Return of the MCACC

But despite all this lavish praise, I do have a caveat. Pioneer's MCACC (Multichannel Acoustic Calibration System) technology is extremely clever, but running the program produced a disappointingly moribund soundstage.

I'm generally appreciative of electronic EQ, but MCACC's predilection for giving a flat response means that you'll need to tinker. Still, there's plenty of scope to refine the results, which is what I ended up doing. For those that like to get their hands dirty, there's a lifetime of tweaking to be had.

It may have been a long time coming, but ultimately Pioneer's LX90 doesn't disappoint. Not only is it massively powerful, it's also beautifully refined. The ICE power digital modules give it a character quite unlike its main analogue rivals, but the precision, speed and separation they offer is remarkable.

With the SC-LX90, Pioneer's engineers haven't just created a monster amp; they've created audio-visual art.