Pioneer VSX-AX10Ai

From it's very first incarnation the AX10 has been something special. It has to be as it's our flagship REFERENCE MONITOR multi-channel amplifier.

AX10 2001-2002

The outcome of 18 months design and development was the AX10, launched in September 2001. It shook up the home cinema market and put Pioneer firmly at the top of the heap. It featured seven identical 170 Watt MOSFET power amplifiers (a new device that had been developed with Sanken, which decreased the self-noise and distortion by clever self-biasing) and an automatic set-up procedure called Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration (MCACC). This enables the user to correctly calibrate the system, simply by plugging in the supplied microphone and following the on-screen instructions. It not only sets levels and delays but adjusts the frequency response to even out irregularities with a 9-band equaliser. Effects were available but you had to look for them. It also did video switching and format conversion. Ground breaking features setting new benchmarks for high-end integrated home theatre amplifiers. Sonically the clean open treble combined with a detailed mid-range and superbly controlled bass to deliver a wide, deep sound stage. Job done!

AX10i 2002-2003

In late 2002 the AX10 gained i.Link (also known as IEEE1394 or FireWire) with an industry standard A & M (Audio & Music) protocol, specifically developed for multi-channel and advanced resolution audio (DVD-Audio / SACD). This enabled direct data connection between the amplifier and DVD/CD players that also had an i.LINK connection. Advantages are in the reduction in D-A (Digital – Analog) conversion and multiple analog connectors required for individual channels. Secondly, the player is digitally synchronised to the master clock of the amplifier using Pioneers Precision Quartz Lock System (PQLS). This massively reduces the player's jitter (a source of noise) with a consequent improvement in audio quality. During listening tests we were struck by the improved stability of the sound stage and increase in detail, most noticeably on reverb tails. It maintained Pioneer's position at the top of the AV amplifier market.

AX10Ai 2003...

Launched winter 2003, the AX10Ai was hailed as the best integrated home theatre system available. The new Advanced MCACC not only corrects level and delay but analyses and allows for the reverberation characteristics of the listening room. These results can be downloaded and viewed on a PC, geeky but useful for spotting dominant room modes. Pioneer fine-tuned the self-biasing; resulting in an amazingly clean treble that makes it's predecessors sound gritty! The addition of a cast iron sub-chassis by japanese specialist TAOC tightens up the bass. It boasts a USB input and the first Windows Media Audio 9 Pro (WMA9Pro) support on the market. An improved i.LINK interface recognises whether the data stream is stereo or multi-channel and processes the signal correctly. The icing on the cake is 6 frames of delay for lip-synch adjustment when using projectors or plasmas with excessive processing delay.

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