Funny I ran across this thread just now on a Google search and it's only a few weeks old. I have this unit. I chuckle frequently thinking of the 350.00 I spent on the thing for what it is. It puts so much modern equipment to such utter shame when you feel the build quality, the uber-cool LCD backlit touchscreen remote, and the clean distortion free power it puts out. I got it from a guy in the northwest who was revamping his HT system reluctantly due to needing HDMI support and it came like new in the factory carton with every piece of documentation, the remote and the MCACC microphone.
Frankly, I never intended to use it as a surround processor because it's woefully outdated in *some* ways, though its ability to accept 8 channel analog input means you could hook it up to a BDP-09FD and instantly have a relatively up to date system so long as your TV has sufficient HDMIs (I think my 141FD Pioneer has 3 or 4 so I'm good there). But I just thought it was a great cheap way to sneak in to a high quality Japanese made (not Malaysia or China like the modern ones) amp, heavily depreciated due to the outdated processor portion. At the time I acquired it, it was for my lovely JBL XPL-140s from 1991.
Now, here's where things get really interesting. I recently acquired a pair of B&W 802D speakers and figured that they'd take one look at this Pioneer "junk" and laugh their butts off then run the other way. To my amazement, the Pioneer makes beautiful sounds coupled with the 802Ds. In fairness, my room is quite small, but the Pioneer does not beg for mercy even at considerable listening levels. The bass is full, the highs are detailed and if I hid the amplifier completely from view, most people would never have any idea where the sound was coming from and would expect a much larger series of separates running these monsters. In most cases, people recommend running the 802Ds with no less than 200 clean watts per channel MINIMUM, yet the Pio is only 130 (and I'm only running two channels, I could even bi-amp if I wanted). In fact, the 802s are comparatively speaking louder volume level for volume level than the XPL140s, despite the XPLs being of significantly lower power rating spectrum. The 802s also double down to 4ohm when necessary, but I don't think I've come close to reaching that point.
Obviously, it's sacrilege to continue running the 802Ds this way, so I'm on the hunt for a nice McIntosh, Bryston, Mark Levinson or Classe amplifier to do so. But I'll be honest, I heard the 802Ds connected to proper Classe monoblocks before bringing them home, and the sound from the Pioneer is not dramatically different. I have a feeling I will get a really nice amp or even monoblocks and be hit with the "diminishing returns" slap once it's all said and done, but best not to risk the Pioneer clipping or otherwise damaging these speakers. And well, the eternity of listening to everyone say "you are doing those speakers a serious dis-service". What I do NOT want is anything made in China or even Malaysia, and unfortunately some modern Classe and certainly Rotel gear is. My eye is currently on either the Mac MC352 or MC501 monoblocks considering what modern Classe equipment costs by comparison. ML is a distant option and Bryston is somewhere around there.
Now what I'm wondering is the following... I have a budget for an amplifier but at this time I don't want to make the additional investment in a pre-amp. I just want to make sure the 802s have good solid amplification. I'm wondering if the 49TX can switch to pre-amp duty as the original poster was wanting in that case. Can't really tell looking out the outputs if it can serve as a true pre-amp, using it to switch sources and control volume, but without the amp. Seems like it would make an even more solid pre-amp than it is an amp, with the digital board failure caveat mentioned above. But then, if/when it ever dies, it was only a pittance of its original cost to begin with. And we're what, 13 years down the road now? Seems perfectly respectable to me (knock on some fake wood sides).
Oh, by the way, the Pioneer bug began for me when I literally found a DV-L90 Laserdisc/DVD/CD player just sitting there next to the dumpster at my apartment complex. It even had the manual just sitting on top of the case and a remote from some Pioneer CD changer. Curious, I brought it inside, plugged it in and found that it worked perfectly. It doesn't get a whole lot of use, but it's a cool piece of gear regardless, and I've already thought of a few music LDs that were never issued on DVD I'll eventually get a hold of.
