Pioneer Elite VSX-60

    71
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    USA

    Highlights

    • 7.2 Channels
    • 7.1 Channel Processing
    • 90 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven)
    • Bluetooth, Ethernet
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    Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

    Overview

    Pioneer Elite VSX-60 was introduced in 2012. It is equipped with 7 channel amplifier with 90 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven) power per channel and is capable of 7.1 maximum channel processing. It passes 1080/60p and upscales up to 1080/24p (Marvell Qdeo) video signal.

    We evaluated the a/v receiver and gave 71 overall score out of 100. Our ranking system is based on the amplifier specifications, audio and video features, connectivity, multizone capabilities, radio and many other details.

    Table of Contents
    1. Overview
    2. Pros and Cons
    3. 2012 Lineup
    4. Successor
    5. Audio Section
    6. Video Section
    7. Multi-zone Playback
    8. Inputs and Outputs
    9. Evaluation
    10. Specifications  

    Pros and Cons

    In this section we present pros and cons of Pioneer Elite VSX-60.

    PROs

    •   Front Wide Channel Support
    •   DSD via HDMI
    •   Auto Speaker Calibration System with Mic.
    •   New HDCP Version
    •   Analog To HDMI Upconversion
    •   Bluetooth
    •   7 HDMI Inputs
    •   USB Input
    •   Composite Video Inputs
    •   Component Video Inputs
    •   Ethernet
    •   Analog Tuner
    •   Pandora

    CONs

    •   No Dolby Atmos
    •   No Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
    •   No DTS:X
    •   No IMAX Enhanced
    •   No Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
    •   No HDR10
    •   No HDR10+
    •   No Dolby Vision
    •   No eARC
    •   No 8K Passthrough
    •   Does not Work with Amazon Alexa
    •   1 HDMI Outputs
    •   0 8K Input
    •   No Phono Input
    •   No RCA Pre-Outs
    •   No Digital Radio
    •   No Spotify
    •   No Tidal

    And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

    AVERAGE

    •   7.2 Channels
    •   Power Output - 90 W
    •   7.1 Channel Processing
    •   Wi-Fi
    •   RCA Line Inputs
    •   2 Zones

    Pioneer 2012 Lineup

    In 2012 Pioneer released 13 new receivers. Here is the lineup:

    Pioneer 2012 Lineup
    ModelChannelsPowerMax. Ch. Proc.Pre OutsRoom Corr.Video Pass.Zones Price
    SC-68 Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		9.2140 W9.111.2 Advanced MCACC4K4
    SC-67 Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		9.2140 W9.111.2 Advanced MCACC4K4
    SC-65 Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		9.2130 W9.111.2 Advanced MCACC4K3
    SC-63 Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		7.2125 W7.19.2 Advanced MCACC1080p3
    SC-61 Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		7.2125 W7.19.2 Advanced MCACC1080p3
    VSX-60 Image cannot be found 7.290 W7.1 Advanced MCACC1080p2
    VSX-42 Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		7.180 W7.11080p2
    SC-1522-K Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		9.2130 W9.111.2 Advanced MCACC1080p3
    SC-1222-K Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		7.2120 W7.19.2 Advanced MCACC1080p3
    VSX-1122-K Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		7.290 W7.1 Advanced MCACC1080p3
    VSX-1022-K Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		7.180 W7.1 MCACC Auto1080p1
    VSX-822-K Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		5.180 W7.12.1 MCACC Auto1080p1
    VSX-522-K Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		5.180 W7.12.1 MCACC Auto1080p1

    You can view their side-by-side comparison here: Pioneer SC-68 vs SC-67 vs SC-65 vs SC-63 vs SC-61 vs VSX-60.

    Successor

    In 2013 Pioneer Elite VSX-60 was replaced by Pioneer VSX-70. Let us now have a look at some important differences between Pioneer Elite VSX-60 and its successor.

    UPGRADES Pioneer VSX-70 vs Pioneer Elite VSX-60
    DTS Neo Neo:X vs Neo:6
    Music Playback via USB MP3, WMA, AAC, Apple Lossless, 192kHz / 24-Bit WAV, FLAC, AIFF, DSD vs WAV, MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC,
    High Resolution Audio Formats via USB Apple Lossless, WAV, FLAC, AIFF, DSD vs WAV/FLAC
    Gapless Playback vs
    Video Signal Passthrough up to 4K/30p vs up to 1080p
    Video Signal Upscaling up to 4K/30p vs up to 1080/24p (Marvell Qdeo)
    MHL Input 1 (Front) vs
    More HDMI Inputs 8 (1 front) vs 7 (1 front)
    More HDMI Outputs 2 (1 for MAIN, 1 for MAIN/HDZONE) vs 1
    More RCA Pre-Outs 2.2 vs 0.2
    More Zones 3 vs 2
    Zone 2 Outs Composite Video, RCA Pre/Line Out vs RCA Pre/Line Out
    HDMI Speaker B Link vs
    Spotify vs
    DOWNGRADES Pioneer VSX-70 vs Pioneer Elite VSX-60
    DSD to PCM Converter vs
    Less Optical Inputs 1 vs 2
    Less Coaxial Inputs/Outputs 1 vs 2
    Less RCA Line Outputs vs 1
    Less Composite Video Outputs 1 vs 2
    Multi-Zone On-Screen Display vs
    SiriusXM vs

    For more detailed comparison between the models please visit Pioneer Elite VSX-60 vs VSX-70.

    Audio Section

    7 channel Direct Energy Amplifier

    Pioneer Elite VSX-60 features 7 channel power amplifier with Direct Energy design. It is rated at 90 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven).

      AMPLIFIER
      Channels7.2
      Power Output90 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven)
      Front Wide Channel Support
      Amplifier DesignDirect Energy
      THX™ Certification
      Continuous 6 Ω Rated
      Certified 4 Ω Performance
      Bi-amp CapabilityFront Channel

      Speaker Configurations

      Pioneer Elite VSX-60's 7 channel amplifier can be assigned for different speaker configurations.

      • Configurations: Available configurations are:
      • 5.2, 7.2 with internal amplifier.
      • Front Wide Channel support: Pioneer Elite VSX-60 supports front wide channels. With the presence of two front wide speakers you can enhance the front surround stage. The following speaker configurations are available for front wide channels - 7.2.
      • 2-ch Bi-Amp: Pioneer Elite VSX-60 allows you to bi-amp up to 2 main channels simultaneously. During bi-amplification two amplifiers are used for one speaker. One amplifier powers the midrange and tweeter section of the speaker and another amplifier powers the low frequency woofers. Each amplifier is less loaded and performs better. In order to use this feature speakers must have 2 pairs of connectors.
      Pioneer Elite VSX-60
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      DECODING
      Dolby Atmos
      Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
      Dolby Atmos Music
      Dolby TrueHD
      Dolby Digital Plus
      Dolby Surround Upmixer
      Dolby Pro Logic PLIIz
      Dolby Digital EX
      Surround EX
      DTS:X
      DTS Neural:X
      DTS Virtual:X
      DTS Neo Neo:6
      DTS-HD Master Audio
      DTS-HD High Resolution Audio
      DTS 96/24
      DTS Express
      DTS-ES Discrete 6.1, Matrix 6.1
      IMAX Enhanced
      Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer

      Sound Processing

      • Advanced Sound Retriever: Compressed music enhancement in Pioneer Elite VSX-60 is done by Pioneer’s Advanced Sound Retriever. Hear the detail, warmth and clarity, the way the artist intended it, from all of your highly compressed MP3 and WMA files stored on USB, Smartphone and portable media players. By restoring data that tend to get lost in the digital compression process, Pioneers Advanced Sound Retriever Technology enhances audio reproduction all the way upto 20 Khz frequencies.

      Room Calibration

      Pioneer Elite VSX-60 comes with Advanced MCACC room correction system and includes the calibration microphone.

      • MCACC: Pioneer’s exclusive Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration System (MCACC) delivers an easy-to-use, automatic sound adjustment system to precision-tune your Pioneer and Pioneer Elite receivers with minimal effort. Every MCACC system comes with a microphone to measure and analyze reverb characteristics. The equalizer optimally adjusts sound parameters to fit the size and shape of your home environment while maintaining the integrity of high-resolution playback without any degradation to the quality of your music.

      Video Section

      HDMI

      Pioneer Elite VSX-60 features 7 HDMI inputs. It has 1 output.

      • 1080/60p Passthrough: All inputs pass up to 1080p video signal.
      • 1080p Upscaling: Pioneer Elite VSX-60 can upscale up to 1080/24p (Marvell Qdeo) from HDMI and analog sources.
      • Analog To HDMI Upconversion: The a/v receiver supports video upconversion, so you can connect your analog Component and Composite video sources and Pioneer Elite VSX-60 will output them via HDMI. This means that you will need only one HDMI cable to connect to your TV.
      • HDCP 2.2 Copy Protection: All inputs and outputs are HDCP 2.2 compliant which is a requirement for 4K/HDR copy-protected content transmission.
      • 3D Ready: Pioneer Elite VSX-60 is able to pass 3D video through HDMI.
      Pioneer Elite VSX-60
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      VIDEO FEATURES
      HDR10
      HDR10+
      Dynamic HDR
      BT.2020 color space
      Dolby Vision
      HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma)
      HDBaseT Compatible
      Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC)
      HDCP Version2.2
      QMS (Quick Media Switching)
      ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode)
      VRR (Variable Refresh Rate)
      QFT (Quick Frame transport)
      3-D Ready
      Video Signal Passthroughup to 1080p
      Video Signal Upscaling up to 1080/24p (Marvell Qdeo)

      Multi-zone Playback

      Pioneer Elite VSX-60 offers multi-zone playback which allows you to play different input sources in 2 different rooms.


      Zone 2

      • Powered Zone 2: You can use the unit's 2 amplifier channels by connecting Zone 2 speakers directly to the speaker terminals. The remaining 5 channels will be left for main zone amplification.
      • Audio Pre/Line Output: If you have a dedicated amplifier for Zone 2 you can connect it to the a/v receiver via pre/line outs and use "pre out" option to control volume from the a/v receiver or use "line out" option - send fixed signal and then control volume on the Zone 2 amplifier.
      ZONES
      Number of Zones2
      Powered Zones 2
      Zone 2 OutsRCA Pre/Line Out
      RS-232C Interface
      +12V Trigger Output1 (Main, Zone2, HDZone)
      Remote (IR) Input/Output1 / 1
      >

      Inputs and Outputs

      Audio

      • Analog Line Inputs and Outputs: There are 4 line inputs and 1 line output for analog audio connection.
      • Digital Inputs: 2 optical inputs and 2 coaxial inputs are available for digital audio connection.
      • Headphone Output: There is a 6.3 mm (1/4") headphone output jack on the front panel.

      Video

      • HDMI:
      • Inputs: 7 (1 front)   Outputs: 1
        8K Inputs: 0
      • Composite Video: Connect you VCR, Laserdisc player and other old video equipment with composite video cables.
      • Inputs: 4   Outputs: 2
      • Component Video: Component video connection gives you the higher quality video compared to the composite video connection. So in case your old DVD player and other equipment do not have an HDMI output but have Component video output use this connection over the composite one. Pioneer Elite VSX-60 supports up to 1080p (1125p) resolution on Component video connectors.
      • Inputs: 2   Outputs: 1

      Front A/V Inputs

      • HDMI, USB, Composite Video
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      TERMINALS
      HDMI Inputs7 (1 front)
      HDMI Outputs1
      8K Inputs
      USB Input1 Front
      USB DC Out Port1 Rear for AS-WL300 (5 V, 0.6 A)
      Optical Inputs2
      Optical Outputs
      Coaxial Inputs2
      RCA Line Inputs4
      RCA Line Outputs1
      XLR Line Inputs
      Phono Input
      Multi-Channel Input
      RCA Pre-Outs0.2
      XLR Pre-outs
      Composite Video Inputs4 (1 front)
      Composite Video Outputs2
      S-Video Inputs
      S-Video Outputs
      Component Video Inputs2
      Component Video Outputs1

      Pioneer Elite VSX-60 Evaluation

      We evaluate Pioneer Elite VSX-60 and give score of 71 out of 100. We also give separate scores for 6 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new receiver is added to the database.


      OVERALL
      71

      Amplifier

      GOOD
      72

      We give Pioneer Elite VSX-60 a score of 72 for Amplifier features.

      •   7.2 Channels
      •   Power Output - 90 W

      Audio Features

      GOOD
      73

      We give Pioneer Elite VSX-60 a score of 73 for Audio Features features.

      •   7.2 Channels
      •   Front Wide Channel Support
      •   7.1 Channel Processing
      •   No Dolby Atmos
      •   No Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
      •   No DTS:X
      •   No IMAX Enhanced
      •   No Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
      •   DSD via HDMI

      Video Features

      POOR
      54

      We give Pioneer Elite VSX-60 a score of 54 for Video Features features.

      •   No HDR10
      •   No HDR10+
      •   No Dolby Vision
      •   No 8K Passthrough
      •   Analog To HDMI Upconversion

      Connectivity

      GOOD
      78

      We give Pioneer Elite VSX-60 a score of 78 for Connectivity features.

      •   No eARC
      •   New HDCP Version
      •   Wi-Fi
      •   Bluetooth
      •   Does not Work with Amazon Alexa
      •   7 HDMI Inputs
      •   1 HDMI Outputs
      •   0 8K Input
      •   USB Input
      •   RCA Line Inputs
      •   No Phono Input
      •   No RCA Pre-Outs
      •   Composite Video Inputs
      •   Component Video Inputs
      •   Ethernet

      Zones

      GOOD
      82

      We give Pioneer Elite VSX-60 a score of 82 for Zones features.

      •   2 Zones

      Radio

      EXCELLENT
      85

      We give Pioneer Elite VSX-60 a score of 85 for Radio features.

      •   Analog Tuner
      •   Pandora
      •   No Spotify
      •   No Tidal


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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