Pioneer Elite VSX-84TXSi Receiver: On the Bench By Shane Buettner   •   September, 2006

• $1,500
• 140-Watts x 7 into 8 ohms
• Processing Modes: DD, DD-EX, ProLogicIIx, Dolby Virtual Speaker, Dolby Headphone, DTS, DTS-ES/Discrete/Matrix/Neo: 6, DTS 24/96, Windows Media Audio

Features We Like: THX Select2-Certified, HDMI 1.1 and i.LINK switching, MCACC auto calibration and room EQ, component video switching, transcoding of analog video to HDMI with upconversion to 720p or 1080i by Faroudja, two coaxial and five toslink optical digital audio inputs, one 7.1-channel analog audio input, 7.1-channel preamp outs, USB, XM and iPod compatible, AV sync delay, multi-source/multi-zone

The Pioneer VSX-84TSXi is clearly an AVR for the 21st century. Ample power, outstanding features, and perhaps more importantly in this day and age, an up-to the-minute modern connectivity suite, including iPod compatibility, Windows Media Audio playback and XM Satellite Radio readiness. Of course it's also dialed into the home theater arena with new school features like HDMI and i.LINK switching, and auto setup and calibration with room EQ. Check out our January 2007 issue to see if the mighty Pioneer meets our expectations, and note too that it shares a "Spotlight System" review with Definitive Technology's ProCinema 1000 speaker system.