Pioneer SC-LX71/81 - cold/bright sounding ?

[mafrost]

I'm really torn between getting a Yamaha RX-V1900/3900 or Pioneer SC-LX71/81. Partially driven by the sheer lack of availability of the Yamahas.

One thing I've been hearing that is slightly putting me off the Pioneers are reports of the ICEpower amps (employed in the SC-LX71/81) sounding cold and/or bright. Having an almost valve-like Musical Fidelity 2-channel setup, I'd really like to avoid a mutli-channel setup that even errs on bright.

I'd love to demo the Pioneer in person but at the moment all the local dealers are shipping them out as soon as they get them in.

WFH team, any comments also as you've reviewed the SC-LX81 ? also are you planning on reviewing the SC-LX71 at all ?

Many thanks.

 

[daveh75]

Surely you mean home theatre(HT) or home cinema(HC) amps. ICE is In Car Entertainment

 

[mafrost]

daveh75:Surely you mean home theatre(HT) or home cinema(HC) amps. ICE is In Car Entertainment

Sorry, perhaps I should be more exact. I'm referring to Pioneers' ICEpower AV receivers, SC-LX71/81.

 

[Andrew Everard]

ICEPower amps

 

[mafrost]

Andrew, can you comment on behalf of WHF ?

 

[Andrew Everard]

Our view is that this isn't the case.

Not cold, icy or even frosty.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Indeed - the '81 certainly wouldn't have won an Award if that were the case.

Some previous Pioneer electronics have erred on the hard side, but not this one - or the matching Blu-ray players. Can't comment on the '71 receiver, as we're still awaiting review unit of that model.

 

[mafrost]

Andrew Everard:
Our view is that this isn't the case.

Not cold, icy or even frosty.

Andrew.

He he. Very droll, but funny all the same.

I also apprecaite the feedback. Now, I'm definitely erring on the side of the LX-81 if I can't get my hands on a Yamaha in the immediate future.

 

[Anonymous]

I would agree - I had a 71 for a while and was definately not cold/bright sounding, not at all - very smooth in fact.

my problem with the amp though was that it didn't really sound that dynamic ... went very loud, but sounded flat - not flat hifi - just flat. I'm a real Pioneer fan, but this was a disappointment to me. I tried MCAAC on/off, custom tweaks, just about everything.

On top of it sounding flat - the bass seemed to have no real punch to it either

Not sure if all of the above is speaker dependant (I have 6 ohm Tannoys) - as I have heard very positive reports from the majority of people.

I went back to my old trusty Pioneer 2011 (!) - which IMO for SD material sounds better. The overall "hifi" esque quality is not as good as the 71 (not as good DACs etc), and not as good for 2 channel cd playback, but for movies, the 2011 IMHO sounds far more dynamic - theatre like.

My 2ps worth

Andrew Everard:

Our view is that this isn't the case.

Not cold, icy or even frosty.