The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Onkyo TX-RZ840 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, Onkyo TX-RZ840 has 9.2 versus 7.2 for Pioneer VSX-LX102. Regarding power, then TX-RZ840 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 180/6 when VSX-LX102 has a power of 80/8, 170/6. The THD is the same and is 0.08%.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, AKM 384 KHz/32-bit for TX-RZ840 and AK4438 384 KHz/32-bit for the VSX-LX102. Both the TX-RZ840 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 Onkyo TX-RZ840 has support for AirPlay, AirPlay 2, and its competitor in our comparison - AirPlay. Spotify can be used on each receiver. Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, TuneIn Radio - all of these streaming services have found application in each of the models.
Both AV receivers support HDR10 technology (High dynamic range). 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 VSX-LX102 can scale the input HDMI signal, unlike the TX-RZ840. The HDR standard - Dolby Vision is supported by these receivers.
The Onkyo TX-RZ840 has 7/2 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 TX-RZ840. 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. An ECO mode is only available for the VSX-LX102. Both TX-RZ840 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.