Denon AVR-X8500H vs Pioneer Elite VSX-LX505

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Votes 1 1
Rating 5 5

AVR-X8500H vs Elite VSX-LX505 comparison chart

Overall
Denon AVR-X8500H
9.5
Pioneer Elite VSX-LX505
8.7
10
9
10
10

Denon AVR-X8500H vs Pioneer Elite VSX-LX505 review

Denon AVR-X8500H
vs
Pioneer Elite VSX-LX505

The Denon AVR-X8500H vs Pioneer Elite VSX-LX505 comparison makes sense because it shows what devices in their segments can offer. According to the results of our review, Denon AVR-X8500H received 9.5 points out of 10 possible, and Pioneer Elite VSX-LX505 was rated 8.7 points. The release date of AVR-X8500H is 2018, and Elite VSX-LX505 is 2021. AVR-X8500H is more suitable as the heart of home theater system than its opponent - Elite VSX-LX505.

Main advantages Denon AVR-X8500H over Pioneer Elite VSX-LX505

  • More channels, namely 13, makes this receiver more profitable than its 9-channel competitor.
  • 150/8 W/Ohm RMS makes it more productive compared to 120/8 W/Ohm RMS in another receiver in the review.
  • Both receivers have a multi-room zone function, but AVR-X8500H has 3 zones vs 2 on its competitor.
  • HDMI CEC is present.

Main advantages Pioneer Elite VSX-LX505 over Denon AVR-X8500H

  • 8K/60Hz signal pass-through is available.

Amplifiers

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

AVR-X8500H
10
Elite VSX-LX505
9

The number of channels is equal to the number of possible connected speakers. The Denon AVR-X8500H supports 13.2-channels sound, but Pioneer Elite VSX-LX505 supports a 9.2-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 AVR-X8500H this value is 150/8 W/Ohm, and for the Elite VSX-LX505 it is 120/8 W/Ohm.

AVR-X8500H Elite VSX-LX505
Channels13.29.2
Stereo power (RMS), W/Ohm150/8, 250/6120/8, 230/6
Output impedance, Ohm8, 68, 6
Frequency response10Hz-100KHz20Hz-20KHz
THD in stereo, %0.050.08

Audio features

After reviewing the audio features of each model, we can rate the AVR-X8500H 10 out of 10, and the Elite VSX-LX505 - 9.

AVR-X8500H
10
Elite VSX-LX505
9

Pure Direct mode feeds sound directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing. Only Denon AVR-X8500H has Pure Direct mode.

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-X8500H can work with the main and additional set of speakers - and switch between them.

AVR-X8500H Elite VSX-LX505
Digital to analog converter (DAC)AK4490EQ 768 KHz/32-bit192 KHz/24-bit
Bi-amping
Pure direct (straight)
Auto speaker calibrationAudyssey MultEQ XT32MCACC
Speaker A/B switching
Other audio featuresAudyssey Dynamic Volume, Audyssey Dynamic EQ, Audyssey LFCAdvanced Sound Retriever, Hi-Res audio, Dirac Live Room Correction

Connectivity

The connectivity of competitors in our comparison is equal and was rated 8 out of 10.

AVR-X8500H
8
Elite VSX-LX505
8

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

DLNA is the perfect way to use your local cloud storage to stream movies and music directly to a TV. You can use the DLNA protocol only with Denon AVR-X8500H.

AVR-X8500H Elite VSX-LX505
Wi-Fi2.4/5GHz
USB1 (USB 2.0)2 (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.

AVR-X8500H Elite VSX-LX505
Apple Music (AirPlay)AirPlay, AirPlay 2AirPlay, AirPlay 2
Amazon Music
Spotify
Other streaming servicesDeezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, TuneIn Radio, iHeart Radio, Sound CloudDeezer, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, Napster, SoundCloud

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, Denon AVR-X8500H got 10 points, but Pioneer Elite VSX-LX505 received 7 points.

AVR-X8500H
10
Elite VSX-LX505
7

Denon AVR-X8500H is equipped with 8/3 HDMI inputs and outputs, and Pioneer Elite VSX-LX505 has 7/2 HDMI inputs and outputs.

HDMI-CEC helps gadgets attached to your TV to link back and forth with your TV via HDMI ports. It is become possible to control all linked devices with one remote. The AVR-X8500H features HDMI CEC.

The HDCP encryption protocol is now mandatory for most media devices. This security technology encrypts digital signals from one product to another. HDCP content-encryption protocol is present on Denon AVR-X8500H in the HDCP 2.2 version, and Pioneer Elite VSX-LX505 has the HDCP 2.3 version.

AVR-X8500H Elite VSX-LX505
HDMI input/output8/37/2
HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel)
HDMI eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel)
HDMI CEC
Digital content protection (HDCP)HDCP 2.2HDCP 2.3
Subwoofer output (LFE)22
Headphone output1 x 6.31 x 6.3
Optical digital input21
Coaxial digital input21
Composite input42
Component input/output3/11
Phono (MM) input
Front panel connectorsUSB, HDMI, phones, setup micHDMI, USB, 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 the AVR-X8500H were rated 9 out of 10 against the 8 for the Elite VSX-LX505.

AVR-X8500H
9
Elite VSX-LX505
8

With the 4K pass-through feature, the AV receiver sends "native" 4K signals to a 4K TV from a video source without any processing. The AVR-X8500H works with the 4K/60Hz video, and the Elite VSX-LX505 has the 4K/120Hz.

The AV receiver passes "native" 8K signals from a video source to 8K TV without any encoding, with the 8k pass-through features. The 8K path-through is available on Pioneer Elite VSX-LX505.

AVR-X8500H Elite VSX-LX505
HDR (High Dynamic Range)HDR10+
4K signal pass-through4K/60Hz4K/120Hz
8K signal pass-through8K/60Hz
HDMI signal pass-through
3D signal pass-through
HDMI pass-through in standby mode
Video conversionanalog to HDMI
Analog to HDMI scaling
HDMI to HDMI scaling
Dolby Vision
Other video featuresHLG, BT.2020DeepColor, x.v.Color, HLG, BT.2020, LipSync

Additional features

In terms of evaluating additional features, the AVR-X8500H got 10 points, but the Elite VSX-LX505 has 9.

AVR-X8500H
10
Elite VSX-LX505
9

Only the Denon AVR-X8500H has the ECO mode.

AVR-X8500H Elite VSX-LX505
Voice controlAmazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AIAmazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Josh.AI
App controliPhone, iPad, iPod, Android, Amazon KindleiPhone, iPad, iPod, Android
Displaycolour OSDcolour OSD
TunerAM, FMAM, FM
Sleep timer
Auto power off
ECO mode
Graphical user interface (GUI)
Setup assistant
Firmware updatenetwork, USBnetwork, USB
Other additional featuresIP Control, Web ControlApp Control, Sonos Connect 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.

AVR-X8500H Elite VSX-LX505
Multi-room zones32
Zone audio outputspeaker, preoutspeaker, preout
Zone HDMI output
Multi-room controlHEOS AppPioneer Control App
RS-23211
Remote control input/output (IR)1/11/1
DC trigger output (12V)22

Multichannel surround

Denon AVR-X8500H got 10 points for the multichannel surround sound and Pioneer Elite VSX-LX505 got 8.

AVR-X8500H
10
Elite VSX-LX505
8

Auro 3D gives a bit more versatility than Dolby Atmos or DTS:X and provides a hemispherical sound and enables a receiver to produce 3D sound stages. Only the Denon AVR-X8500H has Auro-3D on its feature list.

Rivals in this competition licensed by IMAX.

AVR-X8500H Elite VSX-LX505
Dolby Atmos
Dolby TrueHD
Dolby Surround
Dolby (other)Dolby Digital PlusDolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
DTS:X
DTS HD Master
DTS Virtual:X
DTS Neural:X
DTS (other)DTS-ES, DTS 96/24, DTS-HD, DTS-EXPRESS, DTS-SurroundDTS-ES, DTS 96/24, DTS-EXPRESS
Auro-3D
IMAX Enhanced
Multichannel stereo
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