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Pioneer VSX-9040TXH 7-Channel Direct Energy Amplification Home Theater Receiver (Black) |  | Brand: Pioneer
Category: CE
Buy New: $1,049.99
as of 7/30/2010 14:56 MDT details
Seller: Action Packaged, Inc.
Rating:  47 reviews
Sales Rank: 23313
Color: black
Media: Electronics
Batteries Included: Yes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 29.3
Dimensions (in): 17 x 16.6 x 6.8
MPN: VSX-9040TXH
Model: VSX-9040TXH
UPC: 012562957081
EAN: 0012562957081
ASIN: B002USVKFY
Availability: Usually ships in 1-3 weeks
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| Features:
| • | Works with iPHone Certified with Digital USB input | | • | 110w x 7 Direct Energy Amplification | | • | THX Select 2 Plus: for dedicated Home Theatre rooms, Dolby True-HD/DTS-HD Master Audio: HD audio for Blu-Ray | | • | HDMI Repeaters: 4in/1out | | • | Faroudja 1080p Video Scaler |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Take your home entertainment to the next level with the VSX-9040TXH. Your music will sound sharper and the surround sound will allow you to escape into your favorite HDTV show or movie. The core of the receiver is the Direct Energy Class A/B amplifier to power up your multi-channel home theater system. Connect a Blu-ray Disc player to the VSX-9040TXH and lose yourself in the latest movie in a stunning 1080p picture complemented by a Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. When watching DVDs the VSX-9040TXH will enhance the sound track with the Pioneer-exclusive Advanced Sound Retriever - Multi (ASR) technology so the sound will be more robust in the larger 7-channel system. Easily connect your iPhone to the front USB input with the included cable, and start navigating your playlists with the new graphical user interface with on-screen album art (when available). The VSX-9040TXH is both Sirius Satellite radio ready and provides up to two zones of distributed audio. DTS-HD Decoder, Dolby TrueHD High Definition Surround Decoder SACD Playback via HDMI (Multichannel DSD Stream Direct) Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-ES/DTS 96/24, and WMA 9 Pro Decoders SIRIUS Satellite Ready with OSD USB Memory Audio Ready Multi-Zone Audio/Video (Zone 2) with OSDSpecifications - Amplifier Design - Discrete Surround Power - 110W x 7 (20Hz - 20kHz,. 09% THD @ 8 ohms, All Channels Driven) Audio Processing - Digital Engine, THX Select2 Plus, Wolfson DACs, iPod Digital, Room Calibration, Dolby True HD, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Pro-Logic IIx, Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, DTS-ES, DTS 96/24, DTS 5.1, DTS NEO - 6, DTS Express Analog to Digital Conversion - Burr Brown 192 kHz / 24-bit Digital Analog Conversion (DAC) - Wolfson WM8728 192 kHz / 24-bit DAC Video Processing - HDMI 48-bit Deep Color, HDMI x.v. Color,
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 47
Bang for the buck, this receiver can't be beat. January 6, 2010
rmwpg
45 out of 45 found this review helpful
I was in the market for a new AV Receiver after buying a new LCD and Blu Ray player as my old Panasonic receiver had no HDMI inputs/outputs. I was comparing it to several other higher priced models from Onkyo, Yamaha and Denon. I decided to go with this one because of the inputs and higher power. I have several pieces of AV equipment that do not have HDMI and my TV only had one set of components. This receiver solved my problem with its 4 assignable HDMI, 2 assignable Component and several S Video inputs. Everything that goes it gets put out via the HDMI to the TV. It has a tone of other connections as well for everything from satellite radio to a tape deck to an iPod.
The first thing that blew me away was the sound quality. I ran the speaker setup (it informed me that a couple speakers were out of phase which I fixed) which only took about 5 minutes and threw a BD into my player. I never had sound like that from either of my previous receivers. I put a CD on and it was like listening to it for the first time. My favorite feature though is the iPod link. Pioneer throws in a connection cable for the iPod and it works with my Touch perfectly. The song info and album artwork are displayed on the TV screen and you can control the iPod with the Pioneer remote. You can scroll through the playlists, albums and artists (although if you have a ton of music it take a looong time to scroll through it all, they need to improve this...) My digital music never sounded better.
This is an excellent receiver that I cannot recommend highly enough.
The VSX-9040-THX ROCKS! February 6, 2010
Vito_jr (North Andover, MA USA)
41 out of 41 found this review helpful
Have used the 9040 for a month now and feel like I can post an objective review. It rocks! I do a lot of research before I buy and was looking at the Onkyo receivers (707) but came upon the 9040 in the Pioneer posts on avsforum.com where I learned the 9040 was a re-badged vsx-21thx Elite model. The 9040 does not have "Elite" on the faceplate, but if you look at the specs on both they are the same, as others have pointed out. That said, so what? How good is the 21thx? After reading all that I could find the 21thx is a great unit with many satisfied owners so the 9040 seemed like a great deal. It does not run hot and does not do that annoying click when changing input sources that the Onkyo's do.
The 9040 took @ 2 hours for me to set it up and I played with it for 2 weeks until I got the settings I wanted. Now I am a very happy camper. Take the time to go through the manual and try the different settings. The audio calibration system from Pioneer (MCACC) is very easy to use and does a good job at settings based on your room config (seating, acoustics, etc). The are 6 settings that you can save, each of which is manually cutomizable which is what I did after running the advanced auto mode. This thing is a beast weighing in the same as the 21-thx, about 17lbs more than the other non-Elite models. It has many more settings than I will ever use ( I don't have THX certified speakers and no need for a pre-amp, for example) but I wanted the power and the QUALITY of a model in this class. There is little info on the 9040 on Pio's website and I do have to say I have been surprised that Pio doesn't offer more detailed info. For example, The Anchor Bay video solution found on high-end equipment is rumored to be in this unit but I can't find that in print anywhere (also nothing to dispute it). Look at different vendors and you see different specs. However, specs are just specs, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I have been awestruck. When I connected this up to my speakers and ran the MCACC I was blown away. My wife and I watched MJ's "This Is It" and the room was rocking! Better than when we saw it in the cinema. The newer ipod models connect flawlessly to a connection on the front of the unit with an included cable. I even copied mp3s to a usb stick and it appeared on the menu and played beautifully. What a seamless interface. One of the "older" ipods didn't connect (sorry not sure of the generation but it is at least 4 years old). Don't like the remote, buttons are too small and lack a good design. Not a problem as I use a universal remote. Only other complaint is I would prefer to set a crossover point myself, MCACC offers it in increments (80, 100, 150).
Amazon is selling this right now at a great price. Read reviews and compare other models - spec for spec this unit has enormous value. Also, just my opimion, don't get hung up on the differences between Audyssey and MCAAC sound calibration. From what I read both have equal fans and critics. The important point to me is that the version of MCACC included with the 9040 is an advanced version and allows you to tweak the settings to your liking.
Up to this point I am loving the unit and am very satisfied with this purchase. Hope this helps.
Great Receiver at a Great Price January 21, 2010
bmwrider (Wrentham, MA)
24 out of 25 found this review helpful
I fully agree with the last reviewer - the bang for the buck with this receiver is off the charts. I already owned a Pioneer VSX-1019AH-K and am very happy with it. But I was a little leary of the lightweight power supply and hybrid Direct Energy amplifier. The 1019 sounds great at low to mid volumes in a small to medium sized room with reasonably efficient speakers, but I did notice as I went up the volume scale some "glare" creeping in and other MINOR signs of being over-driven.
I started researching other Pioneer receivers with an eye towards the Elite line and the VSX 21TXH in particular. I wanted discrete amplification, pre-amp outs, and at least as good a feature set as the 1019. Sound quality is paramount to me, as I spend much more time listening to music than I do watching movies. I also have a very high dollar two channel audiophile rig in another room, so I tend to know the type of sound I am looking for. While researching the Elite VSX 21TXH I noticed a very curious fact - the VSX 9040 has EXACTLY the same specifications as the 21TXH Elite. This includes not only feature set, but amp specifications and even dimensions and weight!!! The only perceptible differences that I could find are purely cosmetic. You don't get the pretty "Elite" gold emblem on the front. You don't get the gloss black front panel(the 9040s front panel is black aluminum), you get blue rather than amber display and one year less warranty. You even get the same chip set and THX certification in the 9040. In essence, a VSX 21TXH Elite in sheeps clothing.
Now the important point - Acknowledging that sound quality is highly subjective in nature, I have to say that for the price, the 9040 sounds fantastic. No more glare at higher volumes. The sound has more "weight" than the 1019 does(more real power and discrete amps). Detail and midrange veracity are well above what I would expect in a mid-range AV receiver. Imaging is wonderful. The build quality is exemplary by todays standards. I also find it to be a very handsome piece of equipment. It has all of the features of the 1019 plus some. I am not knocking the 1019 by the way - I intend to keep mine and use it in a bedroom system. I still think that the 1019 is a great buy - it's just that the 9040 is an even better one. I highly recommend this product, and could not be more happy with my purchase!!!
One more addition - Amazons specs say that this receiver uses the Farjouda video scaler. Pioneers product sheet states that the highly regarded Anchor Bay VRS video scaler is used in this receiver. Doing some research on the net seems to confirm that the Anchor Bay chips are used in this receiver. Since the video quality I am getting through this receiver is excellent at 720p and 1080p in every regard, I am inclined to agree. I have not pulled the cover to confirm this, however.
Great Pioneer AVR December 28, 2009
Drebit (Reno, NV USA)
26 out of 28 found this review helpful
I picked up this receiver from Amazon and am really happy with it. There is not a lot of info on this particular Pioneer model because this is the Canadian version of the Pioneer Elite VSX-21THX. The only difference is this unit comes with a 1 year warranty and the faceplate is different.
This unit has more real power per channel then the highly rated 1019 and also comes with preouts. You can tell just by the fact this unit weighs almost 10 pounds more the the 1019. It also runs very cool driving my Polk Monitor Series speakers.
The setup is fairly easy and the MCAAC adjusts all your speakers to give you a fairly good place to start for listening to this unit. This model also comes with the IPOD cable and allows you to control and listen to your IPOD using the remote.
This unit replaced a Sony STRGD 820 I was happy with but the difference in sound is quite noticable.
This unit is a much better buy over the 1019 since I only paid $5 more than the 1019 and got a much better AVR.
well played, well played. March 9, 2010
Chad386
16 out of 16 found this review helpful
I've had this thing for about 2 weeks now. It replaced an old school Sony STR DE 597; which is a fairly ancient receiver with no HDMI inputs. Install went very well. This receiver supports banana plugs, so the speaker wire swap out was pretty much instantaneous. Furthermore, it has SIX s/pdif inputs! (digital audio inputs). Two of these are coax and four are toslink.
The main reason I got this unit was to support a new HTPC I just built. I had been having to run a toslink from my motherboard to my old receiver, since it had no HDMI. Well now, I can run just the one HDMI cable from my ATI Radeon video card to the receiver. Some terminology that I ran across which may be useful. Some receivers have HDMI switching or HDMI passthrough. A/V purists consider these 2 things the same thing and also consider it to be fairly useless. A receiver with switching or passthrough acts as an HDMI switchbox to alter which signal is output to your display, without pulling out the audio stream.
What you want is a receiver with HDMI repeater architecture. Sometimes the product info will just say HDMI repeaters, and then say how many. The key here is the receiver is able to pull out the audio signal from the HDMI signal, and then repeat the signal again, unaltered, on to your display device. Well, this receiver has repeater functionality. Sometimes this info is hard to find when looking at budget receivers; plus the semantics of it is confusing.
I also have an Xbox 360 unit hooked up to the device. It is a non HDMI 360, so I have to use one of the toslink inputs for dolby 5.1. This receiver also supports the highest audio option the 360 can output, which is Dolby Digital 5.1 with WMA Pro. This codec uses the least compression of the other options. Keep in mind, even though this receiver supports Dolby True HD for the now defunct HD DVD format, you can never truly get that signal from a 360. Besides the software limitation, the new blu ray bitstream audio formats of Dolby True HD and DTS HD master audio can ONLY be ported through an HDMI cable. A s/pdif of any type will not carry this signal. I think someone else on here mentioned that the receiver doesn't broadcast well enough what type of signal you're getting. Some of us really like to see the evidence of what we're hearing. Well that is true. But the receiver does absolutely let you know what it's outputting. You just have to get sorta close (very tiny, won't be able to see it from the couch), but it's got dedicated backlit codec messages for EVERYTHING. Download the manual and check it out. On the page that shows what you may possibly see on the front panel, it's got everything. To add to the confusion, though, in some cases it depends on if your blu ray player is doing any decoding on its own. As with the PS3, it does the decoding itself vs. just sending it on the receiver. So if the receiver isn't doing the decoding, it's not going to show DTS HD MA, for example. It will show up as multichannel LPCM. Now chances are DTS HD MA is what you're hearing, but just another little nuance/annoyance of these newer audio streams.
An interesting tidbit on my HTPC was that I opted for a high end ATI Radeon, but not the 5000 series. Most all video cards now only support HDMI spec 1.1. Well, guess what, you actually need HDMI spec 1.3 minimum to support transport of DTS HD MA or Dolby True HD. Nice! Well, after the rebate, my card which is awesome, only cost around $60. The 5000 series Radeons cost 350-ish. You could also try a Xonar sound card for a couple hundred instead. But I opted to go with the cheaper option and wait this out until the 5000 series drop in price.
Turns out this was the right decision. This receiver is amazing. The only blu ray I own that has a DTS HD master audio track is the Michael Jackson concert DVD of This is It. So the receiver only shows it's getting a DTS signal, but I really don't see how the newer codec could sound any better if I do upgrade my video card. Just amazing clarity on the highs and precise bass thumps. If you get this receiver, you have to get this DVD to showcase it. It will make you smack your mama.
Keep in mind all of the other BS that goes along with blu ray playback if you're putting one of these in. There's virtually no home theater PC in existence which meets all of the HDCP(high definition content protection) and PAP (protected audio path) requirements. So your blu ray player will likely down rez picture or sound if there is some component that is not up to par (or possibly just drop any output altogether). The only solution to this is to use a product called AnyDVD HD to strip all all the DRM, including the HDCP and PAP restrictions. Of course, this only applies if you're using a HTPC. You do not have this luxury if you're using a stand alone blu ray player.
So the MCACC system is the auto setup function this unit uses. You wire a little microphone into the unit, place it on a tripod or box where you sit at about ear level and then let the big dog eat. Get out of the way, so you don't interfere with sound waves, and the unit starts piping white noise type of sounds out of all the speakers. It puts your sub woofer through the ringer, too. This it pretty loud, so don't run it at night when the babies are already asleep. It actually worked really well and I honestly haven't felt the need to tweak any settings after running this.
One option I did have to tweak was to set my front right and left tower speakers to small. It had defaulted through MCACC or possibly just factory setting, to large. Well, the problem here when you're streaming Hulu or Netflix that doesn't pipe in with 5.1, your sub never turns on. Setting front speakers to large tells the receiver to let them handle most if not all of the bass. So when I was streaming netflix, I was missing my bass hum on key scenes. Setting the speakers to small fixed that, the sub kicked on instantly, and started handling the bass. I guess if you have some whipass front speakers, it would be ok. But to me, that's the whole point of having a good sub. I likey my bass.
Since I figured most people looking at this receiver were geeks like me and were putting it in a similar scenario, I wanted to share a few things in hopes it might help.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 47
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