Question 1

i keep seeing the description talk about a separate zone for this receiver, but i dont want to use it for a separate zone so my question is i want all channels to be used for surround sound can they all be used that way? im looking to upgrade my 5.1 but not necessarily to add a zone, i want it for a better overall sound when watching movies

Accepted Answer

This receiver offers and additional zone, meaning that you can connect 2 separate speakers to this receiver and they will be controlled independently of your 5.1 setup. I use the ZONE 2 for my patio, so I have 2 speakers on my patio that I can play a different source (analog only) for example I had my Sirius XM radio playing on the patio and inside in my living room I had a movie playing 5.1 (4 speakers+sub-woofer). Hope this answer your question. This is a great receiver at this price level, I specially like the mobile app that runs on my phone to control all functions of the receiver.

Question 2

What is the -k designation mean?

Accepted Answer

Hi, by the way this is a great AV receiver for the price, so many features to list. My favorite is the free app for my Android (iControlAV2013)

about the K designation, I can't find exactly the meaning but my guess is it's related to 4K. Some info I found on Pioneer web site.

"4K Ultra-HD Compatible, with Up-Scaling
4K x 2K resolution, usually referred to as simply “4K Ultra HD”, is the latest high definition video display format, with four times the resolution of 1080p. The Pioneer VSX-1123-K is ready to not only pass-through 4K Ultra HD video signals to a compatible display, but also upscale any content you want to watch, meaning it can support home theater systems dedicated to producing the highest quality picture available today."

Enjoy!

Question 3

how do i use the Pandora feature of the receiver?

Accepted Answer

Your Q is understandable. I've owned this receiver for over a year and there are still features that I stumble upon accidentally that I don't know how to use, usually after hitting a button on the remote. As for using Pandora, first you need to have the receiver connected to the Internet. Wired is best for large data transfer (like streaming audio) although wireless will work fine in most cases too. So first connect it to your network and then switch the input to Pandora. From there use the on-screen interface to log into your existing Pandora account.

Quid-pro-quo: can you explain how the multi zone feature works? I want to have the TV audio coming out in one room and a second audio source (like Pandora or Internet Radio) coming out in another room from a second set of speakers that I already have hooked up to the receiver. I ought that was possible when I bought it but haven't been able to make it work yet. I actually gave up trying at his point but if you have any tips maybe I'll try again.

Regards.

Question 4

Does this receiver have hdmi 2.0 ?

Accepted Answer

Yes it is 2.0

Question 5

How would this handle 4-ohm speaker loads?  I'm looking at matching it with Magnepan Super MMG's which take a lot of power to drive adequately.

Accepted Answer

This seems to work great with my in wall 4 ohm speakers i have 8 of them and they all sound Great

Question 6

How does the 3 room capability work?  While it is only 7 channels, it has outputs for 9 speakers.  I understand 5 are or regular surround sound and 2 for a separate room that can play something separate; what are the other two outputs for?

Thanks - Michael

Accepted Answer

There are 9 speaker connections (plus 2 subwoofers) but the system can only drive 7 at one time in a single zone. In a single zone, the extra 2 pairs of speakers (beyond the standard 5.1 center, 2 front and 2 surround) can each be set as either surround-back, front-high/wide or Stereo-B speakers, but only one of these 2 pairs can play sound at a time. So you can choose 7 channels high but not not back, 7 channels wide but not back, seven channels back but not high/wide, or 5 channels plus 2 duplicating stereo channels elsewhere. If you want a second zone playing a separate source entirely (or to bi-amp your front main speakers), then you can only have 5.2 in the main zone.

Questions & Answers