New Pioneer Elite Receiver Features a Delicate Mix of Custom Installation Features and Consumer Ease of Use [w/video]

When shopping for a new home theater receiver, you generally have to choose between control-rich, bulletproof models aimed at the custom installation market and affordable, user-friendly models aimed directly at consumers. Pioneer is breaking down the wall between those two distinct slices of the home theater market with its new Elite-branded VSX-70 7.2-channel receiver.

The VSX-70 features all of the latest streaming audio and mobile app control that consumers are itching for, including WAV, MP3, WMA, AAC, AIFF, Apple Lossless, and FLAC file playback, with gapless playback for all of its supported lossless formats. That means that albums in your collection that flow seamlessly from one song to the next—like The Black Crowes’ Southern Harmony and Musical Companion or Frank Zappa’s Apostrophe (‘)—won’t suffer from annoying silent pauses between tunes. To take your streaming music experience to the next level, the iControlAV2013 for the VSX-70 sports a feature called Push Player, which enables you to instantly create and stream custom playlists straight from your iOS or Android mobile device. If that’s not enough, it also features AirPlay connectivity for apple devices, an MHL-capable front-panel HDMI input for Android devices, as well as AirPlay-like HTC Connect streaming for compatible HTC phones, like the new HTC One.

The VSX-70 also features 4K video pass-through and 4K upscaling for both analog and HDMI video sources. And for you energy conscious shoppers, the VSX-70’s power saving ECO Management mode intelligently analyses your content and controls peak volume intelligently to reduce power consumption. If all of that sounds a little overwhelming, not to worry; The VSX-70 supports Pioneer’s AVNavigator, a two-way interactive owner’s manual for PC, Mac, and iPad that holds your hand throughout the entire setup process.

If you really want to unlock the true potential of the Elite VSX-70, though, you’ll need the help of your friendly neighborhood custom installer. Not only does the receiver feature advanced multi-room capabilities—including the ability to fully power an independent audio zone, so you can watch a movie in the home theater while another family member rocks out to the CD player in a completely different room—but it also supports full two-way RS-232-over-IP control and features full certification for advanced home control systems like Control4.

So whether you’re a hardcore do-it-yourselfer looking for the latest audio and video features, or a smart home enthusiast in search of a truly seamless home theater experience, the VSX-70 offers it all. And best of all, it retails for just $750.

Source: HDLiving.com