Elite

For those who can only be satisfied by the perfection of high-definition sound, our Elite® line of receivers deliver nothing less.The new SC line of Elite® receivers, featuring Pioneer’s exclusive Direct Energy HD amplifier with ICEpower® Class-D technology, represents a whole new level of multi-channel power designed specifically for the latest generation of high-definition audio formats. To develop this state-of-the-art amplification technology, Pioneer leveraged its very own grounding and signal pattern layout abilities. By modifying numerous physical characteristics along with analog component choices and designations, the evolution of this particular amplifier is more advanced than any other ICEpower application before it.

With Direct Energy HD having made its debut in the Pioneer Elite SC-09TX flagship receiver and now featured in the new SC-27 and SC-25, all these receivers also produce a whopping 140 watts per channel with virtually no distortion.

And with this incredible amplifier technology, these receivers are able to maintain reference level signal-to-noise ratios, wide range frequency response, unprecedented efficiency and unparalleled clarity with high-definition multi-channel sound reproduction and multi-channel stability.

Raising the bar even higher, these receivers are also designed to bring enhanced clarity, detail and dynamic “quick response” from uncompressed Dolby® True-HD and DTS-HD® Master Audio soundtracks used in Blu-ray Disc® entertainment. These two high-definition formats are the leading edge of the home theater multi channel audio revolution, offering you an entirely surreal surround sound experience. But it doesn’t stop there.

Many of our receivers are also fluent in Dolby Digital EX, DTS Extended Surround, and DTS 96/24 decoding. So no matter how your source material is encoded, it’s sure to sound as pristine as the day it was produced. The overall result is a premium home entertainment experience on par with only the best of movie theater experiences. And that’s to say nothing of our THX certifications.

A division of Lucasfilm Ltd, THX is dedicated to ensuring maximum accuracy in the reproduction of a film’s soundtrack. That’s why our Elite® receivers boast innovative components and technologies that measure up to the rigorous standards for THX certification, promising a completely immersive theater-like experience in the comfort of your own home. Delivering this experience is so important to Pioneer that we have produced more THX certified receivers than any other receiver brand.

Pioneer's line of Elite SC receivers was the first with Class D amplification to be awarded THX certification.  Read more here.

Today, the premium home theater components with the highest level of surround sound precision are THX Ultra2 Plus certified. Naturally, the Elite SC-09TX and SC-27 are the first with class-D amplification to be certified at this esteemed level.

Our Elite models also deliver remarkable sound quality due to our direct collaboration with AIR Studios, which has allowed us to better understand the artistic vision of the recording studio professional. The AIR Studio engineers are involved in the tuning of our Elite line of receivers so every musical score you’ll ever hear is reproduced as near to the original as possible. With the understanding that the A/V receiver is the heart of any home theater experience, the longstanding relationships we continue to nurture with industry professionals only reaffirms our passion to bring studio-quality sound with power and precision to the home entertainment experience.

To the delight of entertainment purists, the latest line of Elite receivers also utilizes Burr-Brown® analog to digital converters (ADC) and renowned Wolfson® digital to analog converters (DAC) that work to maintain high resolution performance throughout the entire digital signal processing chain from input to output.

The Elite SC-27 receiver takes DAC performance further with a professional-grade Burr-Brown 192kHz / 24-bit sampling rate converter (SRC) for ultra-wide dynamic range and advanced jitter reduction. Once integrated into the new generation entertainment subsystems, these superior A/V receivers provide advanced processing for a new era in high-resolution audio playback.

Additional technological advances include the Advanced Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration system (MCACC), Pioneer’s revolutionary answer to the dreams of stay-at-home movie and music fans. Created in collaboration with AIR Studios, Advanced MCACC provides a studio-quality, multi-channel listening environment by making delicate adjustments to neutralize the sound field of a person’s listening space.

With the aid of a microphone, MCACC measures every speaker’s connection, notes its size, distance from the listening point, sound levels and timbre differences. Add the benefit of Full Band Phase Control technology, which effectively eliminates “phase lag” caused by the crossover networks inherent to subwoofers and loudspeakers, and the finely tuned audio arrives at its listening position in complete synchronization for incredible sonic performance. In short, MCACC enables the receiver to effortlessly produce the optimal output for your entertainment environment and ultimately for you.

Every Pioneer® and Elite® A/V receiver also comes with Advanced Sound Retriever DSP technology, which significantly improves the sound quality of compressed audio such as WMA, MP3 and AAC, realizing an upper limit frequency of 20 kHz. This technology also enhances the audio quality of XM® and SIRIUS® Satellite Radio.

And lastly, with the Auto Level Control feature, volume level differences between tracks played from an iPhone or iPod device or during television programming are automatically equalized, making the overall playback volume consistent so volume adjustments are unnecessary.

In short, with abilities that easily meet the most stringent of certification standards and requirements outside of our walls, you can only imagine what we demand of our receivers inside our own.

A single picture may indeed speak a thousand words, but 24 of them per second in 1080p can certainly convey volumes more. With an ability to access and switch high-definition 1080p/24fps video signals between Pioneer Blu-ray Disc® Players and KURO™ displays, you get even closer to the most precise and uncompromised all-digital signal transmission ever.

With up to a 2 million pixel resolution and the convenience of HDMI® inputs and up to two outputs, realizing visual perfection is easier than ever before. And all our Elite receivers are engineered with our Digital Video Converter, so you can enjoy your entertainment from a variety of sources, including analog video signals from composite, S-Video or even component video to digital for output through any number of HDMI connections. This is made possible because our receivers are equipped with industry-leading video processors from Marvell® and Anchor Bay® that allow for lower resolution analog video signals to be converted up to 1080p digital resolutions to best match the HDTV’s performance.

So, regardless of the quality or signal source, our receivers can accept and maximize any video signal for easy connectivity and performance. Add Pioneer’s exclusive PureCinema processing, which automatically detects a film-based source and converts it to a progressive format for the smoothest presentation, the result is always nothing less than the finest details for a truly pristine picture.

HDMI 1.3a also offers the benefits of Deep Color, which takes 30-bit and 36-bit color up from 24-bit in order to deliver an absolutely stellar picture with a range of hues and shades previously impossible to attain.Add advanced features like x.v.Color, which greatly broadens the color space input to include 1.8 times as many natural colors as the standard RGB signals and you’re guaranteed nothing but the best picture.

When it comes to getting you closer to the finest home theater experience available today, the correct set-up is paramount and optimal connectivity more important still. That’s why our Elite® VSX and SC lines offer 4 – 5 HDMI inputs respectively.

That means you can enjoy your favorite Blu-ray Disc® movie in full 1080p/24fps resolution through any of several HDMI inputs on the back or simply enjoy a family video through an additional HDMI input conveniently located on the front.

Our latest line of Elite receivers is also among the first to be Works with iPhone ®Certified. Ready to deliver your iTunes® library, photos, videos and YouTube® clips effortlessly from your iPhone to your home theater, things couldn’t be easier.

With the included cable, connecting your iPhone to the front USB input is a breeze and the device even starts charging. And when you receive an incoming call, your music or movie is muted so you are not required to put the phone in Airplane Mode. All this control is also still possible from the palm of your hand through the iPhone itself or the receiver’s remote.

Navigating your own playlists is further enhanced with our new graphic user interface (GUI) with on-screen album art. And the Elite SC receiver line expands your entertainment options even further with Internet radio stations, as well as audio and photo streaming from your PC. Through an existing home network, you can now also stream subscription music services from Rhapsody and SIRIUS into your home theater. Add the ability to enjoy both SIRIUS® and XM® Satellite* Radio’s crystal clear digital programming via dedicated connectivity to an XM Connect & Play antenna or SiriusConnect®™ SC-H1 tuner, and your options only continue to grow.

The creativity you will experience with our components certainly is not exclusive to the unparalleled entertainment they deliver. With the endless integration options such as multi-zone capabilities, Elite® receivers are designed so that you can enjoy audio and audio/video sources in one room while not disrupting another room’s choice in entertainment. With multi-source options you can play two, even three different sources independently in different zones simultaneously and never miss a thing.

This is made possible by the simple fact that your overall volume level and the power of your amplifier can all function independently of your main room system’s settings, allowing you total control from anywhere in the home. The Elite SC-25 and SC-27 receivers are also fully custom integration ready with several new features including 3 Zone A/V, dual parallel HDMI® outputs, 3-zone on-screen display, multi-zone access to new media such as network sources, iPhone® content, satellite radio and all other analog inputs for up to the 3 zones.

And with discrete front panel and remote on/off, input select and volume control for main, 2nd and 3rd zones, ‘whole-home entertainment’ is now a complete reality. But should you opt for the benefits of custom installation, further set-up options for even more in-depth optimization of your home entertainment system are also available.

With complete RS232 and IR codes that further program our receivers and remotes, on-line support and working partnerships with key third party integration companies like Crestron AMX, Control 4 and Universal Remote, every option and nuance has been addressed to help an installer create the finest custom experience possible.

For even more information, visit our custom installation resource site.