pioneer vsx-9500s good replacement for my onkyo tx-860?

[edugamer]

Been thinking of giving the onkyo a little break. I sleap with the thing every night and I want it to last. I imagine the use cycle in conjunction with it being in a tight space in an equipment cabinet with glass shutters isn't to good for the phosphors in the display, it's caps, and it's reliability. Thinking of putting it under the bed for backup and trying out something different. It runs a pair of klipsch tangent t30s.
I got this vsx-9500s and I need to know if I can use a sub with it somehow. I only have a powered sub and there is no RCA sub jack. I also see a bunch of jumpers on the back what are they there for and if I remove them will the machine still work fine? Will the pioneer run the klipschs fine?

 

[harshness]

They're both 30+ year old receivers so a subwoofer out is out of the question. To get that you're going to have to leap ten years ahead to when receivers featured Dolby Digital and even then it will require Dolby 5.1 or better content that features a subwoofer track.

There's really nothing to recommend the Pioneer over the Onkyo unless you have some S-video equipment you're looking to switch. I had a later model and the volume knob motor leaked its grease on the circuit board and I had to replace the board. The display is nuts to read at a distance though if the unit has less hours it may be less washed out.

 

[arlo]

Couldn't come up with a legible rear panel view.

 

[harshness]

This is the most legible I could find.

 

[Howard Simmons]

Does your sub have volume controls on it? if so I would put it in the video out jacks. If not try the line jacks over to the left under input.

 

[harshness]

Does your sub have volume controls on it? if so I would put it in the video out jacks.

This only works if you're willing to adjust your subwoofer volume manually as you play with the receiver volume. The tape and video outs are fixed to the input level.

Don't get the idea that you can use the pre-outs either as removing the jumper will defeat the internal amplifiers.

 

[Foxbat]

Don't get the idea that you can use the pre-outs either as removing the jumper will defeat the internal amplifiers.

Or try something like this to run from Pre-amp Out (White) to Amp In (Red) on one end and your subwoofer in (Purple) on the other. No guarantees, though, and a great way to introduce 60 Hz hum as well.
Amazon product ASIN B01D5H8N8K

 

[harshness]

Or try something like this to run from Pre-amp Out (White) to Amp In (Red) on one end and your subwoofer in (Purple) on the other.

I'm not sure you thought this through. The cable is designed to be used on a single sub out and split the signal to two subwoofers. The centers or rear circuits in a Dolby Surround system didn't have any bass to begin with so breaking into those channels isn't going to help with what a subwoofer needs.

Most stereo receivers (including either of the models mentioned here) had nearly as many line level outputs as they had inputs so commandeering the pre-out doesn't make sense. Clamping the audio from two channels together at any point may have some unintended consequences.

Better subs have speaker level inputs that grab what the sub needs using a built-in crossover and forwards the higher frequencies off to the loudspeakers. That's how you're supposed to deal with a sub in a stereo system.

You can have a sub in a stereo system, but you can't do it with equipment that isn't designed specifically to go there.

 

[Foxbat]

I was actually looking for an RCA Y-Cable which would behave like the shorting bar (jumpering Pre-out to Power-in) and allow a subwoofer RCA cable to run to the Subwoofer (which has to have an RCA input). But he would need to pick one of the front channels to have any chance at finding the low frequency signal. Ideally you’d run two such cables, assuming the subwoofer is advanced enough for multiple inputs and them being isolated to prevent cross-channel interference.

Considering how cheap modern receivers are nowadays, I’d use something much lower powered and more energy efficient for nighttime listening than a 30 year old AVR.

 

[harshness]

I suspect this is more about the adventure of wheeling and dealing antiques rather than enjoying the end result.

You'll find speaker level inputs (what the TS really needs) on most all good subs. Speaker level works with every one or two-channel system that has wired 4-8 ohm external speakers (even those goofy electrostatic models).