Pioneer Elite VSX-91TXH Receiver with HDMI, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS-HD Decoding

Pioneer Elite VSX-91TXH 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver - Evaluation

The 91TXH showed no signs of strain during very dynamic audio tracks. I found felt no sense of listening fatigue over long periods of time. Also, in both 5.1 and 7.1 channel configurations, delivered an excellent surround image, with both analog and digital sources.

This receiver provided a very clean signal via the direct 5.1 analog audio inputs from both HD-DVD/Blu-ray disc sources, in addition to the Blu-ray/HD-DVD HDMI audio connection option.

NOTE: I was unable to test the actual Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD decoders in the VSX-91TXH as the Blu-ray and HD-DVD players I have are 1st generation units that do surround decoding internally and do not have the Bitstream output required for decoding of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD externally via the receiver. Such Blu-ray and HD-DVD players are just now coming on the market, so testing of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD decoding done by Home Theater receivers will become more accessible later this year (2007).

The 91TXH also provided a very clean audio output via the HDMI connection interface. It was great just have to make one connection for both audio and video between my HDMI-Equipped DVD players and the Blu-ray/HD-DVD players. It was also very convenient to be able to access both DVD-Audio and SACD signals via a single HDMI connection, rather than using the standard 5.1 channel analog audio connections to access these formats (although I tested both the analog and HDMI connection options for this review).

With regards to HDMI audio signal transfer, using an OPPO Digital DV-980H as the source, which has the ability to output both two-channel and multi-channel PCM and SACD-DSD signals via HDMI, I found that the 91TXH had no problem detecting SACD (DSD) signals or DVD-Audio (PCM) Multi-channel audio signals. The audio quality was excellent.

On the other hand, the 91TXH reproduced standard Dolby Digital and DTS signals via the Digital Optical and Digital Coaxial connections accurately.

Video Performance

Utilizing several video connection options, I found that the 91TXH did well with straight video signal transfer, but below average when converting 480i to 480p. The composite, S-video, and Component-to-HDMI conversion did work, which allows the convenient combining of all video inputs into a signal video output for HDMI-equipped HDTVs.

Although conversion of video input signals to HDMI is limited to 480p, the 91TXH can pass a native 1080p source through to a 1080p television or monitor.

The image on a Westinghouse LVM-37w3 1080p monitor looked no different, whether the signal came directly from a 1080p source (Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-ray Disc Player) or was routed through the 91TXH, from the Blu-ray Player, before reaching the Westinghouse monitor.

However, the Silicon Optix HQV Benchmark DVD revealed that the 480i to 480p deinterlacing function of the 91TXH was below average in almost all of the HQV tests, including jaggie elimination, moire pattern elimination, noise reduction, and frame cadence detection. See some test result examples.

There is a lot to like about the Pioneer Elite VSX-91TXH,including:

1. Power to spare, excellent audio performance, extensive surround sound settings.

2. Extensive Audio and Video Connectivity - including 2 HDMI 1.3a inputs and Zone 2 Preamp output.

3. Excellent pass-through of 720p, 1080i, and 1080p source signals via HDMI.

4. MCACC speaker setup system works very well.

5. Simple XM and Sirius Radio connectivity with onscreen control functions.

What I Didn't Like About The Pioneer Elite VSX-91TXH

1. The 91TXH could use one or two more HDMI inputs. An HDMI input on front panel would be nice feature to provide.

2. Lackluster B/W 4x3 on-screen menu display. For a receiver that is intended to be used with an HDTV, it would be nice to have a 16x9, full color OSD display option.

3. No Video Upscaling of analog video sources (480i to 480p only). Deinterlacing of 480i signals to 480p output was below average.

4. There is no dedicated Phono Turntable input. To connect a turntable, an additional Phono Preamp is required.

5. This receiver may be complicated to use for the novice. The Remote is not intuitive and buttons are very small, which is an issue when using in a darkened room.

6. There is only one AC Convenience outlet on the rear panel.

Final Take

The VSX-91TXH has excellent audio performance and delivers more than enough power a medium size room. Useful features include: Built-in decoding for all major 5.1, 6.1, and 7.1 Channel surround sound formats, including Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, and DTS-HD.

Also, Second Zone pre-outs, allow the user to supply either a simultaneous or second source to another room (additional amplifier required, while XM and Sirius satellite radio connectivity, iPOD connectivity via adapter cable, and MCACC (Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration System) auto-speaker setup provide additional flexibility.

The 91TXH offers consideration for both audio and video connectivity and processing, which makes it a flexible receiver. The image quality from HD sources is very consistent, and the video conversion and processing of analog video sources, although not upscaled, did work, but not as well as an external scaler or upscaling DVD player.

One of the indicators of a good receiver is the ability to perform well with both music and movies. I found the audio quality of the VSX-91TXH, with both music-only and video sources (such as DVD), was quite good, making it acceptable for both extensive music listening as well as for home theater use.

I also found that the MCACC (Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration System) auto-speaker setup feature actually worked very well, especially with the center channel level, which always seems the hardest to get right with DVD source material.

The VSX-91TXH is very flexible receiver that delivers the goods in audio performance, but needs improvement in video performance. I give it 4.0 Stars out of 5.

A few tweaks that would have earned a higher rating: More HDMI inputs (possibly having one on the front panel), improved 480i/480p conversion, video upscaling, a dedicated phono turntable input, and an easier-to-use remote.