The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Marantz AV8805 vs Pioneer VSX-LX102 that are meant to satisfy the needs of cinema and music lovers.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Marantz AV8805 has 13.2 versus 7.2 for Pioneer VSX-LX102. The THD is the same and is 0.08%.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, AK4490 384 KHz/32-bit for AV8805 and AK4438 384 KHz/32-bit for the VSX-LX102. Both the AV8805 and the VSX-LX102 support Bi-amping. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. The Marantz AV8805 has support for AirPlay, AirPlay 2, and its competitor in our comparison - AirPlay. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The AV8805 can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn Radio, and the VSX-LX102 can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, TuneIn Radio. 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. Both rivals can scale the resolution of the incoming HDMI signal. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.
The Marantz AV8805 has 8/3 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 4/1 HDMI connectors of the Pioneer VSX-LX102. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the AV8805. 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. These compared receivers have 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. Both AV8805 and VSX-LX102 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.