Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Have used the 9040 for a month now and feel like I can post an objective review. It rocks! I do a lot of research before I buy and was looking at the Onkyo receivers (707) but came upon the 9040 in the Pioneer posts on avsforum.com where I learned the 9040 was a re-badged vsx-21thx Elite model. The 9040 does not have "Elite" on the faceplate, but if you look at the specs on both they are the same, as others have pointed out. That said, so what? How good is the 21thx? After reading all that I could find the 21thx is a great unit with many satisfied owners so the 9040 seemed like a great deal. It does not run hot and does not do that annoying click when changing input sources that the Onkyo's do.
The 9040 took @ 2 hours for me to set it up and I played with it for 2 weeks until I got the settings I wanted. Now I am a very happy camper. Take the time to go through the manual and try the different settings. The audio calibration system from Pioneer (MCACC) is very easy to use and does a good job at settings based on your room config (seating, acoustics, etc). The are 6 settings that you can save, each of which is manually cutomizable which is what I did after running the advanced auto mode. This thing is a beast weighing in the same as the 21-thx, about 17lbs more than the other non-Elite models. It has many more settings than I will ever use ( I don't have THX certified speakers and no need for a pre-amp, for example) but I wanted the power and the QUALITY of a model in this class. There is little info on the 9040 on Pio's website and I do have to say I have been surprised that Pio doesn't offer more detailed info. For example, The Anchor Bay video solution found on high-end equipment is rumored to be in this unit but I can't find that in print anywhere (also nothing to dispute it). Look at different vendors and you see different specs. However, specs are just specs, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I have been awestruck. When I connected this up to my speakers and ran the MCACC I was blown away. My wife and I watched MJ's "This Is It" and the room was rocking! Better than when we saw it in the cinema. The newer ipod models connect flawlessly to a connection on the front of the unit with an included cable. I even copied mp3s to a usb stick and it appeared on the menu and played beautifully. What a seamless interface. One of the "older" ipods didn't connect (sorry not sure of the generation but it is at least 4 years old). Don't like the remote, buttons are too small and lack a good design. Not a problem as I use a universal remote. Only other complaint is I would prefer to set a crossover point myself, MCACC offers it in increments (80, 100, 150).
Amazon is selling this right now at a great price. Read reviews and compare other models - spec for spec this unit has enormous value. Also, just my opimion, don't get hung up on the differences between Audyssey and MCAAC sound calibration. From what I read both have equal fans and critics. The important point to me is that the version of MCACC included with the 9040 is an advanced version and allows you to tweak the settings to your liking.
Up to this point I am loving the unit and am very satisfied with this purchase. Hope this helps.
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