Since Pioneer SC-1223-K has been released in 2013 only the pre-owned versions of it are still available in 2019. However, the receiver has been pretty revolutionary at the time making the Pioneer SC-1223-K specs timeless and still in demand.
Together with a humble price and good quality, the receiver is very popular and recognizable among amateur audiophiles looking for something cool that won’t break the bank. When making my research for Pioneer SC-1223-K review I had been involuntarily comparing it to the modern receivers and not always in their favor.
You have the typical Pioneer design with a matte black case with matter chrome buttons and controls. The front panel is made of black glass with white fluorescent lettering. Everything is nice and convenient.
SC-1223-K recognizes all modern audio formats like WAV, AAC, MP3, WMA, Apple Lossless and AIFF. The 3D feature is available. The class D3 Amplification is a reason why so many people are still hunting for this AV receiver.
The Ultra HD 4K passthrough is impressive, most AV receiver manufacturers only bother making 3K. You also have the dual-zone capability making it good for smaller flats etc.
The sound quality is very impressive, at the time this receiver has been very popular with Dolby True HD, Dolby digital plus and DTS-HD master audio. Their decoders are still in demand.
You have AirPlay feature, Bluetooth, Network and USB. You also have the HTC Connect, Bluetooth and IEEE. Pioneer SC-1223-K does not work with Alexa of course but the connectivity options are still good. Btw. there is no Wi-Fi of course.
The smartphone remote control is pretty convenient although you will have to make sure that it works with your own smartphone or tablet version as the software might not work with newer devices.
The humble 260 W power consumption is pretty amazing. You do not have to worry about your electricity bills or the environmental impact.
The price of the preowned unit starts at around $650. I did notice that the SC-1223-K tend to overheat during the course of long operation. But for the price, this can be forgiven. I would recommend this receiver for smaller families or couples that can be happy with a dual-zone capability and have smaller space.
Dolby Surround
Dolby Digital Plus
Dolby Atmos
DTS:X
Dolby True HD
HDMI Pass-through
up to 4K
Upscaling Via HDMI
up to 4K
3D Pass-through
Video Conversion/scaling
HDMI to HDMI scaling, analog to HDMI up conversion
HDMI Outputs
2
HDMI Inputs
7
Coaxial Digital Inputs
2
Optical Digital Inputs
2
Phones
1
AV Inputs
5
USB
1
Subwoofer Outputs
2
Coaxial Digital Outputs
has not
Optical Digital Outputs
has not
USB-host
Network
Bluetooth
Audio Return Channel (ARC)
Apple Air-play Support
Advanced Sound Retriever (ASR) Technology
Three-zone Capability
Smartphone Remote Control
A-B Speaker Switch
Dual-zone Capability
Pure Direct Mode
Auto Power Off
Bi-amplifying
Total Harmonic Distortion
0.08 %
Frequency Response
1 kHz
Output Impedance Per Channel
4 Ohm, 6 Ohm, 8 Ohm
Output Power Per Channel
120 W, 150 W, 180 W
Total Output Power
560 W
Signal-to-Noise Ratio
100 dB
Number Of Channels
7
Surround System Class
7.2 channel
Surround Sound Effects
Front Stage Surround Advance. Headphone Surround (V.S.S.). Virtual Surround Mode
Audio D/A Converter
24bit / 192kHz
Digital Content Protection
HDCP 2.2
Apple Lossless
AIFF
AAC
WMA
WAV
MP3
FLAC
Weight
25.8 pounds
Dimensions
15.6 x 17.1 x 7.3 inches
IEEE 802.3u
IEEE 802.3
WI-FI
Bluetooth
Network Audio Player
Internet Radio
Digital Player
Standby Power Consumption
0.1 W
Operational Power Consumption
260 W
Colour
black
Type
fluorescent
Preset Station
63
Tuner Bands
AM/FM
Tuner Type
digital
Sleep Timer
Built-in Clock
Brand
Pioneer