Pioneer Elite VSX-LX505 vs Denon AVR-S740H review

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An affordable AV receiver is always a good option to consider, so Pioneer Elite VSX-LX505 vs Denon AVR-S740H comparison definitely makes sense.

Amplifier

A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Pioneer Elite VSX-LX505 has 9.2 versus 7.2 for Denon AVR-S740H. Regarding power, then Elite VSX-LX505 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 120/8, 230/6 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, 192 KHz/24-bit for Elite VSX-LX505 and 192 KHz/32-bit for the AVR-S740H. Only the Elite VSX-LX505 supports Bi-amping feature. The Denon AVR-S740H 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 VSX-LX505 can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, Napster, SoundCloud, and the AVR-S740H can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, TuneIn Radio, iHeart Radio, Sound Cloud. HDMI signal transmission in standby mode is implemented in each of the devices. The Elite VSX-LX505 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 VSX-LX505 has 7/2 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 VSX-LX505. Of the two receivers in our comparison, HDMI CEC is present only in the AVR-S740H. The Elite VSX-LX505 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

Each of the AV receivers from our review supports 2 Multi-room zones. Supported voice control technologies are identical - Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI. An ECO mode is only available for the AVR-S740H. Both Elite VSX-LX505 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.