Best Pioneer Receivers

The Japanese company Pioneer has been in the business of manufacturing a wide variety of media-related devices ever since the year 1938.

Since that time, they have been successful in gaining a large number of customers due to the fact that the products they sell are of an exceptionally high quality, and they also adhere to time-honored practises that have enabled them to maintain this quality right up to the present day. This has enabled them to increase their customer base.

At the moment, Pioneer has a variety of receivers to choose from, which can be found both in its extensive lineup of Elite VSX and Elite SC models.

These elements are the foundation upon which you may develop your very own one-of-a-kind home theatre experience, replete with jaw-dropping acoustics and a wealth of helpful extras.

In order to select the Pioneer receiver that is truly superior to the others in this series, we have composed a review in which we will discuss the positive and negative aspects of each individual model.

This will allow you to choose the Pioneer receiver that is truly superior to the others in this series. After reading the information that is presented in this article, you will be in a position to choose the instrument that is most appropriate for your requirements on the basis of information that is accurate and up to date.

Pioneer VSX-LX505 

In terms of power, this receiver is top-notch, packing 120 watts (8 ohms) per channel and IMAX compatibility.

The receiver may be controlled using the setting 7.2.4 while in 11.2-mode operation. The two subwoofers, however, can’t be managed independently. The VSX-nine LX505’s amplifiers may be set up to provide powerful sound in either of two connected rooms. Additionally, it may passively provide audio signals to the third listening location using the pre-outs.

Dolby Atmos and DTS: X audio decoders, as well as their corresponding Dolby Surround and DTS Neural: X upmixers, are included, as is customary for receivers in this category. It has been brought to your notice, however, that there is no upmixing between different formats.

Through AirPlay2, Bluetooth, and other wireless communication technologies, the receiver “talks” to the outside world. The services of Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, and Amazon Music have all been included.

The video route is likewise well-equipped. The video card within this 8K receiver supports 4K/120p, 8K/60p, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG, and it has 2 HDMI outputs and 7 HDMI inputs. In addition, an upscale feature is included, however it can only upsample 1080p feeds to 8K.

VSX-LX505 has detailed, clear sound that was free of roughness. The LX505 has such a clear, sharp, and strong sound that you will find yourself really enjoying the instrumental tracks.

In addition, The LX505 is distinct from the LX104 in that it has a brand-new function called Dialog Enhancer, which enhances audio quality by separating speech reproduction. 

The Atmos surround sound works very well too. The deep bass hits just where you would anticipate it. Wide, dynamic sound fields were unlocked by the effects, which were elastically isolated from the speakers.

Overall we could say that the advantages of owning this product is that each channel has its own preamplifier output and the receiver is lively and has great sonic detail as well as equipped with super-sophisticated automatic calibrating technology. As for the disadvantages there were no major issues that could be discovered.

Pioneer VSX-LX105

Now consider the newest, younger member of the Elite series. The Pioneer VSX-LX105 is a 7.2-channel receiver with a maximum of 100W (8 ohms) per channel.

It also has distinctive sophisticated music features like Dialog Enhancement and supports a broad range of multichannel audio formats including DTS: X, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization, and more. You may improve the realism of your home theatre experience by connecting the unit’s pre-outs to a higher powerful external amplifier and creating a 5.2.2-channel configuration.

When it comes to connecting to the internet, the Pioneer VSX-LX105 is equipped with dual-band Wi-Fi and Ethernet. But that’s not all you can do in the networking section. The VSX-LX105 has a number of great capabilities for sharing media with others, including DTS Play-Fi, Flare Connect, Bluetooth, and AirPlay2. You may listen to music from your favourite streaming services like Amazon Music, Spotify, TIDAL, and Deezer with no further setup required.

Video may be shot at up to 4K quality and 120 frames per second with the Pioneer VSX-LX105. It’s capable of showing HDR10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision content, which has a wide colour gamut and great contrast. 

One thing to keep in mind is that the filtering capacity and cutoff frequency are on the low side. The LFE setting is not changed. The reverberation of the surround effects may be felt in every direction. The LX105 effortlessly produces an artificial atmosphere with little interference from its surroundings.

The LX105 produces an enjoyable soundstage with emphasised voices and thrilling depth. The accuracy of the bass grip may be improved.

In summary Pioneer VSX-LX105 gives a brilliant highlighting of film speech and excellent wireless equipment and systems the only con is that the bass can’t be adjusted.

Pioneer SC-LX904

The SC-LX904 is equipped with 11 internal power amplifiers, each of which can provide 140W of output power into an 8-ohm load. It is compatible with multichannel audio formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS: X. Unlike the Pioneer Elite VSX-LX505, it boasts two high-performance ESS DACs and jitter-eliminating PQLD and PQFA technology.

The video quality is also quite high. With the Pioneer SC-LX904, you can watch high dynamic range videos in HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision. The Pioneer SC-LX904 supports 4K video at 60 frames per second and is equipped with HDMI input and output ports that are HDCP 2.3 compatible.

The same may be said about the capacity of networks. In addition to being compatible with multi-room audio systems like Sonos and DTS Play-Fi, the LX904 is AirPlay 2 compliant. Because it has a Chromecast included, it is compatible with the Google Home smart speaker to create a unified home audio system.

This Pioneer AV receiver produced high-definition sound that was not only clear and precise, but also lively and devoid of lulls or monotony. The sound’s spatiality and fidelity are improved by the high resolution and transparent sound image. The film’s audio was particularly impressive.

Stereo music in Pure Direct mode nevertheless revealed Pioneer’s actual sound capabilities, which he rendered with flair and extraordinarily high detail. As for the receiver’s response time, it has lightning quick, and the bass notes it played were dramatic and full of punch and clarity.

Thus, we will conclude that as for the pros the Pioneer SC-LX904 produces sound that is both dynamic and remarkably clear and the MCACC PRO is a very accurate calibrating system however the only drawback is that there’s no 3D on Auro yet.

Pioneer SX-10AE

Up next, we’ll take a look at Pioneer’s newest stereo receiver, the SX-10AE. This simple receiver can stream music through Bluetooth as well as play music from physical media.

The line-out and the aforementioned four pairs of tulips serving as inputs may be located on the rear panel. The SX-10AE would not work with an external power amplifier. Because there are two sets of speaker terminals, you can connect speakers to either set at once.

The SX-10AE’s 45-watt-per-channel power and 8-ohm impedance allow it to produce a sound that is both powerful and surprisingly dynamic. The synthetic quality of the sound is palpable, and the sound stage is well organised. Before moving on to the evaluation, the SX-10AE creates a sound that is quite true to the original.

From any input, the receiver delivered a sound that was harmonically pleasing and well-balanced. It shouldn’t have endless bass dynamics for its class, and its HF resolution shouldn’t be too high. Instead, it should be clearly embossed and simple to read.

In all, the SX-10AE is an outstanding bargain for the price.
When playing music over Bluetooth, there are no interruptions however there is 
no subwoofer crossover is present in the signal chain.

Pioneer VSX-935

The Pioneer VSX-935 is an affordable 7.2-channel receiver that supports 5.1.2 Atmos/DTX-X upmixing. To provide distortion-free music throughout your home, each channel produces 80W of power at 8 Ohms with a total harmonic distortion of 0.08%, and 170W at 6 Ohms.

In addition to its six HDMI inputs, this model has two HDMI outputs. Moreover, two digital audio inputs are provided for your convenience (one optical and coaxial). The USB and 3.5mm stereo tiny jack ports are conveniently located on the front of the gadget. The receiver’s built-in Wi-Fi (5 GHz/2.4 GHz) and Bluetooth make it more convenient and adaptable to use.

One further perk is that it works with all the major streaming platforms and devices, including Sonos, Chromecast, AirPlay 2, and DTS Play-Fi (Spotify, Amazon Music, Pandora, TIDAL, and Deezer). Keep in mind that the Bluetooth connection will not match the sound quality of streaming music via the built-in applications.

The design of the Pioneer VSX-935 is conventional in its field. Comfortable to use and uncluttered. While utilising the remote, you may access more options on the front panel. The good news for those who utilise voice assistants is that this receiver works with both the Google Assistant and the Amazon Alexa.

The receiver supports HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG Dynamic HDR, as well as resolutions of up to 8K60 and 4K120. Moreover, it features an upscaling system that can play movies in resolutions ranging from 1080p all the way up to 8K/4K, allowing you to enjoy previous recordings in a fresh and better quality.

It really does stand out from the Pioneer SX-10AE by being optimised for gaming. The VSX-935 model’s 4K/120Hz HDR pass-through might help you produce ultra-fast action. With the aid of ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), you can easily modify the latency between the console and the screen, and QFT (Quick Frame Transport) assists in lowering delays for a smoother gaming experience.

As for the cons it adapts to cutting-edge media formats. and provides a sufficient number of ports for connecting peripherals. Upscaling from 1080p to 8K/4K and vice versa is also supported. Although yes it is better suited for use in video games. A possible con here is that the wireless Bluetooth streaming may degrade the sound quality.

Conclusion

It’s common for newcomers to get confused by the differences between these products and end up with the incorrect one. 

A stereo receiver is more easier to use than an AV receiver. This is due to two factors: first, its restricted functionality (there are only two channels), and second, its limited number of channels. The primary purpose of this device is to play audio files of various musical genres.

Compared to its stereo rival, the AV receiver is much better. As the central hub of a home theatre system, it may connect to a wide variety of components (TV, Blu-ray player, gaming console, etc.) through a variety of interfaces. Potential multi-room applications and network capabilities are likewise a boon to the AV receiver.

Wireless music streaming is already commonplace thanks to the inclusion of Bluetooth in many stereo receivers. DAB, which stands for “digital audio broadcasting,” is another option. The only problem is that there are only two channels to choose from.

If you’re trying to decide between these two options, let your requirements be your guide. Buying a stereo receiver is a good idea if your only intention is to listen to music. The AV receiver is also a great option if you want to set up a full-fledged home theatre with surround sound.