Pioneer VSX-823-K vs Yamaha RX-V485

      Pioneer VSX-823-K

      Yamaha RX-V485
      67
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      79
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      Overview

      Here we are comparing Pioneer VSX-823-K to Yamaha RX-V485 to reveal their common strengths and weaknesses as well as the differences between them which will help you in making a correct decision before the purchase. Both receivers have 5 channel and equally powerful amplifiers.


      Pioneer VSX-823-K Yamaha RX-V485

      Pioneer VSX-823-K was introduced in 2013. It is equipped with 5 channel amplifier with 80 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz and 2 channel driven) power per channel and is capable of 5.1 maximum channel processing. It , passes 4K/30Hz video signal.

      Yamaha RX-V485 was introduced in 2018. It is equipped with 5 channel amplifier with 80 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz and 2 channel driven) power per channel and is capable of 5.1 maximum channel processing. It , passes 4K/60Hz and upscales up to 4K 60p 4:4:4 video signal.

      Highlights

      • 5.1 Channels
      • 5.1 Channel Processing
      • 80 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven)
      • 4K/30Hz Passthrough
      • Bluetooth, Ethernet

      Highlights

      • 5.1 Channels
      • 5.1 Channel Processing
      • 80 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven)
      • HDR10, Dolby Vision
      • 4K/60Hz Passthrough, 4K/60Hz Upscaling
      • Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet

      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Pioneer VSX-823-K
      4. Advantage of Yamaha RX-V485
      5. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      6. Audio Section
      7. Video Section
      8. Inputs and Outputs
      9. Evaluations
      10. Specifications  

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these receivers, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Pioneer VSX-823-K and Yamaha RX-V485.

      PROS

      Pioneer VSX-823-K

      Yamaha RX-V485

      •   DSD via HDMI
      •   Auto Speaker Calibration System with Mic.
      •   New HDCP Version
      •   Bluetooth
      •   USB Input
      •   Composite Video Inputs
      •   Ethernet
      •   Analog Tuner
      •   Pandora
      •   Spotify
      •   DSD via HDMI
      •   Auto Speaker Calibration System with Mic.
      •   HDR10
      •   Dolby Vision
      •   eARC
      •   New HDCP Version
      •   Wi-Fi
      •   Bluetooth
      •   Works with Amazon Alexa
      •   Google Assistant
      •   USB Input
      •   Composite Video Inputs
      •   Ethernet
      •   Analog Tuner
      •   Pandora
      •   Spotify
      •   Tidal

      CONS

      Pioneer VSX-823-K

      Yamaha RX-V485

      •   Few Channels - 5.1
      •   Low Power Output - 80 W
      •   5.1 Channel Processing
      •   No Dolby Atmos
      •   No Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
      •   No DTS:X
      •   No IMAX Enhanced
      •   No Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
      •   No HDR10
      •   No HDR10+
      •   No Dolby Vision
      •   No eARC
      •   No 8K Passthrough
      •   No Wi-Fi
      •   Does not Work with Amazon Alexa
      •   1 HDMI Outputs
      •   0 8K Input
      •   Few RCA Line Inputs
      •   No Phono Input
      •   No RCA Pre-Outs
      •   No Zones
      •   No Digital Radio
      •   No Tidal
      •   Few Channels - 5.1
      •   Low Power Output - 80 W
      •   No Front Wide Channel Support
      •   5.1 Channel Processing
      •   No Dolby Atmos
      •   No Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
      •   No DTS:X
      •   No IMAX Enhanced
      •   No Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
      •   No HDR10+
      •   No 8K Passthrough
      •   4 HDMI Inputs
      •   1 HDMI Outputs
      •   0 8K Input
      •   No Phono Input
      •   No RCA Pre-Outs
      •   No Zones
      •   No Digital Radio


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Pioneer VSX-823-K

      Yamaha RX-V485

      •   6 HDMI Inputs
      •   RCA Line Inputs
      •   Bluetooth 4․2

      Advantage of Pioneer VSX-823-K

      Pioneer VSX-823-K
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Pioneer VSX-823-K over Yamaha RX-V485.

      Pioneer VSX-823-K vs Yamaha RX-V485
      Dolby Digital EX vs
      DTS Express vs
      DTS-ES vs
      DTS Dialog Control [] vs
      MHL Input 1 Front (Version 2.0) vs
      More HDMI Inputs 6 (1 front) vs 4
      Front A/V Inputs HDMI, USB, Composite Video vs USB, mini-jack Audio
      Bigger Power Supply 450 W vs 260 W

      Check out other receivers which are frequently compared to Pioneer VSX-823-K.

      Yamaha RX-A3030
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      9.2 channel

      150 W

      Pioneer VSX-523-K
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      5.1 channel

      80 W

      Yamaha RX-V4A
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      5.2 channel

      80 W

      Yamaha RX-A1080
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      7.2 channel

      110 W

      Pioneer VSX-LX503
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      9.2 channel

      120 W

      Pioneer SC-1323-K
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      7.2 channel

      125 W

      Pioneer VSX-1122-K
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      7.2 channel

      90 W

      Sony STR-DH590
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      5.2 channel

      90 W

      Pioneer VSX-1123-K
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      7.2 channel

      90 W

      Pioneer SC-72
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      7.2 channel

      130 W

      Yamaha RX-V383
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      5.1 channel

      70 W

      Sony STR-ZA2000ES
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      7.2 channel

      75 W

      Advantage of Yamaha RX-V485

      Yamaha RX-V485
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Yamaha RX-V485 over Pioneer VSX-823-K.

      Pioneer VSX-823-K vs Yamaha RX-V485
      Bi-amp capability vs
      Higher DAC Specs 192 kHz/24 Bit vs 384 kHz/32 Bit
      DTS-HD High Resolution Audio vs
      Music Playback via USB MP3, WMA, AAC, Apple Lossless, 192kHz / 24-Bit WAV, FLAC, AIFF vs MP3, WMA, MPEG-4 AAC, Apple Lossless, WAV, FLAC, AIFF, DSD
      Higher Resolution Music Playback via USB 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192 kHz/24 bit vs up to 192 kHz/32 Bit
      High Resolution Audio Formats via USB Apple Lossless, WAV, FLAC, AIFF vs Apple Lossless, WAV, FLAC, AIFF, DSD
      DSD via HDMI 2-ch Input vs 2-ch/Multi-ch Input
      Virtual Speakers vs
      HDR10 vs
      BT.2020 color space vs
      Dolby Vision vs
      HLG vs
      Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC) vs via firmware update
      Newer HDCP Version 2.2 vs 2.3
      Video Signal Passthrough up to 4K/30p vs up to 4K/60p 4:4:4
      Video Signal Upscaling vs up to 4K 60p 4:4:4
      Wi-Fi vs
      Bluetooth via optional AS-BT100 or AS-BT200 adapters (sold separately) vs SBC, AAC (compatible with SCMS-T.)
      Works with Amazon Alexa vs
      AirPlay AirPlay vs AirPlay 2 via firmware update
      More Coaxial Inputs/Outputs 1 vs 2
      More RCA Line Inputs 3 vs 4 (1 front)
      More Presets 30 vs 40
      Tidal vs
      Deezer vs
      Napster vs
      SiriusXM vs
      Higher S/N Ratio (Line, IHF-A) 98 dB vs 110 dB
      Wider AM Frequency Range 530 kHz - 1700 kHz vs 530 kHz - 1710 kHz
      Longer Warranty 1 Year vs 2 Years

      Check out other receivers which are frequently compared to Yamaha RX-V485.

      Yamaha RX-V385
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      5.1 channel

      70 W

      Yamaha RX-A2080
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      9.2 channel

      140 W

      Yamaha TSR-7850
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      7.2 channel

      95 W

      Yamaha RX-S602
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      5.1 channel

      55 W

      Yamaha RX-A1080
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      7.2 channel

      110 W

      Yamaha RX-A3080
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      9.2 channel

      150 W

      Yamaha RX-V483
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      5.1 channel

      80 W

      Yamaha RX-A850
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      7.2 channel

      100 W

      Yamaha RX-V685
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      7.2 channel

      90 W

      Yamaha RX-A880
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      7.2 channel

      100 W

      Yamaha RX-A680
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      7.2 channel

      80 W

      Yamaha RX-A780
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      7.2 channel

      95 W

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Pioneer VSX-823-K Yamaha RX-V485
        DSD via HDMI 2-ch Input 2-ch/Multi-ch Input
        Auto Speaker Calibration System with Mic. MCACC Auto YPAO sound optimization
        New HDCP Version2.22.3
        Bluetooth via optional AS-BT100 or AS-BT200 adapters (sold separately) SBC, AAC (compatible with SCMS-T.)
        USB Input1 FrontUSB memory, Portable Audio Player
        Composite Video Inputs3 (1 front)3
        Ethernet
        Analog Tuner FM/AM FM/AM
        Pandora
        Spotify
      WEAKNESSES Pioneer VSX-823-K Yamaha RX-V485
        Few Channels5.15.1
        Low Power Output80 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven)80 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven)
        Channel Processing5.15.1
        No Dolby Atmos
        No Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
        No DTS:X
        No IMAX Enhanced
        No Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
        No HDR10+
        No 8K Passthroughup to 4K/30pup to 4K/60p 4:4:4
        Few HDMI Outputs11
        Few 8K Inputs
        No Phono Input
        No RCA Pre-Outs0.10.1
        No Zones11
        No Digital Radio

      Audio Section

      Amplifier

      Pioneer VSX-823-K Yamaha RX-V485

      5 channel Discrete Direct Energy Amplifier: Pioneer VSX-823-K features 5 channel power amplifier with Discrete Direct Energy design. It is rated at 80 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven).

      5 channel Amplifier: Yamaha RX-V485 features 5 channel power amplifier. It is rated at 80 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven).

        Speaker Configurations

        Pioneer VSX-823-K's and Yamaha RX-V485's amplifiers can be assigned for different speaker configurations.

        • Configurations: Available configurations are:
        • Pioneer VSX-823-K: 5.1 with internal amplifier.
        • Yamaha RX-V485: 5.1 with internal amplifier.
        • Bi-Amp: Yamaha RX-V485 is able to bi-amp up to 2 main channels simultaneously. During bi-amplification two amplifiers are used for one speaker. One amplifier powers the midrange and tweeter section of the speaker and another amplifier powers the low frequency woofers. Each amplifier is less loaded and performs better. In order to use this feature speakers must have 2 pairs of connectors.

          • Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC)

          Yamaha RX-V485 supports Audio Return Channel (ARC) which allows the compatible TV to send audio signal to the a/v receiver through the same HDMI cable which is used to send audio and video signals to the TV. So one HDMI cable is used to transfer audio signal in both directions. New Enhanced ARC will support uncompressed audio formats such as Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio whereas the previous ARC could support only Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS, DTS HD, and PCM.


          Sound Processing

          • Compressed Music Enhancer: Pioneer VSX-823-K and Yamaha RX-V485 feature Compressed Music Enhancer which enhances the quality of the music files with lossy compression.
          • Advanced Sound Retriever: Compressed music enhancement in Pioneer VSX-823-K is done by Pioneer’s Advanced Sound Retriever. Hear the detail, warmth and clarity, the way the artist intended it, from all of your highly compressed MP3 and WMA files stored on USB, Smartphone and portable media players. By restoring data that tend to get lost in the digital compression process, Pioneers Advanced Sound Retriever Technology enhances audio reproduction all the way upto 20 Khz frequencies.

          Room Calibration

          Pioneer VSX-823-K comes with MCACC Auto and Yamaha RX-V485 comes with YPAO room correction system.

          • YPAO: The Yamaha Parametric room Acoustic Optimizer (YPAO) function detects speaker connections, measures the distances from them to your listening position(s), and then automatically optimizes the speaker settings, such as volume balance and acoustic parameters, to suit your room.
          • MCACC: Pioneer’s exclusive Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration System (MCACC) delivers an easy-to-use, automatic sound adjustment system to precision-tune your Pioneer and Pioneer Elite receivers with minimal effort. Every MCACC system comes with a microphone to measure and analyze reverb characteristics. The equalizer optimally adjusts sound parameters to fit the size and shape of your home environment while maintaining the integrity of high-resolution playback without any degradation to the quality of your music.

        Video Section

        HDMI

        Pioneer VSX-823-K comes with 6 HDMI inputs. It has 1 output.

        Yamaha RX-V485 comes with 4 HDMI inputs. It has 1 output.

        • 4K/30Hz Passthrough on Pioneer VSX-823-K: All inputs pass up to 4K/30p video signal.
          4K/60Hz Passthrough on Yamaha RX-V485: All inputs pass up to 4K/60p 4:4:4 video signal.
        • 4K Upscaling on Yamaha RX-V485: It can upscale up to 4K 60p 4:4:4 from HDMI sources.
        • BT.2020 Color Space: BT.2020 or Rec. 2020 is a color standard which delivers a wider color gamut compared to Rec. 709. It covers approximately 75% of the total visual spectrum while the Rec. 709 covers only 35% (available on Yamaha RX-V485 only).
        • HDCP Copy Protection: Pioneer VSX-823-K is HDCP 2.2.0 and Yamaha RX-V485 is HDCP 2.3.0 compliant which is a requirement for 4K/HDR copy-protected content transmission.
        • 3D Ready: Both receivers are able to pass 3D video through HDMI.

        HDR (High Dynamic Range)

        Pioneer VSX-823-K does not support HDR.

        Yamaha RX-V485 supports HDR10, Dolby Vision and Hybrid Log-Gamma.

        High dynamic range video has greater dynamic range than standard dynamic range (SDR) video with brighter whites and deeper blacks. The result is greater contrast and more details in dark and bright areas, better color and depth.

        • HDR10: HDR10 uses the wide-gamut Rec. 2020 color space. It sends static metadata via video stream to the TV which calibrates its screen brightness and color according to that. HDR10 supports 10-bit color which corresponds to 1024 shades of the primary RGB colors. It is technically limited to a maximum of 10,000 nits peak brightness, however common HDR10 contents are mastered with peak brightness from 1,000 to 4,000 nits.
        • Dolby Vision: Dolby Vision is a set of technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories for high dynamic range (HDR) video. It covers content creation, distribution, and playback. Like HDR10+, it includes dynamic metadata that are used to adjust and optimize each frame of the HDR video to the consumer display's capabilities in a way specified by the content creator. Dolby Vision allows for a maximum resolution of 8K up to 12-bit color depth, maximum peak brightness of 10,000 nits and a color gamut up to Rec. 2020. It uses Dolby's proprietary dynamic metadata defined in SMPTE ST 2094-10.
        • Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG): The Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) is a transfer function developed mainly for HDR live video feed and over-the-air broadcasts. It is an HDR format that uses BT.2020 color primaries and a bitdepth of 10-bit. It is backward compatible with the transfer function of SDR and is designed to be better-suited for television broadcasting, where the metadata required for other HDR formats is not backward compatible with non-HDR displays. HLG defines a non-linear optical-electro transfer function, in which the lower half of the signal values use a gamma curve and the upper half of the signal values use a logarithmic curve.

        Inputs and Outputs

        Audio

        • Analog Line Inputs: There are 3 pair of line inputs on Pioneer VSX-823-K and 4 pair of line inputs on Yamaha RX-V485 for connecting sources with analog outputs.
        • Digital Inputs: 1 optical input and 1 coaxial input are available on Pioneer VSX-823-K and 1 optical input and 2 coaxial inputs are available on Yamaha RX-V485 for digital audio connections.
        • Headphone Output: There is a 6.3 mm (1/4") headphone output jack on the front panel of each receiver.

        Video

        • HDMI:
        • Pioneer VSX-823-K
          Inputs:           6 (1 front)   Outputs: 1
          8K Inputs: 0.
        • Yamaha RX-V485
          Inputs:           4   Outputs: 1
          8K Inputs: 0.
        • Composite Video: Connect you VCR, Laserdisc player and other old video equipment with composite video cables.
        • Pioneer VSX-823-K
          Inputs:           3   Outputs: 1.
        • Yamaha RX-V485
          Inputs:           3   Outputs: 1.

        Front A/V Inputs

        • Pioneer VSX-823-K: HDMI, USB, Composite Video
        • Yamaha RX-V485: USB, mini-jack Audio

        Pioneer VSX-823-K

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        Yamaha RX-V485

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        Evaluations

        We evaluate Pioneer VSX-823-K and Yamaha RX-V485 and give them scores of 67 and 79 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new receiver is added to the database.


        Pioneer VSX-823-K

        Yamaha RX-V485

        OVERALL
        67
        OVERALL
        79

        Amplifier

        Pioneer VSX-823-K

        Yamaha RX-V485

        GOOD
        71
        •   Few Channels - 5.1
        •   Low Power Output - 80 W
        GOOD
        79
        •   Few Channels - 5.1
        •   Low Power Output - 80 W

        Audio Features

        Pioneer VSX-823-K

        Yamaha RX-V485

        AVERAGE
        64
        •   Few Channels - 5.1
        •   5.1 Channel Processing
        •   No Dolby Atmos
        •   No Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
        •   No DTS:X
        •   No IMAX Enhanced
        •   No Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
        •   DSD via HDMI
        AVERAGE
        69
        •   Few Channels - 5.1
        •   No Front Wide Channel Support
        •   5.1 Channel Processing
        •   No Dolby Atmos
        •   No Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
        •   No DTS:X
        •   No IMAX Enhanced
        •   No Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
        •   DSD via HDMI

        Video Features

        Pioneer VSX-823-K

        Yamaha RX-V485

        AVERAGE
        59
        •   No HDR10
        •   No HDR10+
        •   No Dolby Vision
        •   No 8K Passthrough
        EXCELLENT
        95
        •   HDR10
        •   No HDR10+
        •   Dolby Vision
        •   No 8K Passthrough

        Connectivity

        Pioneer VSX-823-K

        Yamaha RX-V485

        GOOD
        74
        •   No eARC
        •   New HDCP Version
        •   No Wi-Fi
        •   Bluetooth
        •   Does not Work with Amazon Alexa
        •   6 HDMI Inputs
        •   1 HDMI Outputs
        •   0 8K Input
        •   USB Input
        •   Few RCA Line Inputs
        •   No Phono Input
        •   No RCA Pre-Outs
        •   Composite Video Inputs
        •   Ethernet
        GOOD
        83
        •   eARC
        •   New HDCP Version
        •   Wi-Fi
        •   Bluetooth
        •   Works with Amazon Alexa
        •   Google Assistant
        •   4 HDMI Inputs
        •   1 HDMI Outputs
        •   0 8K Input
        •   USB Input
        •   RCA Line Inputs
        •   No Phono Input
        •   No RCA Pre-Outs
        •   Composite Video Inputs
        •   Ethernet
        •   Bluetooth 4․2

        Zones

        Pioneer VSX-823-K

        Yamaha RX-V485

        AVERAGE
        55
        •   No Zones
        AVERAGE
        55
        •   No Zones

        Radio

        Pioneer VSX-823-K

        Yamaha RX-V485

        EXCELLENT
        85
        •   Analog Tuner
        •   Pandora
        •   Spotify
        •   No Tidal
        EXCELLENT
        96
        •   Analog Tuner
        •   Pandora
        •   Spotify
        •   Tidal


        For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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