Pioneer VSX-LX503 vs Denon AVR-X3400H

If you click a link on this page and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Votes 2 2
Rating 3.5 3.5

VSX-LX503 vs AVR-X3400H comparison chart

Pioneer VSX-LX503 vs Denon AVR-X3400H review

Pioneer VSX-LX503
vs
Denon AVR-X3400H

Let's make the Pioneer VSX-LX503 versus Denon AVR-X3400H comparison. According to the results of our review, Pioneer VSX-LX503 received 8.6 points out of 10 possible, and Denon AVR-X3400H was rated 8.5 points. The release date of VSX-LX503 is 2018, and AVR-X3400H is 2017. After comparison, it will become clear that among these two devices, the VSX-LX503 is more suitable for the role of the heart of home theater system.

Main advantages Pioneer VSX-LX503 over Denon AVR-X3400H

  • More channels, namely 9, makes this receiver more profitable than its 7-channel competitor.
  • 120/8 W/Ohm RMS makes it more productive compared to 105/8 W/Ohm RMS in another receiver in the review.
  • Both receivers have a multi-room zone function, but VSX-LX503 has 3 zones vs 2 on its competitor.

Main advantages Denon AVR-X3400H over Pioneer VSX-LX503

  • We do not know advantages

Amplifiers

For the built-in amplifier, the devices received different marks - 9 and 7, respectively, on a 10-point scale.

VSX-LX503
9
AVR-X3400H
7

The number of channels is equal to the number of possible connected speakers. The Pioneer VSX-LX503 supports 9.2-channels sound, but Denon AVR-X3400H supports a 7.2-channels configuration.

RMS stands for the actual power of the receiver. The higher this value, the louder the sound can be produced. The differences between the models in terms of RMS power are significant - for the VSX-LX503 this value is 120/8 W/Ohm, and for the AVR-X3400H it is 105/8 W/Ohm.

VSX-LX503 AVR-X3400H
Channels9.27.2
Stereo power (RMS), W/Ohm120/8, 230/6105/8, 135/6
Output impedance, Ohm8, 68, 6
Frequency response10Hz-100KHz10Hz-100KHz
THD in stereo, %0.080.08

Audio features

The score for audio features is 9 of 10 for both receivers.

VSX-LX503
9
AVR-X3400H
9

Most receivers now come with a microphone included. It is with the help of this microphone that the auto-calibration system functions, which adjusts the sound of the receiver to the room.

Speaker A/B switching allows you to change between the main and sub speaker set. Denon AVR-X3400H can work with the main and additional set of speakers - and switch between them.

VSX-LX503 AVR-X3400H
Digital to analog converter (DAC)AK4458 384 KHz/32-bit192 KHz/24-bit
Bi-amping
Pure direct (straight)
Auto speaker calibrationMCACCAudyssey MultEQ XT32
Speaker A/B switching
Other audio featuresAdvanced Sound Retriever, Hi-Res audio, Reflex OptimizerHi-Res audio, Audyssey LFC

Connectivity

The connectivity of competitors in our comparison is markedly different, Pioneer VSX-LX503 scored 8, and Denon AVR-X3400H scored 7 out of 10.

VSX-LX503
8
AVR-X3400H
7

Bluetooth connection is now one of the main communication protocols for the receiver's control or even music broadcasting.

VSX-LX503 AVR-X3400H
Wi-Fi2.4/5GHz
USB2 (USB 2.0)1 (USB 2.0)
Bluetooth
Ethernet (RJ45)11
DLNA
MHL

Streaming services

Now music streaming services are gaining more and more popularity. They allow users to listen to millions of songs by subscription.

VSX-LX503 AVR-X3400H
Apple Music (AirPlay)AirPlayAirPlay, AirPlay 2
Amazon Music
Spotify
Other streaming servicesDeezer, TIDAL, Pandora, TuneIn RadioDeezer, TIDAL, Pandora,iHeart Radio, Sirius XM, Sound Cloud, Napster

Extensive connections

The presence of many connectors makes the receiver more versatile. But there are also narrowly targeted models, the number of connectors which are limited to a certain area of use. And when choosing their own receiver, users need to consider exactly your goals for using the receiver. For extensive connection, Pioneer VSX-LX503 got 8 points, but Denon AVR-X3400H received 9 points.

VSX-LX503
8
AVR-X3400H
9

Pioneer VSX-LX503 is equipped with 7/2 HDMI inputs and outputs, and Denon AVR-X3400H has 8/3 HDMI inputs and outputs.

VSX-LX503 AVR-X3400H
HDMI input/output7/28/3
HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel)
HDMI eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel)
HDMI CEC
Digital content protection (HDCP)HDCP 2.2HDCP 2.2
Subwoofer output (LFE)22
Headphone output1 x 6.31 x 6.3
Optical digital input22
Coaxial digital input12
Composite input23
Component input/output1/02/1
Phono (MM) input
Front panel connectorsUSB, HDMI, phones, setup micUSB, HDMI, phones, setup mic
Multi channel preamp output

Video features

The AV receiver is the heart of the home theater. And in this case, support for all current video formats ensures the best user experience, so it is very important to consider this when choosing a device. Video features of rivals in our comparison were rated 10 out of 10.

VSX-LX503
10
AVR-X3400H
10

VSX-LX503 AVR-X3400H
HDR (High Dynamic Range)HDR10
4K signal pass-through4K/60Hz4K/60Hz
8K signal pass-through
HDMI signal pass-through
3D signal pass-through
HDMI pass-through in standby mode
Video conversionanalog to HDMIanalog to HDMI
Analog to HDMI scaling
HDMI to HDMI scaling
Dolby Vision
Other video featuresDeepColor, x.v.Color, HLG, BT.2020DeepColor, x.v.Color

Additional features

In terms of evaluating additional features, the VSX-LX503 got 8 points, but the AVR-X3400H has 10.

VSX-LX503
8
AVR-X3400H
10

Denon AVR-X3400H has the ECO mode.

VSX-LX503 AVR-X3400H
Voice controlGoogle AssistantAmazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI
App controliPhone, iPad, iPod, AndroidiPhone, iPad, Mac, Android
Displaycolour OSDfluorescent
TunerAM, FMAM, FM
Sleep timer
Auto power off
ECO mode
Graphical user interface (GUI)
Setup assistant
Firmware updatenetwork, USBnetwork, USB
Other additional featuresIP ControlIP Control

Multi-room

As the center of a home media system, each multichannel receiver has an additional set of terminals for connecting the second set of speakers to create additional audio space in Zone 2 or even Zone 3 where audio can have the separate source.

VSX-LX503 AVR-X3400H
Multi-room zones32
Zone audio outputspeaker, preoutspeaker, preout
Zone HDMI output
Multi-room controlFlareConnectHEOS App, Denon 2016 AVR Remote
RS-23211
Remote control input/output (IR)1/11/1
DC trigger output (12V)22

Multichannel surround

For the ability to create multichannel surround sound, each of the receivers received 7 points out of 10.

VSX-LX503
7
AVR-X3400H
7

VSX-LX503 AVR-X3400H
Dolby Atmos
Dolby TrueHD
Dolby Surround
Dolby (other)Dolby Digital Plushas not
DTS:X
DTS HD Master
DTS Virtual:X
DTS Neural:X
DTS (other)DTS-ES, DTS 96/24, DTS-HD, DTS-EXPRESShas not
Auro-3D
IMAX Enhanced
Multichannel stereo
Add another receiver to comparison
We didn't find anything to show here