Yamaha RX-V377 vs Pioneer VSX-LX303 review

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The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Yamaha RX-V377 vs Pioneer VSX-LX303 that are meant to satisfy the needs of cinema and music lovers.

Amplifier

A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Yamaha RX-V377 has 5.1 versus 9.2 for Pioneer VSX-LX303. Regarding power, then RX-V377 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 100/8, 135/6 when VSX-LX303 has a power of 100/8, 200/6. The THD is 0.09% for the RX-V377 but 0.08% for the VSX-LX303.

Audio features

Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, Burr-Brown 192 KHz/24-bit for RX-V377 and AK4458 384 KHz/32-bit for the VSX-LX303. Only the VSX-LX303 supports Bi-amping feature. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing. Only the VSX-LX303 has Bluetooth support. Only the VSX-LX303 supports Spotify. 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 VSX-LX303 can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the RX-V377. Dolby Vision technology found support only on the VSX-LX303.

Extensive connections

The Yamaha RX-V377 has 4/1 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 7/2 HDMI connectors of the Pioneer VSX-LX303. 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. Both models support the standard HDCP 2.2. The VSX-LX303 has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. An ECO mode is only available for the RX-V377. Both RX-V377 and VSX-LX303 can be configured using the Setup assistant.

Multichannel surround

Only the VSX-LX303 has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the VSX-LX303.