Pioneer VSX-LX503 vs Yamaha RX-A880

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Votes 1 1
Rating 5 5

VSX-LX503 vs RX-A880 comparison chart

Pioneer VSX-LX503 vs Yamaha RX-A880 review

Pioneer VSX-LX503
vs
Yamaha RX-A880

The Pioneer VSX-LX503 vs Yamaha RX-A880 comparison makes sense because it shows what devices in their segments can offer. According to the results of our review, Pioneer VSX-LX503 received 8.6 points out of 10 possible, and Yamaha RX-A880 was rated 8.3 points. Both AV receivers were introduced in 2018. VSX-LX503 is more suitable as the heart of home theater system than its opponent - RX-A880.

Main advantages Pioneer VSX-LX503 over Yamaha RX-A880

  • 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 100/8 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 Yamaha RX-A880 over Pioneer VSX-LX503

  • Include HDMI eARC function.

Amplifiers

For the built-in amplifier, the devices received different marks - 9 and 8, respectively, on a 10-point scale.

VSX-LX503
9
RX-A880
8

The number of channels is equal to the number of possible connected speakers. The Pioneer VSX-LX503 supports 9.2-channels sound, but Yamaha RX-A880 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 RX-A880 it is 100/8 W/Ohm.

VSX-LX503 RX-A880
Channels9.27.2
Stereo power (RMS), W/Ohm120/8, 230/6100/8, 160/4
Output impedance, Ohm8, 68, 4
Frequency response10Hz-100KHz10Hz-100KHz
THD in stereo, %0.080.06

Audio features

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

VSX-LX503
9
RX-A880
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.

VSX-LX503 RX-A880
Digital to analog converter (DAC)AK4458 384 KHz/32-bitBurr-Brown 384 KHz/32-bit
Bi-amping
Pure direct (straight)
Auto speaker calibrationMCACCYPAO
Speaker A/B switching
Other audio featuresAdvanced Sound Retriever, Hi-Res audio, Reflex OptimizerCINEMA DSP 3D, Compressed Music Enhancer, Virtual CINEMA FRONT

Connectivity

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

VSX-LX503
8
RX-A880
8

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

VSX-LX503 RX-A880
Wi-Fi2.4/5GHz2.4/5GHz
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 RX-A880
Apple Music (AirPlay)AirPlayAirPlay, AirPlay 2
Amazon Music
Spotify
Other streaming servicesDeezer, TIDAL, Pandora, TuneIn RadioDeezer, TIDAL, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM, Qobuz

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 Yamaha RX-A880 received 9 points.

VSX-LX503
8
RX-A880
9

Competitors in our review have 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 on Yamaha RX-A880.

VSX-LX503 RX-A880
HDMI input/output7/27/2
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 input22
Coaxial digital input12
Composite input21
Component input/output1/01/0
Phono (MM) input
Front panel connectorsUSB, HDMI, phones, setup micUSB, 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 VSX-LX503 were rated 10 out of 10 against the 8 for the RX-A880.

VSX-LX503
10
RX-A880
8

VSX-LX503 RX-A880
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 featuresDeepColor, x.v.Color, HLG, BT.2020DeepColor, x.v.Color, HLG, BT.2020

Additional features

In terms of evaluating additional features, the VSX-LX503 got 8 points, but the RX-A880 has 10.

VSX-LX503
8
RX-A880
10

Yamaha RX-A880 has the ECO mode.

VSX-LX503 RX-A880
Voice controlGoogle AssistantAmazon Alexa, Google Assistant
App controliPhone, iPad, iPod, AndroidiPhone, 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 Controlhas 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.

VSX-LX503 RX-A880
Multi-room zones32
Zone audio outputspeaker, preoutspeaker, preout
Zone HDMI output
Multi-room controlFlareConnectMusicCast
RS-23211
Remote control input/output (IR)1/11/1
DC trigger output (12V)21

Multichannel surround

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

VSX-LX503
7
RX-A880
7

VSX-LX503 RX-A880
Dolby Atmos
Dolby TrueHD
Dolby Surround
Dolby (other)Dolby Digital PlusDolby Digital Plus
DTS:X
DTS HD Master
DTS Virtual:X
DTS Neural:X
DTS (other)DTS-ES, DTS 96/24, DTS-HD, DTS-EXPRESSDTS 96/24, DTS-HD, DTS-EXPRESS, DTS-Neo:6
Auro-3D
IMAX Enhanced
Multichannel stereo
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