Pioneer Sc-Lx501

Pioneer's Direct-Energy-HD amplifiers impress with their refined, balanced sound, enormous power reserves, and optimal efficiency. They sound fantastic, remain pleasantly cool during operation, and leave a delightfully low mark on the electricity bill. However, not every home theater enthusiast needs nine of them. Therefore, Pioneer has designed the entry into the premium receiver class as a seven-channel model, while still generously equipping it with features. Users of the SC-LX 501 will not miss out on the lavish network and streaming capabilities that Pioneer's new streaming board offers. The best streaming services, including Tidal, Deezer, and Spotify, are included, along with the richest internet radio service, TuneIn.

Thanks to Bluetooth, Airplay, and (after a free update) Google Cast, apps on smartphones or tablets always find the optimal way to the system, and audiophile HiRes downloads from the home NAS run smoothly with resolutions of up to 24bit/192kHz or Quad-rate DSD (11.2MHz). While a LAN cable is recommended for the highest data rates, the SC-LX 501 is also conveniently and stably accessible wirelessly due to its integrated dual-band WiFi.

For those who have developed a taste for streaming through the SC-LX 501, it can soon be integrated into a whole-house multi-room network thanks to Fire-Connect preparation. The SC-LX 501 is equally well-equipped on the home theater side: decoders for object-based audio formats Dolby Atmos and dts:X, 4K video processing including 4K upscaling of regular HD content, an MCACC Pro calibration system with Reflex Optimizer, and the newly designed high-resolution GUI make the 501 a future-proof, versatile, and user-friendly multimedia hub.