An affordable AV receiver is always a good option to consider, so Pioneer VSX-LX303 vs Marantz NR1711 comparison definitely makes sense.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Pioneer VSX-LX303 has 9.2 versus 7.2 for Marantz NR1711. Regarding power, then VSX-LX303 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 100/8, 200/6 when NR1711 has a power of 50/8, 70/6. The THD is the same and is 0.08%. Both the VSX-LX303 and the NR1711 support Bi-amping. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing.
WI-FI modules have the same characteristics: 2.4/5GHz. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. The Pioneer VSX-LX303 has support for AirPlay, and its competitor in our comparison - AirPlay, AirPlay 2. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The VSX-LX303 can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and the NR1711 can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, Napster, SoundCloud.
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.
The Pioneer VSX-LX303 has 7/2 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 6/1 HDMI connectors of the Marantz NR1711. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the NR1711. The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) feature is present in most modern AV receivers and the models in our comparison are no exception. The VSX-LX303 supports the protection of digital content of the standard HDCP 2.2, versus HDCP 2.3 in the NR1711. These compared receivers have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.
The VSX-LX303 supports 3 Multi-room zones, versus 2 for the NR1711. The VSX-LX303 supports voice control via Google Assistant, and the NR1711 - Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI. An ECO mode is only available for the NR1711. Both VSX-LX303 and NR1711 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.