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As handsome does
Pioneer proves that looks aren't everything
By Stephen Ballantyne
February 2002
Pioneer XV-HTD1 home theatre system. $1899
If you’re old enough, you may remember your Mum and Dad’s old radiogram and the fascinating automatic changer mechanism it had that dropped a stack of LPs one at a time onto the turntable so you could listen to hours of uninterrupted music.
The concept had to come to that modern descendant of the radiogram, the all-in-one home theatre system, so here’s the Pioneer XV-HTD1, a reasonably-priced unit that incorporates a five disc changer.
Five DVDs in a row might be a bit much for even the most enthusiastic movie fan, but five audio CDs is quite a practical proposition; it’s an excellent idea, and Pioneer deserves to be congratulated for bringing it to market.
Except... when the statues that adorn a Medici tomb in Italy were moved from their niches for safety’s sake during World War II, it was discovered that the sculptor, Michelangelo, had elaborately carved even the parts that he knew would never be seen, such was his drive for perfection.
Pioneer obviously doesn’t employ Michelangelo in their factory – examine the back of the speakers that come with the HTD1 system and you’ll find roughly finished particle board, painted but not sanded. The concept is excellent, but there are some aspects of the way it has been executed that suggest very tight costing.
Fortunately, this manufacturing rigour appears to have been kept away from the parts that really matter. When you’re examining the speakers you may also notice that the particle board used is nice and thick, and that, by the standards of all-in-one home theatre systems, the speakers are a decent size: front left and right speakers are 270mm by 150mm by 170mm; front centre is 370mm by 130mm by 120mm; the sub-woofer is 320mm by 190mm by 360mm, and even the little surround speakers are 115mm by 95mm by 150mm.
Compared to the hand-size speakers found as part of some other systems that’s big, big enough to make the XV ship in two cartons.
Bigger should also mean better sound; and although I didn’t attempt any A/B comparison tests, I can report that the XV was subjectively easy to live with (as long as I didn’t look at it too much – but more about that later.) True audiophiles may blanch, but with the changer loaded up with CDs I was able to enjoy afternoons of uninterrupted music delivered with very acceptable transparency and no sense that my ears would be tired by a lengthy session.
Like most of its kind the Pioneer includes a tuner, and even with the tiddly bit of wire that passes for an FM aerial it managed acceptable reception; AM with the supplied loop antenna was less good, but that’s not unusual where I live. Thirty station presets accessible from the relatively straight forward (but non-trainable) remote control was more than enough to cover my requirements.
DVD playback was well up to standard, with the usual range of formats supported, including both Dolby 5.1 and DTS audio output. Following standard New Zealand ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ practice the HTD1 needed no modification to play all DVD zones. There’s even an input for a karaoke microphone, should that be part of your concept of entertainment.
The Pioneer HTD1 includes a commendably clear manual written in real English; set-up was easy, thanks to colour-coded speaker cables, clear on-screen controls, a white noise generator for balancing sound levels and distance-based input for setting speaker delay times – further evidence of Pioneer’s concentration on user enhancements that can be implemented relatively inexpensively.
From a film-buff’s point of view, the most disappointing detail of the HTD1 was that its version of single frame advance seemed to move forward three frames at a time; other than that it was almost perfect.
Almost. Back to Michelangelo, and perhaps the biggest weakness of the HTD1: another way you can tell he doesn’t work for Pioneer is because the HTD1 is, frankly, a bit ugly.
In a way, that’s understandable – the five-disc changer mechanism inevitably adds to size of the unit, as does the decision to put all the electronics in the main unit (unlike some competing systems that put the power amp in the subwoofer.) In the interests of (I speculate) simplified manufacturing, the HTD1’s main unit is a lumpy silver box that looks like a big VCR from fifteen years ago.
But actually, I don’t mind, because it works well, and is a bargain. If its looks are important to you, you can always put it in a cupboard or something. Buyers looking for a fully-featured home theatre system with qualities that belie its price will be pleased by the Pioneer XV-HTD1.
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