Pioneer VSX-923

usability, design, price

100% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

Crisp, entertaining sound ; Wide range of connectivity ; Eight HDMI inputs

Sound lacks aggression compared with rivals ; Confusing remote ; No built-in Bluetooth or Wi-Fi

Nine pairs of plastic speaker binding posts allow you to hook up front, centre, surround, surround back and front height/width speakers, although with seven channels you can’t have surround back and front height at the same time.

Clear and precise sound ; Good dynamics and surround effects ; Confident and solid presentation ; Good with stereo music and streaming ; Excellent control app

Could do with more detail and punch ; Unintuitive menu and remote functions

In the end, it all boils down to a matter of detail – the Pioneer VSX-923 can’t quite match the subtlety offered by the rival Sony STR-DN1040, but it’s nevertheless a confident and compelling amp thanks to its precision and clarity – and, of course,...

Energetic, precise multichannel audio; Sound Retriever feature works well; packed with features; sturdy build and neat design

No built-in Wi-Fi or Bluetooth; complex operation; lacks Spotify; post-processing modes are hit and miss

Excellent sound quality, Good connections, Impressive video processing, Attractive design, Robust build quality, Flexible setup and configuration, Impressive remote app

Menus look dated, Internet functionality is limited, Remote control is unintuitive

The look of the VSX-923 might be old-school AVR but who's complaining when the design is this attractive. The matt black finish and brushed metal styling certainly don't suggest a budget receiver and the build quality is excellent at this price point....