Yamaha CX-A5200 vs Pioneer SC-LX801 review

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The Yamaha CX-A5200 vs Pioneer SC-LX801 comparison proves that these receivers have many common features.

Amplifier

A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Yamaha CX-A5200 has 11.2 versus 9.2 for Pioneer SC-LX801. The THD is 0.06% for the CX-A5200 but 0.08% for the SC-LX801.

Audio features

Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, ESS SABRE PRO (ES9026) 384 KHz/32-bit for CX-A5200 and ESS SABRE32 Ultra 192 KHz/32-bit for the SC-LX801. Only the SC-LX801 supports Bi-amping feature. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing.

Connectivity

WI-FI modules have the same characteristics: 2.4/5GHz. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. The Yamaha CX-A5200 has support for AirPlay, AirPlay 2, and its competitor in our comparison - AirPlay. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The CX-A5200 can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, Qobuz, and the SC-LX801 can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora.

Video features

Both AV receivers support HDR10 technology (High dynamic range). 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.

Extensive connections

The Yamaha CX-A5200 has 7/3 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 8/2 HDMI connectors of the Pioneer SC-LX801. 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. 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 3 Multi-room zones. An ECO mode is only available for the CX-A5200. Both CX-A5200 and SC-LX801 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.