Pioneer SX-V90 A/V receiver Review

Pioneer’s SX-V90 receiver is a nearly complete control center for a home audio/ video entertainment system. It is basically a conventional, full-featured AM/FM stereo receiver (though a rather powerful one by today’s standards). In addition, however, it is equipped to control the operation and interconnections of several video components, including two VCR’s, a video-disc player, and a TV receiver and/or video monitor. Another video source, such as a video game or a home computer, can be substituted for the second VCR. About the only video-oriented features the SX-V90 lacks are a TV tuner (which would normally come with a VCR) and some provision for stereo TV broadcasts (which are perhaps better served by a separate stereo TV tuner anyway).

Audio and video signals from the video components are selected by three front-panel push-plate controls, which switch both the video signals and (where applicable) the VHF signals from a TV antenna. Below the video switches are two small buttons; one provides simulated stereo sound from a mono source, and the other controls an audio Dynamic Noise Reduction (DNR) circuit that is usable with one of the VCR inputs.

The rest of the front panel is devoted to more familiar stereo-receiver functions. Like many modern digital-synthesis receivers, the Pioneer SX-V90 has no rotary knob controls. Except for two horizontal-slider tone controls (center-detented), all the operating controls are pushbuttons or flat plates. Although there are more than forty (!) such controls on the panel, the status of each is clearly shown, either by a red light glowing in the center of the button when it is engaged or on the large, colorful, and informative visual display that occupies much of the receiver’s front panel.

Among the displays are the tuner’s digital frequency readout, a group of illuminated line segments that indicate the received signal strength, and a rather elaborate fluorescent audio-output display. Both volume and channel balance are adjusted electronically by pressing on their control buttons, but a single horizontal row of illuminated segments shows the status of both controls, perhaps even more clearly than did the knob index marks formerly used for that purpose.

The tuner section has ten station-preset buttons, each usable for one AM and one FM station. The SX-V90’s memory can also store and recall two different volume settings, including the selected settings of the muting and loudness switches.

It is hardly possible to describe fully the capabilities and features of this unusual receiver in a test report. Fortunately, the instruction manual is comprehensive and easy to follow (the SX-V90 is sufficiently different from other receivers that few users will be able to exploit all its capabilities without a careful study of the manual). Some idea of the potential of the SX-V90 can be gathered from its power rating: 125 watts per channel into 8-ohm loads from 20 to 20,000 Hz with no more than 0.005 percent total harmonic distortion. This suggests a rather large and heavy unit, and so it is (though smaller and lighter than one might expect considering how far its measured performance surpassed its ratings in our lab tests).

The Pioneer SX-V90, finished in satin silver with dark gray accents, is about 16-1/2 inches wide, 17-1/4 inches deep, and 5-7/8 inches high. It weighs just over 33 pounds. Price: $799.95.

Lab Tests

We tested the audio and tuner sections of the Pioneer SX-V90. Despite its extensive control functions, the receiver was easy to operate and completely free of unwelcome surprises either on the test bench or while playing music.

The receiver’s distortion specifications clearly distinguish between its power-amplifier and preamplifier sections. Although the two sections can be separated by removing jumpers on the rear apron, we chose to test the audio section as a unit since that is the way it would normally be operated. The distortion was typically between 0.03 and 0.1 percent—a level that is inaudible, completely insignificant, and hardly worthy of comment except for being many times the amplifier’s rated 0.005 percent! We briefly checked the power amplifier alone, through its separate input jacks, and found its distortion to be typically less than 0.0036 percent at outputs of 125 watts or lower. Obviously, the power-amp section’s distortion rating is quite conservative, though somewhat unrealistic under normal operating conditions.

The SX-V90 is not rated for use with load impedances lower than 8 ohms, but we were pleasantly surprised and impressed by its huge current-output capability as shown by the output into 4 and 2 ohms at clipping. Furthermore, the distortion was not affected significantly by either frequency or load impedance (a fortunate by-product of its origin in the preamplifier section). At no time in our high-power tests did the amplifier’s protective circuits operate, nor was it damaged in any way, and it was stable with reactive loads.

The preamp section’s tone-control response curves were conventional. The loudness compensation boosted both low and high frequencies at reduced volume settings, but only to a moderate degree that did not produce an unnaturally heavy sound quality. At a maximum volume setting, the response rolled off at high and low frequencies (perhaps a property of the electronically controlled volume circuit), but it was flat at all usable settings. The “subsonic” filter was certainly misnamed, since its — 3-dB frequency was a definitely “sonic” 90 Hz!

The FM tuner section of the SX-V90 had adequate though not unusual sensitivity, either by the “usable sensitivity” criterion of 3 percent distortion or by the 50-dB quieting signal level. Since the i.f. bandwidth is switchable for wide or narrow, we made most measurements using both settings. As expected, the channel separation and selectivity were most affected by this control, which automatically selects the narrow bandwidth when the receiver is turned on.

The FM frequency response was almost perfectly flat, and channel separation was almost constant with frequency over most of the audible range. The AM frequency response was wider and flatter than we have measured on most receivers, but its sound quality, although clean and listenable, was not significantly better than that of most other AM tuners.

The SX-V90’s “simulated stereo” feature, on which we made no measurements, does a convincing job of spreading a mono program across the area between the speakers so that only a careful and critical listener would be likely to detect the deception. The DNR also worked well, slightly reducing noise on video-derived audio signals, although we would have liked to see the DNR circuits switchable into the normal audio signal path to reduce noise from audio cassettes and discs.

Comments

At first glance, the Pioneer SX-V90 might seem to be a bit “too much” of a receiver, presenting a formidable front-panel control and indicator array (matched by the number and variety of connectors on its rear apron). However, for anyone who wants integrated audio and video entertainment facilities, without a rat’s nest of cables, connectors, adaptors, and switchboxes, this receiver may well be the most cost-effective and tidy choice.

If the SX-V90 compromised any operational characteristic for the sake of flexibility, it might not be such an appealing product. On the contrary, however, it is an excellent AM/FM stereo receiver (there is even an “AM Stereo” output jack for driving a suitable adaptor when such products become available). Its power-amplifier section is noteworthy for sheer power and low distortion.

Even those people for whom video compatibility is unimportant may find this receiver a good choice for a music system. It is not unduly expensive, and its operation is not difficult once the control functions have been learned. Use of its video-switching capabilities can be reserved for future expansion of your home-entertainment system without in any way limiting its present-day audio usefulness. The Pioneer SX-V90 is certainly a lot of receiver by any standard.

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