An affordable AV receiver is always a good option to consider, so Pioneer SC-LX801 vs Yamaha RX-V679BL comparison definitely makes sense.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Pioneer SC-LX801 has 9.2 versus 7.2 for Yamaha RX-V679BL. Regarding power, then SC-LX801 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 140/8, 200/6, 255/4 when RX-V679BL has a power of 90/8, 150/4. The THD is 0.08% for the SC-LX801 but 0.06% for the RX-V679BL.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, ESS SABRE32 Ultra 192 KHz/32-bit for SC-LX801 and Burr-Brown 192 KHz/24-bit for the RX-V679BL. Both the SC-LX801 and the RX-V679BL support Bi-amping. Each of the AV receivers 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. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The SC-LX801 can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, and the RX-V679BL can receive a content from Pandora, Napster, JUKE. 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.
The Pioneer SC-LX801 has 8/2 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 5/1 HDMI connectors of the Yamaha RX-V679BL. 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 SC-LX801 has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.
The SC-LX801 supports 3 Multi-room zones, versus 2 for the RX-V679BL. A voice control is not available. An ECO mode is only available for the RX-V679BL. The setup assistant will help you configure Pioneer SC-LX801.
Only the SC-LX801 has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the SC-LX801.