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Pioneer VSX-1020-K Audio/Video Receiver |  | Brand: Pioneer
Category: CE
Buy New: Too low to display
as of 9/5/2010 12:59 MDT details
New (4) Used (11) Refurbished (2) from $405.99
Seller: Amazon.com
Rating:  30 reviews
Sales Rank: 171
Media: Electronics
Batteries Included: Yes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 27.3
Dimensions (in): 14.9 x 16.6 x 6.2
MPN: VSX-1020-K
Model: VSX-1020-K
UPC: 837654710609
EAN: 0837654710500
ASIN: B0039XQQX0
Shipping: Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| • | Front USB connectivity provide iPod, touch, and iPhone users ultimate plug-and-play integration of their Apple products with their home theater | | • | Simple connectivity to high-performance HD video, HD audio, portable, internet, wireless, and analog components | | • | The latest version of HDMI inputs and outputs provide more HD connectivity options with "future-proof" 3-D capability | | • | 1080p video conversion and upscaling ensures the highest quality video from any source |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The Pioneer VSX-1020 Has taken the world by storm with the Highest quality in Video and Sound. We added here the GSI 6 Foot HDMI Cable which will complement the Receiver perfectly!
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 30
 Outstanding Bang for the Buck, Future Proof (7.1 & 3D), iPhone App is Great, Buy an Airport Express Too May 20, 2010
P. Colin McGraw (Castle Rock, CO)
34 out of 34 found this review helpful
I tend to do a lot of research before making large purchasing decisions and so far this receiver is receiving a pretty rosy reception! Its successor, the 1019, was CNET's and Gizmodo's top mid-range receiver. Both reviewers had just as high hopes for the 1020, and Gizmodo already called it the best receiver $550 can buy, saying the 1020 "hit the sweet spot" that gave the most bang for buyer's buck.
The critics I read all raved about the excellent sound quality, but the 1020 brings some new offerings to the table for a mid-range receiver.
In short, the most valuable features you get with this model that you don't get with the next step down are:
1. A fifth HDMI port in back, an extra sixth in front (for digital cameras, computers, etc.).
2. Analog video upscaling (which I don't care too much about since most of my content is HD already or played through an upscaling player).
3. The iContolAV iPhone app. Very cool for controlling volume and switching inputs. Works simply by having your receiver connected to ethernet and your iPhone connected to the network via WiFi. A few times the app has had trouble properly connecting, but it usually works well.
4. Internet radio with programmable stations, which is cool, though you can't currently control the station selections from the iPhone App, unfortunately.
5. A color configuration interface output to your TV via the HDMI output. I can't imagine trying to configure all my speakers without seeing a graphical representation of their location on screen.
That last feature feature, the HDMI 1.4 ports that support 3D, the 7.1 surround capabilities, excellent sound quality and the iPhone App are what made the VSX-1020 the clear choice for me. I also appreciated the automatic calibration with the included microphone and the included iPod cable/compatibility, but those weren't as strong of selling points.
The only negatives of note for me is that the little front port cover is a little cheap. It's not even a door, simply a little plastic piece that pops out if you push one side. I, like others, have also experienced the issue where the receiver switches to TV/Sat when first turned on, but I've yet to determine whether that's a problem with the receiver itself or my Harmony universal remote (I'll update the review as I get more information).
One last tip to buyers, however. If you're considering listening to your phone's music over Bluetooth by buying the $99 AS-BT100 adapter, I'd consider buying a $99 Apple Airport Express instead (assuming your music is managed through iTunes). It lets you stream music from your computer to the receiver over WiFi and control what's playing via iTunes or Apple's robust "Remote" iPhone app, but more importantly the Airport Express acts as a USB print server and a one port wireless bridge (something that lets you connect wired devices to a wireless network).
That wireless bridge capability is especially valuable, since you'll need it or something similar for internet radio and iControlAV iPhone app support if your VSX-1020 receiver isn't close to your wireless router (mine isn't). Buying the Airport Express kills two birds with one stone.
UPDATE:
A few ideas have been thrown out by other Amazon posters to help alleviate the issue with the receiver switching to TV/Sat when it first turns on. The first idea is to change the receiver's settings thusly:
"1 Press Receiver , then press Home Menu.
2 Select `System Setup', then press ENTER.
3 Select `Other Setup', then press ENTER.
4 Select `HDMI Setup', then press ENTER.
5. Set Control to 'Off'."
The second idea is to adjust your TV settings like so.
"Go into Menu under HDMI-CEC and turn it Off. If the set is a Samsung look for AnyNet+ (default is normally On) and turn it Off."
I'm still having issues going directly to a given HDMI input when the unit first power on (going to "HDMI Input 1" simply toggles the current HDMI input instead of going directly to the one you want), but I've made the quirk tolerable by programming one of the buttons on my universal remote to toggle inputs, so it's easy to fix.
Great AV Receiver with a few quirks May 21, 2010
M. Harms (San Jose, CA USA)
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
I purchased this receiver about 1 week ago and love it. It has great sound, tons of features, and lots of connectivity for whatever device you may have. The only real issue I had was how the receiver would switch to TV/SAT every time I would turn on the system using my Harmony One remote. However, I discovered that this problem was caused by my TV and the fix is the following: Go into Menu under HDMI-CEC and turn it Off. If the set is a Samsung look for AnyNet+ (default is normally On) and turn it Off. Once I did that, the problem was gone. Once that problem was resolved I was really able to appreciate the features of this receiver. I used the automatic setup with the MCACC and it worked out very well. The only minor problem was that it listed my surround speakers as LARGE so I manually went into the setup and changed them to SMALL. Overall, I would say this receiver was pretty easy to set up, has great sound, and does not run hot like some of the other receivers out there so it can easily be placed in a closed cabinet without overheating. I was upgrading from a Sony STR-DE995 so this is a noticeable improvement now that I can listen to BD and HD DVD movies in TrueHD instead of standard Dolby Digital. I love it and can really hear the separation of the channels that was lacking with my Sony. I highly recommend this AV Receiver for the money.
Borderline totally Awesome May 27, 2010
whateva (Englewood, CO, US)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
First receiver I've spent real money on. Most have been hand me downs from family and friends. Glad I waited!
I have all my gear going to the VSX-1020 and only 1 HDMI cable going to my wall mounted Samsung LCD:
1. Comcast HD DVR cable - HDMI
2. PS3 - HDMI
3. XBOX 360 - Component video / Optical audio
4. Wii - Component video / RCA audio
5. Home theater PC - DVI-HDMI / RCA audio
6. DJ turntables and mixer - RCA audio
7. iPod or iPhone - USB front
8. Digital Camera - HDMI front
9. Internet Radio - Ethernet
The setup was challenging but was made much easier after plugging in a USB keyboard to rename the inputs and navigate the GUI. Even after plugging in the mic and performing the auto MCACC setup for 5.1, manual adjustments where needed to make it sound right. The manual does not help much and you are better off reading forums and reviews to figure this beast out.
The remote control is solid in function (excellent support for my Samsung LCD and Comcast cable box) and crucial for certain tasks (displaying video to the monitor while spinning records and dj'ing) but lacking in aesthetics (ugly) and intuitiveness (buttons are all the same size, labels are teeny, impossible to use in the dark).
The iPhone app is very handy for controlling source input and volume, not much else (for now hopefully).
No onscreen volume or source info provided to the monitor, but the onscreen GUI for setup is the best and prettiest I have seen.
Pandora, last.fm, slacker are *not* supported in the "Internet Radio" however the preloaded stations are nice and the ability to customize the list of stations is awesome. No more FM for me!
The VSX-1020 is highly customizable and has a steep learning curve to setup but well worth the effort as it now switches effortlessly between all sources producing crisp 1080p picture and excellent 5.1 audio.
Pioneer VSX-1020K Review June 4, 2010
SteveG (St. Louis, Mo.)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I received the 1020k about 3 weeks ago. It replaces an old Pioneer receiver that has served me well for years. Overall, I feel this is an excellent receiver. Setting it up was easy. The Advanced MCACC works very well. I am only operating in Stereo right now driving an old pair of AR-5 speakers. The MCACC did an excellent job of equalizing the speakers for the room and gave a noticeably better sound quality. The power is more than adequate for my set up. Advertised as 110 watts driving a single channel. It is 80 watts per channel when driving stereo. Not sure what it drops down to when operating in 7.1. My speakers are very inefficient and it drives then much louder than I would ever listen to them. Even at very high volume I did not hear any distortion. It does play an IPOD/IPhone with no problem, however it does not recognize my Creative Zen. I found the remote control to be a bit cumbersome. It is OK for the receiver, and it works fine with my Sony XBR TV, but for some reason, I never could get it to recognize any of the codes for my Sony BluRay or my DirecTV box. So, I do have a Harmony One remote ordered to hopefully control all the components. The GUI is nice. It is nice to be able to plug in a USB keyboard and change the input descriptions. I have a tape deck and turntable hooked up and could change the descriptions accordingly. There is no preamp for a turntable, so that is an additional expense. I added the Behringer PP400 Ultra-Compact Phono Preamp for approximately $24 and it works well with my turntable. Pioneer gives you a pretty cheesy FM antenna which is no more than a strand of wire. To pick up FM stations better, I hooked up the old FM wire dipole that came with my old Pioneer receiver. Though the receiver does up convert all your video to 1080P, I have not seen much if any difference in the video quality. Overall, I think this is a very nice receiver and I am very happy with my purchase.
Improves More Than Just Sound July 2, 2010
hawaiianpunch
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I lean heavily on these reviews so I feel obligated to return the favor. There are plenty of reviews on here and other sites that tell you how great the features are (6 HDMI's,MCACC, iphone compatible, Zoning, etc) and how great the sound is, (it actually makes my entry level Sony's sound good). What I found to be the most surprising thing about this unit, the picture on my TV has improved, even my wife noticed it and she could care less about this stuff. TV is 1080i, which still gets a great picture, but the Pioneer has made it sharper and clearer, whether its cable or dvd. Even the Wii looks HDish now! Netflix thru the Wii gets up converted too. I love this thing. Pioneer made the best TV's, that race is over and they've moved on. These receivers are the next must have.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 30
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