Click here for AV Receiver shopping and tech tips < $999: Pioneer VSX-832: $479 Enthusiasts on a tight budget will love all the VSX-832 has to offer for less than 500 bucks. Found in 9.1, 11.1 and 13.1 configurations, Auro-3D is surprisingly flexible. If starting from scratch, there are many Dolby Atmos enabled packages available to purchase, ready-in-a-box, including everything you need: A/V receiver, amplification, and speakers. Some popular styles of AV receiver currently available include: There’s no front panel display. We spent some time thinking about which stat to list here, and in the end, you'll see that for most of our amps, we list wattage for two channels driven - two channels being the minimum (we think) that a receiver takes. If you want 7.1-channel sound without wires running across your room, the RX-V685 lets you use MusicCast wireless speakers as surrounds. 5 Best AV Receiver In India 2020 – Price & Review. It's an incredibly confusing time to be shopping for a new AV receiver. While the Arcam AVR850 is unlikely to win any Best Value accolades – it’s unashamedly expensive for a 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos design – its overarching musicality is hard to beat. We also argue that other similarly-priced receivers, like the $649 Denon AVR-S960H, offer better sound quality. There are seven HDMI inputs, all with HDCP 2.2 support, plus three HDMI outputs. As you can imagine, this does much the same thing, but for sources decoded with the DTS:X format. With speakers grouped, the package becomes a working 5.1 system. It also delivers superb surround sound with a huge range of codecs available. And compared to other budget receivers, here, the AVR-S540BT loses out big time. Looking for some Hi-Res audiophile speakers to go with your record player? TL;DR – These are the Best AV Receivers: Yamaha RX … And given that the SR6014 costs $1,499 at the time of writing, you really want to get the best out of it. For one, they can process digital audio and video. Connecting a receiver to your home Wi-Fi network means you can play music or video from anything else connected to it, like your PC. And if that was gobbledegook, the only thing you need to pay attention to is the bit that says ‘seventy-five watts of power’. It may be available on soundbars, but only an AV receiver offers true overhead Dolby Atmos audio. But hiding them away causes more problems than it solves, as it also means you may not be able to use your remote. And these are our pick of them, all tried, tested and star-rated in our dedicated testing rooms. Regardless, the SC-LX904 does exactly what it’s supposed to, at a very good price.See the Pioneer SC-LX904. What we wouldn't give for some original receiver names…See the Sony STR-DN1080. But if you want to do this, you need a receiver that treats music just as well as it treats movies, and in all our testing, the Denon AVR-S960H did the best job here. Yamaha RX-V681BL AV Receiver also comes with sound optimization features making it possible for you to refine and fine-tune your sound to the levels where you can enjoy the best of it. Something we saw far more often than we’d like: someone placing their A/V receiver in a crowded TV cabinet. Equipping your living room with the best AV receiver can quickly transform your humble TV set-up into your own personal home theater system. 8K movies are few and far between, and 8K TVs are hellishly expensive. When choosing the best AV receiver, you must focus on several main characteristics that include the following:. The best A/V receiver for movies: Yamaha RX-A1080. Additionally, this receiver includes a 7.2 channel … Well, this number refers to the amount and type of speakers in the setup: the first (5, 7, 9, whatever) refers to the number of high end and mid range speakers, while the second one (the .1, sometimes .2) refers to the subwoofer, or low-end speaker. Welcome back everyone, today, we're looking at the top 10 best AV receivers that are available in 2020. 5.1-channel surround audio has been around for two decades now, and it’s become the benchmark for home theater sound, offering a far more immersive audio perception than regular two-channel stereo... We get it. Visit our corporate site. and it’s likely to stay that way for some time. Right now, however, only a few receiver models have this functionality, although you can expect many more to include it in the coming months. The receiver can even virtually relocate the physical position of your speakers, to create a better sonic balance. For total control of your smart home, invest in one of the best smart speakers, which come with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, or Siri built-in. Best AV receiver for 2020? This is an AVR receiver from their ‘S’ series. Even if you couldn't care less, you're getting it anyway. Unfortunately, that’s where our recommendations end. It sounds tricky, but all this number describes is a picture size: 3,840 by 2,160 pixels, to be precise. 4K is what a lot of receiver makers set their reputations by these days, and it's the thing you'll see featured most prominently. Overall, this is an innovative, exciting AV Dolby Atmos receiver. They've created this truly stupendous receiver, with 13.2 channels. Other receivers, like the top-ranked Denon AVR-X3600H, offer these too. The best cheap A/V receiver: Sony STR-DH590. Of the models that use Sonos, we think the $999 Integra DRX-3.3 is the best one currently available, so check that out if you’d like to experience the simplicity of the Sonos ecosystem. We’d much rather recommend you the slightly older SR6014, which is virtually the same receiver, only $100 less. If you want a full list of each receiver's surround-sound programs, check out the table below for our explanation of lesser-known ones. If you want to get really high-tech with your set-up, and invest in multi-room streaming, you need to think about which wireless speaker system is best for you – Chromecast, Heos, or even Yamaha MusicCast. The really significant difference here, compared to previous Arcam home theater boxes, is the provision of Dirac Live room calibration. They make some incredible sounding and incredibly expensive receivers, of which the AVR20 is the latest. It's an eight channel mix, which is still good, but not nearly as good as Atmos. Your sound comes out in a room filled with objects: couches, tables, bookshelves, children, the dog, glass windows, pictures on the walls. Before making a decision, there are some things you need to know about AV receivers and their performances so you could use them to their full potential. 8K content is, as you can imagine, significantly more visually detailed than 4K, at 8,192 x 4,320 pixels. For many people, Dolby Atmos will be the killer app. Even if you have lots of other devices, this means that the transition between them will be seamless, regardless of what you’re trying to play, watch or listen to, you’ll always get an amazing entertainment experience to rival your nearest cinema screen. If you're looking for a good pair of up-firing Atmos speakers, we recommend the Klipsch RP-500SA (full review here). The Denon AVR-X4700H is  is a punchy, powerful 9.2 channel receiver, which can not only scale to 11.2, but also delivers a staggering amount of technology for the price. Denon AVR-X6500H- Best Av Receiver for Gaming Enthusiasts The third and the last AV Receiver for gaming we are adding in this list is an 11.2 Channel Denon AVR-X6500H receiver. Channels: 9.2Dolby Atmos: YesDTS:X: YesWattage Per Channel: 105/8Ω, Two-Channels DrivenWhat We Like: Powerful, muscular sound matched with terrific features.What We Don't: Remote control feels stuck in the stone age. However, Denon have kept the price the same as the previous model, while managing to add in some significant changes to the circuitry. When making this list, we chose to only include receivers that have the ability to power speakers. Let's say you have a source that only offers 2.1, 5.1, or 7.1 audio – in other words, audio that has been mixed for speakers at ear-level. It’s an excellent receiver, with a huge range of features and warm, engaging sound quality. Any space smaller than that simply won’t get the best from your receiver. It’s a crucial part of the whole home theater experience, and will help you get the best out of your receiver, and indeed your whole system. The receiver is a difference from comparison to another receiver. The feature set is just unbelievable. These include the ability to add speakers in an additional zone, meaning this could easily power the audio in an entire house. It’s tight and forceful with action sequences, and delicious melodious with two channel music. Bluetooth streaming allows you to send audio from your phone or tablet out to your receiver, to be played by your surround speakers. Some are pieces of legacy software, some have very specific applications, and some are just there because…we don't know. However, there’s no question that it’s the direction we’re headed in. Outside of the remote, which needs a redesign, it genuinely is one of the best models you can buy.See the Denon AVR-X3600H. But ultimately, we’ve picked the Yamaha because it does wireless audio effectively, at a much more affordable price than its competitors.See the Yamaha RX-V685. We used a quarterback analogy earlier, but perhaps a better one is air-traffic control. We previously featured the Anthem MRX1120 at this spot on the list, but we’ve found an alternative that does what the MRX1120 does, for about $500 less. Give it some room. Performance is excellent for the price. These options are great to have, but if all you’re doing is buying a receiver for your home theater setup, you’ll be wasting your money here. EVER. Pioneer's VSX-1012-K is an excellent AV receiver with built-in AirPlay and top-notch sound quality, but Denon's AVR-1912 is just a little better. But the price dropped recently to a much more affordable $499, so we think we can recommend it over its older brother. We’re prepared to forgive it any foibles. Is this the best AVR for 2020? This plays a major role in achieving the best possible audio quality. It’s an exciting time for HDMI at the moment - as much as you can ascribe excitement to a cable connection. We are not several other sites. This AVR from Denon comes with incredible sound quality with 95 watts per channel. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. That said, the big downside here is that the Marantz NR1711 is overpriced right now. Like the lower-cost the AVR-X2700H, the higher-end model supports Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization, Atmos, DTS:X and DTS Virtual:X are all present and accounted for, plus with eARC support, but you can also add DTS:X Pro to that list when it comes via a firmware update in 2021. Reasons to buy + Bargain price + Bluetooth streaming. The RX-V685 receiver incorporates their MusicCast software, which makes it easy to use compatible speakers for surround sound. That makes it a superb second banana. This is arguably the UK audio specialist’s best sounding AV receiver to date. It easily allows you to link existing Sonos speakers to it, as well as play any audio through the Sonos Connect app. You'll want at least a few of these, as it's the most-common and most-utilized type of port. The product is pretty expensive, but this should not come as … Standing just 90mm tall, it’s refreshing compact. This kind of thing is usually undertaken when you have a large room, and don't mind doing some DIY to mount your speakers! It simply doesn’t have the finesse or power to drive them effectively, meaning you’ll get subpar sound. 1. We actually have a full guide to this, explaining every single connection on that crazy-complicated rear of your receiver, and what to do with it. A sharpie to color in the right split on the wire may be helpful. It covers one of the more common setups. While these issues mean that the Denon AVR-S750H is the second choice, it’s still a very good one overall.See the Denon AVR-S750H. The sound quality – especially the low-end – has excellent weight and presence to it. We get it. A lot of the picks on this list don't actually look like much. If you go for this receiver, we recommend smaller satellite or bookshelf speakers. We got those figures by chatting to our contacts at home theater companies. The receiver delivers multichannel movie soundtracks with gusto. And some receivers, like the cheaper Denon above, also allow you to expand your channel quota by adding more amps into the mix. Something new to many A/V receivers in the last few years is the advent of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Marantz SR6014. If the RX-V685 has one major downside, it's that it only has four HDMI ports. There was a problem. Best 5.1 AV Receiver. What We Don't: Remote control feels stuck in the stone age. Contents. It’ll work with any conventional speaker setups, up to 32 speakers. While we think it's solid – especially for the price range – it doesn't quite get the edge over the Yamaha RX-V685. It must be said that, if you don't have the cash, this may not be the receiver for you – and it's certainly not ideal for smaller rooms. Sony’s A/V receivers have always been good, but they haven’t always managed to stand out against competition from the likes of Marantz, Onkyo, and Denon. But in opinion, the SR6015 has the same problem as the newer version of our top-ranked Denon AVR-X3600H: there’s just not enough 8K content around to justify the extra expense. A/V receivers can get really hot - especially after a few hours of operation. Such elevated “reflecting” speakers will be positioned above your existing floor-level surround speakers, allowing for sounds to move between top and bottom. Channels: 11.2Dolby Atmos: YesDTS:X: YesWattage Per Channel: 140/8Ω, Two-Channels DrivenWhat We Like: Incredible sound and power at a surprisingly affordable price point.What We Don't: Only worth the cost if you plan to use advanced music features. There are a few key components inside each box. For the most part, Sonos has kept this technology to themselves, which meant that those with traditional home theater systems have had to rely on inferior connectivity software. Switch to the relevant HDMI input using your TV remote. Streaming capabilities. Have we convinced you that you need an AV receiver yet? Then you need an A/V receiver. There are lots of speaker styles to choose from – that's why we've put together lots of guides on the best speakers you can buy in 2020. The Best Budget AV Receiver: Sony STR-DH590; The Best Wireless AV Receiver: Denon HEOS AVR-X2600H; The Best 7-Channel AV Receiver: Yamaha RX-A1080; The Best 9-Channel AV Receiver: Yamaha RX-A3080; The Best 11-Channel AV Receiver for a Single Room: Marantz SR8012; The Best 13.2-Channel AV Receiver: Denon AVR-X8500H One thing you may have noticed with our list, even if you’re only moderately alert, is that virtually all the receivers look the same. 5.1 and 7.1 are considered the standard - the basic number of channels which a given receiver might have. AV Receivers. New York, What's up with that? Similarly, Auro-3D won’t be happy with multiple ceiling speakers or up-firing drivers. It’s especially important if you’re a gamer, as HDMI 2.1 is capable of transmitting 120 frames per second, meaning you get silky smooth graphics. Channels: 5.1Dolby Atmos: NoDTS:X: NoWattage Per Channel: 145/6Ω, Two-Channels DrivenWhat We Like: Offers a lot for the price, with good sound and features.What We Don't: Not really suited to floorstanding speakers. You think those things come for free? Please refresh the page and try again. This isn’t a particularly musical AVR though. Best Budget AV Receivers Under $300 Bear in mind that this is our take on it, and should be used more as a guideline than anything else. However, almost all receivers will be able to deliver enough power, so don’t stress about it too much. TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Channels: 13.2Dolby Atmos: YesDTS:X: YesWattage Per Channel: 150/8Ω, Two-Channels DrivenWhat We Like: A truly unique receiver.What We Don’t: Most people will never find a use for it. Arcam isn’t even trying to impress here. It is a perfect fit for large rooms with features such as connection to Chromecast, Flare connect multiroom, DTS Play: Fi. There are several receivers on our list which do include smart speaker control, usually using Amazon’s Alexa software. Not only do you have to contend with miles and miles of speaker wire, as well as figuring out where exactly you’re going to put the damn things and whether or not you need to drill holes in your... There’s no denying that home theater systems can be complicated. Denon is one of the leading names in high-end audio equipment. Of all the four-figure monsters here, the NAD T 778 is the most interesting and exciting. You won't find any surround sound processors or preamps here – just full, integrated A/V receivers. A hair under $800 feels like a lot, especially when you take into account the sound quality, which is good rather than great. You also don't get quite as many surround sound options - just Atmos, DTS:X, and DTS Neural:X. Worth noting: the subwoofer channels (the .1 or .2) will require their own power, meaning you'll use a different connection to that from your speakers. There’s no ChromeCast, which limits what you can stream from your mobile device. In our opinion, it ticks both the boxes we look at the great musical playback. Dolby Atmos have their own way of naming their height-elevated setups, because surround sound systems weren’t confusing enough already. If you are a beginner in the world of home theater and surround sound, the Sony STR-DH590 is the receiver to go for. However, right now, it’s only worth considering if you’re a gamer and want to get the absolute best out of your XBox or PS5. If you enjoy playing music through your receiver, the Pioneer SC-LX904 has you covered. One nifty Wi-Fi trick: some manufacturers, like Denon, have made their receivers compatible with their wireless multiroom speakers. We get six HDMI inputs, all HDCP 2.2 enabled. There are also two HDMI outputs, for combi TV and projector use. 3238 Reviews of 5 1 av receivers Examined. It’s the latest version of Anthem’s ARC software, and includes some significant improvements. That means it can play ultra-high-resolution audio files; a nice touch, and not one you see often. For one, none of the receivers on our list have native Alexa integration – the virtual assistant isn’t actually installed on any of their systems. The problem is, Sonos integration aside, the Integra DRX-3.3 doesn’t do anything particularly special. The first of all products we would be discussing is the Marantz SR6014. We explain it in a lot more detail here - don’t worry, it’s easy! That means you can use it to watch special content on 8K TVs. Where Dolby Atmos differs from conventional surround set-ups is by necessitating one, two or more extra pairs of ceiling speakers. 1 Yamaha AVENTAGE Audio & Video Component Receiver,Black; 2 Denon AVRX4400H 9.2 Channel Full 4K Ultra HD Network AV Receiver with HEOS black The best part is that the physical connectors are exactly the same – all that’s changed is the internals on the cable. We also have to give it a black mark for the on-screen interface, which is hugely clunky and outdated. Arguably the most sophisticated auto calibration technology available, it does a extraordinary job fine tuning the receiver to the listening room. Read our review to find out. If you have a 4K set-up at home, then you need to be on the lookout for a receiver that has a wealth of HDCP 2.2 compatible HDMI ports. The biggest investment, though, would be for the additional elevated speakers - even for a minimal Dolby Atmos setup, you would need at least two ceiling speakers on top of a regular surround set, if not four. This is what you'll be using if your system doesn't have height speakers, but you still wish to use a Dolby audio mix. That’s for the Denon AVR-X3600H, and what it means is that when two channels are receiving power with eight ohms of electrical resistance, between the ranges of 20Hz and 20kHz, you’ll be getting seventy-five watts of power with around 0.08% of distortion. That’s important for new consoles like the XBox Series X and PS5, making this receiver a great option if you plan on picking one of those up. You’ll notice that we’ve gone for square feet and floorspace, rather than cubic feet and total room volume. And if you can imagine a type of surround sound program or a receiver technology, it's here. *All wattage ratings are for two channels driven, which is what manufacturers commonly list. Put simply, it's the standard non-Atmos Dolby software, and will give you surround sound without the height elements. It tips the scales at a reassuringly heavy 16kg. Normally, we aren't fans of incremental updates. It has a completely redesigned front-end, which we think looks gorgeous. Sony’s affordable and stylish STRDH190 Bluetooth Stereo Receiver (view on Amazon) is our pick for the best budget-friendly receiver, although you’ll get more bells and whistles if you’re willing to spend closer to $300.