VSX-94TXH Advanced Setup and Menu

We've gone over the MCACC system in detail previously. The system does a very accurate job of setting levels and distances and we left the crossover at the THX-recommended 80Hz. When we say the MCACC does an accurate job, we mean that none of the auto-setup values were more than 3 inches from our own, save the subwoofer which again was placed farther back than it actually was. Channel levels differed by 0.5dB on two different channels, but given the 1dB Master volume limitation, we may have erred in one direction or another during our manual setup.

Before we take you through the menu system we'd like to note that the on-screen display is about as convoluted and messy as the Technicolor remote control. It's truly one of the worst I've ever seen, and not just because it's monochromatic. At first I thought Pioneer had avoided a logical progression entirely with the Setup Menu, however it appears that they prioritized their Automatic MCACC system - placing any manual settings last. Edit - No, I take it back, the menu is seemingly completely random after the first item.

My instinct is to manually set up my speakers and then immediately configure the AV receiver's inputs. Regardless of which method is more practical, giving items with obscure names like FULL BAND PHASE CTRL (the only menu item in ALL CAPS for no apparent reason) and Data Management and putting them in the top level of the menu system is a bit confusing. I'll attempt to work my way through the Pioneer menu system, but in all fairness, I found myself reaching for the User Manual more times than with any other AV receiver I've reviewed to-date, and not for the right reasons.

Auto MCACC
Activating this menu will stop any audio going to the Main Zone. The Auto MCACC menu allows you to set the Surr Back system (amplifiers) to either Normal, Speaker B, Front Bi-Amp, or Zone 2. Keep in mind that this menu will show up automagically when you plug in the MCACC Setup microphone. If you just want the system to do its thing, set your Surround Back system to reflect how you'll be using it, and activate the MCACC system by clicking Enter on the Start button. If you're a tweaker, use the remote to change the Start button to Custom and select which of the tests you'd like the system to perform. The MCACC system will adjust your Speaker size and crossover point, Channel level and Speaker Distance settings, EQ Pro and S-Wave (standing wave), and even FULL BAND PHASE CTRL (again capitalized for no apparent reason).

Seriously, the MCACC system has come a long way and, if you are a tweak-head, will provide many, many hours of tinker-rich enjoyment. According to Pioneer, the Full Band Phase Control system is used to essentially flatten the frequency response of the speakers while minimizing group delay between the middle and low frequency ranges. Basically it adjusts bandwidth limited phase to get the lower frequencies to phase-align with the tweeters. This is something everyone is going to have to hear for themselves. In our opinion, the better your room and speakers, the less this will affect you.

Surr Back System
This menu is a duplicate of that which is activated through the use of the Auto MCACC system. It allows you to configure the Surround Back amplifiers as specified above.

Manual MCACC
The Manual MCACC menu allows you a way to perform fine adjustments to your MCACC settings. Before running any of these, be sure to select an MCACC preset from the remote control first. There are 5 submenus to this section, including:

• Fine Channel Level
  This is really no different than the manual speaker level setup in that it allows you to use the internal test tones to measure (preferably with an SPL meter) each channel and set the levels in 0.5dB increments.
  
• Fine SP Distance
  This is a fairly useless mode that assumes you can use your ears to determine speaker distance accurately. We'd recommend avoiding this and simply using a tape measure and the manual settings if you are opposed to having the automatic MCACC perform the calculations.
  
• Standing Wave
  I really liked this system in that you can select three different bands from 63Hz to 260Hz and adjust both Q (the "width" of frequencies adjusted) and attenuation. Basically, Pioneer has given users a three-band parametric EQ for getting rid of bass modes which may be in the room. If bass modes aren't an issue, you can also adjust three bands for your Center channel or the Main system (all speakers except Center and Subwoofer.)
  
• EQ Adjust
  This is a manual EQ adjustment system whereby you can tweak your EQ by ear while listening to a pink noise test tone output from the VSX-94TXH. In general I don't recommend manual EQ adjustments, however if there is an obvious tonal difference between your Center channel and the Main speakers, this might be a good place to visit.
  
• EQ Professional
  This is simply a propeller-head's dream come true. With an RS-232C-compatible PC, you can actually get a graphical representation of what's going on in your room simply by downloading free software from Pioneer and connecting your PC to the AV receiver. I can't get into the entire workings of this system, but it is by far the most extensive EQ adjustment system I've seen included in an AV receiver that doesn't require any additional purchases (the Audyssey Pro kit is equally impressive but requires the purchase of a $325 accessory kit.) With that said, this isn't going to be for everyone, but it does give you some decent tools for dealing with room reverberation and bass mode issues.

FULL BAND PHASE CTRL (no, we're not shouting)
Broken out from the MCACC system, the Full Band Phase Control system works to compensate for certain speakers to adjust group delay between the lower and mid frequencies and align them to the tweeter. There is no reason to run this if you have already completed the Auto MCACC system. This menu allows you to run the measurement and view the resulting Group Delay and target adjustments.

Data Management
This would be better named "Memory Settings" since it allows to you to view, copy, and clear the various memory settings possible with the VSX-94TXH. If you downloaded the software and have an RS-232C connection to a PC, you can also copy the Memory settings to your PC for storage.

Manual SP Setup
I'm used to hitting this first, but on the Pioneer menu system it is #6 on the on-screen display list. As you would expect, this menu allows you to configure everything necessary to make sure your speakers are properly set up in the theater room. Beyond just Speaker Size, Level and Distance, you can also adjust the X-Curve and the THX audio setting for your Surround Back speakers (to take advantage of ASA, or Advanced Speaker Array) THX DSP. If you're into THX, then their ASA DSP will allow you to get the most out of THX Games, Music and Movie modes by customizing how the Surround Back speakers integrate into the soundfield of your listening room.

Input Setup
This incredibly important menu item (ranked 7th on the list of 8) is what will ensure that you route the correct audio and video to the proper inputs so that when you select "DVD" on the remote control, you don't hear the iPod or CableTV box. The way this works is that you select the input at the top - think of this as the device corresponding to the button on the remote control. Once you select the input to configure, you can then set the Digital input (coaxial or optical), HDMI input, component video input, and S-video input. You can also rename the input on the front panel of the receiver and enable either or both of the two 12V DC triggers. The PDP In (SR+) feature allows you to connect a Pioneer plasma TV with a special SR+ cable and control which input the plasma tunes to when the receiver is on a particular source. This is extremely convenient for those who are using both component and/or multiple HDMI inputs and allows for individual input video calibration on the plasma display.

This final menu grants access to the multichannel input's subwoofer gain control (0dB or +10dB) as well as the assigned video input for that source (if any.) There are no individual level trims for the multi-channel inputs aside from the subwoofer and no bass management is provided on these inputs. The Zone Audio Setup controls whether the Zone two preamp outputs will receive audio or if the ability to monitor a different source than what is being sent to the Record outputs is maintained. The VSX-94TXH cannot support the ability to "blind record" while listening to another source as well as Zone 2. If you opt for Zone 2 functionality, you can also select Variable or Fixed ("Fixed" is only available of you opt to not utilize the internal amplifiers for Zone 2). SR+ Setup enables a volume control option on Pioneer plasma displays when a display-centric input is selected. If you are using SR+ with this receiver then the Monitor Out connect should then be set to the input which is connected to the receiver's Monitor output. In this way, the system knows which input to select for on-screen display functions. HDMI Control is the Pioneer CEC system that enables control of display functions via the control capabilities built into HDMI. You cannot use both the SR+ system and the HDMI Control system and compatibility is not guaranteed with non-Pioneer components.