I recently decided to upgrade my 2003 model HKardon AVR-525 (retail $1200). After alot of online shopping and advise from this board i decided on the Pioneer VSX-1016TXV-K. Purchased the unit new from Vanns.com for $409 shipped.

Although, i've only put about 40-50 hours on it, i have mixed results/feelings on this receiver and wanted to post them in case some others are considering this model.

First off, it's heavy. One of the main reasons i chose this model is based on weight. It tips the scales at 33 lbs and on the back strain scale it seems accurate.

Since my HK had an older auto-calibration system that never delievered the goods, i was excited to use the MCACC on the Pioneer. Simply place the supplied mic in your favorite listening spot, press a few buttons and leave the room. The sound levels are loud. However, for some reason, the system does force you to acknowledge a menu, so you must return to the room, press a button and then exit.

My HT is in an open basement with 2 walls of poured concrete and two phantom walls made of black sheets with a large rug on the floor. Dimensions are 14x24 with a 9' ceiling.The MCACC did a good job on sound pressure level, but set all my speakers to LARGE. Not true to my liking, i changed this because i use a 7.1 setup with 4 rear bookshelf speakers (Infinity Primus 150). I do have the FL and FR full range speakers (Revel Performa F30s) and a good size center (Revel Performa M20). I usually set the fronts to LARGE and center to SMALL. For the most part though, i liked the calibration with only minor tweaks.

The remote does not have a backlight, but is laid out well and easy to use in the dark. The remote worked great even at 20 feet away and blew away the HK remote in feel and range. There is also a small window that states which mode your in.
I did miss the direct buttons for each surround group like DTS, DD, THX. On the Pioneer, you must scroll through a menu that includes DD and DTS, while there is a separate button for THX and their own surrond modes.

Audio performance is tough to explain. On movies, the sound is loud and the amp supplies plenty of juice. It's rated at 110 watts, but didn't seem to have more power than the 65 watt HK receiver (44 lbs). Both did a great job on movies using either coxial or optiocal cables from a Pioneer DV-563 DVD player.

On audio performance....this was honestly a let down for me. The moment everything was up and running I noticed a slight 'harsh' cold type sound. I attributed this to it being a new receiver and i was accustomed to the HK sound. Pioneer changed the amp setup in this receiver and i stole this from their site, "ultra-efficient Advanced Direct Energy Amplifier design results in extremely low energy loss, so you can play it loud and still enjoy superior sound quality. "
While the AVR will play loud, it doesn't sound as warm or detailed as the HK did. Granted, the Revels are very revealing speakers, but the whole surround setup sounds harsh. I played DVDs, XM radio through Directv and a handful of CDs. All sound inferior to the HK.
I can only hope the amp will 'break in' and develop a sound i can enjoy. The return policy is not favorible now. So, the sound will either improve or i'll purchase a separate amp.

I didn't discuss HDMI, etc. All video connections worked great and overall it's a great receiver, but if you have revealing speakers..you may want to demo this first or find someplace with a great return policy (brick and mortar).

I know most will argue that most receivers sound so simliar you cannot hear a difference, but i'm here to tell you the sound from these two AVRs is not even close.