The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Pioneer VSX-1131 vs Integra DTM-7 that are meant to satisfy the needs of cinema and music lovers.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Pioneer VSX-1131 has 7.2 versus 2.0 for Integra DTM-7. Regarding power, then VSX-1131 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 100/8, 170/6 when DTM-7 has a power of 100/8. The THD is the same and is 0.08%.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, AK4458 384 KHz/32-bit for VSX-1131 and AK4438 384 KHz/32-bit for the DTM-7. Only the VSX-1131 supports Bi-amping feature. The Pioneer VSX-1131 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 Apple Music service is implemented on considered devices: AirPlay. Spotify can be used on each receiver. Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, TuneIn Radio - all of these streaming services have found application in each of the models. 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. The VSX-1131 can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the DTM-7. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.
The Pioneer VSX-1131 has 7/2 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 4/1 HDMI connectors of the Integra DTM-7. 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.
Each of the AV receivers from our review supports 2 Multi-room zones. An ECO mode is not present in each of the AV receivers. Both VSX-1131 and DTM-7 can be configured using the Setup assistant.
Only the VSX-1131 has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the VSX-1131.