Marantz CINEMA 60 vs Pioneer VSX-LX503

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Being able to compare Marantz CINEMA 60 and Pioneer VSX-LX503 gave us an insight into what of them would be better for home theater configuration. According to the results of our review, Marantz CINEMA 60 received 8.3 points out of 10 possible, and Pioneer VSX-LX503 was rated 8.6 points. The release date of CINEMA 60 is 2022, and VSX-LX503 is 2018. VSX-LX503 is more performable in terms of audio broadcast than the CINEMA 60.

Main advantages Marantz CINEMA 60 over Pioneer VSX-LX503

Main advantages Pioneer VSX-LX503 over Marantz CINEMA 60

Amplifiers

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

The number of channels is equal to the number of possible connected speakers. The Marantz CINEMA 60 supports 7.2-channels sound, but Pioneer VSX-LX503 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 VSX-LX503 this value is 120/8 W/Ohm, and for the CINEMA 60 it is 100/8 W/Ohm.

Audio features

After reviewing the audio features of each model, we can rate the CINEMA 60 7 out of 10, and the VSX-LX503 - 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. Marantz CINEMA 60 can work with the main and additional set of speakers - and switch between them.

Connectivity

The connectivity of competitors in our comparison is markedly different, Marantz CINEMA 60 scored 9, and Pioneer VSX-LX503 scored 8 out of 10.

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 Marantz CINEMA 60.

Streaming services

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

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 8 points on our 10-point scale.

Marantz CINEMA 60 is equipped with 6/3 HDMI inputs and outputs, and Pioneer VSX-LX503 has 7/2 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 Marantz CINEMA 60.

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 Marantz CINEMA 60 in the HDCP 2.3 version, and Pioneer VSX-LX503 has the HDCP 2.2 version.

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 CINEMA 60 were rated 8 out of 10 against the 10 for the VSX-LX503.

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 CINEMA 60 works with the 4K/120Hz video, and the VSX-LX503 has the 4K/60Hz.

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 only on Marantz CINEMA 60.

Additional features

In terms of evaluating additional features, the CINEMA 60 got 10 points, but the VSX-LX503 has 8.

Only the Marantz CINEMA 60 has the ECO mode.

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.

Multichannel surround

Marantz CINEMA 60 got 8 points for the multichannel surround sound and Pioneer VSX-LX503 got 7.