An affordable AV receiver is always a good option to consider, so Marantz SR6015 vs Pioneer VSX-1131 comparison definitely makes sense.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Marantz SR6015 has 9.2 versus 7.2 for Pioneer VSX-1131. Regarding power, then SR6015 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 110/8, 150/6 when VSX-1131 has a power of 100/8, 170/6. The THD is the same and is 0.08%. Both the SR6015 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 Marantz SR6015 has support for AirPlay, AirPlay 2, and its competitor in our comparison - AirPlay. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The SR6015 can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, Napster, SoundCloud, 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 Marantz SR6015 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. The HDMI eARC is available only on the SR6015. The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) feature is present in most modern AV receivers and the models in our comparison are no exception. The SR6015 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.
Each of the AV receivers from our review supports 2 Multi-room zones. An ECO mode is only available for the SR6015. Both SR6015 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.