An affordable AV receiver is always a good option to consider, so Yamaha RX-V4A vs Pioneer VSX-1131 comparison definitely makes sense.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Yamaha RX-V4A has 5.2 versus 7.2 for Pioneer VSX-1131. Regarding power, then RX-V4A has such a W/Ohm ratio - 80/6 when VSX-1131 has a power of 100/8, 170/6. The THD is 0.06% for the RX-V4A but 0.08% for the VSX-1131. Both the RX-V4A 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.
WI-FI modules have the same characteristics: 2.4/5GHz. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. The Yamaha RX-V4A has support for AirPlay, AirPlay 2, and its competitor in our comparison - AirPlay. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The RX-V4A can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, Qobuz, and the VSX-1131 can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, TuneIn Radio. 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 Yamaha RX-V4A has 4/1 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 7/2 HDMI connectors of the Pioneer VSX-1131. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the RX-V4A. The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) feature is present in most modern AV receivers and the models in our comparison are no exception. The RX-V4A supports the protection of digital content of the standard HDCP 2.3, versus HDCP 2.2 in the VSX-1131. The VSX-1131 has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. An ECO mode is only available for the RX-V4A. Both RX-V4A and VSX-1131 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.