Pioneer SC-LX901 vs Yamaha RX-A770BL review

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The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Pioneer SC-LX901 vs Yamaha RX-A770BL that are meant to satisfy the needs of cinema and music lovers.

Amplifier

A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Pioneer SC-LX901 has 11.2 versus 7.2 for Yamaha RX-A770BL. Regarding power, then SC-LX901 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 140/8, 200/6 when RX-A770BL has a power of 95/8. The THD is 0.08% for the SC-LX901 but 0.06% for the RX-A770BL.

Audio features

Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, ESS SABRE32 Ultra 192 KHz/32-bit for SC-LX901 and Burr-Brown 192 KHz/24-bit for the RX-A770BL. Both the SC-LX901 and the RX-A770BL 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-LX901 can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and the RX-A770BL can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM. 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 Pioneer SC-LX901 has 8/2 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 6/1 HDMI connectors of the Yamaha RX-A770BL. 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

The SC-LX901 supports 3 Multi-room zones, versus 2 for the RX-A770BL. An ECO mode is only available for the RX-A770BL. Both SC-LX901 and RX-A770BL 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.