Pioneer VSX-831

    77
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    North America
    Australia Asia

    Highlights

    • 5.2 Channels
    • 5.1 Channel Processing
    • 80 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven)
    • HDR10, Dolby Vision
    • 4K/60Hz Passthrough, 4K/30Hz Upscaling
    • Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet
    • Phono Input
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    Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

    Overview

    Pioneer VSX-831 was introduced in 2017. It is equipped with 5 channel amplifier with 80 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven) power per channel and is capable of 5.1 maximum channel processing. It passes 4K/60Hz and upscales up to 4K video signal.

    We evaluated the a/v receiver and gave 77 overall score out of 100. Our ranking system is based on the amplifier specifications, audio and video features, connectivity, multizone capabilities, radio and many other details.

    Table of Contents
    1. Overview
    2. Pros and Cons
    3. 2017 Lineup
    4. Predecessor
    5. Successor
    6. Audio Section
    7. Video Section
    8. Multi-zone Playback
    9. Inputs and Outputs
    10. Evaluation
    11. Specifications  

    Pros and Cons

    In this section we present pros and cons of Pioneer VSX-831.

    PROs

    •   DSD via HDMI
    •   Auto Speaker Calibration System with Mic.
    •   HDR10
    •   Dolby Vision
    •   New HDCP Version
    •   Analog To HDMI Upconversion
    •   Wi-Fi
    •   Bluetooth
    •   Chromecast Built-In
    •   USB Input
    •   Phono Input
    •   Composite Video Inputs
    •   Ethernet
    •   Analog Tuner
    •   Pandora
    •   Spotify

    CONs

    •   Few Channels - 5.2
    •   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 eARC
    •   No 8K Passthrough
    •   Does not Work with Amazon Alexa
    •   1 HDMI Outputs
    •   0 8K Input
    •   Few RCA Line Inputs
    •   No RCA Pre-Outs
    •   No Zones
    •   No Digital Radio
    •   No Tidal

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

    AVERAGE

    •   6 HDMI Inputs
    •   Bluetooth 4․1 + LE

    Pioneer 2017 Lineup

    In 2017 Pioneer released 14 new receivers. Here is the lineup:

    Pioneer 2017 Lineup
    ModelChannelsPowerMax. Ch. Proc.Pre OutsRoom Corr.Immersive AudioHDRZones Price
    SC-LX502 Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		7.2120 W7.1 MCACCDolby Atmos
    DTS:X    		HDR10
    Dolby Vision    		2
    VSX-LX302 Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		7.2100 W7.1 MCACCDolby Atmos
    DTS:X    		HDR10
    Dolby Vision    		2
    VSX-LX102 Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		7.280 W7.1 MCACCDolby Atmos
    DTS:X    		HDR10
    Dolby Vision    		1
    VSX-932 Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		7.280 W7.1 MCACCDolby Atmos
    DTS:X    		HDR10
    Dolby Vision    		1
    VSX-832 Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		5.180 W5.1 MCACCDolby Atmos
    DTS:X    		HDR10
    Dolby Vision    		1
    VSX-532 Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		5.180 W5.1 MCACCHDR101
    SC-LX901 Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		11.2140 W11.211.2 MCACC ProDolby Atmos
    DTS:X    		HDR10
    Dolby Vision    		3
    SC-LX801 Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		9.2140 W11.211.2 MCACC ProDolby Atmos
    DTS:X    		HDR10
    Dolby Vision    		3
    SC-LX701 Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		9.2135 W11.211.2 MCACC ProDolby Atmos
    DTS:X    		HDR10
    Dolby Vision    		3
    SC-LX501 Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		7.2120 W7.1 MCACCDolby Atmos
    DTS:X    		HDR10
    Dolby Vision    		2
    VSX-LX301 Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		7.2100 W7.1 MCACCDolby Atmos
    DTS:X    		HDR10
    Dolby Vision    		2
    VSX-LX101 Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		7.280 W7.1 MCACCDolby Atmos
    DTS:X    		HDR10
    Dolby Vision    		1
    VSX-1131 Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		7.2100 W7.1 MCACCDolby Atmos
    DTS:X    		HDR10
    Dolby Vision    		2
    VSX-831 Image cannot be found 5.280 W5.1 MCACCHDR10
    Dolby Vision    		1

    You can view their side-by-side comparison here: Pioneer SC-LX502 vs VSX-LX302 vs VSX-LX102 vs VSX-932 vs VSX-832 vs VSX-532.

    Predecessor

    Here we are comparing Pioneer VSX-831 to its predecessor VSX-830-K and displaying the major changes.

    UPGRADES Pioneer VSX-831 vs Pioneer VSX-830-K
    Higher DAC Specs 384 kHz/32 Bit vs 192 kHz/24 Bit
    More Tone Control Channels All Channels vs Front L/R Channels
    HDR10 vs
    BT.2020 color space vs
    Dolby Vision vs
    Chromecast Built-In vs
    More RCA Line Inputs 3 (1 front) vs 2
    Phono Input vs
    Front A/V Inputs USB, Mini-Jack vs USB
    Higher S/N Ratio (Line, IHF-A) 106 dB vs 100 dB
    Higher DSD Sampling Rate via USB 5.6 MHz, 2.8 MHz vs 2.8 MHz
    Wi-Fi Standard IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n vs IEEE 802.11 b/g/n
    Newer Bluetooth Version 4․1 + LE vs 2․1 + EDR
    Wider AM Frequency Range 530 kHz - 1710 kHz vs 530 kHz - 1700 kHz
    DOWNGRADES Pioneer VSX-831 vs Pioneer VSX-830-K
    DTS-ES vs Discrete 6.1, Matrix 6.1
    DSD to PCM Converter vs
    Dialog Enhancement vs
    Sound Retriever Advanced (2-Channel) vs Advanced (Multi-Channel / Auto with ARC)
    Sound Retriever AIR vs
    Digital Noise Reduction vs
    Headphone Surround vs
    Virtual Speakers vs (Surround Back/Height/Wide)
    Higher MCACC Memory 1 vs 6
    Auto Phase Control Plus vs
    Standing Wave Control vs
    Distance Adjustment 0.1 feet vs 1/2 Inch
    Polarity Check vs
    Video Parameter Adjustments vs
    MHL Input vs 1 Rear (Version 2.0)
    DLNA 1.5 vs
    Less Composite Video Outputs vs 1
    Speaker A/B vs
    AVNavigator vs Built-in
    Versatile Speaker Configuration vs 5.2 ch Front Bi-amp
    Less Presets 40 vs 63
    Smaller Power Supply 380 W vs 450 W

    For more detailed comparison between the models please visit Pioneer VSX-831 vs VSX-830-K.

    Successor

    In 2017 Pioneer VSX-831 was replaced by Pioneer VSX-832. Let us now have a look at some important differences between Pioneer VSX-831 and its successor.

    UPGRADES Pioneer VSX-832 vs Pioneer VSX-831
    Certified 4 Ω Performance vs
    Dolby Atmos vs
    Dolby Surround Upmixer vs
    DTS:X vs
    DTS Neural:X vs
    Music Playback via USB MP3, WMA, AAC, Apple Lossless, WAV, FLAC, AIFF, DSD, Dolby TrueHD vs MP3, WMA, AAC, Apple Lossless, WAV, FLAC, AIFF, DSD
    High Resolution Audio Formats via USB Apple Lossless, WAV, FLAC, AIFF, AAC, DSD, Dolby TrueHD vs Apple Lossless, WAV, FLAC, AIFF, DSD
    HLG vs
    DTS Play-Fi vs
    USB Input 2 (1 Front) vs 1 Front
    Versatile Speaker Configuration FRONT, CENTER, SURROUND vs
    Tidal vs
    Deezer vs
    Bigger Power Supply 400 W vs 380 W
    Higher Power Output (6 Ω, 1 kHz, 1 channel driven, JEITA) 165 W (10% THD) vs 160 W (10% THD)
    DOWNGRADES Pioneer VSX-832 vs Pioneer VSX-831
    Less Channels 5.1 vs 5.2
    Bi-amp capability vs
    Dolby Pro Logic vs PLII
    DTS Neo vs Neo:6
    More Tone Control Channels 2 Channel vs All Channels
    Less HDMI Inputs 4 vs 6
    Phono Input vs
    Lower Rated Headphone Power Output 80 mW (32 Ω, 1 kHz, 10% THD) vs 85 mW (32 Ω, 1 kHz, 10% THD)

    For more detailed comparison between the models please visit Pioneer VSX-831 vs VSX-832.

    Audio Section

    5 channel Discrete Direct Energy Amplifier

    Pioneer VSX-831 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).

      AMPLIFIER
      Channels5.2
      Power Output80 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven)
      Amplifier DesignDiscrete Direct Energy
      THX™ Certification
      Continuous 6 Ω Rated
      Certified 4 Ω Performance
      Bi-amp Capability

      Speaker Configurations

      Pioneer VSX-831's 5 channel amplifier can be assigned for different speaker configurations.

      • Configurations: Available configurations are:
      • 5.2 with internal amplifier.
      • 2-ch Bi-Amp: Pioneer VSX-831 allows you 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.
      Pioneer VSX-831
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      DECODING
      Dolby Atmos
      Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
      Dolby Atmos Music
      Dolby TrueHD
      Dolby Digital Plus
      Dolby Surround Upmixer
      Dolby Pro Logic PLII
      Dolby Digital EX
      Surround EX
      DTS:X
      DTS Neural:X
      DTS Virtual:X
      DTS Neo Neo:6
      DTS-HD Master Audio
      DTS-HD High Resolution Audio
      DTS 96/24
      DTS Express
      DTS-ES
      IMAX Enhanced
      Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer

      Sound Processing

      • Advanced Sound Retriever: Compressed music enhancement in Pioneer VSX-831 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-831 comes with MCACC room correction system and includes the calibration microphone.

      • 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-831 features 6 HDMI inputs. It has 1 output.

      • 4K/60Hz Passthrough: All inputs pass up to 4K/60p (4:4:4 24-bit)
        4K/60p (4:2:0 36-bit)
        4K/24p (4:4:4 36-bit) video signal.
      • 4K Upscaling: Pioneer VSX-831 can upscale up to 4K from HDMI and analog sources.
      • Analog To HDMI Upconversion: The a/v receiver supports video upconversion, so you can connect your analog Composite video sources and Pioneer VSX-831 will output them via HDMI. This means that you will need only one HDMI cable to connect to your TV.
      • 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%.
      • HDCP 2.2 Copy Protection: All inputs and outputs are HDCP 2.2 compliant which is a requirement for 4K/HDR copy-protected content transmission.
      • 3D Ready: Pioneer VSX-831 is able to pass 3D video through HDMI.

      HDR (High Dynamic Range)

      Pioneer VSX-831 supports HDR (high dynamic range) video formats such as HDR10 and Dolby Vision. 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.
      Pioneer VSX-831
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      VIDEO FEATURES
      HDR10
      HDR10+
      Dynamic HDR
      BT.2020 color space
      Dolby Vision
      HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma)
      HDBaseT Compatible
      Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC)
      HDCP Version2.2
      QMS (Quick Media Switching)
      ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode)
      VRR (Variable Refresh Rate)
      QFT (Quick Frame transport)
      3-D Ready
      Video Signal Passthroughup to 4K/60p (4:4:4 24-bit)
      4K/60p (4:2:0 36-bit)
      4K/24p (4:4:4 36-bit)
      Video Signal Upscaling up to 4K

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      Inputs and Outputs

      Audio

      • Phono Input: There is an MM phono input with built-in phono stage for connecting the moving magnet cartridge output of the turntable directly to the a/v receiver.
      • Analog Line Inputs: There are 3 line inputs for analog audio connection.
      • Digital Inputs: 1 optical input and 1 coaxial input are available for digital audio connection.
      • Headphone Output: There is a 6.3 mm (1/4") headphone output jack on the front panel.

      Video

      • HDMI:
      • Inputs: 6   Outputs: 1
        8K Inputs: 0
      • Composite Video: Connect you VCR, Laserdisc player and other old video equipment with composite video cables.
      • Inputs: 2   Outputs: 0

      Front A/V Inputs

      • USB, Mini-Jack
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      TERMINALS
      HDMI Inputs6
      HDMI Outputs1
      8K Inputs
      USB Input1 Front
      USB DC Out Port
      Optical Inputs1
      Optical Outputs
      Coaxial Inputs1
      RCA Line Inputs3 (1 front)
      RCA Line Outputs
      XLR Line Inputs
      Phono Input
      Multi-Channel Input
      RCA Pre-Outs0.2
      XLR Pre-outs
      Composite Video Inputs2
      Composite Video Outputs
      S-Video Inputs
      S-Video Outputs
      Component Video Inputs
      Component Video Outputs

      Pioneer VSX-831 Evaluation

      We evaluate Pioneer VSX-831 and give score of 77 out of 100. We also give separate scores for 6 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.


      OVERALL
      77

      Amplifier

      GOOD
      77

      We give Pioneer VSX-831 a score of 77 for Amplifier features.

      •   Few Channels - 5.2
      •   Low Power Output - 80 W

      Audio Features

      GOOD
      71

      We give Pioneer VSX-831 a score of 71 for Audio Features features.

      •   Few Channels - 5.2
      •   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

      EXCELLENT
      92

      We give Pioneer VSX-831 a score of 92 for Video Features features.

      •   HDR10
      •   No HDR10+
      •   Dolby Vision
      •   No 8K Passthrough
      •   Analog To HDMI Upconversion

      Connectivity

      GOOD
      80

      We give Pioneer VSX-831 a score of 80 for Connectivity features.

      •   No eARC
      •   New HDCP Version
      •   Wi-Fi
      •   Bluetooth
      •   Does not Work with Amazon Alexa
      •   Chromecast Built-In
      •   6 HDMI Inputs
      •   1 HDMI Outputs
      •   0 8K Input
      •   USB Input
      •   Few RCA Line Inputs
      •   Phono Input
      •   No RCA Pre-Outs
      •   Composite Video Inputs
      •   Ethernet
      •   Bluetooth 4․1 + LE

      Zones

      AVERAGE
      55

      We give Pioneer VSX-831 a score of 55 for Zones features.

      •   No Zones

      Radio

      EXCELLENT
      85

      We give Pioneer VSX-831 a score of 85 for Radio features.

      •   Analog Tuner
      •   Pandora
      •   Spotify
      •   No Tidal


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

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