Home Theater Review

High Points
• The SC-35 has all the looks, build quality and performance of the costlier SC-37, which more than makes up for its lack of Internet radio support in my book.
• The SC-35 is easy to setup and use and should provide home theater enthusiasts with years of trouble-free enjoyment.
• The SC-35's 140 Watts of power was more than enough to drive my Bowers & Wilkins 600 Series loudspeakers to their full potential without strain.
• Pioneer's MCACC auto room correction is phenomenal and superior, in my opinion, to Audyssey's popular EQ programs.

Low Points
• If you're an Internet radio junky you'll want to spring for the SC-37 over the SC-35, for its lack of that particular feature set is about the only item it'll leave you wanting for.
• The SC-35's remote isn't my favorite and is a bit cluttered and difficult to navigate at first.
• The SC-35's binding posts are a bit cheap and do no accept spade terminated speaker cables thanks to their bulky plastic surrounds.

Competition and Comparisons
At $1,600 the SC-35 is far more competitive, in this reviewer's eyes, than the SC-37 given its overall feature set. Still, it's nearly twice the price of my current reference AV receiver the Onkyo TX-NR708. On paper the Onkyo and the SC-35 are also near equals though the SC-35 does pack a bit more power than the Onkyo, which may or may not be worth its added cost.

Another AV receiver to consider in and around the SC-35's price range is Cambridge Audio's Azur 650R 7.1 AV receiver, though the Azur does not support 3D nor does it have quite the number of inputs, both analog or digital, as the SC-35 it more than makes up for its deficiency with sound quality, which is a touch higher end than the SC-35's.

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Conclusion
At $1,600 retail I consider the SC-35 AV receiver from Pioneer's Elite line of home theater products to be a better value than its costlier sibling the SC-37, for the two possess almost identical options and connectivity not to mention sound. So, the home theater enthusiast looking for an AV receiver to place at the heart of their home theater system should put the SC-35 on your short list of must audition products. 

Additional Resources
• Read more AV receivers by HomeTheaterReview.com's staff.
• Find a Blu-ray player to connect to the Pioneer Elite SC-35.