Salvation of THX Select
ALVIN GOLD IS BOWLED OVER BY PIONEER'S LATEST AV RECEIVER -
THE FEATURE-PACKED VSX-D2011
Acclaim has been a long time coming, but now Pioneer is on a
roll. The crucial decision a few years ago was for the company to concentrate
on optical media, particularly DVD, which placed it at the heart of a rapidly
expanding market, and which has seen the company help set industry standards.
Home cinema receivers have benefited in a big way from the fallout. Pioneer's
engineers have developed a brilliant piece of technology that initially emerged
as part of the all-conquering VSA-AX10 multichannel amplifier - a
sophisticated, fully automatic loudspeaker setup routine and parametric
equaliser.
FAMILY RESEMBLANCE
Pioneer calls the THX Select-branded VSA-D2011 a derivative
of the VSA-AX10, and it is, although this surely undersells the 2011's
attractions. With a price differential of 3:1, surely there is only a
superficial resemblance between old and new? In fact, the latest model has a
very complete feature set, including many of the key attributes of the senior
models. These include the Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration EQ System (MCACC),
auto setup, the unusual Mosfet amplifier topology and the so-called isolated
chamber construction, essentially a space frame with screened sections to
inhibit mutual interference between circuit blocks. An FM/AM tuner has been
added, and along with its predecessor, the VSX-D2011 has been through the Air
Studios fine-tuning programme. But this is a leaner, trimmer model.
The VSX-D2011 looks very similar to the flagship, but is a
little smaller and, significantly, 10kg lighter. The power amp and the
all-important power supply have been down-rated. But what do you expect for a
£1,800 less? In two-channel mode, there's little difference in power
output, but drive five or more channels and the gap widens noticeably.
The second zone facility has almost disappeared. In fact, it
exists in the form of an independent speaker-level output, but can only be
driven from the same source, and there is no line-level feed. Also missing are
high-level features like the RS232 control input, and the number of audio and
video inputs is reduced, with no electrical digital output at all. THX
certification is retained, but in its baseline Select form. The touch-screen
remote is replaced by something more conventional, although it is arguably more
practical and easier to understand.
Most of these omissions will, admittedly, be of little
interest to the general user. It is unlikely that many would seriously consider
an amplifier in this price range for use in a full-blown multiroom AV system
with an external Crestron or AMX controller, and there remain more than enough
inputs, outputs, and power reserves for all but the largest, most ambitious
systems.
The VSX-D2011 is well equipped with sound-processing
algorithms, and the 7.1-channel flavours of Dolby Digital and DTS are supported
with no need for added external power amplification. Systems with larger front
speakers can reassign the back rear-channel power amplifiers to bi-amplify the
main front speakers, which is usually the channel that needs the most
amplification.
The most impressive feature of the VSX-D2011 is a version of
the auto setup feature originally introduced with the VSA-AX10. Known as MCACC,
the implementation here has been simplified in certain respects, but improved
and enhanced in others. As before, you simply set the microphone at the
listening position and press a button. Using a rapid sequence of test tones,
MCACC measures the noise floor; confirms microphone sensitivity; checks that
connections exist for each speaker; sets levels; determines speaker size
(small/large); measures distance; and establishes speaker delays. After brewing
a lovely hot cup of tea, it then calculates the frequency response for each
speaker and adjusts equalisation, which can be calibrated to produce as flat an
output as possible from all speakers, or normalised to match the front main
speakers (Front Align), or not used at all. In contrast to the AX10, the
equaliser is constrained to only five adjustment bands. Other elements of the
setup process have been improved or speeded up, however, with a manual
alternative setup also available.
A completely new feature added to this model is a so-called
audio scaler, which upsamples CD audio (16-bit 44.1kHz) or the data reduced
audio from DVD-Video (up to 24-bit 48kHz) to 24-bit 192KHz, and then processes
the signal through Pioneer's proprietary Legato Link digital filter.
PERFORMANCE
It took a while for the Pioneer to come on song, but it
settled down as an excellent all-rounder. The MCACC setup is consistent and
accurate, although some means of temporarily reducing the level of the rear
channels would have been welcomed. In general, it is best to match the
equalisation of the centre, rear and other speakers to the front main speakers,
if equalisation is to be used at all. As suggested earlier, even though the
power output is not specified by a rigorous yardstick, there's enough power
available to sustain moderately high volume levels in a room well in excess of
the THX Select 2,000cu ft standard using a Mission m5 speaker system - a
typical choice for an amplifier of this calibre.
The Dolby and DTS processors work well. As usual, there was
little to gain from Dolby Digital EX and DTS ES being used over standard
5.1-channel versions, and everything to gain by bi-amplifying the front
speakers, which strengthens the sound at high-volume levels. With all the
available bypasses engaged, the Pioneer was capable of an extremely impressive
large-scale soundstage, and a correspondingly strong image focus. The image
steering of the D2011 is particularly impressive. Perhaps there have been
unannounced refinements in decoder technology over the past couple of years, or
perhaps the higher-power DSP engines used in models such as this bring their
own rewards.
The integrity of the spatial processing was very much
apparent with a wide range of source material, including film soundtracks. The
VSX-D2011 roared with delight when fed some of the bigger modern cinema epics
such as The Matrix. The amplifier was also in its element with smaller-scale,
more naturalistic recordings such as Amelie and Chocolat, which breathed life
and fire in their own modest way.
DTS recordings sounded particularly excellent; full of
vitality, and with impressive detail and presence. This was most notably true
of DVD music recordings made with the use of DTS, where there is an absence of
visual material to draw attention away from the sound. The quality of audio
with linear sources also ranked impressively, when bearing in mind the price
area of this model.
The DVX-D2011 is moderately detailed and dynamic, but not
excessively so in either case. Raw stereo imagery tends to lack a certain
weight, and soundstaging overall lacks that Orwellian sense of gravitas. But
these are mean-minded niggles, and at this price level, are really unavoidable.
The overall prognosis is undeniably enthusiastic.
CONCLUSION
Of course, the DVX-D2011 is not really up to the standard of
the totally awesome VSA-AX10, even if it does look extremely similar. It is,
however, a well-equipped amplifier with every sound-processing algorithm under
the sun, including formats that haven't yet found their feet (DTS 96:24
especially). The DVX-D2011 has sufficient power, of high enough quality, to
cope more-than-manfully with a wide range of speaker systems, rooms and user
requirements. It sets a new standard for sub-£1,000 home cinema
amplifiers and if you're not shopping in the mega-bucks league, can be
considered a must-have alternative. |
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LAB RESULTS
Manufacturer's rated output: 100W (1kHz, 8ohms, 1%
THD)
Measured power output @ 1kHz: 114.0W (8ohms, 0.11%
THD)
192.5W (4ohms, 0.11% THD)
Fidelity firewall: 112.9W @ 0.05% THD (8ohms)
Distortion @ 50W: 0.014% (8ohms, 1kHz)
Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz ±
0.14dB |
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HCC Practical Tip
The
D2011's audio scaler feature is designed as a means of upgrading the sound
quality of lower-resolution formats, namely CD and the data-reduced sound that
accompanies the picture on DVD-Video discs. In practice, the process has some
useful effects with data-reduced codecs such as Dolby Digital, but less so with
CD. With some recordings there is an impression of greater treble detail.
Imagery is altered, too, perhaps because the spectral content of the music
changed. In some cases it was easy to interpret this as an improvement, but
with others the result was messy and inconsistent. Despite the increased
high-frequency presence, the evidence for increased detail resolution was
equivocal. The obvious advice is suck it and see! |
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FEATURES
Connections:
Audio and video socketry: four analogue inputs
(including two tape) and 7.1-channel inputs; five audio and video inputs
(including two tape) with composite and S-video; one S-video output, two
composite video outputs;
Digital socketry: three optical (including one on
front panel), two coaxial inputs, two optical digital output; two YPbPr
component inputs (assignable), one 7.1-channel input, one stereo USB input;
8-channel preamp outputs; seven pairs 4mm binding-post loudspeaker outputs, one
pair assignable for 2nd zone; headphone socket
Surround formats supported: Dolby Pro-Logic/Pro-Logic
II; Dolby Digital; Dolby Digital EX; DTS; DTS-ES Discrete; DTS 96:24; DTS
neo:6
Features: 7.1 channel Mosfet AV receiver; THX
Select-certified; power output 100W/channel DIN 1kHz; 1% THD; 8ohms (one or two
channels together); MCACC auto/manual speaker calibration; DSP modes: action,
sci-fi, drama, musical, mono film, 5/7-D, theatre, classical, chamber, jazz,
rock, dance; audio scaler (upsampling to 24/192 and Legato Link digital
filtering); bass/treble controls, tone bypass; Zone 2 facility at speaker
level, not multisource; adjustable crossover frequency 50Hz-200Hz; display
dimmer; FM-RDS-MW 30 preset tuner; programmable, coded IR remote with
backlighting and LCD status display window
Dimensions: 420(w) x 188(h) x 464(d)mm
Weight: 19.6kg |
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01753 789 789
