When comparing Pioneer VSX-530-K vs Yamaha RX-V379BL, the Slant community recommends Yamaha RX-V379BL for most people. In the question“What are the best A/V receivers under $400?” Yamaha RX-V379BL is ranked 3rd while Pioneer VSX-530-K is ranked 6th. The most important reason people chose Yamaha RX-V379BL is:
Has very convenient shortcut buttons that switch to your favorite source and its audio settings with a single button press.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Additional playback options
Even though it doesn’t have internet connectivity and the music streaming services that come with it, a flash drive or Bluetooth is a great, convenient way to replace internet radios for music playback.
Pro Low price
The solid basics coupled with the low price make it a receiver with a great value.
Pro Can support future copyrighted content
Has 4 HDMI inputs and 1 HDMI output which are HDCP 2.2 compliant to support future copyrighted content in full 4K resolution.
Pro Simplifies the changing of settings
Has very convenient shortcut buttons that switch to your favorite source and its audio settings with a single button press.
Pro Improves its sound based on the area and equipment
With Yamaha Parametric Acoustic Optimizer (YPAO) it can automatically adjust its audio settings. The included microphone picks up the unique sounds your room emits when it plays a specific sound and fine-tunes the settings accordingly.
Pro Can imitate surround sound
With Virtual Cinema Front it can imitate surround sound even when all five speakers are placed in the front. While it is useful, be aware that it can’t fully replace a proper placement of speakers.
Pro Partially future-proofed
One of the 4 HDMI inputs is HDCP 2.2 compatible which is able to play copyrighted 4K resolution content.
Cons
Con No network
Lack of network options means that there are no streaming applications specifically set up for music playback.
Con Achieving a great sound can be difficult
Doesn’t seem to be designed for newcomers because of its lack of automatic sound calibration. The user is expected to know what are the ingredients for a good sound and how to manually achieve them. It might take some effort before you can enjoy the sound on your system.
Con Uses an inferior method to connect speakers
For three of its speakers it uses spring clips which are an inferior way of connecting speakers to a receiver. With spring clips the wires are likely to have a tiny contact area which can result in poor performance. Binding posts are available for the two main speakers.
Con Limited music playback options
It lacks several different music playback options like the USB port, music streaming and Bluetooth. Although there is Bluetooth connectivity, it is only used for wireless speakers and not as an additional input.
Con Uses lesser quality connectors
Three out of five speakers use spring clips which are not as convenient as a binding post and can cause problems when paired with a thicker gauge wire. Can also lead to wire fraying.
Con Primarily entry level
With its limited features it seems like it’s primarily an entry level receiver which won’t suffice if you would choose to expand your home theater.