Pioneer Elite VSX-LX303 vs Onkyo TX-NR787 AV Receiver

[gene]

Ever since Onkyo’s purchase of Pioneer in 2015, it was just a matter of time before Pioneer introduced their foray into the midpriced / hi-end AV receiver arena with their Elite VSX-LX303. The 9.2 channel AV receiver is priced at $799 and, like Onkyo’s TX-NR787 supports and upmixes to DTS:X and Dolby Atmos soundtracks via 5.2.4-ch or 7.2.2-ch speaker layouts.

Both receivers have similar power specifications, # of amplifier channels, processing and multi-room capabilities. There are some features that differentiate the two models however.

Read: Pioneer Elite VSX-LX303 AV Receiver Preview

Which model do you prefer?

 

[lovinthehd]

Might want to fix the 1000 wpc specification listed

Is there an actual difference between MCACC in this Pioneer vs the Advanced AccuEQ in the Onkyo?

 

[M Code]

Important to note that the warranty for the Elite VSX-LX303 is 3 years parts/labor while the Onkyo 787 is 1 year less @ 2 years parts/labor. However the Onkyo RZ series AVRs do have a 3 year parts/labor warranty....

Just my $0.02...

 

[jmoore2779]

Have owed both the 787 and LX303. I still have the 303 and I can say hands down it is a better receiver. I was hesitant to go with Onkyo because of the HDMI issues they were plagued with. But the sale price was almost $300 less than the 303 so I went with it. Sound was what I expected from Onkyo, the video was great; until it wasnt. 4k HDR feeds started cutting in and out and the sound also, I felt the back of the receiver ( Which I have sitting on a shelf, not enclosed) and it was hot, like really hot. I turned it off, let it cool down and tried again. Everything was fine for a few minutes until it got hot again. I traded it in for the 303 and I really do believe the Direct energy design works because this receiver never gets hot to the touch, and the sound and picture never drops out. I did like the AccuEq over MCACC mainly because of the independent X-overs, but this is a small sacrifice, the Onkyo bass was heavier too, but I just upgraded to a new SVS sub and thats not a issue anymore. I also had Denon, and Yamaha, the Pioneer is still my preferred in this price range.

P.s. one more thing, I noticed my local audio shop and Magnolia in best buy both still do not carry Onkyo, its not because the issues they had in 2012 with the HDMI, I was told its because Onkyo still has more reliability issues than the other companies. Magnolia manager told me, they lost more money due to returns from Onkyo than Denon, Yamaha, and Pioneer combined. Do what you wish with this information.

 

[matej89]

@jmoore2779 are you referring to the HDMI issues where sound would cut out through ARC? I have the NR686 and have the issue where sound through HDMI devices like consoles, blu ray players is perfect but when switching to the tv input sometimes the amp doesn't recognise it and there's no sound. It's totally random when this happens, sometimes it's when turning both the TV and amp on in the morning, sometimes it's when switching sources, sometimes it's totally fine. It's very frustrating but being in the UK and having bought the amp less than 6 months ago I'm still within my right for a full refund/replacement. I'm considering switching to the Pioneer instead as specs are similar, I can live without the THX certification.

 

[jmoore2779]

@jmoore2779 are you referring to the HDMI issues where sound would cut out through ARC? I have the NR686 and have the issue where sound through HDMI devices like consoles, blu ray players is perfect but when switching to the tv input sometimes the amp doesn't recognise it and there's no sound. It's totally random when this happens, sometimes it's when turning both the TV and amp on in the morning, sometimes it's when switching sources, sometimes it's totally fine. It's very frustrating but being in the UK and having bought the amp less than 6 months ago I'm still within my right for a full refund/replacement. I'm considering switching to the Pioneer instead as specs are similar, I can live without the THX certification.

MateJ89- I personally didnt use ARC so I dont have first hand experience with that issue, but I am aware of it. Yes this is a well known issue with Onkyo across all levels of receivers. Even Integra (Onkyo's high end brand) has had this ARC issue. From what I read online about it, a common low cost fix is to replace the HDMI cable with an HDMI certified one (has a hologram HDMI logo sticker and serial number) they arent anymore expensive and amazon has them. Another cause is actually not Onkyo's fault entirely. The ARC issues seem to follow LG and Sony TV's, some models have firmware updates that solve this, but not all of them. If you have a sony or lg tv, this may be a permanent issue for you, I would consider the return and pickup another brand. I really liked the sound of the 787 when I had is, it's actually still my favorite sounding receiver but I couldn't live with the cutting in and out. I went Pioneer elite (owned by ONKYO) and I'm glad I did. I hope this helps and please fact check me, maybe something has changed since I read these things.
As far as THX certification, I dont know how big your room is, but that's all it's for. It does nothing for small to medium sized rooms. I would highly consider going Pioneer, I have had nothing but great experience.

P.s. if you do return it, look for a reciever that will be HDMI 2.1b compliant. 2.1b supports eARC which is ARC on steroids look it up it's pretty cool.

 

[lovinthehd]

MateJ89- I personally didnt use ARC so I dont have first hand experience with that issue, but I am aware of it. Yes this is a well known issue with Onkyo across all levels of receivers. Even Integra (Onkyo's high end brand) has had this ARC issue. From what I read online about it, a common low cost fix is to replace the HDMI cable with an HDMI certified one (has a hologram HDMI logo sticker and serial number) they arent anymore expensive and amazon has them. Another cause is actually not Onkyo's fault entirely. The ARC issues seem to follow LG and Sony TV's, some models have firmware updates that solve this, but not all of them. If you have a sony or lg tv, this may be a permanent issue for you, I would consider the return and pickup another brand. I really liked the sound of the 787 when I had is, it's actually still my favorite sounding receiver but I couldn't live with the cutting in and out. I went Pioneer elite (owned by ONKYO) and I'm glad I did. I hope this helps and please fact check me, maybe something has changed since I read these things.
As far as THX certification, I dont know how big your room is, but that's all it's for. It does nothing for small to medium sized rooms. I would highly consider going Pioneer, I have had nothing but great experience.

P.s. if you do return it, look for a reciever that will be HDMI 2.1b compliant. 2.1b supports eARC which is ARC on steroids look it up it's pretty cool.

I'd say the problem is more that HDMI CEC protocols are somewhat vague and each brand implements differently (and apparently only Yamaha actually does hdmi certification). My Onkyo plays nice with my current bluray player, but not the previous even tho both Sony players....different tvs the Onkyo was fine with tho. ARC is mostly just to be avoided IMHO.

 

[jmoore2779]

I agree with that, ARC is less than ideal. And to make it worse, there are so many sub par HDMI cables out there that compound the issue. Hopefully 2.1b fixes alot of the ARC bugs.

I'd say the problem is more that HDMI CEC protocols are somewhat vague and each brand implements differently (and apparently only Yamaha actually does hdmi certification). My Onkyo plays nice with my current bluray player, but not the previous even tho both Sony players....different tvs the Onkyo was fine with tho. ARC is mostly just to be avoided IMHO.

 

[lovinthehd]

I agree with that, ARC is less than ideal. And to make it worse, there are so many sub par HDMI cables out there that compound the issue. Hopefully 2.1b fixes alot of the ARC bugs.

I've not had any hdmi cable issues, but no 4K experience.

 

[jmoore2779]

I've not had any hdmi cable issues, but no 4K experience.

Yea, the new HDCP is a pain in the butt. The 1.4 cables are capable of handling 4k @30hz just fine and theoretically capable of handling 4k@60. But even when a proper handshake is established through a older cable it still cuts video and in this case sound feed because the bandwidth is cut down by the cable. HDCP sees this as another device connected and rechecks the EDID of the handshake. If another device doesnt show up it thinks there is a ripping device in the chain and clips out the feed, or it cuts resolution down to 1080p in some cases. The older HDCP for 1080p did this too, but at a much lower rate, HDCP 2.2 does it everytime the bandwidth drops below a threshold as a default. 9/10 times it's the cable to blame, and the HDMI certified cables are the best option to go with because they guarantee the bandwidth not to drop below the threshold level.

 

[lovinthehd]

Yea, the new HDCP is a pain in the butt. The 1.4 cables are capable of handling 4k @30hz just fine and theoretically capable of handling 4k@60. But even when a proper handshake is established through a older cable it still cuts video and in this case sound feed because the bandwidth is cut down by the cable. HDCP sees this as another device connected and rechecks the EDID of the handshake. If another device doesnt show up it thinks there is a ripping device in the chain and clips out the feed, or it cuts resolution down to 1080p in some cases. The older HDCP for 1080p did this too, but at a much lower rate, HDCP 2.2 does it everytime the bandwidth drops below a threshold as a default. 9/10 times it's the cable to blame, and the HDMI certified cables are the best option to go with because they guarantee the bandwidth not to drop below the threshold level.

Never was such a thing as a 1.4 cable, tho.

 

[jmoore2779]

All this is from alot of experience and pain. I got a OLED tv and upgraded my AVR to the ONKYO 787. From my first post those problems were due to the AVR overheating. I went back and returned for a Denon. It was fine until I had 4k HDR feeds. They would cut out, and when I went back to 4K SDR or 1080p it would still cut out until i power cycled the AVR. I returned that and picked up a Sony, (I wanted to try the pioneer but I was skeptical because they are owned by onkyo) guess what, same thing. I went back to the store and told them what was going on. They sent a tech to check out my setup and he determined everything was hooked up right and saw the issue himself. He determined it was a faulty unit so I was able to exchange it. They recommend the pioneer elite at least the 303 because they use different HDMI boards than the 103 and onkyo in general. He also sent me home with a HDMI certified cable for testing purposes. Every problem went away, I tried it for a week with now problems and went back to the original cable (which was a "4k capable" HDMI cable from amazon) and in the matter of minutes the issues came back. So I went back to the store and told them, and because I felt bad that I went through 3 receivers I offered to bring the ONKYO back home and try with the new cable to see if it works, but they told me they were having the same issues with the HDMI certified cables, so it was the AVR. But the Denon was fine and since the Sony was a open box item they didnt lose any money on that from me. Point of my long winded story is that a $15 cable caused so much issues that I went through 4 receivers in the matter of a month, the store lost money because they now have to sell the Denon as a open box item. The cables were from a reputable company which is why they weren't in question. Go HDMI certified cables and eliminate that variable from your setup, keep troubleshooting simpler, and possibly cheaper.

 

[jmoore2779]

Never was such a thing as a 1.4 cable, tho.

I get the versions messed up. The last generation cable that was designed for 1080p

 

[jmoore2779]

Never was such a thing as a 1.4 cable, tho.

I'm sorry I'm saying HDMI certified, I meant HDMI premium.

 

[jmoore2779]

And there is a HDMI 1.4 cable, I'm not sure why you think there isnt. I just fact checked myself on HDMI.org.

 

[jmoore2779]

There's 1.4, 1.4a and 1.4b. 1.4 was for 1080p support, 1.4a was for high speed, and 1.4b was for highspeed with ethernet

 

[lovinthehd]

I get the versions messed up. The last generation cable that was designed for 1080p

It's about bandwidth/speed....having the right one helps but hdmi has plenty of issues, particularly between different brand components.

 

[jmoore2779]

It's about bandwidth/speed....having the right one helps but hdmi has plenty of issues, particularly between different brand components.

Your certainly right about that. All this info came from AV experts, and they all unanimously agreed the cable is plays a big part. Their point was the cable cant make your picture or sound better, but can definitely make it worse or even not work at all.

 

[Bart2Brett]

Ever since Onkyo’s purchase of Pioneer in 2015, it was just a matter of time before Pioneer introduced their foray into the midpriced / hi-end AV receiver arena with their Elite VSX-LX303. The 9.2 channel AV receiver is priced at $799 and, like Onkyo’s TX-NR787 supports and upmixes to DTS:X and Dolby Atmos soundtracks via 5.2.4-ch or 7.2.2-ch speaker layouts.

Both receivers have similar power specifications, # of amplifier channels, processing and multi-room capabilities. There are some features that differentiate the two models however.

View attachment 24540

Read: Pioneer Elite VSX-LX303 AV Receiver Preview

Which model do you prefer?

Ever since Onkyo’s purchase of Pioneer in 2015, it was just a matter of time before Pioneer introduced their foray into the midpriced / hi-end AV receiver arena with their Elite VSX-LX303. The 9.2 channel AV receiver is priced at $799 and, like Onkyo’s TX-NR787 supports and upmixes to DTS:X and Dolby Atmos soundtracks via 5.2.4-ch or 7.2.2-ch speaker layouts.

Both receivers have similar power specifications, # of amplifier channels, processing and multi-room capabilities. There are some features that differentiate the two models however.

View attachment 24540

Read: Pioneer Elite VSX-LX303 AV Receiver Preview

Which model do you prefer?

I have one question about my VSX-LX303: Why doesn't the volume start at 0?

 

[Trebdp83]

There does not seem to be an option in the volume settings to switch from Relative value to Absolute value regarding volume level.