What was important to me:
For me, standing at the forefront of sound - especially in pure stereo mode ...
... And there was m. E. neither Denon, Onkyo Marantz still keep up.
In the image output I found no such differences as the sound, perhaps this is / was this but to my already 6 year old Samsung LCD; and has the 3D eh not.
For sound:
Just WOW. In connection with my Teufel Theater 500 MK2 5.1 I found the Pioneer by far the best / roundest / dynamic. The resolution and spatiality was, that specifically in stereo mode, just great - there came down to the Bass *, only the Denon X4000 rudimentary well with, but only to some extent. The Marantz SR7007 also went so grad still, the Onkyo TX-NR929 was much too shallow in the middle and too shrill in the treble, so much it out as the first.
* The Bass at Pioneer I felt a bit crisper / dynamic, to the Denon rather more cautious / little pulse poorer, but also absolutely voluminous. The Pioneer could easily reach any of the other water.
By the way:
The SC2023 also sounds at the smaller Teufel system the Theater 100 MK3 as class, this has an acquaintance of mine. To him I brought the Pioneer times for testing with and now he has become a well :-)
Against the Marantz I decided also quite fast, quite frankly but mainly also because I could not make friends with the front design. That's why I broke up with him any detailed tests more.
Digital Amplifiers:
Their sound I've already described - just gorgeous.
Striking / different was the heat generated by the equipment.
Thanks to its digital output stages of the SC2023 he was only slightly warm even after several hours of operation.
The other three were in a short time almost hot, as it approximately 9 times wasted on power, which makes a correspondingly well ventilated putting up needs and for frequent listener represents a not despising increased consumption of electricity.
Connections / calibration:
The connection options at Pioneer are for me more than enough, and the calibration was just easy, and I have adjusted somewhat manually here, which probably was due to my "special" room, which is actually an almost open "double room". (When Denon as the sound after calibration was more than bad, here I had then virtually extremely adjust everything by hand)
Processing:
Clean gap dimensions, no sharp edges / screws (as was the Denon really hard), and a complete aluminum front - incl. Cover and knobs.
"Potential improvements" ... whining at a high level quasi ;-)
Picture menu in TV output:
It could be something more appealing and informative to be (where you would actually do not need more after setting up). There was the Denon 1A, but as I said, when / how often you need it already.
Remote Control:
It is m. E. quite overloaded (with very small keys). After setting is needed, if at all, only 10% of the keys.
The iControlAV2013 app (which incidentally is not just on the 3 specified smartphones) breaks this although again more than out, but who has not a smartphone, has virtually manage an airplane cockpit. (Here I found the FB of Denon best / most tidy, but the app did not like it so)
Front Display:
Because I would have gladly been forgotten a different front panel display with more / detailed information on, but frankly I have again what I was, especially on Denon display, better place.
By the way - remote control app for the PC:
Pioneer even has, to my knowledge, no application to control via the PC, but you can find on the net a simple but free application for (AVRPioRemote) sufficient completely.
Finally, said:
Even if the Denon would have had not only windy / jiggling plastic knob / front cover, and the Marantz would have ne improved look and also the Onkyo would not have sounded so flat ...
... It would still be the Pioneer SC2023 become - it is an absolute recommendation in this price range.
