Pioneer 2014i vs 2011i - initial impressions

jon smith

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I've had a Pioneer 2011 for about a year now and have been very happy with it. Due to buying a plasma I was really looking for an amp with video upconversion to reduce the number of cables to the plasma. Not been able to use this feature yet as my plasma won't be set up til I move.

My choices really came down to a Denon 3805, a Yammy 2400 or the Pioneer. I've never really got on with the Denon sound (and still don't) and just can't get past the looks of the Yammy so decided to stay with Pioneer.

The rest of my setup includes a HK25 DVD player and Gallo Micros all round with a Velodyne Deco sub. As the amp is the only thing that has changed, it will be a direct comparison.

To my eyes the 2014 doesn't look as nice as the 2011. The info screen is smaller (and feels a little squashed in comparison) and they've added some more buttons to the front. The front pull down cover is also a bit more wedge like (hard to explain, but you'd understand if you saw it).

The microphone autosetup is as good as ever and really is a feature I couldn't live without now. If you've used another Pioneer amp it's very easy to find your way around (and if anything it's much simpler to find your way around than the 2011).

All in all, I swapped amps whilst watching the footy the other night and had it all set up and running (including auto set up, assigning digital and component inputs) within about 20 minutes. One thing to note is that you don't seem able to rename inputs as you could on the 2011 which is a minor annoyance.

The remote looks and feels nicer than the 2011 but I have an MX500 so don't really use the supplied remote much anyway.

Soundwise it does sound a little bit gutsier than the 2011 with 5.1 on (I won't be able to reuse the the back surround channel until I move). It also has DLPIIx, but this is isn't something I was particularly bothered about. It definitely sounds much better in stereo though and this is something that has pleased me. My next step will probably be to order a Pioneer 757ai DVD player so I can use the i-link function.

All in all, it is a marginally better amp than the 2011 but as expected, on its own that probably doesn't justify upgrading. The main selling points for me were the video upconversion and the i-link function. For me the restyled looks are the only downer.

I got my 2014i from www.Krish-AV.co.uk. I ordered on Wednesday evening and they delivered on Thursday night (one of the advantages of being in West London) and it cost me £649. HiFi Confidential had it for the same price but I knew KrishAV would deliver themselves in the evening for me. Most other places seem to have it for around £750 - £800.

Hope this is of help to some of you and feel free to ask me any questions...
 

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