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Pioneer’s latest midrange A/V receiver offers plenty of multiroom flexibility

Kris Wouk
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Earlier this month, Pioneer released the VSX-993, providing home theater enthusiasts with a pretty complete package that even handled high-resolution audio for less than $500. Now the company has turned its eye to the midrange with the new Elite VSX-LX303, which has all of the features of that model, with a heaping portion of multiroom audio features as well.

The Pioneer Elite VSX-LX303 is a 9.2-channel model, rated at 100 watts per channel. The receiver supports object-based surround sound via both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, running in either 5.2.4-channel or 7.2.2-channel layouts. To breath new life into your older films, Dolby Surround and DTS Neural:X will upmix the audio, taking advantage of the higher channel count and adding a new layer of immersion. Finally, like the VSX-993, high-resolution audio is supported with an AKM AK4458 384/32-bit DAC and support for FLAC, WAV, AIFF, and ALAC at 192 kHz / 24-bit, as well as DSD 5.6 MHz / 2.8 MHz.

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When it comes to the audio, the Elite VSX-LX303 has everything you could possibly need to take advantage of your new TV. The HDMI ports pass through 4K/60p video with support for 24-bit, 4:4:4, and BT.2020. High dynamic range (HDR) is well supported as well, with HDR10, Dolby Vision, and Hybrid Log Gamma. The onboard Super Resolution 4K will upscale HD content to near-4K quality.

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The receiver features dual-band Wi-Fi, which powers the multiroom wireless audio. You have options, with both DTS Play-Fi and FlareConnect support. FlareConnect lets you play vinyl records or CDs via multiroom, alongside the built-in streaming solutions. Chromecast streaming is supported, so any device with Google Assistant lets you easily control music on the VSX-LX303 with your voice. A number of streaming services are built-in as well, including Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Tidal, and Deezer.

Setting up and calibrating an A/V receiver for the first time can be tough, but fortunately the Elite VSX-LX303 has a solution for that. The MCACC (Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration System) was developed with the help of professional recording studios, and automatically adjusts settings based on your room, speaker sizes, and other factors.

The Elite VSX-LX303 is shipping now, and retails for $900. For more information, see the Pioneer website, and to make sure the receiver you buy is perfect for you, take a look at our A/V receiver buying guide.

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Kris Wouk
Kris Wouk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…
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