Yamaha RX-V685BL vs Pioneer VSX-934

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 1 1
Rating 5 5

RX-V685BL vs VSX-934 comparison chart

Yamaha RX-V685BL vs Pioneer VSX-934 review

Yamaha RX-V685BL
vs
Pioneer VSX-934

Let's compare Yamaha RX-V685BL versus Pioneer VSX-934 for an overview of all their pros and cons. We estimated the compared receivers and both received a 7.4 out of 10 points. The release date of RX-V685BL is 2018, and VSX-934 is 2019.

Main advantages Yamaha RX-V685BL over Pioneer VSX-934

  • 90/8 W/Ohm RMS makes it more productive compared to 80/8 W/Ohm RMS in another receiver in the review.
  • Include HDMI eARC function.

Main advantages Pioneer VSX-934 over Yamaha RX-V685BL

  • The Spotify support is an exclusive advantage.

Amplifiers

For the built-in amplifier, the devices received different marks - 8 and 7, respectively, on a 10-point scale.

RX-V685BL
8
VSX-934
7

The number of channels is equal to the number of possible connected speakers. Both receivers can handle the 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 RX-V685BL this value is 90/8 W/Ohm, and for the VSX-934 it is 80/8 W/Ohm.

RX-V685BL VSX-934
Channels7.27.2
Stereo power (RMS), W/Ohm90/8, 150/480/8, 165/6
Output impedance, Ohm8, 48, 6
Frequency response10Hz-100KHz10Hz-100KHz
THD in stereo, %0.060.08

Audio features

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

RX-V685BL
9
VSX-934
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.

RX-V685BL VSX-934
Digital to analog converter (DAC)Burr-Brown 384 KHz/32-bitAK4458 384 KHz/32-bit
Bi-amping
Pure direct (straight)
Auto speaker calibrationYPAOMCACC
Speaker A/B switching
Other audio featuresCINEMA DSP, Compressed Music Enhancer, Virtual CINEMA FRONTAdvanced Sound Retriever

Connectivity

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

RX-V685BL
8
VSX-934
8

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

RX-V685BL VSX-934
Wi-Fi2.4/5GHz2.4/5GHz
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.

RX-V685BL VSX-934
Apple Music (AirPlay)AirPlayAirPlay, AirPlay 2
Amazon Music
Spotify
Other streaming serviceshas notDeezer, TIDAL, Pandora

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, both receivers got 7 points on our 10-point scale.

RX-V685BL
7
VSX-934
7

Yamaha RX-V685BL is equipped with 5/2 HDMI inputs and outputs, and Pioneer VSX-934 has 6/2 HDMI inputs and outputs.

HDMI eARC is the next step in the development of audio return channel technology, which works in conjunction with HDMI 2.1. Using eARC provides the highest sound quality for home audio systems. HDMI eARC is available only on Yamaha RX-V685BL.

RX-V685BL VSX-934
HDMI input/output5/26/2
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 input21
Coaxial digital input21
Composite input10
Component input/output1/00/0
Phono (MM) input
Front panel connectorsUSB, phones, AUXUSB, phones, setup mic, AUX
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 RX-V685BL were rated 8 out of 10 against the 10 for the VSX-934.

RX-V685BL
8
VSX-934
10

RX-V685BL VSX-934
HDR (High Dynamic Range)HDR10HDR10
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 HDMI
Analog to HDMI scaling
HDMI to HDMI scaling
Dolby Vision
Other video featuresBT.2020, HLGHLG, BT.2020

Additional features

In terms of evaluating additional features, the RX-V685BL got 7 points, but the VSX-934 has 6.

RX-V685BL
7
VSX-934
6

Only the Yamaha RX-V685BL has the ECO mode.

RX-V685BL VSX-934
Voice control
App controliPhone, iPad, iPod, AndroidiPhone, 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 featureshas nothas not

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.

RX-V685BL VSX-934
Multi-room zones22
Zone audio outputspeaker, preoutspeaker, preout
Zone HDMI output
Multi-room controlMusicCastFlareConnect
RS-23200
Remote control input/output (IR)1/10/0
DC trigger output (12V)10

Multichannel surround

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

RX-V685BL
7
VSX-934
7

RX-V685BL VSX-934
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 96/24, DTS-HD, DTS-EXPRESS, DTS-Surround, DTS Neo:6DTS-ES, DTS 96/24, DTS-HD, DTS-EXPRESS
Auro-3D
IMAX Enhanced
Multichannel stereo
Add another receiver to comparison
We didn't find anything to show here