Buy Pioneer VSX-519V-K 5-Channel A/V Receiver (Black)

The receiver has great features which I only got to enjoy for one day.
The receiver turned off while playing the radio and would not come back on. Now, I 'm dealing with the returns dept to get another one. I'm hoping the first one was a lemon and I'll get a good one next time around. Keeping my fingers crossed.Get more detail about Pioneer VSX-519V-K 5-Channel A/V Receiver (Black).

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I have had the VSX-519 for almost a month. Connection was a little time consuming, but instructions were simple and easy to follow. It works really well with my Sony HDTV and Harmony 670 remote. One button on/off and Tv setup for play.

The sound is very good for this price range and is OK for my un-educated ear. The only negative is: No STV connection, but good selection of HDMI and component conections and RCA ...so there are lots of options. I have 5 components connected currently and room for two more.

No problems so far.

WRKTEM

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The Pioneer VSX-519V is an entry level 5.1 receiver made by Pioneer. Yet, don't let the fact that it is the cheapest 5.1 receiver they carry turn you away. This product has plenty bang for its buck. The receiver has an excellent build and a sleek look to it, but that is not all. The receiver has a plethura of connections ranging from hdmi, optical, digital coaxial, component, analog video, and of course and antenna hookup. The only hookup missing is s-video. The receiver handles video signals well. I cannot discern any degredation of video quality when compared to a direct video hookup to the television. Now moving onto the real reason someone would buy this, surround sound. This receiever can power my Bose Acoustimass Series I speaker system very well. It gets very loud and there are no signs of the speakers being underpowered. For volume control there is a knob on the right front side you can turn. The sound level ranges from 1 to 80. Which does strike me as a bit odd why only to eighty, why not a hundred instead? You can also adjust the volume with the included remote. The remote is very substantial and lets you control any and every setting the receiver has. The remote takes 2 AAA batteries to work; a pair is of course included. Functions, there are many effects and settings you can change on the receiver but most are uneeded and will most likely be overlooked. An example of these includes the settings for different types of music such as rock and classical. You are better off just leaving these options alone. However is you are interested the manual is very thorough and describes this receivers features in much greater detail. All you need to know is this receiver supports Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS, and Dolby Prologic II for your stereo encoded sources. When you play a DVD that supports say DTS the receiver will automatically detect this and switch to that setting. So for movies, television shows, videogames, and music this projector has it covered. However there are a few downsides. The receiver does not support HDMI passthrough for audio sources. This means you can't hook all your audio souces up and then run them through one HDMI and have it transfer all your audio signals through that one hdmi cable. Only more expensive receivers support this feature. It also has no upscaling feature, which is no surprise for a sub [...]receiver. And finally the reason I give it 4/5 stars instead of 5/5. The receiver is advertised as having 5x110 watts for a total of 550 watts and 110 watts per channel at an excellent .05% distortion level. This is not entirely true. While it may be true in some respects it is a bit deceiving. In the manual it states "continuous average power output of 80 watts* per channel, min., at 8 ohms, from 20Hz to 20 000hz with no more than 0.2%** total harmonic distortion. So it makes you wonder if you one can really trust wattage and distortion levels. It may be able to push a 110 watts a channel, but at continuous average power at 20hz-20,000hz with .05% distortion, it seems not. Anyway if you are looking for an entry-level home theatre receiver for your 5.1 system and are on a budget look no further.Get more detail about Pioneer VSX-519V-K 5-Channel A/V Receiver (Black).

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Too many buttons and preset settings. I don't want to spend my life with this thing. After pushing a few buttons and choosing from dozens choices in their menus, after about 15 minutes you can get the sound you like. Then the wife comes in and says she doesn't like the way it sounds. Simplify, simplify, simplify. Good unit but hard to set up.
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Shop For Pioneer VSX-519V-K 5-Channel A/V Receiver (Black)

The Pioneer VSX-519 is the entry level A/V receiver by pioneer, but this baby packs a lot of features and power for it's price.
for the price, i do not think any other brand comes even close with some of their mid level receivers.
i own the vsx 919 pioneer and i have to say the vsx 519 has the very similar sound, very pure and powerful. i use it with polk audio speakers, the sound is unbelleivable, the vsx919 has more decoder modes but for the every day music playing the vsx 519 does the same job, for half the price.
it has only 2 hdmi passthrough not upscaling hdmi, requiring digital audio input from coax or optical for movies and tv/sat. but the sound is just as powerful and has little or no distortion at high volumes.
i have it connected to my desktop, and play music out of itunes, the sound is simply great, pure and powerful, appeases to the musical ears.
got it on promotion at (...) for 169 free tax and shipping. can not be happier.
here's the pro's and con's:

Pro's:

1- pure beuatiful sound, powerful, 0.05 % thd, true and tested. (8 Ohms).
2- beuatiful, stylish piano balck finish, fits anywere in your audio/video rack stand.
3- Runs cool, just give it enough space to breath.
4- remote: small and controls all other components. very functional.
5- manual: a must read, otherwise you get lost, past the basic set up.
6- not using it for video, so i can not comment on picture quality.
7- price, multiple decoder modes, for 5.1 surround setting or straight stereo. ( 2 Speakers or 2.1 Set up).
8- cross over for sub, low at 50 hz, but for the all system,
9- Advanced set up Feature comparable to my more expensive receivers, Pioneer, Yamaha, Onkyo, & Sony
10- Dimmable display, for night use.
11- Ample memories entries for tuner, auto seeking feature.
12- Docks and plays Ipod/Iphone, without problems, through composite rca in. use a cheap kingston docker, for under $ 50.00
13- Well Built, durable.

Cons:

1- Not a backlit remote.
2- Manual is a must, even for the audio tech experts.
3- only 1 coax and 2 optical digital audio inputs, but for the price, can not be too demanding.
4- Spring connections for the surround and center chanel speaker, post binding only for front.

All in all, excellent A/V reeiver for the price, excellent & powerfull sounds. Sounds better then my Yamaha and Onkyo, can be the center of your secondary HT and does that with grace,and ease. Powerfull 110 watts per channel. Get it while on promotion, you will not be disapointed.
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Went to Best Buy to compare the Yamaha RX-V465 and the Pioneer VSX-819H-k. I had read reviews on the Yamaha on several different websites and most were very positive. I could find no reviews for the Pioneer since it just started reaching retailers during the past 2 weeks. I noticed the Yamaha on display and didn't really like the appearance-seemed less substantial in appearance than the Pioneer. They both looked impressive with the online pics. I know you don't buy according to appearances, although aesthetics can weigh in on a tie/deal breaker. I asked to see the Pioneer and the sales rep had to check his stock. They had not displayed a model since they just arrive the day before. He brought a new box out and opened it so I could compare it to the yamaha and we talked about the different features that were important/meaningful on both receivers. The advanced digital sound fields mean nothing to me. On most receivers they are either a variation of Dolby Prologic II or provide sound stage fields with irritating echoes. Every receiver I have owned (currently we have Panasonic and Sony Models)have these digital sound fields and we never use them.

The Yamaha sounded pretty good hooked up to a blu-ray movie at the store. The True HD was unbelievable! The specs on the Yamaha were the same as the Pioneer as far as supporting True HD and DTS-HD through the HDMI inputs-all switchable to the one HDMI output. The Yamaha has 4 HDMI inputs/1 ouput and the Pioneer has 3 HDMI inputs/ 1 output. I did a mind calculation on the spot and decided 3 outputs were sufficient for my set-up (Dish sat/Sylvania blu-ray/Panasonic DVD Recorder.) The THD was .9 for the Yamaha and .05 for the Pioneer. I don't know how significant that is but the Pioneer seems that it would have clearer sound at low volume with less distortion. The Quick set-up using a microphone placed at your normal listening position are also similar. The Yamamha calls it YPAO while Pioneer calls it MCACC. Most receivers have some variation of this at the mid-price range. The back of the receivers were similar as far as inputs/outputs but the Pioneer had the banana plugs for wiring (which I prefer) while the Yamaha had spring clips for some of the speakers. I won't go into any further specs/features-just go to the company websites or here at Amazon.

Well, I chose the Pioneer. It looked more solid and had some additional features that seemed important to me. I could always return it if I was less than satisfied. I did mention (I am no slouch) that since it was an open box-could I get an "open box" discount? The sales rep laughed (he had opened it for me) and said "why not". So off I went with my 10% discount on a brand new Pioneer VSX-819H-K receiver.

Well, I am tired today! I spent about 2 hours setting it up in the den and removing a Sony which is going to the master BR. But I am VERY HAPPY. This thing sounds fantastic. The set-up was easy. I played the Blu-ray disc "Hitman" and it was like you were inside the screen with the DTS-HD giving you that feeling! Here's the weird thing- I have ordered a set of Yamaha surround speakers from another website (at that time I was somewhat sure that I was going to Purchase the Yamaha model) not that it matters-I'm sure that they'll sound fine with the Pioneer. Back to the weird- The speakers that I am currently using have not been placed on the walls or configured for surround sound-since I had taken them down and re-wired with 16 gauge wire. Since I should receive the Yamaha speakers in a few days I didn't replace the speakers back on the walls etc. I decided to do the QUICK SETUP with the right front on the floor tilted up toward my seating position-the left front 3 ft. off the floor on my AV rack- the center speaker on top of the TV- the 2 rear surrounds are on the floor behind me in the corners also tilted towards my seating position and my Sony subwoofer disconnected. (wired so I couldn't connect it to the Pioneer.) I guess the MCACC SETUP is really precise/accurate because the Blu-ray DVD was phenominal in it's surround direction. Just think when I get the new speakers appropriately set up in the surround configuration!? I think anyone will be happy with this AV receiver. I am a happy camper in my den surrounded by HD SOUND!! P.S. Try to find a store that just received them and ask them to open the box and then ask for a discount!! LOLGet more detail about Pioneer VSX-819H-K 5-Channel A/V Receiver (Black).

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Just got my new receiver about a week ago and I couldn't be happier. It works better than I expected and with the Yamaha speakers I bought the sound is phenomenal. I've heard higher end setups before that don't sound this good. If you're thinking about getting this one stop thinking and get it. With all hdmi inputs setup couldn't be simplerGet more detail about Pioneer VSX-819H-K 5-Channel A/V Receiver (Black).

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This receiver sounds great and has all the connections I need for the system I have. It decodes all the new sound formats on the Blu Ray disks and works with my Logitech universal remote. No on screen menu , only for the initial setup, which runs through a plain old video connection to the TV. It powers my Bose speakers just fine and no static even at high volumes.Get more detail about Pioneer VSX-819H-K 5-Channel A/V Receiver (Black).

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Very good receiver and does what ever you want and decode every sound format with no issue. How ever, for some reason it does not support 24 frames per second from som blu-ray players and it greatly molest the picture quality. read more on avs forums.Get more detail about Pioneer VSX-819H-K 5-Channel A/V Receiver (Black).

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I paired the Pioneer VSX-819H-K receiver with Yamaha NS-SP1800BL speakers and I am *very* satisfied. The sound quality is excellent to my ears. The receiver plays MP3s from a usb flash drive just fine, and anything 256kbps or higher sounds fantastic. Even lower bitrate MP3s sound pretty good!

The receiver has a LOT of surround modes, but I pretty much use two: Dolby Pro Logic for music, and "Pro Logic II Movie" mode for movies, as those two sound the best to me.

A couple minor gripes: The MTAC setup didn't work for me -- In a TOTALLY silent house I got a "too noisy" error. No big deal though, I just did some minor manual speaker set up and everything sounds fantastic. The other gripe is that I can't get an on-screen receiver menu on my TV. I only have an HDMI cable going from the receiver to the TV, so that may be the reason -- it may need a different connection for the TV menu.

Neither of those are big enough to warrant the loss of a star, though. The sound and DVD HDMI video quality on this receiver are fantastic. Movies and music sound better than ever.

If you get this receiver, go for those Yamaha speakers -- they aren't very expensive, and they sound great with the Pioneer.Get more detail about Pioneer VSX-819H-K 5-Channel A/V Receiver (Black).

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This is an amazing receiver. Im fairly new to the world of surround sound and digital tv and audio, but I was dismayed to find out that to get surround sound I would have to pay 300-1500 dollars for a receiver to power speakers I have to pay for as well!! Well, after doing a bit of research, I found this great entry level "budget" receiver. Amazingly this baby has it all! I payed under 300 dollars and it has all the specs I need for my little 5.1 surround sound. Whats even better is that if I do decide to upgrade to some 7.1 speakers, I can add on an additional amp for expansion.

Ultimately, if you're on the fence about getting this receiver, or whether or not to get this one over the entry level yamaha, go for the Pioneer. Its worked great, has an additional HDMI input, it does audio over HDMI, which limits the use of cords, and it sounds great!!! Don't pass up on this great offer!Get more detail about Pioneer VSX-819H-K 5-Channel A/V Receiver (Black).

Cheap Pioneer VSX-819H-K 5-Channel A/V Receiver (Black)

First, do not, I repeat, DO NOT buy this receiver if you have large front speakers and/or no subwoofer.

The receiver's auto-speaker calibration forces you to dedicate all of your bass to a subwoofer; what this means is that, A) If you have no subwoofer, you will receive absolutely no bass frequencies from your speakers or, worse, B) If you have large speakers like my 8" woofer Athena towers that dip down to 30hz, you will lose their low frequences from 30hz up to 50hz, as manual set up FORCES you to cross over to a subwoofer at 50hz, regardless of whether you have one or not. You will thus lose those critical 20hz of low-bass capability in which you had invested so much money in in the first place. With my Athena F1.2s in front and B1.2s in back, I shouldn't have to run a superfluous subwoofer, many of which perform worse than my F1s. But without a subwoofer, the system's base frequencies are simply removed, automatically crossed over to a phantom subwoofer. The only explanation for this lame design is that the receiver was really intended for the sonically undemanding home-theater-in-a-box crowd. Pioneer really ought to have clarified this design flaw.

Second, do not buy this receiver if you wish not to have the worst customer service experience in your life. I called Pioneer to report the problem, and after a half hour on hold, an aggressive representative finally came on, demanding, "Yeah, what's up!" Umm, I just wanted to report a problem I have with the lower frequencies . . . . "What, 50hz isn't good enough for you?" (Me, with jaw dropping) Well, are you planning to release a firmware update? "No plans, but you could just hold on the receiver for a while and hope and pray that one comes through. But that's a risk that you'll have to take." So what do I tell amazon? "Tell them its their problem now to sort out." Okkkkaaaayyy. Now, about the 1/2 wait time . . . . "lskdjflskjflskjdflsdkjflsdjfk" (she lectured me in words that I'd rather not repeat here. If you thought your last customer service call to India didn't go well, I dare you to try Pioneer's California service number. The unprofessionalism and utter apathy will knock the wind right out of you.

I'm returning the unit, and I will never buy another Pioneer product. But if you're still thinking about buying the unit, read more:

Other sound issues:

1. The Pioneer has an effects-free, "pure-direct" stereo (2-channel) mode that allows the listener to hear the music "the way it was meant to be heard." Using this mode as a reference, I compared the Pioneer's simulated-surround 2-channel mode, all of the Dolby and DTS modes for 5.1, and the Pioneer's own DSP effects-laden 5.1 mode. None of the alternatives comes close to matching the pure-direct sound: they are very exaggerated and harsh in the upper frequencies, cold in the mids, distorted in the lower end, and altogether lacking in separation. With no fewer than two "gaming" sound modes, the receiver seems to have been designed for the recreational viewer/gamer rather than music listener.

2. Treble, bass, and loudness controls are the only options to the Pioneer sound modes, and they unfortunately have little appreciable impact on the system's sound. This means that the listener is essentially stuck with Pioneer's pre-programmed sounds, which, as noted above, are not geared toward someone who would listen to music with a critical ear. Ultimately, it's a 5.1 system that sounds good only in basic 2-channel stereo.

I wish I could compare this system to the more expensive Onkyo with the same specs. Any suggestions out there for a more musical and a reliable 5.1 or greater receiver at a $350-ish price? Or is this an impossibility for the time being?
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Buying Pioneer VSX-819H-K 5-Channel A/V Receiver (Black)

I have only had this receiver for a few days, so this isn't going to be as in depth as some of the reviews. I got the unit to replace an older model Pioneer receiver that didn't have any HDMI inputs or an on-screen setup guide. My TV only has 2 HDMI inputs and I have 3 components that can use HDMI (Blue Ray, High-Def DVR, and a Vudu box). Somewhere along the way, I was getting short changed. Instead of buying an HDMI splitter, I decided to replace my receiver with a more current model. Being familiar with Pioneer's Auto-calibration setup for the speakers, I stuck with what I knew. Besides, with the receivers 3 HDMI inputs and 1 output, I am good to go.

Out of the box, this receiver can deliver very good sound. Once connected and calibrated, there is not much that you have to adjust. If you use the HDMI connections and then run an HDMI cable to your TV, there is really no need to have any other cables with the exception of 1 set of component cables (more on this later). I now have the above mentioned components connected via HDMI cables to the receiver and 1 HDMI cable from the receiver to the TV. All switching between sources is handled by the receiver and video is upgraded to 1080i (except the Blue Ray of course, which is 1080p). When set to auto, the receiver automatically chooses the best audio format for the signal that it is receiving.

Now for the bad, and there isn't much. As mentioned by another reviewer, if you don't have component cables going from the receiver to your TV, you aren't going to be able to see the on-screen guide. The only mention made of this in the manual is in the footnotes. If I had not read this in a previous review, I would have been extremely frustrated. I am not sure why Pioneer did this when you are already using HDMI. At the very least, they could have made it a little clearer (or bigger) in the manual. My other complaint is the remote. It is not very intuitive and is pretty basic. I use a Logitech Harmony remote for all my stuff anyway, so this is not such a big deal to me.

Overall I have been VERY happy with this receiver so far. After using the auto-calibration microphone, the receiver made all the adjustments (speaker size, room size, sub-woofer present) and all I had to do was adjust the bass and treble to my liking. Another feature of this receiver is that it can control your iPod or iPhone. It comes with a special cable to connect them to the stereo and shows the information on the receiver and the TV and while the GUI may by pretty primitive (think VCR menus), it works and gives you the information that you need.Get more detail about Pioneer VSX-819H-K 5-Channel A/V Receiver (Black).

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It looks like it has plenty of inputs, but that is deceiving. Does not send video to HDMI, only passes through from an HDMI input. Requires separate amplifier for subwoofer. Weird connector labeling. Auto speaker level adjustment with included microphone keep giving error of too much ambient room noise in a very quiet room. Very unfriendly hard to understand buttons and manual. Very poor AM/FM receiver.Get more detail about Pioneer VSX-819H-K 5-Channel A/V Receiver (Black).

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Bought this receiver because I wanted one that could decode Blu-ray audio (DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD). Came with an added bonus, a USB port for direct hookup of your ipod. This receiver is extremely easy to set up, no matter what your speaker configuration is, and it sounds great with my 5.1 system. It can also decode PCM audio for blu-ray, and it can control your ipod when listening to music. It also switches HDMI sources for you (the only 2 I have are my blu-ray and cable box.) All in all, I can't say enough good things about this receiver. Great value for the price!Get more detail about Pioneer VSX-819H-K 5-Channel A/V Receiver (Black).

Order Pioneer VSX-819H-K 5-Channel A/V Receiver (Black)

This purchase was an upgrade and a great one. The different ways you can listen to your surround sound is amazing. It has every possible connection that you may need and I had no problem connecting it to my blu ray, my HDTV 1080p, and a DVD/VCR recorder. I kept my old speakers and the sound was even better. You can't go wrong with this receiver.Get more detail about Pioneer VSX-819H-K 5-Channel A/V Receiver (Black).

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The first Pioneer VSX-819H-K receiver I bought was defective; the ir sensor on the receiver was not detecting the signal from the remote. So I returned the unit.

A week later another one arrived. This time the remote worked...well not really. It did work, however any button on it (treble, volume, etc.) would TURN ON MY TV (new 42" Phillips LCD/HD). Long story short, I was told by Pioneer that I was out of luck, that the remote signals were very similar and there was no way to change that. This is a problem since once the TV would turn on the remote would no longer operate the receiver. How this happens is beyond me, and tech support. When I would turn the TV off it would work again, until the TV would turn on again...and so on. It is also VERY hard to read anything on the front of the receiver unless you are in very bright light. I returned this unit and gave up on Pioneer. Very poor design overall.

I ended up getting a Yamaha HTR-6130BL 500 Watt 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver and could not be happier. It sounds better than the Pioneer, looks much better, has an easy to read display, and a universal remote that controls my Sony blu-ray and TV as well. On top of everything else, the Yamaha was $50+ cheaper than the Pioneer although the features are not exactly the same. For my needs the Yamaha is perfect.
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