An affordable AV receiver is always a good option to consider, so Pioneer VSX-531 vs Yamaha RX-A870BL comparison definitely makes sense.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Pioneer VSX-531 has 5.1 versus 7.2 for Yamaha RX-A870BL. Regarding power, then VSX-531 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 80/8, 140/6 when RX-A870BL has a power of 100/8. The THD is 0.08% for the VSX-531 but 0.06% for the RX-A870BL.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, 192 KHz/24-bit for VSX-531 and Burr-Brown 192 KHz/24-bit for the RX-A870BL. Only the RX-A870BL supports Bi-amping feature. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing.
Only the Yamaha RX-A870BL can connect to the Internet via WI-FI. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. Only the RX-A870BL supports Spotify. 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 RX-A870BL can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the VSX-531. Dolby Vision technology found support only on the RX-A870BL.
The Pioneer VSX-531 has 4/1 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 8/2 HDMI connectors of the Yamaha RX-A870BL. 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. The RX-A870BL has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. It is also worth noting that the ECO mode is presented in each of the receivers. The setup assistant will help you configure Yamaha RX-A870BL.
Only the RX-A870BL has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the RX-A870BL.