DD/DTS/Pro Logic, S Video Switching, Price/Value

Display can be difficult to read, especially volume setting

Great receiver, especially for the price. I don't think anything out there can touch it value wise. Plenty of power, S Video switching, Easy set up. Digital output. Small footprint (big consideration for me with limited space). Runs cool for me. No problem at all with subwoofer output as some have noted...more than enough. DSP is worthless as usual. Midnight mode works well though and is handy. Tone controls are a waste. My universal remote even handles most functions. Overall - highly recommended!

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer, Sony, Kenwood

Dolby Digital, DTS, Lots of A/V Inputs, Clarity, Clearn sound. Great Surround (For DD,DTS ONLY). Great High and Mid range freq.

BASS!!! Display, DSP (TOTALLY USELESS), Remote, Bad Manual,
It does get pretty hot! (On the bottom left of the receiver, not top!!!)

Okay, first i have to say. i have to thank all the reviewers here. You all really helped me in deciding what to buy. While for a 50 dollars difference, i could have get a Sony DE-845, i still decided to go for this one. i'm very happy with my decision, and this receiver of course is not 'the one' to get, but for what i need, it's great! Fine, the high and the mid range sound just like my old Kenwood 1080VR (it got lots of bad wraps on this site, but it's a great receiver nevertheless with the sound it produces). but the bass...kenwood produced much stronger and cleaner and more powerful bass to my powered subwoofer than this one. I had to up the subwoofer level to +10 (under speaker balance), and turn the bass to +6 to get a good kick out of it....even though, Jurassic Park T-rex scene still didn't do what my Kenwood did....
Remote Control on this receiver sux, and no on-screen display! What is it with that?!?! My kenwood has onscreen display to TV, and it's great since you dont have to walk to the the receiver and adjust setting while watching TVs (WHO WANTS TO GET UP WHILE WATCHING A MOVIE ANYWAY?)
STEREO MODE IS GREAT.....NONE OF DSP MODES IMPRESS ME, PERIOD! The same goes for Kenwood as well. it's almost like, why bother? music sounds the best with the format it's intended for-Stereo! unless, of course, you get a DTS CDs, and it's a completely different story. My suggestion is that if your budget on a receiver is between 250-500, then go with this one......yes, with all these compliants that i have, this is still a very good receiver for Stereo, DTS, and Dolby Digital. If that's all you do, and you have lots of players, then this is the one to get. you can spend more on Sony, but not only DSP is a waste, but you really can't hear that much of difference. the truth is, the whole point of receiver is to hear. and YOU WANT TO BUY THE RECEIVER THAT SOUNDS THE BEST TO YOU! NOT TO CRITIC, NOT TO OTHERS. It's all about you. For me, it does what it does. And as long i adjust all the setting before i watch the movie, then this system really kicks butt!

my system

receiver-Pioneer VSX509S
DVD-Toshiba-SD-3109
200 CD Changer-Sony CDP-CX220
TV-27in. Toshiba
Projector-Philips Proscreen LC4100
LD-Pioneer CLD-D503
Speakers-Polk RM5400

Similar Products Used:

Sony DE-845, Kenwoord, JVC (NOT REALLY)

Price, multiple connections, learning remote

Haven't found any yet

My Pioneer SX-1050 gave out after 20+ years and I decided to replace it with a A/V receiver from Pioneer. From the research I did looking at Sony, Denon, Yamaha, this one is very hard to beat for the price. Ended up getting this one for less than $270 including shipping to the house. Sound is good, plenty of volume, and quite a few more connections than my old receiver. If it makes it 20+ years like my other Pioneer I will be extremely satisfied.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer, Sony

Everything is amazing, exceptionaly for the price!!!

The bass is kinda of weak...but if you have a good sub you can use it's crossover.

My Technics, lke a couple other poepl i saw in these reviews, burned out after a month and a half. Man was I disapoointied. But then I picked up this Pioneer. Man its amazing!!! Words can't speak for it. email me if you have any questions.

Similar Products Used:

Technics SA-DX930

EVERYTHING!!!

none so far.

I had bought this reciever at Best Buy for $299 after doing some barganning. Anyway, It took me about 45 minutes to set it up becuase i had to redo some off my wiring(undernieth the floor). So i finally got it all set up to my DVD player and my Dish 7100 system. I though i would try my DVD player first so I did, and boy was i suprised what i got. The sound just filled the room as Air Force One played through. The pre-pay-view movies that come in Dobly Digital from my Dish i was amazed. I was looking at a Techicns reciever and i looked on here and everyone was saying that they run hot and die. This reciever does not run hot at all!

I would reconmend this reciever to anyone who wants to stick in the $250-$350.

value

dsp - a waste, SURROUND SPEAKER WIRE ONNECTORS! no preamp outputs for ALL channels.

Hey, Pioneer - drop the cost of the junk DSP and spend $5.00 on better connectors for the rear speaker wires, if you can do it for the front do it for the rear, its 100 watts to each rear speaker, not a 5 watt tv powered surround! The damn things wont hardly hold the wire in, and I have tried different thickness wire also. The overall sound is very good for the money. I do reccommend it in its price range but I am returning it so I can have better connectors and preamp outputs as I may use my 3 ch amp in front.
My ratings are based upon competition at this price.

Similar Products Used:

pioneer elite, Onkyo, marantz, yamaha

Price, # of S-Video inputs, Learning remote. Not too noisy despite the low price

Not enough power to rear surround speakers. No "5-D" mode.

Background: I decided to upgrade my setup to all S-Video and digital cable, plus DVD down the road so I wanted a receiver that could do Dolby Digital and DTS. My old Pioneer VSX-454 could only do standard ProLogic and had no S-Video inputs nor and digital audio. I first bought a JVC KX-888V which has similar specs as the Pioneer 509, but the JVC didn't live up to it's power rating and had a lot of hiss. So I then went for the Pioneer VSX-509S. For the low price ($349 at Best Buy and Sears) it has very low noise (not much hiss) and puts out pretty good power. However, the bass wasn't as powerful as I liked, even with "loudness" turned on (I don't yet has a sub-woofer, but my old VSX-454 gives me plenty of bass and that receiver only cost $150 [demo unit] about 5-6 years ago). Also, I really can't get the rear speakers loud enough - special effects in encoded movies come out fine, but stuff like background voices are hardly noticable from the rears. I had the same problem with the JVC unit. Finally, there's no real "5-D" mode (ie - I want all 5 speakers going during non-surround broadcasts). My VSX-454 has a Studio Surround mode which I used constantly - all 5 speakers would be going with some sort of "spaciousness" algorithm going on (subtle, not overpowering) and if I happened upon a Dolby-encoded program the surround would be enhanced further (how many times did I think I heard my phone ring in the background only to discover it was coming from the TV show?).

So, I guess what I'm looking for is my old VSX-454 with S-Video and Dolby Digital/DTS. Looks like I may have to go higher-end to get it (currently considering, Yamaha 995, Marantz SR-7000, and Denon AVR-3300, all of which scrape the $1000 mark). The VSX-509S LOOKS like it would fill the bill, but in reality it doesn't (for me, at least). Still, you get a lot of features for your money so I would have to rate it a good value.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer VSX-454. JVC KX-888V

GREAT sound! great remote, multiple s video inputs, 3 digital inputs and terrific bass management.

Maybe just a little weak in power but still quite good.

I have only had this receiver for a short time but dammit this is the best sounding receiver I've ever owned. The Sony I had before sounded lifeless compared to this. I now have my satellite and dvd player hooked up through it using s video and it looks awesome. Add the superb sound and you get a better movie experience than most of the theatres around where I live. This thing runs cooler than the old sony also. I don't know why people are complaing about the bass. Read the manual and set it up just like it recommends and you are set. I have mine set to front large (6 1/2 woofers) center large (5 1/4 woofers) small surrounds (4 inch woofers) set to bass plus (low freqs to sub and front speakers) 200 crossover and sub set to 8 for movies and 5 for music. I only have a 50 watt sub and this thing shakes my medium size living room. I can turn it to full volume with no distortion. I found it very easy to set up. I can't say enough good things about the sound. I love it!

Similar Products Used:

Sony STR-DE335 another Sony (can't remember the model)

no hiss sound keep you busy to learn this toy. It plays doby digital.

weak base. you have to set up to -40 db to get good sound

Remote is good, learning feature. But I have to learn it 1st.
I have to tune volume to -40 db to get my old sony 20% VOLUME setting sound effect. lighter than my old sony. It means cheap parts inside, most on power suply, heat sink and capacitors.
But it worths $220.
Welcom comment

Similar Products Used:

sony str770

Great sound, great remote, easy operation/very user friendly. All the Digital connections. Nice display. Great easy set-up.

For the money, ABSOLUTLEY NONE!!

After a lengthy research, it came down to the Yamaha RX-V596/HTR-520. (IDENTICAL MODELS) I settled with the VSX-D509S. I just couldn't justify the extra $$$ for the Yamaha. This receiver has everything I want. My main object was to have DTS connection which my Sony didn't have. Man, I didn't know what I was missing. The DTS sound is out of this world!! For the money, this Pioneer is great. It's set-up is a piece of cake. The remote is very userfriendly. It's got all the digital connections, both optical and coaxal. It's got all the S-Video connections. It's also got front audio/video jacks plus S-video connection. I'm a totally satisfied customer.

Similar Products Used:

SONY STR-DE425