Pioneer VSX-1131 vs Marantz SR6015 review

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The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Pioneer VSX-1131 vs Marantz SR6015 that are meant to satisfy the needs of cinema and music lovers.

Amplifier

A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Pioneer VSX-1131 has 7.2 versus 9.2 for Marantz SR6015. Regarding power, then VSX-1131 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 100/8, 170/6 when SR6015 has a power of 110/8, 150/6. The THD is the same and is 0.08%. Both the VSX-1131 and the SR6015 support Bi-amping. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing.

Connectivity

WI-FI modules have the same characteristics: 2.4/5GHz. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. The Pioneer VSX-1131 has support for AirPlay, and its competitor in our comparison - AirPlay, AirPlay 2. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The VSX-1131 can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and the SR6015 can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, Napster, SoundCloud. 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.

Extensive connections

The Pioneer VSX-1131 has 7/2 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 7/3 HDMI connectors of the Marantz SR6015. 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 VSX-1131 supports the protection of digital content of the standard HDCP 2.2, versus HDCP 2.3 in the SR6015. These compared receivers have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.

Additional features

Each of the AV receivers from our review supports 2 Multi-room zones. An ECO mode is only available for the SR6015. Both VSX-1131 and SR6015 can be configured using the Setup assistant.

Multichannel surround

Both devices have support for Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format. The surround sound technology DTS:X is supported by devices under review.