Warm & crystal clear sound, Elite family, killer bass w good subwoofer, cool features

lacks power w/certain speakers

Very nice sounding DD,DTS receiver. The ONE complaint I have is I sometimes have to juice up the volume to get the sound I want. Otherwise, it sounds tremendous. I have all JBL HLS series(820's, 410's, center) connected to it, and DVD's sound great. You probably can't beat it for ~$400.

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JVC rx-884vbk

Build Quality, Lots of features, Good sound.

No learning remote.

I bought the vsx-21 because it was an Elite, and because of the good reviews that it received on this site. The relatively low price was also very appealing to me, considering all of the features that it has to offer. The vsx-21 provides Dolby Pro-logic, Dolby Digital, and DTS decoding, and it provides pre-amp output for all channels and a 6-channel input. S-video switching is also included, as well as banana speaker terminals for all channels. The vsx-21 provides 80 watts of power per channel, which is plenty of power for me. As for the sound quality, I was very impressed. The sound on both music and movies appeared very rich and detailed. Overall, I feel that the vsx-21 is an excellent receiver, and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a high quality receiver, at a relatively low price.

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Sony, Technics

Price and performance

Remote is not quite controlling other components. Hart to turn off on etc.

Well I'm like many others new to the theatre system bussiness. This is my first Dolby Digital receiver and I hit a home-run. I got a great deal and a great receiver. It was so easy to set up it only took me two hours and one cup of coffee. The setup display on the face of receiver was great I do however have very good vision. I just love the clear and solid sound this receiver puts out. The feaures of s-video, optical, and pre anp upgrades is to be have.
I'm still working with my speakers as I don't have new ones jet. With the old Sansui speakers for main and EPI 100's for the rear this puppy sounds great, I can' wait to connect my Energy 16's I will be getting for my system. I got mine for 389.00 and 409.00 out the door. For the money I got a whole lot of receiver. very happy.

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pionner 608

The Pioneer VSX-21 Elite packs a lot of punch for those that's out looking for a mid-range receiver that delivers both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS decoding. I took the step up from an older Sony receiver (STR-515) with only 5.1 inputs (no built-in decoders) to the VSX-21 and after comparing with some of my friends more expensive setups, I came to the conclusion that It was better than a good buy. The sound is clean, crisp and presents fairly good dynamics that is comparable with most modern cinemas when playing DVD's in Dolby Digital or DTS, and with it's 80 W amps it's more than enough to get the most out of your favourite movies.
The setup is easy and with the manual, which I read afterwards, it's done in a snap. What takes a little time though is doing the finetuning, but that goes for most things within the audio and video area.
The remote is kinda bulky but fits well in an average sized hand and works well with many of the more common brands of TVs, VCRs, DVDs and tuners that is out there. Most functions of the receiver can be controlled from the remote and with the pre-programmed "Multi Control" you can once and for all put all those other remotes aside.
To wrap things up, The VSX-21 is a great buy and I have a feeling that I'll keep mine until It burns out.

big time options

this receiver sounds great. i love the options for sound this baby gives.

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yamaha

Attractive chassis, direct access inputs (no dial!), more s-vid inputs than most units in this price range, decent multi-brand remote contol (couldn't control my General Instrument digital cable box), adjustable brightness display, good overall performance

No OSD for setup. Electronic quality issues - see below.

I purchased the Yamaha 595 to replace my aging VSX-52. The 595 added the newer 5.1 digital technologies, and, most importantly for me, s-vid i/o to support my cable box, VCR, DVD player (I'll get the component cable some day soon), and RPTV. The 595's only shortcomings for my application was a lack of sufficient s-vid inputs (which became an issue when my cable box was upgraded), an oddly designed remote control (the dial needs to go), and a dialed source select. Please, keep the knobs for volume control! Don't make me spin a dial for my inputs!
So, with my need for additional s-vid inputs, I found the Pioneer Elite VSX-21. Installation and setup was relatively simple with the help of a fold out quick guide. The remote control was simple to program, but did not work for my DVD player (APEX), or my cable box. The remote isn't a paragon of design, but I found it easier to manipulate than the Yamaha's. The sound quality was acceptable for my needs.
Functionality on the 21 was slightly superior to the 595, mostly due to the better controls. Both units allowed a DVD player with digital audio and s-vid out to share an input (DVD/LD) with a LDP player using analog audio and composite video.
Unfortunately, my first VSX-21 would pop (mostly through the center channel) when the input or DSP mode was switched. The replacement unit had the same problem, but not near as noticeable. I would have stuck with it, but there was an additional problem. When the volume was turned up to -28 through -21db, it would shut down and restart. The off/on cycle would continue until the volume was decreased. The problem was reproducible with all my other equipment disconnected from the 21 (so it's a good chance that it wasn't something I did).
When a friend told me they owned a VSX-95 with the same problem (which, after 3 attempts, still has not been fixed), I chose to abandon the 21. I am now awaiting the arrival of a Marantz SR-7000 (at a whopping $300+ upgrade price).
The staff at the local Myer-Emco was very supportive of my situation. I paid a little more than some of the web dealers' prices, but I feel the support is well worth it (with some haggling, I could have done better).
I feel a working unit would be a good value. Make sure you check it out before leaving the store. My overall rating is lowered due to my 2 out of 2 failures.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer Elite VSX-52, Yamaha 595