Audio Video News

Pioneer today introduced a new $799 addition to its Elite family of AV receivers.

A follow-up to the 7.2-channel VSX-LX103 ($499) introduced in March, the VSX-LX303 is a 9.2-channel design featuring DTS:X and Dolby Atmos surround processing for 5.2.4 or 7.2.2 speaker layouts and Dolby Surround and DTS Neural:X for up-mixing for legacy soundtracks. The height/surround outputs can also be used to drive two pairs of speakers in other zones plus a 5.2-channel system or one pair of remote speakers plus a 5.2.2-channel immersive surround setup.

The receiver delivers 9 x 100 watts of FTC-rated power, has seven HDMI inputs/two outputs, and like its lower-priced sibling, supports hi-res audio, 4K/Ultra HD upscaling with passthrough for HDCP 2.2, 4K/60 Hz, wide color gamut, and three high dynamic range (HDR) formats: Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma).

Its 384-kHz/32-bit digital-to-audio converter has been upgraded with the addition of TI’s PCM5101 stereo DAC chip and an Aureus floating-point DSP chip. Resolutions up to 24 bits/192 kHz are supported in FLAC, WAV, AIFF and ALAC file formats in addition to DSD (2.8/5.6MHz) and Dolby TrueHD (up to 192 kHz/24-bit).

Other features include:

• Wireless connectivity via dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth streaming, Chromecast built-in, Apple AirPlay, DTS Play-Fi, and Pioneer’s FlareConnect protocol, which mirrors any audio source connected to the receiver on compatible speakers in other rooms
• Access to and app control of Internet radio and a variety of music streaming services, including Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Tidal, Deezer, and TuneIn internet radio
• Compatibility with Google Assistant devices for using voice commands to start/stop music, turn up the volume, and skip tracks
• A phono input
• Pioneer’s Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration System (MCACC) system — which uses a microphone to analyze the sound, apply equalization, and compensate for differences in speaker size, level, and distance — and a sound clarifying phase control that compensates for phase lags between the subwoofer and main channel speakers
• A Reflex Optimizer that enhances object-based surround-sound reproduction from up-firing Dolby Atmos-enabled speakers

The VSX-LX303 is covered by a three-year warranty and includes an AM/FM tuner with 40 station presets as well as custom installation features including RS-232c compliance, two 12-volt trigger outputs, and an IR input and output.

For more information, visit pioneerelectronics.com.