Our Real Movie Experience... at Home

Product Review

(Daddy reviews)

The advancement in science and technology has brought the theatre to our home because more so than ever, the home theatre system is equipped to create a feeling of real “cinema experience” while sitting in one's home. Which is a good thing too, considering that it will cost at least $50 to bring my entire family of five to the cinemas these days. Excluding the cost of popcorn and drinks of course.

So on the days when we are feeling lazy to head out or on nights where the next day is a non-school day, we declare them to be 'Movie Nights', pop a DVD into our home entertainment system and enjoy the movie as a family. Oh, and it sure helped that our home entertainment system recently leveled up, thanks to Pioneer!

Say hello to our new Pioneer home entertainment system family:

• VSX-923-K AV Receiver
• BDP-160 Blu-Ray 3D System
• S-11 Speaker Systems
• S-51W Powered Subwoofer

Undoubtedly, the star player of the entire system has got to be the VSX-923-K AV Receiver which is the perfect power companion to any home system with its 150 Watts of clear audio reproduction across 7 channels.

Leading the way in smartphone connectivity, it offers support for an iPod, iPhone, iPad or Android smartphone. On the front panel is an HDMI input, which supports the latest version of Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL v2.0). It provides an easy way of watching HD videos from Android smartphones on your TV – allowing me to control playback with the Pioneer’s remote and even charge the device while I watch – and get this, it also supports 3D videos. There is also USB port designed for iPod, iPhone, iPad and USB drives, with a component video input for watching videos from Apple devices.

Not only does the VSX-923’s support AirPlay, making it easy to play music from Apple devices, but it’s also the first AV receiver with HTC Connect certification. This lets one beam music wirelessly from compatible HTC phones. The Pioneer VSX-923 is DLNA certified, meaning one can stream his own music files from networked devices and PCs too.

But the feature which caught my fancy the most was that different members of the family can be entertained simultaneously in multiple rooms. With a powered zone 2 audio output, this means that the AV Receiver will allow the monkies to watch their favourite movie in the living room while I listen to my music in another room! All these coupled with the built-in ECO Mode too, where I can save energy (and money) without compromising on sound and video performance.

Of course, all the power that the AV Receiver packs will have counted for nothing without a good set of speakers. So that is where the S-51W Powered Subwoofer and S-11 Speaker Systems are called into action.

The Subwoofer integrates a 150W RMS amplifier which delivers enough power to support all speaker configurations from 2.1 to 7.1. Together with its Phase Control technology, it manages the time and phase response of the speakers so as to minimise the effect of additional sound delays.

The S-11 Speaker Systems comprise of five speakers - 2 front, 1 centre and 2 surround speakers.

If you ask me, the whole surround sound thingy from the speakers were what got me all excited. But for the monkies, the BDP-160 Blu-Ray 3D System was the pick of the lot in their eyes. And the reason? They are able to watch their fave YouTube videos via its built-in Wi-Fi connection!

This player counts as Pioneer’s entry-level Blu-ray player, which not only plays high-definition discs in 2D and 3D but also integrates with smartphones and tablets through its built-in Wi-Fi connection and Android/iOS control apps. It’s also DLNA certified and plays media files via USB, making it more of an all-round entertainment hub than a mere Blu-ray player.

As a complete home entertainment system collectively, the four Pioneer products complement each other perfectly and are classy performers in their own right. The AV Receiver and speakers offer a smooth and intricate sound, with the movies we have watched so far being conveyed with entrancing clarity and precision.

Looks like we will be having more 'Movie Nights' at home then.


For more information, visit Pioneer Singapore's website.