Pioneer's SC-LX502 AV receiver is awash with streaming options

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Chromecast built in? Check. Support for multiple music streaming services? Check. Bluetooth and AirPlay? Check. On paper, Pioneer's recently announced AV receiver has no shortage of streaming skills...

Of course, the SC-LX502's bread and butter are movies and surround sound, but there's no harm in offering a wide selection of streaming abilities too.

Chromecast built-in is there, together with DTS Play-Fi support for beaming audio to compatible wireless speakers. There's support for all the major music streaming services too, including Spotify, Deezer and Tidal, plus TuneIn internet radio.

Bluetooth and AirPlay are both supported if you want to beam music from a smartphone or tablet.

4K support goes without saying and there's compatibility with HDR formats such as Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG.

Object-based audio is also on the menu thanks to support for both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

The amp uses Pioneer's Direct Energy HD Amplification and uses the company's trademark MCACC auto-calibration software to aid set-up. A clever reflex optimiser claims to be able to bring the best out of Dolby Atmos-enabled speakers by improving integration and clarity.

There's a 32-bit/768kHz multi-channel DAC for all your hi-res needs (including DSD support) and the receiver can be controlled using the Pioneer Remote App for Android and iOS devices. Pricing is still TBC, but the amp is due to go on sale at some point in September.

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Andy Madden
Andy Madden

Andy is Deputy Editor of What Hi-Fi? and a consumer electronics journalist with nearly 20 years of experience writing news, reviews and features. Over the years he's also contributed to a number of other outlets, including The Sunday Times, the BBC, Stuff, and BA High Life Magazine. Premium wireless earbuds are his passion but he's also keen on car tech and in-car audio systems and can often be found cruising the countryside testing the latest set-ups. In his spare time Andy is a keen golfer and gamer.