Customer Ratings & Reviews

I had an older model Pioneer 5.1 receiver that finally started give me problems after years of use. I did months of research and decided to upgrade to this 7.2 receiver. It was on sale, but I’m very happy with my purchase. It has plenty of power for all 7 speakers (4 Sonance in ceiling speakers, Sony center channel & a pair of book shelf) and 2 (Polk 10”) subs. Easy to setup and my Samsung 65” 4K tv connected with no problems. The only issue I have with this receiver is that it doesn’t have a network port for an internet connection. Not a show stopper, I can still use my phone for satellite radio.

Hello all. First off I'd like to start by saying I've been an AV enthusiast for well over a decade now, probably almost two decades. I've owned a pioneer in 2005, followed by an Onkyo 5.1, then an Onkyo HT-RC160 which was my most recent unit before this Pioneer. I am absolutely BLOWN away by the dynamics of this Pioneer, coming from the Onkyo. It's almost as if the Onkyo was shooting for a severely limited flat line response when applying any Audessy equalizer or dynamic volume. The Onkyo literally sounds handicapped compared to this Pioneer. The bass on the Pioneer is superb management when pairing the high range TSI's to the flat line 20hz-200hz range of my SVS. The surrounds actually have punch to them now. The front sound stage however is where the real beauty of this Pioneer comes into play. I have two TSI-200's anchoring my front sound stage. The Pioneer has ONLY TWO banana plug speaker jacks in the back, the rest are clip only. The two that accept banana plugs are the front left and front right. This really is a non issue, because the Pioneer outputs (check) a Dynamic 135W//ch at 6+ohms. I can attest to say, from my ears, it sounds like my speakers are being fed *all of that*. The clarity of the smoothness of the sound when in Dolby Surround is *phenomenal*. My setup includes a freshly mounted dual ceiling speaker setup with a traditional 5.1 configuration. All Polk TSI and CS10 200's and 100's around.

Managed to snag an open box, excellent for $216 and am extremely happy with it. Using this for a secondary 5.1 setup in my basement. Upgraded from a 9 year old Pioneer receiver I had been using. Used the included mic to set everything up and I feel the sound difference is stark from where I was - all without adjusting anything. I did end up making a couple adjustments, but the effort was minimal relative to my old receiver. I am now able to bi-amp the fronts and I feel this adds to the overall output of the high notes. Also noticed a bump in the sound of my subwoofer. It sounds cleaner and louder than before. Overall I think the sound and effects of the surround sound are really nice. The 4K video passthrough (both when the receiver is on and off) is so much better than the 1080 I had been using. I watch everything through a Roku and was finally able to set it to 4K and had no idea how bad the 1080 was until I did so. I had upgraded my TV earlier this year and didn't realize how much nicer it was than my old TV until I got this receiver. I knew it would be better, just couldn't upgrade everything all at once. Lastly, there are plenty of inputs for my needs and also has a lot of features I will not use anytime soon. I expect this to be future proof enough to last another 9 years like my last receiver!

I find only three Dolby Atmos receivers under $400: this Pioneer, it’s corporate sibling the Onkyo TX-SR 494, and the Sony STR-DH790. The Onkyo is not yet widely available. And the Pioneer has many practical advantages in its rear panel connectivity over the Sony that are important to me. It has a proper coaxial 75 ohm input jack for a FM antenna. The only FM antenna that can be used with the Sony is a piece of wire! And the Pioneer has sufficient analog audio inputs that can accommodate all three legacy analog devices, together with three digital devices (after assigning inputs in the setup menu): 1, a turntable with pre-amp, 2, an audio cassette deck, and 3, the audio from a VHS VCR. The Sony can accept only one, unless you are willing to connect two devices to the same input button, and then open the setup menu each time to switch the input between analog and HDMI. This is a needless complication that the Pioneer makes unnecessary. (However, on the Pioneer the default input names do not correspond to my input sources, but you can rename them.). Moreover, it has an preamp output jack. This is useful in at least two ways. First, it allows digital transcription of the analog sources to a computer (with proper software and A/D conversion dongle) while simultaneously listening to the source and without switching cables. Second, they are useful for outputting the sound to a Bluetooth transmitter so one person can listen with wireless headphones while another listens through speakers, if there is disagreement about how much sound is too loud. With the Sony you can listen to either speakers or headphones, but not both at the same time. Another feature of the Pioneer is it’s slim profile, which improves ventilation (and thus longevity) when located in a shelf. I think my other receiver failed prematurely because of insufficient space between the top shelf and the top of the receiver. This Pioneer also has an advantage over the Sony if you can’t run speaker wire to the rear of the room. If you can’t run speaker wire to the rear you might be able to run speaker wire to the top of the wall behind your front speakers. In that case this receiver can reproduce Dolby Atmos sound with the height effect and simulated rear sound using Dolby Atmos® for Compact Entertainment Systems. The Sony cannot do this.

Excellent audio quality. Lots of great features. I use it with Bose surround speakers. Note that initial setup does require a display. That part was annoying for me, since I'm using this in a setup that's purely for audio playback and there is no display. Also, Zone B cannot work at the same time as 7.1 surround. If you want to have a Zone B, then you are limited to 5.1. Other than that, it's a great device!

My days of buying a $2500 receiver to only have it go obsolete in two years is over. This time around I purchased just what I needed and let it go at that. This has 7.2, ARC, and a easy to use remote. The sound is great and the quality of the sound is very good. I have a phono pre-amp that I hooked up and my records sound great. If you are on budget this will do the job.

This 4k, Dts:x, Atmos and Dolby Vision enhanced receiver will definitely not disappoint. Although it lacks wifi and preouts for external amps it has all the other bells and whistles of today’s top audio receivers. I was quite impressed with the sound quality of this entry level receiver. It’s dynamic, sharp and clean. It’s not very robust in the low end department but combined with a powered subwoofer you can have a really good beginner theater system.

My Yamaha Rx-V373, which I also purchased from Best Buy in early 2013 died on me The cost of the diagnostics alone was $100.00 per the Geek Squad representative I talked to. So, after a lot of researching online for a replacement, I finally decided to buy this Pioneer VSX-834 and I have no regrets at all. I'd rather say that this is an upgrade rather than a replacement! The sound, whether I'm listening to music or watching a 5.1 movie, is simply great! I intend to buy two more small speakers so that I can enjoy the 7.2 channels to the fullest.

I love this receiver. I've only had it a week, but it is awesome. I paired with a set of Klipsch Reference 820's and wow, i was just blown away by the power and sound clarity. I also have it hooked up to my 4K TV and Xbox One X, and it delivers on the 4K front as well. You will have to do a firmware update when you get it set up, but it is definitely worth the price! This is my first Pioneer A/V receiver, but i have used their car audio products since i bought my first car and I will forever be a Pioneer home A/V fan now as well!

I’ve had many receivers over the years, most of them Pioneer but also Denon and Onkyo and this really is a great value. The features and power output alone could demand a higher price. I gave it four stars instead of five because of one flaw. For some reason every time I switch back to Fios the resolution resets to480p instead of 1080p which I had it set on. This did not happen with my previous receivers, it’s a minor flaw but annoying. Other than that the sound quality is excellent and user interface is very intuitive. I am very happy with this receiver.

I returned this item. Because it wouldn't work with the speakers I already had. Namely the sub woofer. I plugged it into the receiver and no sound. But it worked with the sound system it previously came from.I also didn't like the idea that it never shut off. Was always on standby. With everything off in the house. I could hear a humming coming from it. I had my computer connected to it. So I could hear and watch my saved media on my hdtv. It disconnected from it twice and the only way I could turn my computer off was to push the power button.This doesn't allow you to save anything you might be working on at the time. I didn't care for that. So three stars is being very generous I'd say for me. Having all my devices plugged into it and being able to connect to my hdtv is a good thing though. I only have two hdmi inputs on the tv. The receiver has four.

This is a nice receiver for the price. I was replacing my Pioneer VSX-1017, which was 11 years old. I just got it hooked up yesterday. The manual (which must be downloaded and printed) is not very user friendly. I am sure that when I figure out all the bells and whistles, I will be happy with my purchase.

Another happy purchase. I was looking for a good Atmos receiver so I picked this one up from Best Buy as an open box purchase. Amazing sound and the Atmos is exactly what I was hoping for. Sounds come from all over the room. I'll never go to another theatre again.

I replaced my years old Sony receiver with this Pioneer receiver. I bought this receiver as a mid-level audio system and it fits my needs well. I needed 4 imputs in addition to the am/fm tuner and a/b dual outputs. This receiver provided these requirements. Additionally, I was able to customize the displayed input labels and easily identify each source input. Finally, the receiver does a nice job of equalizing db/volume levels when playing music recorded at different levels. So far in two months a nice mid-level system that meets our needs,

It has a lot of power & is very versatile. 7.2 surround has a lot of speakers & even more different configurations. It has a mic to listen to the speakers after installation and calculate the best setup. You have to download the user manual, which is 105 pages. After some studying , you can have good sounds

The receiver is amazing. It turns on and off automatically with my system. Great sound and powerful. I would definitely recommend this unit to anyone.

I hooked this up with 2 bookshelf and a center channel speaker for my garage setup. Blue Ray DVD, Amazon Fire Box, and an old turn table. It does everything I need it to. Good power for the speakers, HDMI inputs and switching between inputs works great. Looks good too.

Awesome receiver that delivers great sound across variety of sources! Easy connections, and easy setup. Sometimes, it feels that bass is bit more and dialogues get drowned a little. Of course, there are settings to adjust this to deliver your preferred sound.

I bought this receiver when my Yamaha receiver died for no apparent receiver. I bought this receiver to replace it because of its value and love it. The only thing this receiver does not have is airplay. The sound quality and ease of use is awesome!

This receiver was recommended by our Best Buy Magnolia in home consultant. I was a bit disappointed when I received it because it has features that's not compatible with our setup and I think our consultant knew that since he designed our entire media room. I've learned my lesson about up selling and not doing my research. Had I known we didn't need 1/2 the feature it has I would have use another receiver I have from a previous home theater setup. But, that's water under the bride. The sound quality thru out speakers are REAL theater quality.