at 10 days ago



Warren