An affordable AV receiver is always a good option to consider, so Yamaha RX-V385BL vs Pioneer VSX-S520 comparison definitely makes sense.
Considered AV receivers have the same number of channels 5.1. Regarding power, then RX-V385BL has such a W/Ohm ratio - 70/8, 145/6 when VSX-S520 has a power of 50/4. The THD is the same and is 0.09%.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, Burr-Brown 384 KHz/32-bit for RX-V385BL and 192 KHz/24-bit for the VSX-S520. None of the models support Bi-amping. The Pioneer VSX-S520 can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. Only the VSX-S520 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. Both rivals can scale the resolution of the incoming HDMI signal. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.
Each receiver has 4/1 HDMI inputs/outputs. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the RX-V385BL. The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) feature is present in most modern AV receivers and the models in our comparison are no exception. The RX-V385BL supports the protection of digital content of the standard HDCP 2.3, versus HDCP 2.2 in the VSX-S520. The VSX-S520 has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. A voice control is not available. An ECO mode is only available for the RX-V385BL. The setup assistant will help you configure Pioneer VSX-S520.
Only the VSX-S520 has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the VSX-S520.