It makes sense comparing Onkyo TX-NR696 vs Pioneer VSX-LX301 because they both are able to give some premium features.
Considered AV receivers have the same number of channels 7.2. Regarding power, then TX-NR696 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 165/6 when VSX-LX301 has a power of 100/8, 170/6. The THD is the same and is 0.08%.
Competitors' digital to analog converter (DAC) is identical to AK4458 384 KHz/32-bit. Both the TX-NR696 and the VSX-LX301 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-NR696 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. 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.
Each receiver has 7/2 HDMI inputs/outputs. 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. These compared receivers have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.
Each of the AV receivers from our review supports 2 Multi-room zones. An ECO mode is not present in each of the AV receivers. Both TX-NR696 and VSX-LX301 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.