THX Ultra Certification,DTS,DD,Easy setup,Current Technology

Tape select displays "MD",No backlight button on remote.

Had the unit about a month now and love it.Based on reviews seen here I was able to avoid the latest models with the crosstalk problem and purchase an August release unit.No problems at all with this.
I'm very pleased with how well my existing speaker system now sounds.I should be able to postpone its upgrade for a while.The setup was very easy and straightforward.I would have liked the option of separate level memories for each input but you have to pay twice this to get that option.Also I would have liked to be able to rename the "MD" display to "TAPE" .
This unit does generate a lot of heat when using the unit for movies so be sure to allow for proper venting.
All in all this unit has exceeded my expectations and I am very glad I purchased it.Thanks again to all for accurate and specific comments on this page which enabled me to make an educated purchase.

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Very old Technics 9000 series separates.

Sound, Value

It gets hot

Excellent sound for both music AND home theater. I am a recorded music collector who wanted to build a home theater after discovering the DVD (of which I am now a collector). I don't have the space or pocketbook to have 2 audio systems. As I shopped around and compared listening to both my favorite musical recordings and the same DVDs I found there where units that sound OK to good on one or the other. For the sub-$5000 price range, the Elite sounded good to great in both spaces, hands down beating everything I compared it to. It did develop a logic failure after 10 months. While it was in the shop, my dealer - Home Theater Experts in Wilsonville - loaned me an Onkyo. It sounded good in my new room. Then I got my 27tx back. No comparision, the Elite is in a completely different class over the Onkyo. I can listen to music and watch movies for days at almost any volume I wish. No fatigue, just joy. I'm very satisfied. An added bonus is that the universal remote is a learning model and runs all my equipment, even the odd features (like the DVD display button).

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Denon, Onkyo, Sony

Michael,
Paradigm speakers tend to be a bit dark, and consequently not a good match for mellow sounding electronics like the 027tx.

I happen to prefer this sound. I find hotter sounding electronics like the Yamaha, Sherwood-Newcastle, and Sony ES to be fatiguing during longer listening sessions. This is something that is not apparent during a ten minute store demo.

The sound of the Pioneer Elite, in my opinion, is warm, with the best soundstaging and transparancy I've heard in any reciever. I run it through Energy speakers, which are on the bright side, with lots of crisp detail. It's proven to be a match made in heaven for my tastes.

I think the biggest complement you can give a piece of HT gear is it's ability to get out of the way and let you enjoy the movie. The 027tx does that for me. I had a Sherwood-Newcastle R-945 previously, and my ears would literally ring after a two hour movie, spoiling my enjoyment of the film.

Everyone has different tastes and no one reciever is right for everyone. Hope you find the one that's right for you.

Cheers.

power,thx ultra,easy set up

binding post too close to each other

Ive always been partial to pioneer products,this is my first elite unit and i love it.ive been lucky i guess not a glitch yet,it says in the manual(which leaves alot to be desired)that it needs at least 8" of clearence on top for heat dissapation.the power is amazing.when it came down to it,it was between the yamaha 2095 or the pioneer.the pineer won because of the THX,its not overloaded with a hundred sound fields you will never use.the cabinet looks great except for the plastic,the panel should have been aluminum,that would have really made this thing look top shelf.I am using polk rt1000p's for the fronts,polk cs400 center and the polk fx500 rears,with an infinity bu120 sub(which is a little weak.but this receiver puts out a boat load of power that is clean,really clean even when cranked up i hear no distortion at all.I paid a little more than i could have but i wanted to buy from a pioneer elite dealer.FYI stay the hell away from TATUM ELECTRONICS trust me you will be sorry .anyway again full,rich,clean power,you cant beat this thing for under $2000.

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yamaha 2095,denon

power, functionality, versatility

produces LOTS of heat, requires a LARGE WELL VENTILATED cabinet

THX certification almost unherad of in this price range..
I have used this receiver for over a year now, driving several different speaker systems. It produces LOTS of clean crisp sound. Video tapes through the system sound great, but when I checked out my first DTS encoded CD I was totally blown away! I have just purchased a Pioneer Elite DV-C36 to replace my old Sony CD changer. (The second Sony player I've had with pickup failure after about 3 yrs). I can't wait to see and hear Pink Floyd's "The Wall" in DVD and 5.1.
The only caveat I have is make sure you properly vent this unit, it, like the old SX1250, makes TONS of heat... READ the owners manual - insure at least 9" clearance over the receiver. (I also installed a fan in my cabinet). I have not yet had difficulty with this unit, but I suspect most of the complaints I've read are heat related.

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previous Nikko served very well for many years, Pioneer SX1250

Nice sound and easy to setup. Auto signal detect works great.

Poor quality control. Cant handle 4 ohm speakers.

I did a ton of research 1.5 years ago and this was the latest, greatest thing. At the time I purchased this unit I had mostly Pioneer Elite components. I liked the fact it matched my gear (ok, my wife liked that aspect), but I still auditioned many receivers. I felt that the Pioneer for the money sounded the best. Six months after the purchase the unit died. It would not decode DTS or DD, and at times the sound just would not come on after a power up. My dealer replaced the unit with a new one. I then upgraded my speakers to Martin Logan Aerius i's. After the upgraded speakers the receiver still sounded good, however I felt that the speakers were under driven. That is to be expected, however the manual states that 4 ohm speaker should not be used (6 ohm minimum). I had purchased the unit in part because Pioneer was proud of the fact that the unit is designed to drive 6 ohm speakers instead of the standard 8. If it is designed to drive 6 ohm speakers then why is 4 ohms cautioned in the manual. Sounds like a very tight design tolerance, since most 6 ohm speakers will dip well below 4 ohms at times. Well, it sounded good with the ML's and I decided to hold off upgrading to seperates for a later date. Six months later the new unit died just like the first one. Thankfully my dealer is a good one, and he again gave me a new unit. I am now going to go to seperates. Overall I liked the sound and looks of the unit, and it has reasonable power. The failure rate is too high, and it runs too hot.

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Sherwood R-945

Beautiful sound, smooth and full. Dolby digital. Digital output, direct digital inputs.

Can't change input names. Unit needs to be well ventillated.

I have been listening to this great receiver for two years with no problems. I have used a small fan directed at the side vents on the unit to keep it well ventillated because the unit generates a lot of heat. With the fan set up, the unit is kept very cool. The heat could cause electronic chips to break down over time. I think I've avoided some problems by using the fan. This receiver has the smoothest, richest, detailed sound I've heard yet from a A/V receiver. I have heard one or two (Yamaha & Denon) that may have been slightly more dynamic but not nearly as smooth. I listen to lots of jazz and R&B and this receiver makes hours of listening seem like minutes. I don't get listener's fatigue because the sound is so smooth and lush. For dolby digital movies the sound is unbeatable, absolutely great. These receivers are the best values available. There may be better receivers around but they'll cost atleast three times as much.

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Sony pro logic, Pioneer pro logic receivers.

I just upgraded to the VSX-27tx from a Denon 5600. Upgrade? I consider the 27tx an upgrade because of the DTS decoding and the 5.1 input. What I also like about the 27tx is the fact that it doesn't "clip" when it receives a digital signal. The Denon may have had more tweakable settings and slightly more power, but I found that paying $1050.00 shipped from Uncles Stereo as opposed to 2799.99 + tax (locally for the Denon) a steal. The best price I could find for the 5700 was $2050 shipped. This Pioneer Elite is awsome. I wasn't expecting much from it, except the ability to play DTS movies and CDs. What I got was a receiver that is in some ways better musically then the Denon 5600. I don't like the fact that I can't change the center speaker to large without the main speakers set to large also. I think the 27tx works better with my Velodyne DF-661s then the Denon did. I'm able to get cleaner highs. For it's price, you can't beat the 27tx.

Great sound, very quiet. AC-3RF input, THX processing. 96k/24 compatible. Great to use with a pronto

Cannot relabel inputs for display.

Excellent receiver for $1050 shipped. Now that the 3- series is out from Pioneer, the 2- series is an even better deal. I really like the sound of music and movies with this receiver. It is also very quiet and powerful. One other advantage is that 96k/24 DVDs and sources are decoded to full advantage.
The only disadvantage I see with this unit is that inputs cannot be relabled for display. For example, I have a DVD player and a LD player. Currently I have the LD player hooked up to the TV input, it works but I cannot change the name of the input to LD. Otherwise, a great receiver. The remote is inconsequential to me because I use a pronto. For Pronto users, there are discrete codes so that you can separate power on/off functions.

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Kenwood KR-X1000

I listened to the Yamaha and the Pioneer. Either would have been ok but decided on the Pioneer because of the THX certification. I have the Pioneer Elite DV-05 DVD player and they make movies come to life, even if I watch a VHS tape with only Pro-Logic. Right now I only have Bose AM5 speakers and am looking at the Paradigm Studio 40s and other Paradigms to complete my system. The previous two reviews got my attention. I know the Paradigms sound much better when biwired and was wondering if the person who didn't like the match had biwired his Paradigms when testing the Yamaha and the Pioneer? Otherwise, I would like to hear from others who own the Pioneer Elite VSX-27TX and find out what speakers are a good match. Any help would be greatly appreciated. This receiver is awesome and rates 5 stars.