The Pioneer VSX-LX505 ELITE 9.2 Channel AV Receiver, a model aimed at the heart of the Pioneer Home Audio experience, recently underwent rigorous testing. This review, based on detailed measurements of a refurbished unit (typical retail price of US $1699), aims to provide an objective analysis of its performance for discerning audio enthusiasts. Despite its familiar facade, reminiscent of older generation interfaces, the VSX-LX505 promises modern internal capabilities, most notably the inclusion of Dirac Room EQ. Let’s delve into whether this receiver truly embodies the quality expected from pioneer home audio.
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Alt text: Front panel of Pioneer VSX-LX505 ELITE AV Receiver showing standard input and control layout, typical of pioneer home audio devices.
The unit’s front panel presents a classic Pioneer aesthetic, a design language consistent with their home audio products for over a decade. While the visual interface might seem dated, the on-screen menus demonstrated surprising responsiveness, suggesting an updated processing core beneath the surface. Examining the back panel, however, reveals a mix of legacy and current connectivity options, including component and composite video inputs alongside modern HDMI ports.
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Alt text: Rear panel of Pioneer VSX-LX505 AV Receiver highlighting a range of audio and video input/output ports, including legacy connections for broader home audio system compatibility.
A factory reset was performed to ensure a clean testing environment, and a firmware update check confirmed the unit was running the latest software. The primary appeal of the VSX-LX505 within the pioneer home audio ecosystem lies in its Dirac Room EQ feature, a significant inclusion considering its otherwise standard feature set. Initial setup revealed some instability with the unit’s menus on a computer monitor, potentially indicating an AVR issue, though this did not appear to affect audio performance measurements. Testing focused on the front right and left channels to assess both DAC and amplifier performance via pre-outs and speaker terminals, respectively.
Internal inspection revealed an extruded heatsink, a positive sign for thermal management, although the fin design appeared somewhat thin. A cooling fan positioned on top was observed but did not activate during testing. Its placement suggests a focus on regulatory compliance rather than direct cooling of the amplifiers situated on the unit’s sides.
Pioneer VSX-LX505 DAC Performance Metrics
The DAC performance evaluation of the VSX-LX505, a crucial component in any pioneer home audio receiver, involved feeding digital signals via HDMI and Toslink inputs and measuring the pre-out RCA outputs. Efforts were made to minimize internal processing influence and volume adjustments were carefully calibrated to achieve a 2-volt nominal output, requiring a +2 dB volume setting.
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Alt text: Dashboard view of Pioneer VSX-LX505 DAC performance tests, showing key metrics like THD+N and noise levels in a standard audio measurement interface.
The measured DAC performance was deemed reasonable for an AV receiver in its class.
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Alt text: THD+N vs Frequency graph for Pioneer VSX-LX505 DAC, illustrating total harmonic distortion plus noise across the audio frequency spectrum, typical in pioneer home audio component testing.
Toslink input testing yielded comparable performance, with a slight reduction in spurious tones.
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Alt text: THD+N vs Frequency graph for Pioneer VSX-LX505 DAC using Toslink input, demonstrating similar distortion characteristics to HDMI input within pioneer home audio testing parameters.
Further tests were conducted using Toslink (excluding Multitone) to mitigate potential downmixing issues associated with multichannel HDMI in the test setup. Performance analysis across different output levels revealed an impressive absence of clipping, a common issue in AVRs without amplifier bypass options.
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Alt text: Multi-level signal testing of Pioneer VSX-LX505 DAC output, showing consistent performance across various output voltages and indicating robust dynamic range for pioneer home audio applications.
This clipping-free performance, however, appeared to come at the expense of amplifier subsystem performance, as revealed in later amplifier tests. Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) measurements were within acceptable limits for an AVR.
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Alt text: Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) measurement for Pioneer VSX-LX505 DAC, quantifying the ratio of desired signal to background noise, a key indicator of audio clarity in pioneer home audio gear.
Intermodulation distortion (IMD) tests showed good distortion levels, though falling short of dedicated two-channel stereo systems in terms of noise floor performance.
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Alt text: Intermodulation Distortion (IMD) test results for Pioneer VSX-LX505 DAC, measuring distortions created by the interaction of multiple frequencies, crucial for evaluating pioneer home audio fidelity.
Multitone testing further confirmed low distortion levels across multiple frequencies.
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Alt text: Multitone distortion analysis of Pioneer VSX-LX505 DAC, displaying low distortion levels across a range of simultaneous audio tones, reflecting good signal handling for pioneer home audio systems.
Linearity measurements were also considered good for an AVR.
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Alt text: Linearity performance graph for Pioneer VSX-LX505 DAC, assessing the accuracy of output signal level relative to input signal level, important for faithful audio reproduction in pioneer home audio equipment.
Jitter performance, however, was identified as poor for both digital inputs, albeit for different underlying reasons.
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Alt text: Jitter test results for Pioneer VSX-LX505 DAC, showing undesirable levels of timing errors in digital signal conversion, a potential concern for high-fidelity pioneer home audio.
The DAC reconstruction filter demonstrated inadequate attenuation of out-of-band noise.
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Alt text: DAC reconstruction filter performance of Pioneer VSX-LX505, indicating limited suppression of unwanted noise beyond the audible frequency range, relevant for clean audio output in pioneer home audio setups.
Frequency response, conversely, was deemed satisfactory.
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Alt text: Frequency response graph for Pioneer VSX-LX505 DAC, showing a flat and extended response across the audible spectrum, a positive attribute for accurate sound reproduction in pioneer home audio.
Overall, the Pioneer VSX-LX505’s DAC section presented a respectable performance profile for an AV receiver.
Pioneer VSX-LX505 Amplifier Performance Analysis
Amplifier testing commenced with a comparison between analog and digital inputs to ascertain performance consistency. The results indicated similar performance between both input types, suggesting the DAC was not a limiting factor in overall amplifier performance.
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Alt text: Amplifier performance comparison between analog and digital inputs on Pioneer VSX-LX505, indicating similar THD+N levels and consistent audio quality regardless of input type for this pioneer home audio amplifier.
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Alt text: Amplifier performance comparison for Pioneer VSX-LX505, detailing THD+N versus output power, showing comparable performance whether using digital or analog input into the pioneer home audio receiver.
This consistency simplified testing by allowing direct comparison to previously tested external amplifiers. However, SINAD (Signal-to-Noise and Distortion) measurements revealed a weaker amplifier performance, aligning with previous Pioneer AVR models tested.
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Alt text: SINAD comparison graph of Pioneer VSX-LX505 amplifier against other AVR amplifiers, positioning its performance relative to competitors in the pioneer home audio market segment.
Frequency response in Pure Direct mode was commendably wide and flat.
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Alt text: Frequency response of Pioneer VSX-LX505 amplifier in Pure Direct mode, showing extended bandwidth and flat response, ideal for high-fidelity pioneer home audio listening.
However, engaging standard processing modes introduced a noticeable drop in levels, and crosstalk measurements were also disappointing.
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Alt text: Crosstalk measurement for Pioneer VSX-LX505 amplifier, indicating the level of signal leakage between channels, which is higher than desired for optimal channel separation in pioneer home audio.
Multitone performance mirrored the SINAD results, indicating similar limitations in amplifier fidelity.
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Alt text: Multitone performance of Pioneer VSX-LX505 amplifier, showing distortion levels across multiple frequencies, consistent with SINAD measurements for this pioneer home audio component.
SNR and dynamic range measurements were taken, revealing an initial understated measurement which was later clarified.
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Alt text: Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and Dynamic Range measurements for Pioneer VSX-LX505 amplifier, quantifying noise levels and the range between the loudest and quietest signals, essential for evaluating pioneer home audio amplifier quality.
The Power Limiting Conundrum
The most significant issue uncovered during amplifier testing was a severe power limiting behavior. 4-ohm power sweep tests revealed drastically reduced power output compared to the unit’s 120-watt rating, with only around 20 watts achieved before limiting engaged.
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Alt text: Power output sweep test results for Pioneer VSX-LX505 amplifier at 4 ohms, demonstrating significant power limiting and failure to reach rated output, a critical flaw in this pioneer home audio receiver.
Despite extensive manual review and settings checks, no “eco mode” or power-saving feature could be identified as the cause. Recalling similar behavior in previous Pioneer AVR models, specifically the VSX-LX303, a time-based power limiting mechanism was suspected. Subsequent testing confirmed this suspicion: after approximately 35 seconds of operation at a moderate 44-watt output level, distortion dramatically increased, indicating power limiting activation.
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Alt text: Distortion measurement over time for Pioneer VSX-LX505 amplifier at 44 watts output, clearly showing a sudden increase in distortion after 35 seconds due to power limiting, a major concern for pioneer home audio enthusiasts.
This power limiting occurred regardless of temperature, suggesting a timer-based rather than thermal protection mechanism. Crucially, this power limitation is not communicated to consumers in product materials or unit displays. This power throttling prevented comprehensive maximum and peak power testing, but standard power sweeps further illustrated the amplifier’s constrained performance.
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Alt text: Standard power sweep test of Pioneer VSX-LX505 amplifier, showing limited power output and premature clipping due to the imposed power limit, severely impacting its suitability for demanding pioneer home audio setups.
This power limiting behavior is a critical failure, particularly for an amplifier marketed with a 120-watt rating. The inability to sustain заявленная power output dynamically, with a factor of five reduction after a brief period, is unacceptable, especially without any user notification.
Conclusion: Pioneer VSX-LX505 – Processor Potential, Amplifier Caveats
The Pioneer VSX-LX505 exhibits average DAC performance for an AV receiver in its category. However, its amplifier section is significantly flawed due to the implemented power limiting. This power throttling, observed in multiple Pioneer AVRs, is a major concern and cannot be recommended for users intending to utilize the unit’s amplification capabilities fully. While this power-saving measure might contribute to power efficiency and component longevity, its undisclosed nature and drastic impact on performance are detrimental to the user experience. Prior attempts to address this issue with Pioneer support for similar models have gone unanswered, raising concerns about the company’s responsiveness to such critical performance shortcomings.
Therefore, the Pioneer VSX-LX505 can only be cautiously recommended as a processor for pioneer home audio systems, specifically for users who intend to bypass its internal amplification and rely on external amplifiers. For those seeking a complete, high-power pioneer home audio receiver solution, the VSX-LX505 in its current configuration is not advisable due to its amplifier’s power-limiting issue.
