Pioneer Elite SC-LX704 vs Marantz AV7703 review

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The Pioneer Elite SC-LX704 vs Marantz AV7703 comparison proves that these receivers have many common features.

Amplifier

A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Pioneer Elite SC-LX704 has 9.2 versus 11.2 for Marantz AV7703. The THD is the same and is 0.08%.

Audio features

Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, ES9026PRO 384 KHz/32-bit for Elite SC-LX704 and 192 KHz/32-bit for the AV7703. Both the Elite SC-LX704 and the AV7703 support Bi-amping. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. The Apple Music service is implemented on considered devices: AirPlay, AirPlay 2. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The Elite SC-LX704 can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, and the AV7703 can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, iHeart Radio, SiriusXM, Sound Cloud. Compared AV receivers retain the quality of 4K/60Hz signal when transmitting from a source to a TV or projector. HDMI signal transmission in standby mode is implemented in each of the devices. Both rivals can scale the resolution of the incoming HDMI signal. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.

Extensive connections

The Pioneer Elite SC-LX704 has 7/3 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 8/3 HDMI connectors of the Marantz AV7703. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. Unfortunately, HDMI eARC is not available on monitored devices. The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) feature is present in most modern AV receivers and the models in our comparison are no exception. The Elite SC-LX704 supports the protection of digital content of the standard HDCP 2.3, versus HDCP 2.2 in the AV7703. These compared receivers have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.

Additional features

Each of the AV receivers from our review supports 3 Multi-room zones. The Elite SC-LX704 supports voice control via Amazon Alexa, and the AV7703 - Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI. An ECO mode is only available for the AV7703. Both Elite SC-LX704 and AV7703 can be configured using the Setup assistant.

Multichannel surround

Both devices have support for Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format. The surround sound technology DTS:X is supported by devices under review.