Hi All,

First post here. I can't seem to get a definitive answer anywhere else, so I figured, why not go to the source.

I am currently using a Pioneer 54TX as a pre, and I'm wondering if the 970 would be considered an upgrade.

-I like the quad crossover
-I'm not too concerned with video switching, I'll use it if it works, if not it's not a big loss.
-I would only need 3 optical inputs

-I do like the MCACC on the Pioneer
-I do like the auto setup on the Pioneer, but I think I can work a tape measure to figure out distance.

I don't really care about DSP's, but I am about 95% HT.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Brian

The Pioneer is a pretty respectable piece of gear, certainly, and without having heard it and the 970 side-by-side there is inevitably going to be some conjecture involved here...

The 970 does give you a few benefits: one additional component input, DVI switching, a couple extra optical inputs, the quad crossover, and the flexibility of bass management on the 7.1 direct input (straight pass-through, 80Hz analog high-pass/low pass, and conversion to digital for the quad crossover). The DVI switching and 7.1 direct bass management options could become particularly handy if you decided to try out one of the upcoming HD disc formats (HD-DVD or Blu-ray). Having used my 990's auto setup (no EQ, but distance and levels), I agree that while it is a handy feature I still feel the urge to get out the tape measure and SPL meter.

The big questions are whether the 970 offers better sound quality than the Pioneer and whether MCACC can offset any improvements provided by the 970. We've seen several reports of 970's winning out over good receivers that were already being used as pre/pros, so I think the 970 is a good candidate for you as well. Depending on your room and speakers, the 970's quad crossover could certainly provide some definite benefits. Some 970 owners might be able to provide more specific examples to help clear the fog a bit, but while you wait for those posts I'll leave you with one thought: Outlaw will let you have 30 days to try the 970 out, and if the Pioneer happens to win out all you have to do is pay to ship it back to them and they'll refund you.

I guess I'll just have to try and and see. I'd really like the 990, but I'm also upgrading my Ascend 340's to the 340SE, so I don't know if I'll actually have the cash to do it. Plus, I don't really need a lot of the features that the 990 offers. Having said that, if the 990 is leaps and bounds above the 970 in terms of audio quality, then I'd be more inclined to consider it. However, most of the opinions I've read seem to indicate that although it sounds better, it's not vastly better. Maybe I'm wrong, and maybe there are more people that will try to convince me otherwise (really, all I need is a little nudge).

Thanks for the input gonk. One question:

If I try the 970, and it's just okay, and would like to try the 990, is that a problem?

For two-channel, my understanding is that the 990 is a noticeable upgrade from the 970. For home theater, the difference is apparently less noticeable.

I haven't seen any official policy on trying both units - I'd suggest giving Outlaw a call and chatting with them about it. They're easy folks to talk to.

My comments regarding sound quality were with regards to HT, sorry for not clarifying.

I guess I'll give them a call then. Thanks again G-

I had both the units simultaneously before sending the 970 back. The 990 is far better than the 970 with two channel (Upsample mode is nice also) and a good deal better with HT as well. Having tried both units myself, I would urge you to go with the 990 and save yourself the shipping on trying the 970 out.

That's all I needed, thanks Doug!

It does seem though that 970 owners do seem to be pretty happy, which is why I was looking at it in the first place.

Okay, so assuming I can't get spousal approval for the price tag on the 990 - no matter how hard I try to convince her of the bargain, would common sense dictate that the 970 would be an upgrade over the Pioneer 54?

I know, I know...try one and see. I intend to, but I was just curious what your thoughts were.

And as a side note - Just for kicks, I shut off the MCACC on the 54 last night, and the sound was pretty impressive. I cycled between on and off, and ultimately chose to leave it off. I like it. So I don't think EQ is going to be an issue in the long run.

As to the rated max ouput spec on both the 970 and the 990, at 6 and 9 volts respectively, is it possible for those signals to clip? I know if I don't properly balance my amp gains with my voltage output on the 54, I can definitely induce clipping in the pre-out stage of the 54. Having never owned a dedicated preamp, I wasn't sure if the same would hold true. I think it will but I'm not positive.

Thanks again

I haven't heard the Pioneer, but I used to have the Yammy 2500 which was a pretty good receiver. The 970 was much better on 2-channel, but the Yammy was slightly better for movies. I don't know if you have read my shootout, so here it is:

http://processors.dblattman.com