[klh]

I currently have a Nakamichi IA-1z integrated amplifier and a Pioneer DV-05 CD/DVD-Video player and want to upgrade. I want to get a receiver and universal player that are connected by some sort of high rez wire.

I'm pondering the idea of getting the Pioneer Elite DV-47ai and VSX-55TXi (with the i-link) versus Panny SA-XR70 and DVD-S97 (with HDMI). Obviously the Pioneer combo has the advantage of playing SACD and DVD-Audio and plays 7.1 algorithms while the Panny is 6.1 and only does multichannel DVD-Audio but costs less.

I know Modwright upgrades the DV-47ai and Bolder upgrades the SA-XR45 (and possibly the 70 at some poin in the future).

Does anyone have experience with the VSX-55TXi? How does it sound? Can it be modded (does anyone know of anyone who has modded it)?

Also, has anyone used the i-link? How does it sound vs 6 ICs? How much info is it capable of sending? How does it compare with the HDMI that the panny units are supposed to use?

I know this is somewhat of an academic comparison as the SA-XR70 and DVD-S97 have not been releasedt, but please humore me.

Lastly, if someone thinks another combination is better (modded or not), please say so and explain why you think it is superior.

[Vergilius]

I had the 45TX which was the predecessor of the 55TXI.  It was a very clean, detailed sounding receiver and the MCACC EQ was effective in my room.  In the short time I spent with it, it sounded just like my 45.  I have had occasion to check out the 55 via i-link also, and although it wasn't a carefully controlled test, I didn't find alot of difference in overall sound quality between the i-link and the 5.1 channel analog in.

Flexibilty wise, however, it is the preferred way to go for bass management and time alignment.

I'm going to get the XR-70 and the DVDS97S for DVD-A via HDMI.  Unfortunately, I've heard the DVD player isn't going to be out until Sept.(hopefully, that's wrong).

I stumbled upon this Forum after doing a search for the Panasonic receivers after reading about some positive comments on AVS.  I've really enjoyed reading the threads here and it has piqued my interest about the digital amps.  I might even try to find a closeout 25 or 45 to check it out before the 70 becomes available.

Anyways, having not heard the Panasonics, I can't comment directly on comparing the two, but I will say that the Pioneers will compete with anything in their price range.  I actually preferred the Pioneer to the other offerings from Yamaha, Denon, and Sony at the time which is why I bought the 45TX.  What intrigues me though is the quality some are reporting from such inexpensive components.  Obviously, it will be much cheaper to get into the Panasonic set-up than the Pioneer.  If it is as good or almost as good and you don't have alot of analog components, it'll be quite a coup.

I wouldn't expect there to be a difference from the digital connections themselves as they are both more than capable of delivering enough bandwidth for the applications they were designed for, but of course, overall quality will be affected by the upstream and downstream components.  

I'm real curious about how the 70 and the 97 will perform for DVD-A.  Although I don't really have a bass managment problem right now for hi-rez(I think it is has been a way overexaggerated problem for all but those with the smallest of satellites), I like the idea of getting the decoder out of the player and into the receiver.

Hopefully, we'll see soon.

[Carlman]

I like the sound of the Panasonic XR-25 I have with a matching DVD player.  It's a little soft or warm compared to my 2-channel's analog amp (an AKSA 100 kit amp) but, that is a good thing for movies. (to me)  Movies get really harsh quickly to my ears and the Panasonic makes it sound a little more natural and less crispy like others I've heard.  I have not heard a recent Pioneer setup.  I heard one a couple of years ago using Dynaudio Audience 72's and wasn't impressed.  But, I think that's because I don't like the speakers.  Plus, the interface was too confusing.  I like simple HT systems.  I want it to just play the freakin movie already.  I don't want to choose from 386 modes... I also don't need a million setup options cluttering the remote for the 1 or 2 times I do that in the initial setup.  So, I like the Panasonic for a variety of reasons... but simple to use and a nice warm sound are the biggest.

If I had the XR45 I'd probably get it modified.  But, I'm glad I don't.  Now I can just enjoy the HT as-is and not wonder how much better it would be.

-C

[klh]

For the longest time (so it seems), I was also interested in the 70/97 combo. I still am, but it bothers me that it won't play SACD and it only has 6.1 sound. If modified, as of now, it would only by 5.1, and it's hard to justify only going with that when so many other combos play 7.1 sound.

I've watched the forums here a lot and one of the nice things are all the mods available. Even going with the Pioneer 563A holds promise since upconversion can be added...

http://cinematrix-usa.com/psm1.html

as well as DVI output...

http://www.immersiveinc.com/

and transport mods can be done by any of the 4-5 modders with forums at audio circle.

The obvious problem with Pioneer, at least to me, is I can't find anyone that mods their receivers.  As much as the drawbacks of the panny are troublesome, it's hard to imagine the VSX-55TXi sounding better than a modded SA-XR70 at near equivalent price. Ahh, the trade offs

[RussKon]

one issue to consider....

the i-link connection on the pioneer units (as well as other standard 1394 units) performs correction on the digital signals to remove jitter when going from the player to the receiver....

the HDMI standards do not address jitter at all.... sonically, it would seem to be the exact equivalent of using six analog cables out from the player to the receiver..... there is a discussion going on over on avs forum right now on this subject...

That remains to be seen. Last I heard, there is no jitter control in the HDMI 2 spec. That puts it at a serious disadvantage compared to the A&M protocol for 1394 which allows the receiver to tell the transmitter to speed up or slow down to prevent buffer overflow. HDMI will most likely have all the same jitter/clocking problems as SPDIF.

the whole thread is actually about flagship receivers....

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=395995&perpage=20&pagenumber=5

as for the question about mods to the 55txi..... as an owner of the 55txi, i really can't think of anything that i can see or hear that needs to be modified..... this is really a very fine receiver.... i urge you to try it...

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/product/detail/0,,2076_4155_2046362,00.html