Pioneer VSX-823 5.1-Channel Network AV Receiver: Enjoy Immersive Surround Sound for Movies & Music

JITESH K SHAH: good

India on May 04, 2015

DILEEP15: Great product.Delivered in time.

India on Apr 08, 2015

Catti: UPDATE - July 14/2015

Last night this thing died again, a few days after the 1-year warranty expired. Exact same problem as before, it just cuts out suddenly and goes to a black screen with red light flashing. No smoke this time. It must be unplugged to shut it off. It's installed right in front of an A/C unit with a big fan blowing on the side of the receiver, so not overheating. Last time I took it to their shop the guy tried to blame me and my cats' hair for the problem and I had to talk him into fixing it under warranty. I have a big metal laptop stand on top of the receiver to prevent cats from sitting on it. I don't feel like schlepping from one side of Toronto to the other on transit (2 hours each way, two trips) and then having to pay for repairs. There's no way a 1 year old receiver should be crapping out twice like this. Do yourselves a favour and find a better brand.
<original post>
Unfortunately the receiver died after 2 months, after filling my living room with smoke. One minute I was watching TV with surround, next minute I couldn't see the TV for the smoke. It's in for repair right now. I had to travel 2 hours to get to Pioneer's...

Canada on Sep 12, 2014

Anthony B: Let me start by saying that this is my first receiver ever. I've been wanting one for years but it always went back and forth between a basic 5.1 system or a nice sound bar. Am I sure glad I didn't go with a sound bar. I am however an AV-Enthusiast and read a lot of threads at AVS to help with all of my AV decisions.
I got this receiver through an Amazon Warehouse deal. It was marked as new, but it was missing the remote. That's not Pioneer's fault... needless to say after a bit of prying Amazon made up for it big time. Kudos to them.

I paired this receiver with a used set of Polk Audio Rm6800 speakers. I thought I'd start small and take it from there. If I end up feeling like i'm missing something then I'll upgrade either to the Pioneer Andrew Jones line, or go big with HTD speakers.

Back to the Pioneer. The sound is absolutely amazing and clear. I can't believe the sound that I've been missing out on. It should be mandatory to not let someone purchase a high quality Television without having the proper audio. My three year old Plasma feels new again. It's as though I've been missing out on half of the watching experience. I've been...

United States on Jan 27, 2014

Woodchuck: As others have mentioned, the remote for this unit leaves a lot to be desired. It's complicated and difficult to see in dim light. In all fairness to Pioneer, you can't have a receiver with this many features without having a complicated remote. Luckily, I had a Logitech Harmony One universal remote which completely solved the issues with the Pioneer remote. I realize the Harmony One is very pricey, but well worth the money and I highly recommend it if you buy this receiver.
That said, I love the receiver, despite the remote, and give it 5 stars. I am hard wired into my network which is essential to capitalize on all the features. Pandora and Internet Radio are my favorite features. I also have my Roku connected as well as Satellite TV. Once set up, which wasn’t too bad, they all work well. If you plan on using internet radio, be sure to go online and register at radio-pioneer.com. You will first need to get an access code from the receiver’s Internet Radio Help screen. Once registered, select and configure your favorite stations. There are hundreds to choose from, and Pioneer lets you create subfolders. The Tuner section is OK, but I am in a fringe area,...

United States on Jan 11, 2014