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Official Pioneer SC-68/67 Thread - Page 41

post #1201 of 1454
2/24/13 at 5:40pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jarrod2750 View Post

With pioneer spinning off their av division it might be a while until we see a new line

OK, I'm not quite out of pocket yet. in the article, it specifically said 14 new receivers for 2013 are planned.

and I think positive things could be in the works for this year and possibly 2014. I can see this reorg as a good thing, Pioneer home AV may be in the best position it's had in years to make things happen for Pioneer enthusiasts. I'm optimistic.
Edited by ss9001 - 2/24/13 at 5:54pm
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post #1202 of 1454
2/24/13 at 7:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ss9001 View Post

OK, I'm not quite out of pocket yet. in the article, it specifically said 14 new receivers for 2013 are planned.

and I think positive things could be in the works for this year and possibly 2014. I can see this reorg as a good thing, Pioneer home AV may be in the best position it's had in years to make things happen for Pioneer enthusiasts. I'm optimistic.

Warning: hersey will be spoken!

IMO Pioneer can capture the attention of serious audiophiles by leveraging on some deficits of Audyssey, particularly as they have control over both processing and room correction software.

These include:
A bug in Audyssey Pro that sets inaccurate distance for sub 2 in dual independent sub inputs
Graphs with poor resolution (1/6th smoothing for sub frequencies) and that report mains (L, C,R, as well as L/R) frequency response independent of subs
The need to record distance and trim and re-input for a saved measurement file or have incorrect information set by default
Crossover splices that aren't optimized jointly for all mains vs. sub(s)
The generated graphs only show predicted results of the calbration, not a post-calbration assessment of what has been created

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with what Pro+XT32 does for me, but if the above could be addressed, while keeping the Standing Wave adjustment of MCACC, I'd notice. Cue the flying pigs... biggrin.gif

Assuming Sub EQ for two subs independently, and being able to take as many as eight measurements is added, of course cool.gif

Back to the Oscars....
Edited by sdrucker - 2/24/13 at 7:14pm
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post #1203 of 1454
2/25/13 at 4:49am
I'm looking at possibly getting the SC-67 after reading the great review of the SC-68 at hometheater.com. Is the only difference the THX Ultra vs THX Select and the usb dac for connecting to a computer?
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post #1204 of 1454
2/25/13 at 5:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mnc View Post

I'm looking at possibly getting the SC-67 after reading the great review of the SC-68 at hometheater.com. Is the only difference the THX Ultra vs THX Select and the usb dac for connecting to a computer?

Here you go
810 (SC68) vs 770 (SC67) total watts
MCACC precision cal for the SC68 only
Multi-channel inputs for the SC68 only

I went back and forth on this myself, but in the end went with the SC67. I've had it a week and the upgrade from my SC35 was totally worth it.
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post #1205 of 1454
2/25/13 at 6:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ReDs View Post

Here you go
810 (SC68) vs 770 (SC67) total watts
MCACC precision cal for the SC68 only
Multi-channel inputs for the SC68 only

I went back and forth on this myself, but in the end went with the SC67. I've had it a week and the upgrade from my SC35 was totally worth it.

I also went through the comparisons of the two before deciding on the 67, primarily because of the price difference. Had it a few months and am very happy with the decision. Also should note that the MCACC function in the 67 works great - used it to calibrate my HT set up and noticed a big improvement.
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post #1206 of 1454
2/25/13 at 6:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by iceman81 View Post

I also went through the comparisons of the two before deciding on the 67, primarily because of the price difference. Had it a few months and am very happy with the decision. Also should note that the MCACC function in the 67 works great - used it to calibrate my HT set up and noticed a big improvement.

Yes pricing, future upgrades, and many other factors was included in my decision. Lastly the needs vs wants smile.gif
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post #1207 of 1454
2/25/13 at 6:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by lipton View Post

Thanks, dreamtheatre...

You are absolutely right about the music. I bought a few new blu ray concerts (e.g., The Killers at Royal Albert Hall) and have never heard such clarity. I even bought a blu ray of an Adele concert (Royal Albert Hall again) for my wife and listened to it for few minutes and it sounded so good, I even stayed a listened for a few minutes, just to enjoy the ability of the 67.

Santana is one of my favorites so I look forward to playing him as well. Did you stream Abraxas through your Oppo or through the SC-67? I used a Netgear wireless adapter for the SC-67 and it worked perfectly. It was much easier to set that up and update the 67 than I thought possible. I have yet to stream any music through the system though.

On another note, I've read so many superlative reviews & comments about the Oppos, I am close to giving away my current Panasonic blu ray and buy the 103. However, the panasonic does a great job so I may wait. How much of a difference does the Oppo really make compared to a "normal" blu ray player, especially if you use the 67's DACs?

I have used only OPPO's since the 980 DVD player so I really can't comment on any other brand's players. I won't get too far off topic here, but there are a lot of factors to consider whether or not a player upgrade will yield any real benefit to you. Do you have a large number of SACD/DVD-Audio discs? Will you utilize the 103's HDMI input (i.e. running a cable box through the 103 to take advantage of it's video processing)? How old is your Panny? What size screen do you have? How old is your display/projector? These are some of the major questions to ask yourself before upgrading a player. I think it is fair to say, though, from a purely video perspective that the OPPO brand is the king of the hill.. What's more their customer service is second to none; they are constantly looking to improve the user experience via firmware updates.

I do stream through the 103, and haven't tried any streaming through the 67.
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post #1208 of 1454
2/25/13 at 8:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ReDs View Post

Here you go
810 (SC68) vs 770 (SC67) total watts
MCACC precision cal for the SC68 only
Multi-channel inputs for the SC68 only

I went back and forth on this myself, but in the end went with the SC67. I've had it a week and the upgrade from my SC35 was totally worth it.

The SC-68 also has gold-plated jacks... The SC-67 is nickel-plated...
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post #1209 of 1454
2/25/13 at 12:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by robertpos View Post

*** DTS HD HR problem ***


Hi guys!

Please forgive me my poor english...

For last few days I have Pioneer SC-LX76 (european model) - I think, it is the same, as ELITE SC-67.


My blu-ray player is Dune BD Prime 3.0. It is connected via HDMI to the Pioneer AVR. The Dune is configured to bitstream sound.

Today, playing James Bond "Quantum of Solace" i noticed, that my Pioneer can't decode DTS HD HR sound. There was no sound from speakers at all. Fortunatelly I have my old AVR - Yamaha RX-V1067. So, I swapped AVRs, to check if the problem still persists. It turned out, that 3 years old Yamaha has no problem with playing DTS HD HR sound.

Then i made some few tests and I can say, that Pioneer can't play any blu-ray disc with DTS HD HR sound. I tested 4 movies and got same problem - James Bond (I have no another blu-rays with DTS HD HR):
- Quantum of Solace
- The World is Not Enough
- Thunderball
- Dr. No

Of course Yamaha can play them all.

Pioneer can play all other HD formats. I checked DTS HD Master, Dolby True HD, Flac 24/192.

Can anybody confirm this issue? Or maybe this strange problem is caused by Dune blu-ray player. I have never had such problem using my Yamaha (connected to Dune). If I can't find the way how to fix this problem, I think I will have to return Pioneer back to the shop.


Robert

Hello again!

Yesterday it turned out, that the problem with DTS HD High Resolution (DTS HD HR) was caused by the HDMI cable (a no-name 1.3 HDMI cable). It is strange, because this cable connected to my old Yamaha RX-V1067 receiver (also equipped with HDMI 1.4 ports), has been working for two years without single problem. I can remember, that in some review of the Pioneer Elite SC-67, there was info, that this AVR has low quality (sensitive to interference) HDMI ports and therefore higher quality HDMI cables are required. I have bought high quality HDMI 1.4 cable and since yesterday I have no problem with DTS HD HR sound. In my opinion the HDMI ports in Pioneer Elite SC-67 are a weak point of this receiver.

Best Regards!
Robert
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post #1210 of 1454
2/25/13 at 1:10pm
Anyone notice the home theater.com reviews of the sc61&sc68 show the 61 as having more power. There is obviously a mistake. Just not sure if they switched the two or if both are totally wrong.
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post #1211 of 1454
2/25/13 at 1:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mnc View Post

Anyone notice the home theater.com reviews of the sc61&sc68 show the 61 as having more power. There is obviously a mistake. Just not sure if they switched the two or if both are totally wrong.

Something has to be wrong he even eluded to it on page 2 of the review

"Little Big Man
When I reviewed the SC-68—at more than twice the cost of the SC-61—I was wowed by its ability to handle challenging loads without clipping, its superior dynamic flow, its prodigious bass output, and its clean midrange. While the junior model isn’t as potent, it has much the same personality, with slightly scaled-down versions of the same characteristics, and still feels brawnier than most receivers I’ve listened to in its price range."

Some have said the ICE amps in the previous gens are better and more powerful based on the same reviews, but my ears tell a different tale with these D3 amps. Reviews are gravy, but they aren't the only thing to factor in my buying decisions.
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post #1212 of 1454
2/25/13 at 3:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dreamtheatre View Post

I have used only OPPO's since the 980 DVD player so I really can't comment on any other brand's players. I won't get too far off topic here, but there are a lot of factors to consider whether or not a player upgrade will yield any real benefit to you. Do you have a large number of SACD/DVD-Audio discs? Will you utilize the 103's HDMI input (i.e. running a cable box through the 103 to take advantage of it's video processing)? How old is your Panny? What size screen do you have? How old is your display/projector? These are some of the major questions to ask yourself before upgrading a player. I think it is fair to say, though, from a purely video perspective that the OPPO brand is the king of the hill.. What's more their customer service is second to none; they are constantly looking to improve the user experience via firmware updates.

I do stream through the 103, and haven't tried any streaming through the 67.


Your points make a lot of sense. My Panny is about two years old, but was a top-rated model when I bought it and is still going strong. I do not have a large collection of SACD/DVD-audio discs, but do have a large collection of blu ray concert discs. I have a 60-inch Pioneer Kuro and feel as if the current blu ray picture is really good. However, the video from the Oppo just seems to get such rave reviews, I'm sure it would be even better with the Oppo. I have a b-day coming up so maybe I'll treat myself...
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post #1213 of 1454
2/25/13 at 4:34pm
How do I get 2.1 sound from stereo CDs? I am surprised by the sound of EXT. Stereo with stereo sources, BTW. Very pleasant.
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post #1214 of 1454
2/25/13 at 6:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Goalline View Post

How do I get 2.1 sound from stereo CDs?
If by "2.1" you mean you want the subwoofer to participate, then we must assume you have the sub enabled for the L/R speakers (they are set to "small"). If so, you only need to select a stereo mode that does not defeat the internal bass management, such as might happen with "pure direct" or the like.
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post #1215 of 1454
2/26/13 at 7:58am
Thanks Roger. Works perfectly.
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post #1216 of 1454
2/26/13 at 12:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sdrucker View Post

Warning: hersey will be spoken!

IMO Pioneer can capture the attention of serious audiophiles by leveraging on some deficits of Audyssey, particularly as they have control over both processing and room correction software.

These include:
A bug in Audyssey Pro that sets inaccurate distance for sub 2 in dual independent sub inputs
Graphs with poor resolution (1/6th smoothing for sub frequencies) and that report mains (L, C,R, as well as L/R) frequency response independent of subs
The need to record distance and trim and re-input for a saved measurement file or have incorrect information set by default
Crossover splices that aren't optimized jointly for all mains vs. sub(s)
The generated graphs only show predicted results of the calbration, not a post-calbration assessment of what has been created

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with what Pro+XT32 does for me, but if the above could be addressed, while keeping the Standing Wave adjustment of MCACC, I'd notice. Cue the flying pigs... biggrin.gif

Assuming Sub EQ for two subs independently, and being able to take as many as eight measurements is added, of course cool.gif

Back to the Oscars....

I didn't see the follow up article from Pioneer that they'll continue to release products. That's great news to hear.
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post #1217 of 1454
2/28/13 at 4:20am
VERY HAPPY!!!!!

Just picked up a new Pioneer Elite SC-67 and a Pioneer Elite BDP-62FD from authorized dealer Best Buy/Magnolia. I tested out their new policy for matching on-line retailer Amazon. Got lucky at the first Best Buy I went to in Boca Raton, FL. They price matched both to Amazon which gave me a 35% discount on the receiver and a 30% discount on the blu ray. Here's how it went ...

ME: What price can you sell me a Pioneer Elite SC-67 for?
BB: We usually sell them for $ 2000 ...
BB: I can sell it to you for the lowest price we've ever done which is $ 1798
ME: I heard you price match Amazon now ...
BB: Yes, we do ... are they selling it for a lower price
ME: Nod my head yes ...
BB: Let me bring them up on the computer.
BB: After studying the add for about a minute ... Yep, I'll match their price of $ 1299
BB: Do you still want the 62?
ME: Yes, I'll take it if you can price match it also.
BB: Sure ... I see they have it for $ 279 ...
ME: Great ... I'll take them both.

With Amazon, I would have had to buy the SquareTrade warranty. Buying best buy including sales tax was still less than Amazon with warranty.

I had to order the SC-67 and I can pick it up next Tuesday, March 5th.

VERY excited and just wanted to give a heads up to anyone looking to upgrade ...

Note: They price matched to MARKETPLACE vendors ... these were not "fulfilled by Amazon" adds. I don't know if all BB's will do this.
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post #1218 of 1454
2/28/13 at 6:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gatlinburger View Post

VERY HAPPY!!!!!

Just picked up a new Pioneer Elite SC-67 and a Pioneer Elite BDP-62FD from authorized dealer Best Buy/Magnolia. I tested out their new policy for matching on-line retailer Amazon. Got lucky at the first Best Buy I went to in Boca Raton, FL. They price matched both to Amazon which gave me a 35% discount on the receiver and a 30% discount on the blu ray. Here's how it went ...

ME: What price can you sell me a Pioneer Elite SC-67 for?
BB: We usually sell them for $ 2000 ...
BB: I can sell it to you for the lowest price we've ever done which is $ 1798
ME: I heard you price match Amazon now ...
BB: Yes, we do ... are they selling it for a lower price
ME: Nod my head yes ...
BB: Let me bring them up on the computer.
BB: After studying the add for about a minute ... Yep, I'll match their price of $ 1299
BB: Do you still want the 62?
ME: Yes, I'll take it if you can price match it also.
BB: Sure ... I see they have it for $ 279 ...
ME: Great ... I'll take them both.

With Amazon, I would have had to buy the SquareTrade warranty. Buying best buy including sales tax was still less than Amazon with warranty.

I had to order the SC-67 and I can pick it up next Tuesday, March 5th.

VERY excited and just wanted to give a heads up to anyone looking to upgrade ...

Note: They price matched to MARKETPLACE vendors ... these were not "fulfilled by Amazon" adds. I don't know if all BB's will do this.

Congratulations!!! My local BB would NOT price match marketplace vendors.

I found a different authorized dealer to seel me the SC-68 at marketplace price.

I'm happy withthe Elite.
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post #1219 of 1454
2/28/13 at 7:33am
Thanks.

"I'm happy with the Elite."

I'm sure I will be to. I'm upgrading from a 4 year old mid level Pioneer that I've been very happy with. Wanted to get 9.2, PL IIz and DTS Neo X to play around with and also wanted the Apple airplay stuff and, as always, more power. Can't wait to try out the D3 amps with my Martin Logan Clarity fronts and Motif center. Already downloaded the Control App to my Ipad and it looks awesome.
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post #1220 of 1454
2/28/13 at 7:35pm
i just connected my speakers to my Pioneer Sc-68 and to my surprise the Right amp drives my left speaker and the left amp drives the right speaker. So basically R on the rear of the receiver drives my Left speaker and L drives my right speaker. i have the speakers bi-amped in my receiver by using the Front Heights connected to my HF posts in the speaker. Is my receiver defective?
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post #1221 of 1454
3/2/13 at 7:46am
How do I connect a microphone to SC-67? I tried (phono input) but there was lot of static.
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post #1222 of 1454
3/2/13 at 8:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by malcolmp6 View Post

i just connected my speakers to my Pioneer Sc-68 and to my surprise the Right amp drives my left speaker and the left amp drives the right speaker. So basically R on the rear of the receiver drives my Left speaker and L drives my right speaker. i have the speakers bi-amped in my receiver by using the Front Heights connected to my HF posts in the speaker. Is my receiver defective?

Ok. This is a problem only when I use my receiver in bi-amp mode. Anyone knows why this is happening?
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post #1223 of 1454
3/2/13 at 9:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by malcolmp6 View Post

Ok. This is a problem only when I use my receiver in bi-amp mode. Anyone knows why this is happening?
I would look at your setup and make sure you connected correctly and as for passive bi-amping I have never heard a difference.
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post #1224 of 1454
3/2/13 at 10:10am
Has anyone ever upgraded the power cord with any luck?
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post #1225 of 1454
3/3/13 at 7:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jarrod2750 View Post

Has anyone ever upgraded the power cord with any luck?
The only reason I could think of for doing this would be to use a shorter cord.
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post #1226 of 1454
3/4/13 at 3:16pm
Connection Android to sc-68 USB-DAC

According to this following thread, many Android smartphones and tablets can stream digital audio output through the onboard USB port to an external DAC

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1393599/enable-usb-audio-on-any-android-4-0-smartphone-tablet/120

I wonder anyone has tried any one of them to SC-68?
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post #1227 of 1454
3/4/13 at 8:03pm
SC-67 LFE questions..
5.1 speaker set up.
Full Auto MCACC set all speakers as Large with a Crossover of 80.
Sounds fantastic with movies and SACDs.
Master and Commander cannons. Awesome.
CD playback is an issue because the Large speaker setting does not use the Subwoofer.
Work around is to set the front speakers (or all speakers) to Small, which utilizes the subwoofer.

My question is whether I should set up my sub as Yes or Plus?
I have read the manual page 99 several times but am still confused.
With a crossover set at 80 I assume that the sub will produce the LFE signal (.1) as
well as any frequencies <80 that would normally be output by the Front, Center and Surrounds.
Is that right?
If so what does the Plus setting do?

Thx
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post #1228 of 1454
3/5/13 at 6:31am
Tracerjohn, I believe the PLUS designation leaves the sub on at all times.
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post #1229 of 1454
3/5/13 at 6:48am
^ Correct; it sends LF signals to both the sub and L/R mains. Sometimes this adds more bass and people like the effect; most of the time, it means the mains are handling signals they really shouldn't and introducing more ripples in the frequency response due to constructive and destructive interference (peaks and valleys) in the room. Plus can cause uneven, boomy bass. I would choose "yes" assuming you have a subwoofer but not "plus". You are always free to try both ways and see which you prefer. My opinion based on reading here is that most choose "yes" and not "plus".

All IMO - Don
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post #1230 of 1454
3/5/13 at 7:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DonH50 View Post

^ Correct; it sends LF signals to both the sub and L/R mains. Sometimes this adds more bass and people like the effect; most of the time, it means the mains are handling signals they really shouldn't and introducing more ripples in the frequency response due to constructive and destructive interference (peaks and valleys) in the room. Plus can cause uneven, boomy bass. I would choose "yes" assuming you have a subwoofer but not "plus". You are always free to try both ways and see which you prefer. My opinion based on reading here is that most choose "yes" and not "plus".

All IMO - Don
I agree and it should tighten up the mid bass so the AVR is not having to pump power to frequencies that the sub will handle a lot better than the mains.
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