Pioneer Elite SC-LX904 vs Denon AVR-S740H review

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An affordable AV receiver is always a good option to consider, so Pioneer Elite SC-LX904 vs Denon AVR-S740H comparison definitely makes sense.

Amplifier

A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Pioneer Elite SC-LX904 has 11.2 versus 7.2 for Denon AVR-S740H. Regarding power, then Elite SC-LX904 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 140/8 when AVR-S740H has a power of 75/8, 110/6. 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-LX904 and 192 KHz/32-bit for the AVR-S740H. Only the Elite SC-LX904 supports Bi-amping feature. 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-LX904 can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, and the AVR-S740H can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, TuneIn Radio, iHeart Radio, 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. The Elite SC-LX904 can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the AVR-S740H. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.

Extensive connections

The Pioneer Elite SC-LX904 has 7/3 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 6/1 HDMI connectors of the Denon AVR-S740H. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the Elite SC-LX904. 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-LX904 supports the protection of digital content of the standard HDCP 2.3, versus HDCP 2.2 in the AVR-S740H. These compared receivers have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.

Additional features

The Elite SC-LX904 supports 3 Multi-room zones, versus 2 for the AVR-S740H. The Elite SC-LX904 supports voice control via Amazon Alexa, and the AVR-S740H - Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI. An ECO mode is only available for the AVR-S740H. Both Elite SC-LX904 and AVR-S740H 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.