Pioneer Elite SC-LX704 vs Yamaha R-N803BL review

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Pioneer Elite SC-LX704 vs Yamaha R-N803BL comparison definitely makes sense.

Amplifier

A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Pioneer Elite SC-LX704 has 9.2 versus 2.0 for Yamaha R-N803BL. Regarding power, then Elite SC-LX704 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 135/8 when R-N803BL has a power of 100/8, 160/4. The THD is 0.08% for the Elite SC-LX704 but 0.01% for the R-N803BL.

Audio features

Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, ES9026PRO 384 KHz/32-bit for Elite SC-LX704 and ESS SABRE (9006AS) 192 KHz/24-bit for the R-N803BL. Only the Elite SC-LX704 supports Bi-amping feature. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing.

Connectivity

Both models have the ability to connect to the Internet via WI-FI. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. The Pioneer Elite SC-LX704 has support for AirPlay, AirPlay 2, and its competitor in our comparison - AirPlay. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The Elite SC-LX704 can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, and the R-N803BL can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Sirius XM. Only the Elite SC-LX704 provides HDMI signal transmission in standby mode. The Elite SC-LX704 can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the R-N803BL. Dolby Vision technology found support only on the Elite SC-LX704. Only the Elite SC-LX704 supports HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC). Unfortunately, HDMI eARC is not available on monitored devices. Of the two receivers in our comparison, HDMI CEC is present in only the Elite SC-LX704. These compared receivers have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. The Elite SC-LX704 supports voice control via Amazon Alexa, and the R-N803BL - Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant. An ECO mode is only available for the R-N803BL. The setup assistant will help you configure Pioneer Elite SC-LX704.

Multichannel surround

Only the Elite SC-LX704 has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the Elite SC-LX704.