Gadgetory

hey I'm Matthew Muscovy AK from C net and we're going to take a look at the Pioneer vs x8 - 3 - K this is a mid-range 5.1 AV receiver with built-in airplay and is currently selling for around $400 like most AV receivers the Pioneer is big and boxy so you're going to need plenty of space in your TV cabinet to hold it there are two large knobs one for volume and one for input selection and that gives it a symmetrical feel altogether though the looks are just middling so if you're looking for something better looking I check out my rancis slimline AV receivers the included remote is about as confusing as most AV receiver remotes are there are just a ton of tiny buttons most of which you'll never use plus there were all these confusing secondary labels that require you to hold down the shift key it'll be fine for home theater enthusiast but it's a pain for anyone else to use the Pioneer offers six total HDMI inputs including one front panel HDMI input and that's the most you're gonna find at the $400 price level this year it also has built-in networking functionality which includes smart phone control DLNA compatibility Pandora and internet radio to use the networking features you do need a wired Ethernet connection as the Pioneer doesn't have Wi-Fi now pioneer does sell accessories to add Wi-Fi or Bluetooth but both of those accessories are unreasonably priced at over $100 that's especially pricey when Sony's competing strd and 840 offers built-in Wi-Fi Bluetooth and airplay for four hundred and fifty dollars and that ends up looking like a much better deal if you want that wireless functionality sound quality on the Pioneer was above average we had resident audiophile Steve Guttenberg give the system a listen and he was impressed with its well balanced sound and then it really held together well when we crank the volume he even preferred it to the more expensive Denon AVR II 400 when we had head-to-head comparisons he found it offered a clearer more detailed sound now differences between AV receivers are but the pioneers sound did stand out so overall it really comes down to what features you need the Pioneer vsx 823 - K does offer a lot of HDMI connectivity and built-in airplay for its price but I think most buyers will be better off spending a little more for the wireless features on Sony's competing strd and 840 I'm Matthew Muscovy ak and this is the pioneer vsx 823 - K