An affordable AV receiver is always a good option to consider, so Pioneer Elite SC-LX704 vs Pioneer VSX-1131 comparison definitely makes sense.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Pioneer Elite SC-LX704 has 9.2 versus 7.2 for Pioneer VSX-1131. Regarding power, then Elite SC-LX704 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 135/8 when VSX-1131 has a power of 100/8, 170/6. The THD is the same and is 0.08%.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, ES9026PRO 384 KHz/32-bit for Elite SC-LX704 and AK4458 384 KHz/32-bit for the VSX-1131. Both the Elite SC-LX704 and the VSX-1131 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 Pioneer Elite SC-LX704 has support for AirPlay, AirPlay 2, and its competitor in our comparison - AirPlay. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The Elite SC-LX704 can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, and the VSX-1131 can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, TuneIn Radio. 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 Elite SC-LX704 has 7/3 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 7/2 HDMI connectors of the Pioneer VSX-1131. 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. The Elite SC-LX704 supports the protection of digital content of the standard HDCP 2.3, versus HDCP 2.2 in the VSX-1131. These compared receivers have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.
The Elite SC-LX704 supports 3 Multi-room zones, versus 2 for the VSX-1131. An ECO mode is not present in each of the AV receivers. Both Elite SC-LX704 and VSX-1131 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.