An affordable AV receiver is always a good option to consider, so Marantz SR5012 vs Pioneer VSX-S520 comparison definitely makes sense.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Marantz SR5012 has 7.2 versus 5.1 for Pioneer VSX-S520. Regarding power, then SR5012 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 100/8 when VSX-S520 has a power of 50/4. The THD is 0.08% for the SR5012 but 0.09% for the VSX-S520.
Competitors' digital to analog converter (DAC) is identical to 192 KHz/24-bit. Only the SR5012 supports Bi-amping feature. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing.
WI-FI modules have the same characteristics: 2.4/5GHz. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. The Marantz SR5012 has support for AirPlay, AirPlay 2, and its competitor in our comparison - AirPlay. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The SR5012 can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, TuneIn Radio, iHeart Radio, Sound Cloud, and the VSX-S520 can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, TuneIn Radio.
These units support HDR technology. 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 Marantz SR5012 has 8/2 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 4/1 HDMI connectors of the Pioneer VSX-S520. 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-S520 has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. An ECO mode is only available for the SR5012. Both SR5012 and VSX-S520 can be configured using the Setup assistant.
Both devices have support for Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format. The surround sound technology DTS:X is supported by devices under review.