Pioneer VSX-534 5.2ch AV Receiver

The Pioneer VSX-534 AV Receiver is a great choice if you want to get the best sound out of your system. The sound produced by this receiver is clear and crisp, and the Dolby Atmos Height Virtualizer and MCACC automatic calibration make it easy to set up and start listening to your favourite songs in no time. I highly recommend this receiver to anyone looking for a high-performance, reliable and easy-to-use home theatre system.

A great AV receiver

I bought this so I could hook up my new PS5 for the surround sound and the sound is amazing! Punchy bass clear dialogue and it sounds so much richer than my previous amp.The only thing was setting the HDMI to Advanced in order to get full 4K HDR. By default it’s set to standard and the manual does not even mention changing this.I had to resort to an online forum to see how this is done.So to switch it hold the Sound Retreiver and Auto Direct buttons together and on the AV screen it will say HDMI Standard, release the Auto direct button and press again to switch to Advanced and voila! An amazing sound experience with amazing 4K HDR picture!Would certainly recommend this amp!

A great upgrade

I pondered on this purchase for a while. I was replacing an old Sony AV receiver which was 15+ years old. It was OK but didn't have any HDMI connections so was no longer compatible with anything I had. This Pioneer suited me as I wanted a basic system I could use with my Sony speakers, which were already wired behind walls, under floors.The sound is fine, although I need to read the instructions a little more so I can understand a couple of "Features". The lip sync is out occasionally, even with the setting set to Auto, perhaps a firmware update may help. I've also set the passthrough on my Virgin V6 box but that does not always work, particularly when the receiver has been on standby overnight. A quick on/off of the receiver and passthrough works ... MoreI pondered on this purchase for a while. I was replacing an old Sony AV receiver which was 15+ years old. It was OK but didn't have any HDMI connections so was no longer compatible with anything I had. This Pioneer suited me as I wanted a basic system I could use with my Sony speakers, which were already wired behind walls, under floors.The sound is fine, although I need to read the instructions a little more so I can understand a couple of "Features". The lip sync is out occasionally, even with the setting set to Auto, perhaps a firmware update may help. I've also set the passthrough on my Virgin V6 box but that does not always work, particularly when the receiver has been on standby overnight. A quick on/off of the receiver and passthrough works fine.Altogether I am pleased with the sound quality and features.The service from Richer Rounds has been great.

A great value 5.1 surround AV Receiver!

We bought this unit to upgrade from our old VSX-521, as that was not compatible with our new 4k TV.The VSX-534 with 4k pass through is a step change up. The 5.1 surround sound from the VSX-534 is incredible and it still allows us to crank up the volume when playing music through our floor standing speakers. Surround sound is fantastic and the ARC and CEC allow us to get the best from FTA TV and all the streaming services we subscribe to as well as content from our 4k BDP!Highly recommended!

Better than I expected (and bigger!)

I've had a Sony cinema system for about 9 years, and it claimed to be 5.1 surround sound. Recently, I decided to purchase an AV receiver as my TV only has 1 HDR input, and I have multiple devices that can output HDR. It was cheaper to buy a receiver than a new TV.The first thing I noticed, when I wired my speakers up, was that I had never heard surround sound like this before. It was incredible. Also, it was great being able to use my PS4 with HDR turned on!The receiver makes a lot of clicking noises as you change various settings, which can be a little disconcerting, but this is a powerful machine, so I don't mind it too much.The settings menu could do with reworking as I'm constantly opening up settings trying to find something specific.It's far larger ... MoreI've had a Sony cinema system for about 9 years, and it claimed to be 5.1 surround sound. Recently, I decided to purchase an AV receiver as my TV only has 1 HDR input, and I have multiple devices that can output HDR. It was cheaper to buy a receiver than a new TV.The first thing I noticed, when I wired my speakers up, was that I had never heard surround sound like this before. It was incredible. Also, it was great being able to use my PS4 with HDR turned on!The receiver makes a lot of clicking noises as you change various settings, which can be a little disconcerting, but this is a powerful machine, so I don't mind it too much.The settings menu could do with reworking as I'm constantly opening up settings trying to find something specific.It's far larger than I thought it would be, it's approx. the size of a regular PC tower laying horizontally!I really love the true 5.1 I'm getting and 4K upscaling. Would defnitely recommend to people who are just getting in to setting up home audio.

Great Hi-Fidelity sound but with limitations

The machine replaced my VSX-822. Installation and set-up were a breeze; completed in about three hours. LI have an extensive digital music library dating back to the mid 1980s with close to 500 albums. The Stereo sound is fantastic (from Elad Debut 2, 6 inch speakers and Pioneer small woofer). Regardless of genre (classical, jazz, R&R, Americana), it all sounds great. Most video content is streamed through my Apple TV with equally impressive sound.Limitation is at its largest configuration it can be five channel surround or three channels plus Dolby Atmos; one or the other but not both at the same time. If it could do five channel surround plus Atmos at the same time, the rig would be rated a five!But, thats all okay with me since I plan to keep this for about ... MoreThe machine replaced my VSX-822. Installation and set-up were a breeze; completed in about three hours. LI have an extensive digital music library dating back to the mid 1980s with close to 500 albums. The Stereo sound is fantastic (from Elad Debut 2, 6 inch speakers and Pioneer small woofer). Regardless of genre (classical, jazz, R&R, Americana), it all sounds great. Most video content is streamed through my Apple TV with equally impressive sound.Limitation is at its largest configuration it can be five channel surround or three channels plus Dolby Atmos; one or the other but not both at the same time. If it could do five channel surround plus Atmos at the same time, the rig would be rated a five!But, thats all okay with me since I plan to keep this for about two years and then upgrade to a push-pull (A/B) type Amplifier circuit; most likely a NAD receiver.

Great Sound

After my old receiver stopped working, I finally decided to upgrade my receiver. I bought my old receiver back in the early 2000's and boy has the technology improved. The sound is so crisp now. The set-up was very easy and the receiver basically did all the work for me! It's been a month and cannot complain at all. Also, it was delivered in less than 24 hours! Great sound and easy to use.

Great budget receiver

Replaced a Demon from 2005. Big improvement. Great option if you dont care about wifi or 5.1.2 dolby atmos. I use the dolby atmos feature for movies on my 5.1 setup an it works great. Great for music Aswell. Lastly room correction made a bigger improvement then I was expecting. Will have to see how long it last but over all I'm very satisfied.

Great sound!

I bought this to replace a 3 year old Sony 5.1 channel receiver. I am surprised just how much better the sound is coming from this receiver, using only my existing 9 year old 5.1 channel speakers! I did not need to add ceiling speakers, or additional up-firing speakers to fill my room with Dolby Atmos sound.I did update the firmware posted on Pioneer’s website, using a USB stick, to support the Atmos Height Virtualizer. The sound is a huge upgrade over the Sony receiver I had. I’d typically rarely hear the rear surround speakers, or even the subwoofer. Now, all speakers are utilized to great effect. Even regular TV watching sounds much better.I am very happy with this purchase!

Pioneer VSX-534 5.2 4K Home Theatre Receiver

I purchased this to replace my old 1080p home theatre receiver from a leading name in the industry, which was several hundred dollars more. The first thing I noticed was the sound processing was greatly improved. The VSX 534 also has all the power I need to run large speakers easily. Setup was easy with the set up microphone and the onscreen menu made things very easy to figure out. This is a very impressive receiver that punches well above its weight class and has all the form and function of those priced much higher. For me the best feature is the “Dialogue” Control which allows me to turnip or down the level of dialogue in whatever I’m watching, without changing the master volume. A pretty cool feature, I thought! Bang for your buck, this receiver has to be ... MoreI purchased this to replace my old 1080p home theatre receiver from a leading name in the industry, which was several hundred dollars more. The first thing I noticed was the sound processing was greatly improved. The VSX 534 also has all the power I need to run large speakers easily. Setup was easy with the set up microphone and the onscreen menu made things very easy to figure out. This is a very impressive receiver that punches well above its weight class and has all the form and function of those priced much higher. For me the best feature is the “Dialogue” Control which allows me to turnip or down the level of dialogue in whatever I’m watching, without changing the master volume. A pretty cool feature, I thought! Bang for your buck, this receiver has to be considered one of the best deals on the market.Joey D.