The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Pioneer VSX-531 vs Onkyo TX-RZ740 that are meant to satisfy the needs of cinema and music lovers.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Pioneer VSX-531 has 5.1 versus 9.2 for Onkyo TX-RZ740. Regarding power, then VSX-531 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 80/8, 140/6 when TX-RZ740 has a power of 100/8, 225/6. The THD is the same and is 0.08%.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, 192 KHz/24-bit for VSX-531 and AK4458 384 KHz/32-bit for the TX-RZ740. Only the TX-RZ740 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 Onkyo TX-RZ740 can connect to the Internet via WI-FI. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. Only the TX-RZ740 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 TX-RZ740 can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the VSX-531. Dolby Vision technology found support only on the TX-RZ740.
The Pioneer VSX-531 has 4/1 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 7/2 HDMI connectors of the Onkyo TX-RZ740. 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 TX-RZ740 has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. An ECO mode is only available for the VSX-531. The setup assistant will help you configure Onkyo TX-RZ740.
Only the TX-RZ740 has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the TX-RZ740.