LX Series 9.1 AV Receiver with Direct Energy HD Amplifier, AIR Studio Sound Tuning and THX Certification (Black Hairline Finish)

Connect a Bluetooth adapter to this port to access the Bluetooth features of your product.

An Ethernet cable connects end systems to a network, for example, your amplifier to your home network.

A standard Ethernet cable looks like a telephone wire.

Depending on which model you choose, you could listen to Internet radio as well as enjoy your digital photos (JPEG images) and music stored on one or more network servers.

The benefit is an easy integration into your home network., for example

The IR In/Out feautre is useful for the custom installer business. By using IR repeaters, IR control of A/V components and the receiver is made possible when the equipment is hidden in a cabinet or located in a second room. Independent remote codes have also been developed for easy receiver control when utilising the second room function, e.g. independent power, source selection, volume and tuner control.

Plug and play your music easily.

Play back music data stored on your USB memory stick directly via the USB port on the front of the AV Receiver - and experience music with full and dynamic sound quality.

iControlAV is an application for iPhone or iPod touch that allows you to control your AV receiver or Blu-ray disc player. You need to connect your system and iPhone or iPod touch to a wireless router.

There are 4 screen modes:

• - Control mode provides control over the basic functions.
• - Precision mode is for sound enhancement; it also includes demo video clips to explain the benefits of these unique sound features.
• - Balance mode allows you to change the "sweet-spot" of your home theatre. just by tilting your iPhone or iPod touch.
• - Emphasis lets you independently adjust the volume of your centre speaker or subwoofer by tilting your iPhone or iPod touch.

As standard, you navigate through your iPod/iPhone with your receiver’s remote control. If however you want to browse through your media files directly on your iPod/iPhone, just press this button.

The current surround sound quality decoding standard, Dolby Digital means movie theatre sound performance for a home cinema. The listener will be wrapped in surround sound by 5.1-channel audio sound compression technology.

Depending on the speakers, the front left and right, centre, rear left and right speakers can span frequencies from 20 Hz - 20 kHz and there is a dedicated subwoofer channel for additional low frequency sound effects. Extra features mean not only stunning soundtracks but also additional language tracks on one disc.

THX Surround EX/Dolby Digital EX is a joint development of Dolby Laboratories and the THX division of Lucasfilm Ltd. This phenomenal technology was first heard in George Lucas' 'Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace'. Now applied to home cinema, EX technology creates an extra 'Surround Back' channel, which may have been added when the programme was mixed.

By decoding the surround back channel from the left and right surround channels of 5.1 soundtracks, this additional surround back channel allows more detailed imaging behind the listener and brings more depth and better sound localisation than ever before, to give you the feel of 6.1 channels.

THX Surround EX/Dolby Digital EX is compatible with Dolby Digital 5.1, so that regular Dolby Digital decorder can decode EX signals as a normal 5.1 signal.

Dolby Digital Plus is a digital audio compression scheme developed specifically for Blu-ray Disc.

It is a development of the earlier Dolby Digital system. Compared to Dolby Digital, it supports a greater range of bitrates at higher quality and up to thirteen full range audio channels compared with Dolby Digital's original five.

Dolby Pro Logic II is an improved version of Dolby Pro Logic technology with extended matrix decoding technology that can create 5.1 channel sound from two channel sources. Dolby Pro Logic II creates basic 5 channel sound by using the innovative "steering logic" circuit.

Therefore when listening to typical two-channel sources like CD, the listener can enjoy a richer spatial effect. When using software encoded with Dolby Surround, this decoding system affords the listener an improved surround experience with greater sound detail.

Dolby Pro Logic IIx expands upon the popular Dolby Pro Logic II technology.

With Dolby Pro Logic IIx, these receivers have the ability to process 2- or 5-channel sources into 5.1 or 6.1- or 7.1- channel output according to the model and speaker configuration.

Dolby Pro Logic IIx creates a seamless, natural wraparound sound field that does not require specifically encoded programme content.

You can also enjoy improved surround envelopment, enhanced spatial depth, improved directionality and a larger 'sweet spot'.

Movie and Music modes can be used to match the sound experience even more closely to the source.

Three additional Music parameters are also available: Dolby Center Width (focuses the vocal balance to the centre and front), Dolby Panorama (creates a seamless surround effect) and Dolby Dimension (creates a deeper or shallower surround field).

Dolby Pro Logic IIz is based on Pro Logic IIx. It adds a height component, creating front height channels above the front left and right speakers.

It identifies low-level information such as ambience and weather sounds and directs it to the front height speakers.

Dolby TrueHD is an advanced lossless multi-channel audio codec from Dolby Laboratories.

DTS-HD Master Audio is also a lossless audio codec created by Digital Theater System (DTS).

Both codecs are intended primarily for high-definition home-entertainment equipment, such as Blu-ray Disc.
Put simply, the result is that you can now enjoy high resolution images accompanied by lush studio-quality HD sound.

DTS 5.1-channel playback decoding technology has rapidly gained popularity thanks to its dynamic sound impact that flies at the listener from left, right and centre surround speakers.

DTS-ES (Extended Surround) includes two variants, DTS-ES Matrix and DTS-ES Discrete 6.1, depending on how the sound was originally mastered and stored.

DTS-ES Discrete provides 6.1 discrete channels, with a discretely recorded centre-surround channel. In home cinema systems with a 7.1 configuration, the two rear-centre speakers play in mono.

DTS-ES Matrix provides 5.1 discrete channels with a matrixed centre-surround audio channel. DTS-ES commonly works on a matrix system, whereby processors that are compatible with the ES codec look for and recognise "flags" built into the audio coding and "un-fold" the rear-centre sound from data that would otherwise be sent to rear surround speakers.

DTS NEO:6 modes apply conventional 2-channel signals to the high-precision digital matrix decorder and achieves 6.1-channel surround playback. High-precision input signal detection and matrix processing enable a full band reproduction for all 6.1 channels.

It also improves the separation between the different channels to almost the same level as that of a digital discrete system.

DTS NEO:6 Cinema Mode
decodes with an emphasis on separation performance to achieve the same atmosphere with 2-channel sources recorded in conventional surround formats as it does with 6.1-channel sources. The original 2-channel signal is distributed into 6 channels thanks to the sophisticated DTS matrix technology. Meanwhile, the effect of the surround signal output from the centre and surround channels adds a natural sense of expansion to the sound field.

DTS NEO:6 Music Mode
the front channel signals bypass the decorder and are played directly, so there is no loss of sound quality.

The the multi-platform DTS 96/24, was first compressed surround format technology to support 96 kHz and 24-bit sound resolution and multi-channel capabilities - the best multi-channel audio format for DVD-Video.

With its super low audio compression rate compatibility, both DTS 96/24 and traditional DTS-encoded audio discs will sound rich and sophisticated, with sound quality almost as high as on 96 kHz, 24-bit master tapes in the studio.

Backwards compatible with existing DTS decorders, the listener is also able to enjoy DTS 96/24 discs with receivers incorporating a standard DTS decorder.

DTS uses a system called DTS Express to deliver Secondary or Sub Audio to your player. The DTS Express audio is mixed with the Primary Audio, giving you an intensely great interactive surround experience.

DTS-HD Master Audio, is an extension to the original DTS audio format. It delivers up to 7.1 channels of sound at 24-bit depth resolution.

DTS-HD High Resolution Audio is selected as an optional surround sound format for Blu-ray Disc with constant bit rates up to respectively 6.0 Mbit/s and 3.0 Mbit/s. It is supposed to be an alternative for DTS-HD Master Audio where disc space may not allow it.

Dolby TrueHD is an advanced lossless multi-channel audio codec from Dolby Laboratories.

DTS-HD Master Audio is also a lossless audio codec created by Digital Theater System (DTS).

Both codecs are intended primarily for high-definition home-entertainment equipment, such as Blu-ray Disc.
Put simply, the result is that you can now enjoy high resolution images accompanied by lush studio-quality HD sound.

The first digital surround sound coding technology for the Web, developed by Microsoft. When connected to a multi-channel-equipped PC, you are able to enjoy high resolution stereo or 5.1-channel surround audio at 128 k - 768 Kbps compression rates. At any given bit rate, 5-channel WMA9 Pro will bring you higher fidelity than other sound compression algorithms thanks to the latest audio codec technology.

THX, the inspiration of George Lucas, was originally created for optimum performance in movie theatres.

THX Certified products guarantee superior performance and ensure accurate reproduction of the theatre experience in your home.

To be THX Certified requires adherence to rigorous guidelines for sound purity, power output and processing capabilities.

Simply put, Neural THX Surround enables stereo sources to be processed in up to 7.1 discreet channels.

Depending on your product, you have the option of a number of surround modes to automatically enhance your system's output.

The "+1" number refers to the headphone surround mode, which is activiated automatically when you plug your headphones into the system.

Our system surround modes include:


• Advanced Music: Dubplicates the acoustics of a large concert hall.
• Advanced Movie: Reproduces a mid-size movie theatre environment.
• Expanded Theater: Adds more depth to Dolby Surround sources, while allowing faithful reproduction of 5-channel speaker sound.
• Virtual surround back: Surround sound becomes even more impressive. You can now experience 6.1 surround sound with a 5.1 speaker set-up. Just switch to Virtual Sourround Back mode, and the left and right rear satellite speakers will create a phantom sound source behind you - it sounds as if there are actually speakers behind you.
• Virtual surround: (available on selected products) Creates a virtual surround effect using just the subwoofer and front speakers.
• Phones Surround: Phones Surround reproduces overall surround sound for headphone listening.
• Advanced game: Enhances video game sound.
• TV Surround: Produces surround sound from mono or stereo TV sources.
• Sports:( Gives the impression of being in the middle of a sports stadium.
• 5-Channel Stereo: (available on selected products) This gives powerful multi-speaker sound to a stereo source with equal power delivered to all the speakers. It is especially suited to music sources with deep bass and a strong rhythmic feel.
• 6-channel stereo: (available on selected products) 6 channel stereo sound reproduction.
• 7-channel stereo: (available on selected products) 7 channel stereo sound reproduction.
• Dialogue Enhancement: (available on selected products) Enhances centre channel reproduction during action sequences so that the dialogue stands out from other background sounds. This mode also positions dialogues and vocals, usually located in the centre channel, between the two front speakers even if the actual centre speaker is above or below the TV. This happens by applying EQ to the centre channel, taking out the middle frequencies with a band pass filter, and distributing them to the speakers on either side. When the front speakers are at the same level as the TV, the enhanced dialogue will appear to be coming from the TV.
• Auto surround: (available on selected products) The Auto surround mode is the simplest way to listen to any source as it was mastered: the output from the speakers mirrors the channels in the source material.

Auto Level Control compensates for volume fluctuations between songs or sources, ensuring that what you hear is played back at a constant volume.

This feature localises the dialogue in the centre channel to make it stand out from other background sounds in a TV or movie soundtrack.

Noise reduction technology keeps sound pristine as it comes from each source.

Digital filtering analyses signal output from each separate frequency band, then attenuates noise in each band to an optimal level. In this way, only signal band noise that detracts from overall sound is suppressed, without degrading any dynamic characteristics of the original sound.

By simply placing your speakers directly beside your TV screen and activating the unique Front Stage Surround Advance feature, you can experience a virtual surround sound environment.

The benefit here is that you don’t have to worry about routing
speaker cables around your room; your speakers can be placed up front.

The Loudness mode boosts the bass and treble in a signal. It is useful for listening to music at low volumes.

If others are sleeping or studying, trying to enjoy a programme quietly shouldn't compromise such sound qualities as surround effects or dialogue clarity.

Midnight Listening Mode is the solution. It adjusts subwoofer, rear and centre speaker levels, while enhancing delay and compressing dynamic range, for greater enjoyment of cinema-like sound at low volume.

The Multi-zone function allows AV equipment to actually control either the same, or a separate source than the one being listened to in the main room, to another location.

For example, you can be watching a DVD movie with surround sound in the main room, while someone else can listen to a CD player in another, at the same time.

The Phase Control feature corrects the phase distortion as well as group delay for LFE (Low-Frequency Effects) audio signals during multi-channel playback.

MCACC stands for Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration System.

It's an automatic sound field adjustment system that enables you to precision-tune your system to your living room, just like a sound professional, but with minimum effort.

A microphone monitors the sound environment and an equaliser (either 5 or 9-band, depending on which model of amplifier you have) optimally adjusts the sound parameters.

The result sounds like a professional recording engineer has fine-tuned your amplifier or home cinema system.

MCACC was created as a joint effort between ourselves and professional sound engineers at AIR Studios; it's unique to Pioneer, so you won't find it on any other products.

See how MCACC works

A precision quartz controller eliminates distortion caused by timing errors (jitter), giving you the best possible digital-to-analogue conversion from audio CD sources when you use the HDMI interface. This is valid as an HDMI function for PQLS-compatible players.

See how PQLS works

Some monitors have a slight delay when showing video, so the soundtrack will be slightly out of sync with the picture. By adding a bit of delay, you can adjust the sound to match the presentation of the video.

The Advanced Sound Retriever function enhances compressed music formats, such as MP3, WMA or AAC and restores the music dynamics and harmonics to CD-sound quality.

The benefit is that you can enjoy your digital music without loss of audio quality; the system automatically enhances and restores rich sound.

When audio is streamed using Bluetooth, sound quality is lost during transmission. Our Sound Retriever AIR brings back the original audio quality.

"Standing Waves" are an unwanted phenomenon that occur in most rooms.

These acoustic waves create peaks in the low frequencies, resulting in a booming sound. Our Standing Wave Control neutralises this effect, by causing a flatter frequency response, while respecting the phase differences between each channel.

Since more filters are utilised in the lower bandwidths, up to 3 standing waves can be more precisely identified and reduced.

The result is a far better reproduction of lower frequencies.

Standing Wave Control is a feature of our MCACC system.

Use the Stream Direct mode when you want to hear the truest possible reproduction of a source. All unnecessary signal processing is bypassed, and you’re left with a pure analogue or digital sound source.

The Symmetric EQ (Equaliser) is a left and right symmetrical acoustic equaliser which delivers enhanced stereo accuracy.

The default Symmetry setting implements symmetric correction for each pair of speakers to flatten the frequency-amplitude characteristics.

The Virtual Surround Back feature enables you to experience 6.1 or 7.1 surround sound with a 5.1 speaker set-up.

Once activated, the left and right rear satellite speakers will create a phantom sound source behind you. It will sound as if there are actual speakers behind you.

The X-Curve setting adjusts the tonal balance of your speaker system for film soundtracks.

Most soundtracks mixed for cinema sound too shrill or harsh when played back in your living room. The X-Curve setting acts as a re-equalization for home theatre listening, restoring proper tonal balance of movie soundtracks.

Deep Colour ensures that all colour transitions and gradients are reproduced with the highest level of precision.

It enables increased contrast ratio, eliminates on-screen colour banding (for smooth tonal transitions and subtle gradations between colours) and can represent many times more shades of gray between black and white.

So what you see is as natural and lifelike as possible.

x.v.Colour (also known as xvYCC or Extended-gamut YCC) is a colour space that supports 1.8 times as many colours as the legacy colour space.

The result is that – on a compatible screen - you see greens, reds and blues far deeper than previously possible.

Put simply, HD Digital Film Direct means “Master Quality”: what you see and hear on your flat-screen is exactly as the film-makers intended. Absolutely true to the original.

We’ve applied this standard as a label (see the logo on the right) to those of our products that accurately handle 24fps (frames per second) movie content; this will help you make the right product choice for the true HD movie experience.

Films are typically shot, developed and encoded for cinema reproduction at 24fps.

Regular PAL broadcasting and DVD have always played these images back at 25 fps (50Hz).

This has the effect of speeding up images and raising the pitch of sounds and voices.

But, the new high definition discs, like Blu-ray Disc, offer you access to a digitised ”true to the original” copy of the theatrical movie content.

We offer a product range that is perfectly matched for bringing the real cinema experience into your home: amplifiers, Blu-ray Disc players, home cinema systems and flat-screen TVs with our trademark screening of 24fps source input at 72Hz (3 images displayed per original frame).

AIR Studios Tuning is a benchmark of high fidelity sound. What it means is that engineers from AIR Studios have put the system through rigorous tuning, determined to deliver audio output that is as pure and precise to the original as possible.

AIR Studios was founded by Sir George Martin, legendary Beatles producer and Academy Award-nominated composer. Sir Martin is also one of music's most versatile and imaginative talents.

Established in 1969, London’s AIR Studios is now a state-of-the-art recording complex with matchless facilities for film scoring, rock, pop, classical and orchestral work, postproduction and live events.

Many of the world's most popular and renowned musical talents have worked in this unique and inspirational recording environment.

Pioneer Hybrid Amplification (PHA) is a unique structure to reduce the distortion caused by the dynamic change of heat in the system.

Temperature is a key factor since heat directly affects the amount of bias required by an output transistor to reproduce sound.

Our thermal compensation transistor provides transistor temperature feedback to the bias circuit, ensuring that the correct amount of bias is applied to the transistors, regardless of temperature.

Moreover, to enhance dissipation of heat, the output transistors Thermal Compensation Circuit are all mounted to the same portion of the heat sink.

The advantage is thorough reduction of the distortion by controlling bias current quickly in accordance with the change of the power transistor temperature. Secondly, there is an ultra short signal path by integrating major parts of the power amplification stage.

Bi-amping is when you connect the high and low frequency drivers of your speakers to different amplifiers (in this case, to both front and back surround terminals) for better crossover performance.

Your speakers must be bi-ampable to do this and the sound improvement will depend on the kind of speakers you're using.