Yamaha RX-V4A vs Pioneer VSX-LX102 review

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The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Yamaha RX-V4A vs Pioneer VSX-LX102 that are meant to satisfy the needs of cinema and music lovers.

Amplifier

A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Yamaha RX-V4A has 5.2 versus 7.2 for Pioneer VSX-LX102. Regarding power, then RX-V4A has such a W/Ohm ratio - 80/6 when VSX-LX102 has a power of 80/8, 170/6. The THD is 0.06% for the RX-V4A but 0.08% for the VSX-LX102. Both the RX-V4A 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.

Connectivity

WI-FI modules have the same characteristics: 2.4/5GHz. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. The Yamaha RX-V4A has support for AirPlay, AirPlay 2, and its competitor in our comparison - AirPlay. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The RX-V4A can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, Qobuz, and the VSX-LX102 can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, TuneIn Radio.

Video features

Both AV receivers support HDR10 technology (High dynamic range). 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

Each receiver has 4/1 HDMI inputs/outputs. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the RX-V4A. The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) feature is present in most modern AV receivers and the models in our comparison are no exception. The RX-V4A supports the protection of digital content of the standard HDCP 2.3, versus HDCP 2.2 in the VSX-LX102. The VSX-LX102 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. Both RX-V4A and VSX-LX102 can be configured using the Setup assistant.

Multichannel surround

Only the VSX-LX102 has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. A surround technology DTS:X is supported only by the VSX-LX102.