An affordable AV receiver is always a good option to consider, so Yamaha RX-V585BL vs Pioneer VSX-S520 comparison definitely makes sense.
A significant difference between the receivers in the number of channels, Yamaha RX-V585BL has 7.2 versus 5.1 for Pioneer VSX-S520. Regarding power, then RX-V585BL has such a W/Ohm ratio - 80/8, 145/6 when VSX-S520 has a power of 50/4. The THD is the same and is 0.09%.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, Burr-Brown 384 KHz/32-bit for RX-V585BL and 192 KHz/24-bit for the VSX-S520. Only the RX-V585BL supports Bi-amping feature. 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 Yamaha RX-V585BL has support for AirPlay, AirPlay 2, and its competitor in our comparison - AirPlay. Spotify can be used on each receiver. The RX-V585BL can work with the audio stream from Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, TuneIn Radio, and the VSX-S520 can receive a content from Deezer, TIDAL, TuneIn Radio. 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 4/1 HDMI inputs/outputs. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. The HDMI eARC is available only on the RX-V585BL. 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. The VSX-S520 has a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. An ECO mode is only available for the RX-V585BL. Both RX-V585BL and VSX-S520 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.