It makes sense comparing Pioneer VSX-LX303 vs Yamaha RX-A8A because they both are able to give some premium features.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Pioneer VSX-LX303 has 9.2 versus 11.2 for Yamaha RX-A8A. Regarding power, then VSX-LX303 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 100/8, 200/6 when RX-A8A has a power of 150/8. The THD is 0.08% for the VSX-LX303 but 0.06% for the RX-A8A.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, AK4458 384 KHz/32-bit for VSX-LX303 and 384 KHz/32-bit for the RX-A8A. Both the VSX-LX303 and the RX-A8A 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 RX-A8A can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, Napster, SoundCloud.
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 7/3 HDMI connectors of the Yamaha RX-A8A. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the RX-A8A. 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 RX-A8A. These compared receivers have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player.
Each of the AV receivers from our review supports 3 Multi-room zones. The VSX-LX303 supports voice control via Google Assistant, and the RX-A8A - Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI. An ECO mode is only available for the RX-A8A. Both VSX-LX303 and RX-A8A 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.