Pioneer has made a triumphant return to the AV receiver arena, marking their comeback with the VSX-LX305, a mid-range powerhouse designed to deliver exceptional home theater experiences. While known as part of Pioneer’s ‘Elite’ range in the USA, the VSX-LX305 maintains its high standards globally, offering impressive features and performance for discerning home cinema enthusiasts.
While positioned below the VSX-LX505, the LX305 still packs a punch with 170W of power per channel into 8 ohms. It’s configured for 9.2 channels, slightly less than the 11.2 channels of its more expensive sibling, and features a streamlined selection of legacy connections, focusing on modern connectivity and performance. However, crucially, it retains the core features that define this generation of Pioneer receivers, including nine channels of amplification, comprehensive support for immersive audio formats like Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and IMAX Enhanced, and advanced HDMI 2.1 capabilities across six inputs, ready for HDR10+, 4K/120p gaming, and VRR. A standout addition for this generation is the inclusion of Dirac Live room correction, a significant upgrade alongside Pioneer’s own Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration System (MCACC).
Unleashing Powerful and Immersive Sound Quality
The Pioneer VSX-LX305 immediately establishes a key Pioneer strength: delivering a robust and dynamic multichannel audio performance, particularly for film soundtracks. For those who crave a cinematic sound experience that’s both grand and impactful, the VSX-LX305 emerges as a compelling option. While its musicality is capable, it leans towards powerful delivery rather than delicate nuance, making it a prime choice for movie enthusiasts.
This focus on dynamic power translates brilliantly to films like Elvis. The VSX-LX305’s precise Dolby Atmos decoding brings concert scenes to life, offering clarity and focus to the music, coupled with tight bass that lends palpable impact to drums and percussions. The receiver’s ability to handle complex audio mixes ensures an engaging and authentic sound experience.
For action-packed films like Edge of Tomorrow, the VSX-LX305 truly shines. Its nimble handling of multichannel audio and the sheer power from its nine channels of amplification create a visceral and immersive soundscape. The chaotic beach landing scene becomes a frenetic sonic assault, showcasing the receiver’s ability to maintain clarity and directionality amidst intense action. The processor smoothly steers sounds across the speaker array, creating a seamless and believable sound field.
The integration of Dirac Live room correction further elevates the audio performance. Compared to Pioneer’s MCACC, Dirac Live provides a noticeably improved tonal balance, ensuring a consistent sonic signature as effects move around the room. Even during the most intense action sequences, dialogue remains crisp and clear, never getting lost in the mix.
Bass performance is another area where the VSX-LX305, enhanced by Dirac Live, excels. In bass-heavy films like Black Adam, the receiver delivers the necessary scale and slam to complement the movie’s bombastic soundtrack. The Dolby Atmos track fully utilizes all channels, immersing the listener in a bubble of sound. Overhead channels are employed effectively, creating realistic sounds of gunfire ricocheting around the room, while a deep low-end rumble accompanies the action, especially during scenes featuring powerful characters in flight or combat. Dirac Live’s room correction effectively smooths out the frequency response, resulting in bass that is not only deep but also well-controlled, maximizing the impact of the low frequencies without overwhelming the other elements of the soundtrack.
While the VSX-LX305 offers various surround modes like Classical, Drama, and Game, purists will likely prefer to experience the original mix without sonic manipulation. However, for enhancing older soundtracks, the Dolby Surround and DTS Neural:X upmixers prove surprisingly effective at breathing new life into legacy audio.
Living with the Pioneer VSX-LX305: Design, Features, and Usability
The Pioneer VSX-LX305 retains the brand’s classic AV receiver aesthetic. The front panel is neatly organized with an input selector on the left, a volume control on the right, and an informative display in the center. Beneath these, you’ll find essential controls, a headphone jack, and a convenient front-mounted HDMI 2.0 input, alongside a USB port and a microphone setup jack for room calibration.
Build quality is commendable for a mid-range receiver. The brushed metal front plate adds a touch of elegance, and buyers can choose between matte black or silver finishes to match their setup. However, the included remote control is a notable drawback. Its basic plastic construction feels somewhat cheap and lacks a backlight, which can be inconvenient in dimly lit home theater environments.
Fortunately, the Pioneer Remote App compensates significantly for the remote’s shortcomings. The app features a well-designed and intuitive interface, making it a pleasure to use for daily control, accessing multiroom and streaming functionalities, and adjusting various setup options, including Dirac Live. The app-based Dirac Live interface is a notable innovation, simplifying the room correction process.
The rear panel of the VSX-LX305 reflects a focus on modern connectivity, with legacy connections being minimized. It includes single optical and coaxial digital inputs, along with four analog stereo inputs, catering to basic connectivity needs. Vinyl enthusiasts will appreciate the inclusion of a phono (MM) input, and a built-in DAB/FM tuner is present for radio listeners.
HDMI connectivity is a strong point, with six HDMI 2.1 inputs and dual outputs at the rear. All HDMI ports are fully compliant with advanced features like 8K/60p, 4K/120p, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode). One output supports eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel), enabling lossless audio return from compatible TVs. The second HDMI output is designed for a second zone, typically for distributing audio and video to another room.
For network connectivity, the VSX-LX305 offers both Ethernet and comprehensive wireless options, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, and Chromecast. Multiroom audio is supported through DTS Play-Fi, Roon Ready, and Sonos Connect, providing flexibility for integrating into existing multiroom ecosystems. Streaming music services like Amazon Music, Spotify, TIDAL, and Deezer are also directly accessible.
The onscreen interface has been significantly improved, offering a modern, informative, and intuitive user experience. Setup is streamlined thanks to a user-friendly wizard that guides you through the entire process. For more advanced users, a web-based interface is also available for deeper customization and tweaking.
Internally, the VSX-LX305 utilizes nine channels of Pioneer’s Direct Energy Class AB amplification, delivering a claimed 170W per channel. This power output is generally ample for most room sizes. However, it’s worth noting that there are no pre-outs (except for dual subwoofer outputs), limiting power expansion options should you require more headroom in larger spaces. The receiver supports up to 9-channel processing for Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and IMAX Enhanced, allowing for speaker layouts up to 5.1.4 or 7.1.2. For the most immersive experience, a 7.1.2 configuration is recommended if feasible.
One unique setup aspect is the global crossover setting, which applies to all channels simultaneously. While most receivers allow individual crossover settings for each speaker, the VSX-LX305 offers global settings of 50, 80, 100, 150, and 200Hz. This requires considering the speaker with the highest low-frequency response in your system when choosing a crossover point.
The inclusion of Dirac Live room correction is a major advantage. While Pioneer’s MCACC is user-friendly, Dirac Live offers superior room correction capabilities, especially in bass management and overall tonal balance. The app-based implementation of Dirac Live on the VSX-LX305 is a user-friendly innovation, simplifying setup and making the sophisticated room correction technology more accessible. In direct comparisons, Dirac Live demonstrably delivers smoother bass, improved cohesion, and a more balanced overall sound signature compared to MCACC.
Conclusion: A Powerful and Feature-Rich Mid-Range AV Receiver
The Pioneer VSX-LX305 stands out as a compelling mid-range AV receiver, delivering powerful multichannel performance ideal for film enthusiasts. Its extensive streaming capabilities also cater to music lovers, while HDMI 2.1 connectivity ensures gamers can enjoy the latest gaming features.
Support for all major immersive audio formats, including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and IMAX Enhanced, alongside comprehensive HDR support, positions the VSX-LX305 as a future-proof home theater centerpiece. The addition of Dirac Live room correction is a significant enhancement, offering superior performance and user-friendly app-based operation.
The minimalist design, decent build quality, and informative display are practical and aesthetically pleasing. While legacy inputs are streamlined, essential connections like a phono input and built-in tuner are retained. The remote control is a weak point, but the excellent Pioneer Remote App compensates for this.
With nine channels of amplification and 9.2-channel processing, the VSX-LX305 is well-suited for most modest-sized home theaters. While expansion is limited, those seeking more power or channels might consider the step-up VSX-LX505. However, for its target audience, the Pioneer VSX-LX305 offers a potent combination of performance, features, and user-friendliness, making it an excellent choice for immersive home theater experiences.
Listening Notes:
Black Adam (4K Blu-ray): Experience the DC universe with thunderous Atmos audio. The VSX-LX305 expertly handles the film’s dynamic mix, with bullets whizzing around the soundstage, overhead channels actively engaged, and impactful bass underlining every action beat.
Elvis (4K Blu-ray): Immerse yourself in the King’s music with a glorious Dolby Atmos soundtrack. The VSX-LX305 capably reproduces the musicality of this biopic, bringing the hits to life with clarity and emotion, especially during powerful sequences like ‘If I Can Dream.’
Edge of Tomorrow (4K Blu-ray): Test the VSX-LX305’s sonic cohesion with the intense beach assault scene. The receiver maintains clarity and directionality even in chaotic moments, while the subterranean bass reveals the depth and control in the low-end frequencies.
