Pioneer is giving a little love to its Elite line, announcing two new AV receivers, the flagship Elite SC-57 and the SC-55.
Both of these Elite models have Pioneer's new Class D3 digital amplifier technology, which boasts more power output with less power consumption than some traditional receiver designs. Other common features include better thermal dissipation, a shorter audio signal path, Marvell Qdeo processing, Advanced Video Adjust and Stream Smoother to give the picture quality a little boost.
Besides dueling certification from THX and AIR Studios, the SC receivers have preamp processors to support the latest surround formats, including DTS NeoX, sound enhancements, network content and network control. It also allows users to assign the preamp and speaker outputs independently.
The receivers also have plenty of networking goodies. Support for Apple's AirPlay means that these components can stream up anything from the owner's iTunes account. If that's not enough, both receivers have DLNA features, web radio and support for Pioneer's own iControlAV2 and Air Jam apps. Bluetooth is also an option, via the add-on AS-BT200 ($99) Bluetooth adapter.
With an MSRP of $2000, the 9.1-channel SC-57 provides 10 different configurations, while the 7.1-channel SC-55 offers up to seven for $1600. In other words, you can have a full 5.1 system, and save some of those extra channels for other zones in other rooms. Both models also have certification from Control4, Crestron and Savant, for integration into a whole-house setup.
"The new Class D3 amplifier technology built into the SC receivers illustrates Pioneer's engineering capabilities and further proves our expertise in the home theater space," said Chris Walker, director AV marketing and product planning for the home entertainment division of Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. "These receivers can truly reproduce the dynamics of uncompressed audio soundtracks from sources such as Blu-ray."
Each receiver comes packing a USB/video cable for iPod, iPad and iPhone compatibility right out of the box. Speaking of easy connectivity, the Wiring Navi installation process makes setup just as simple, through a series of questions about your connected hardware.
Both the Elite SC-57 and SC-55 receivers are available now from all authorized Pioneer Elite retailers.
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