Low frequencies sound taut, potent and powerful – despite not being particularly full-bodied. During the opening, bloody chapter of Ninja Assassin, effects fly between channels with laser-guided precision and the listener is left in no doubt as to where bullets start and finish. We’ve come to expect a direct, punchy, precise sound from Pioneer’s home cinema amps and the VSX-9210 sounds very familiar. Thankfully, Pioneer’s own iControlAV2 app for iPhone and iPad not only looks sophisticated, it also makes good use of your iPod/iPad’s touchscreen and allows you to alter all manner of settings with a prod or swipe of your finger. Operating the various features can be a slight struggle on the supplied remote control, as those with generously sized fingers try to come to terms with the array of minuscule buttons. You can alter individual aspects of the picture such as sharpness, brightness and contrast or go with the supplied presets for different display devices such as a projector or plasma television. Video upconversion and upscaling are included and work well. And it gives you time to make a quick cuppa… It’s a long, drawn-out process compared with some rivals, but the results are among the most accurate. Speaker set-up is done with the aid of Pioneer’s own MCACC (Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration System). (Like the Denon AVR-1912, you can also stream from subscriber-based services such as Spotify Premium.)Īs with the Denon, you sacrifice a little bit of detail and refinement to go the wireless route, but you’ve still got the option of hard-wiring your device to the dedicated USB input on the amp’s fascia. To help soften that potential blow, Pioneer has chosen to include AirPlay in its arsenal, so you can take advantage of wireless streaming from a wide range of compatible Apple devices, including the iPad. In fact, the only real hit is on the HDMI input count, the Pioneer has to make do with four, where some competitors are luxuriating with six. ![]() But, we’re pleased to report, the gaps aren’t as cavernous as you might think. ![]() This amp is cheaper than many of its rivals, so you might expect the Pioneer to have a hole or two in its specification sheet.
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