If you read my Sony 52XBR4 vs Pioneer 5070 review thread http://forum.beyond3d.com/showthread.php?t=46091 you'd know that outside of a resolution jump, I was not happy with the XBR4.
So the itch started and I got a Pioneer Kuro Elite Pro110. The Kuro's are clearly well loved and I've always been impressed with them at the Magnolia section in Best Buy. However as most know that a set can transform a fair bit once calibrated and in your home. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Well, let's get this out of the way. The Pro110 is heads and shoulder above anything I've seen to date.
Black levels: It's a massacre. The shadow detail and dark levels on the Pro110 make the 5070 look outright bad. Keep in mind I have a very dark room thus black levels are obvious. The Kuro does not go pitch black. There is a slight glow on screen but you see it only after your eyes have adjusted to the dark room and no content is on screen.
White levels: The whites on the Kuro are fantastic. They are pure white. The 5070 tends to turn whites a bit yellow in certain situation but no such issue on the Kuro.
Detail and sharpness: The difference is just as great as the black levels. The picture on the Kuro is really smooth with a real looking through the window effect.
Colors: The Kuro Elites are famed for their amazing color reproduction and accuracy. This much is obvious during my Hi Def media viewing.
For the lazy: The 5070 in no way shape or form can hold it own against the Pro110. In every category the Pro110 destroys the 5070. In some places it's close, such as Standard def processing but everything else, the Kuro puts the 5070 to shame.
The Pioneer Kuro Elites are the best display on the market, period. Are they worth the price? That is only something you can determine. If you're a videophile with a growing collection of Hi Def media and watch most of your TV in HD, then it's easy to justify, given your budget allows for it. If you're new to HD, don't like tinkering with electronics and have casual knowledge of display technologies, then it would be tough to justify a Kuro Elite.
So the big question remains: unlike the Sony 52XBR4, will I be keeping this set!? The answer was a YES! before I found out that the upcoming 9th gen Kuro's will once again have 80% better blacks and cheaper prices! But oh it will be painful to return this set and go back to the 5070. Very painful.
All the viewing was done with Planet Earth HD DVD which I am very familiar with.
So the itch started and I got a Pioneer Kuro Elite Pro110. The Kuro's are clearly well loved and I've always been impressed with them at the Magnolia section in Best Buy. However as most know that a set can transform a fair bit once calibrated and in your home. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Well, let's get this out of the way. The Pro110 is heads and shoulder above anything I've seen to date.
Black levels: It's a massacre. The shadow detail and dark levels on the Pro110 make the 5070 look outright bad. Keep in mind I have a very dark room thus black levels are obvious. The Kuro does not go pitch black. There is a slight glow on screen but you see it only after your eyes have adjusted to the dark room and no content is on screen.
White levels: The whites on the Kuro are fantastic. They are pure white. The 5070 tends to turn whites a bit yellow in certain situation but no such issue on the Kuro.
Detail and sharpness: The difference is just as great as the black levels. The picture on the Kuro is really smooth with a real looking through the window effect.
Colors: The Kuro Elites are famed for their amazing color reproduction and accuracy. This much is obvious during my Hi Def media viewing.
For the lazy: The 5070 in no way shape or form can hold it own against the Pro110. In every category the Pro110 destroys the 5070. In some places it's close, such as Standard def processing but everything else, the Kuro puts the 5070 to shame.
The Pioneer Kuro Elites are the best display on the market, period. Are they worth the price? That is only something you can determine. If you're a videophile with a growing collection of Hi Def media and watch most of your TV in HD, then it's easy to justify, given your budget allows for it. If you're new to HD, don't like tinkering with electronics and have casual knowledge of display technologies, then it would be tough to justify a Kuro Elite.
So the big question remains: unlike the Sony 52XBR4, will I be keeping this set!? The answer was a YES! before I found out that the upcoming 9th gen Kuro's will once again have 80% better blacks and cheaper prices! But oh it will be painful to return this set and go back to the 5070. Very painful.
All the viewing was done with Planet Earth HD DVD which I am very familiar with.
