The home theater receiver also called an AV receiver or surround sound receiver, is the heart of a home theater system. Thats the range where most vocals reside. As you would expect from a high-end Marantz product, this receiver is built using their famous HDAM technology. You have an Ethernet port for those who like using a trusty cable, but you can also connect via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airplay 2, Spotify Connect and more. But if youve purchased a new 4K HDR TV and 4K HDR source devicesor, more recently, an 8K-capable TV or one that supports updated HDMI 2.1 featuresan older AV receiver may lack the ability to pass through those higher-quality signals, and a really old receiver may lack HDMI connections altogether. We researched and tested to find the best-looking and best-sounding home theater equipment that will take your personal setup from functional to enjoyable. The good news is that this is up there with the best room correction software. In fact, there is a complete set of 13.2 pre-outs on the back if you want to power all your speakers from external power amps. With support for Yamahas MusicCast system, you can use the app to stream music wirelessly around your home and you can have MusicCast speakers in up to 9 rooms around the house. You cant get much more of a recommendation than that. Sony STR-DH590. It has 5.2 multi-channel surround sound with a booming 145W per channel output, along with Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD audio that's better than the price tag suggests. . An affordable and versatile receiver designed to deliver good sound quality for home theaters, the Denon AVR-X3700H Receiver delivers the best possible sound experience. Best AV receivers 2022: which home cinema receiver should you buy In addition to Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, you can add Auro-3D support via a firmware update. Check Price. Bluetooth 5.0-capable. Top 10 Most Expensive Stereo Receivers | See 2022's Top Picks The Marantz SR8015 is an 11.2-channel AV receiver with discrete power amplifiers for each channel. Yamaha RX-A8A AVENTAGE 11.2-Ch AV Receiver, 5. We saw no option to skip this screen, so we had to exit the wizard altogether and start over from scratch. However, I assume you are here to understand more about your options at this high-end level, so lets compare the receivers here in a little more detail and give you an idea of their strengths and weaknesses. The serious audio or home theater enthusiast may choose to spend more money for more power (which may be important if your speakers have low sensitivity and are difficult to drive), more amplified channels, more setup and customization options, and better build quality, but above $1,700, youll find diminishing performance returns on your investment. Your main 5 speakers are the ones that do most of the work, and the extra surround and height speakers do less. Theres a lot to unpack in that sentence, so lets walk through it step by step. Paul started the Home Cinema Guide to help less-experienced users get the most out of today's audio-visual technology. These sound formats are designed to add an overhead element to the typical ear-level surround sound available for decades. Most people dont need to spend more than $1,700 for an AV receiver, as you reach a point of diminishing performance returns. Another standout feature of the MRX 1140 is the automatic room correction. The best all-purpose AV receiver The AVR-X1700H is a great-sounding, easy-to-use, 7.1-channel receiver that has all the needed features to satisfy movie fans, music lovers, and gamers alike.. However, recently they have introduced the HDA series of amplifiers and players, which are now considered their top-performing products. In most cases, you would probably use the built-in Class G channels to run your basic 5.1/7.1 speaker layout then add external amplifiers to add the extra height channels to a maximum of 8 more speakers. Even if youre an audio geek who loves playing around with microphones, audio software, EQ and the like OK, you got me, Im talking about myself here! Pros: Audiophile Class G amplification 8K/60Hz, 4K/120Hz and HDMI 2.1 support 15.2-channel pre-outs for creating a large speaker layout Dirac Live room correction is the best around Cons: A bigger concern is that we couldnt upgrade the receivers firmware without jumping through some hoops. If you are interested in buying a Marantz receiver, it doesnt get any better than this. This 5.1-channel AV receiver supports high-quality Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks (but not the overhead speakers of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X), and it offers four HDMI 2.1compliant inputs that support 8K video at 60Hz and 4K video at 120 Hz, along with auto low-latency mode, variable refresh rate, and quick frame transport, but not quick media switching. At home, he has spent more time than is probably healthy installing, configuring, testing, de-rigging, fixing, tweaking, re-installing again (and sometimes using) various pieces of hi-fi and home cinema equipment. The Cinema 50, on the other hand, is a really close match for the AVR-X3800H but costs $800 more. Only you know that. For example, a scene with loud sound effects and music will be optimized differently from one with quiet dialogue and ambient sound meaning the surround effect will change depending on what you are watching. Then, in 2021, Denon released an updated version the AVR-X8500HA. Product Description. Of course, you dont have to use Dirac Live and can make manual measurements and adjustments yourself. All network and wireless connection types you need are covered in this unit including Ethernet, wireless and Bluetooth. Moving up to a 7.1-channel receiver gives you the option to add an extra pair of surround speakers in the rear of the room, to power a second audio zone, or to build a basic Dolby Atmos/DTS:X system with two overhead speakersprovided that the receiver has Dolby Atmos and DTS:X decoding (most newer 7.1-channel models do). Todays soundbars offer a level of audio performance that would have been unimaginable 10 years ago, but they still have limitations in performance and flexibility: The speaker drivers have to be relatively small to fit inside a soundbar, youre usually limited to one subwoofer, and soundbars typically offer only a couple of connection options, to name a few. Soundbars are a great step up from built-in TV speakers, but an AV receiver gives you significantly more control over how you set up, use, and upgrade your home theater system. Best Budget AV Receivers 2023 [Top Entry-Level AVRs] Or, you can watch videos in zone 2 or 4 while enjoying something else in the main room. The company now offers free HDMI board replacements for anyone with an afflicted receiverincluding the RX-A2A, RX-V4A, RX-V6A, and TSR-700but it took a long time to do so, and the company was not as transparent or communicative about the delays as we wouldve liked. You also have support for MusicCast Surround, which might solve your problem if you want wireless surround speakers. You can find out morehere. AVR Buyer's Guide - 2022 Edition - HomeTheaterReview I have owned Denon, Yamaha and Onkyo AV receivers over the years and have experience working with Marantz and Arcam. Its somewhat telling that these brands are the only two that most curious parties mention when asking for advice, but the truth is that Marantzs receiversespecially its new Cinema Seriesare a bit more luxury-oriented and as such dont represent as good a value for most people. You also have plenty of options for routing audio into zones 2 and 3. I have no problem with that. It is an exceptional choice for watching movies and TV, but it also sounds great as an amplifier for stereo music with its Class G amplification. Thats always the choice you must make when you reach this level of engineering. The downside of the Arcam is it is costly, and you will only get an incremental sound improvement over some of the cheaper receivers for all that extra money. This was disappointing for anyone with the latest game consoles. It . The SR range of Marantz receivers is their top-end model and the SR8015 is the flagship receiver. If youre a room-correction aficionado, a glance at the Audyssey charts below explains why: You can see how much smoother the midrange (100 to 1,000 Hz) response was when we applied the MultEQ XT32 room correction, in comparison with the midtier MultEQ XT room correction in the AVR-X1700H. If youre still unsure and are looking for a particular sound, the only way is to hear them perform yourself. Of all the models here, my choice for the best high-end AV receiver is the Arcam AVR31. Home Cinema Guide may get a commission if you buy from a link marked with * on this page: * 8 Ohms, 20 Hz-20 kHz, 0.02% THD, 2 Channels Driven, * 8 Ohms, 20 Hz-20 kHz, 0.05% THD, 2 Channels Driven, * 8 Ohms, 20 Hz-20 kHz, 0.06% THD, 2 Channels Driven, * 8 Ohms, 20 Hz-20 kHz, 0.01% THD, 2 Channels Driven, Image Credit: Peter Gudella/Shutterstock.com, 4. Channels 1-5 are rated at 140 watts per channel, while the rest are 60 watts per channel (all at 8 Ohms, 20 Hz-20 kHz, 0.01% THD, 2 Channels Driven). However, not many receivers match this beast when it comes to their flagship offering. He has been a sound, lighting and audio-visual engineer for around 20 years. This is as good as it gets in AV receivers and places this receiver firmly in audiophile territory. The AVR-X1700H is a great-sounding, easy-to-use, 7.1-channel receiver that has all the needed features to satisfy movie fans, music lovers, and gamers alike. If you really want to take advantage of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, you can have a 7.2.6 or 9.2.4 surround sound speaker system. Make sure to read the fine print to pick a receiver that supports the HDMI 2.1 features you need. The $499 Denon AVR-S750H. Even music fans with extensive physical music collections stream much of their music from the internet, so a receiver needs some way of supporting streaming audio apps like Amazon Music and Spotify. Marantz AV8805. After completing a new round of testing, weve selected the Denon AVR-X1700H as our top pick, the Denon AVR-X3800H as our upgrade pick, and the Denon AVR-S570BT as our budget pick. Five HDMI ports is probably the right number for most people, as it gives you inputs for every source youre likely to use in your home theater, with the option to add one or two more. With a budget receiver priced at $400 or less, youre likely to get only Bluetooth support. So, if you have more than one new game console, you might need to connect one directly to your TV or buy the Marantz VS3003 3-in/1-out 8K switcher, which allows you to connect three 8K devices into the single input. Yamaha RX-V385 - under $300. Difference between Denon consumer S and professional X receivers The best AV receivers tested for power, sound and connectivity these amps deliver on movie night Comments (4) Included in this guide: 1 Denon AVR-X4700H Check Price 2 Denon AVR-X2700H Check. There is also another stereo pair of XLR audio outputs. There isnt anything earth-shattering about the look of this receiver, so just expect a standard front panel with a primary volume control knob, a few connectors, and a small display panel. Performance? This receiver is part of the Arcam HAD (High Definition Audio) range, andArcam released its top-end products under the FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) banner in the early years. In our voice-intelligibility stress testthe Mines of Moria sequences from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring on UHD Blu-raythe AVR-X3800H provided a big leap in clarity over the AVR-X1700H. Surround sound with anywhere between 70-90 watts of continuous power per channel with approximately 145 watts in bursts. AV receivers built-in room-correction systems automatically adjust audio to suit your room, but the results arent always pleasing. Remember, an HDMI 2.1 input will only likely benefit gamers with the latest consoles. Instead of reaching for one remote to turn on your TV . The Denon AVR-X3700H has just about every feature in a receiver, including seven HDMI inputs and three outputs and a dedicated port that supports 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz video pass-through and upscaling. We didnt set a lot of minimum spec requirements to limit what models we considered, but there are certain key specs that you should keep in mind when you begin your receiver search, to determine whether you need a budget, midpriced, or higher-end model: A basic home theater setup is referred to as having 5.1 channels of audio. Both the Onkyo TX-NR5100 and the Pioneer VSX-935 had some concerning issues, though. If you have a good AV store near you, see if you can listen to these models in their listening room, and try to get it hooked up to similar speakers to your own. The connected speakers and how they interact with the room are the most significant impact on the sound that you hear. Thats because our hands-on testing has shown that the brands lineup consistently offers the best bang for the buck in performance and features, and that it does a better job of simplifying the potentially complicated process of setting up a home theater system. . Are you searching for a new AV receiver to elevate your movie-watching experience? Wirecutters simple tips and tech upgrades give you great sound without a lot of work. Top 5 Best High-End AV Receivers [2023] - Home Cinema Guide There are 7 HDMI ports on the rear which will be plenty for most people plus, there are three HDMI outputs, including a dedicated port for a zone 2 connection. The 9.4-channel AVR-X3800H includes two additional amp channels that you can use to power more speakers, and it can process sound for up to four subwoofers independently. It also allows support for new gaming and media features such as Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Quick Media Switching (QMS) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR). HDMI 2.1 support is slowly appearing in new AV receivers. All six of the AVR-X3800Hs HDMI inputs support 8K video at 60 Hz (compressed and uncompressed), as well as 4K at up to 120 Hz, along with HDMI 2.1 features such as auto low-latency mode, variable refresh rate, quick media switching, and auto lip sync (when the receiver is connected to displays that support that feature), so its a great choice for gaming. The upmixing modes of Dolby Surround and DTS Neural:X are particularly effective in extending standard 5.1 soundtracks into your height speakers. The general consensus is that ARC is on par with the highly respected Dirac Live system that Arcam uses (amongst others). Experience the bigger, clearer picture when you upgrade your home theater setup with the STR-DH590. You probably noticed that all of our current picks come from Denon. The better room-correction systems are those that prompt you to place the calibration microphone at numerous locations at and around the main listening area. Its Heos multiroom streaming platform integrates a number of music streaming services into one app, including Amazon Music, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Napster, Pandora, Rhapsody, SiriusXM, SoundCloud, Spotify, Tidal, and TuneIn. The AVR-X1700H is also a great choice for gamers who want their system to have full compatibility with all the latest advanced gaming features found on the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 game consoles, including the ability to pass through a 4K 120 Hz signal. AV receivers run the price gamut from a couple hundred dollars to well into four-figure territory. Compared with our previous pick in this category, the now-discontinued Denon AVR-S540BT, the new AVR-S570BT also features upgraded speaker connectionswith proper binding posts instead of spring-loaded connectors. Inexpensive Av Receivers - Best Buy The main output supports the newer Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC) which can help send high-resolution 3D audio from your TV apps to the receiver. Although they also have the AV41, a preamplifier/processor, meaning it doesnt have any built-in amplification for powering speakers, which you can pair with a separate power amplifier like their PA720. Learn more. Through online research, we learned that, to get around this hitch, you have to unplug the HDMI cable running between the receiver and display, turn the AVR-X3800H off and on, and allow the firmware to update before reconnecting the HDMI cable. In our testing, MultEQ XT32 proved to be a significant upgrade over the MultEQ XT room correction in our top pick, the AVR-X1700H, producing even more controlled bass, less seat-to-seat variation in the sound, and decidedly improved dialogue clarity. Take a look at this official Denon video to get a better look at this top AV receiver: If you want a high-end Yamaha AV receiver, look no further than the RX-A8A. the Audyssey software always does an excellent job in half the time and with much less fuss. This means that this receiver will pass through 8K/60p and 4K/120p video to your TV. With full support for Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Dolby Surround and DTS Neural:X this unit can fully use your complete speaker system. Thats impressive. With better room correction, more amplified channels, and a host of advanced features, the Denon AVR-X3800H is a great pick for the home cinema enthusiast who wants a step-up optionbut its also a big step up in price. Four pre-outs can also connect up to four extra active subwoofers. So, you get 8 HDMI inputs (1 at the front) and 3 outputs. You can stream music to it wirelessly via Bluetooth and Apple AirPlay 2, as well as the Heos wireless streaming platform (a competitor to the Sonos platform). Bring all your devices together with BLUETOOTH connectivity and multiple inputs. When you fire the receiver up for the first time, you see a setup wizard that explains how to connect speakers, source devices, and the like. Check Price. You might, for example, see designations like 5.1.2 or 5.2.4. The first numeral here refers to the number of conventional ear-level speakers that need to be amplified, the second refers to the number of subwoofer outputs, and the third number refers to the number of overhead channels. For the movie lover who wants to add more speakers, The Best Surround-Sound Systems Under $2,500, How to Connect Your New Turntable to Any Audio System, How Automatic Room Correction Can Help (and Hurt) Your Sound System, The Best AV Gear for Console and PC Gamers, Get Better TV Sound (Without a Lot of Wires), The Best Gear for Building Your Home Theater. The new models include: We hope to bring in at least the STR-AN1000 and STR-AZ3000ES for our next round of testing. The best universal remotes can help clean up the clutter on your coffee table. If you want to learn more about Class G amplification, Arcam has a simple guide to Class G amps here. Room-correction systems make the biggest impact on how a receiver sounds to most listeners. Of course, you can also have a smaller speaker layout like 7.1 or 5.1.4 and save the spare channels for powering speakers in other zones. Plus, it has an RS-232C serial port for connecting to various alternative control systems, like Crestron, AMX and Savant. All built-in no further amplification required. It also represents a modest but appreciable improvement over our previous upgrade pick, the now-discontinued AVR-X3700H. Best AV Receivers of 2023 - CNET Stylish design and great sound make the Polk Signature Elite ES15, ES10, and ES30 combo our pick for the best surround-sound system. Its power is enough for both small and medium-sized rooms. Flat-panel TVs are too thin to house good speakers. Copyright 2009-2023 Home Cinema Guide | All Rights Reserved. This unit has dual 32-bit ESS SABRE ES9026PRO DACS for delivering high-quality sound that should satisfy all but the most demanding audiophile. Looking at all the features on offer here, you might notice fewer bells and whistles than on other brands. As someone whos spent countless hours tinkering with home theater setups, I can tell you that having the right AV receiver is crucial to achieving the ultimate cinematic experience. All offer excellent. These receivers offer some of the best engineering, features and performance that money can buy. Therefore, here are some more considerations that might be more important to you. Best AV receivers 2023: top sound for your home theater Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. It also has the same assortment of music-streaming features as the AVR-X1700H. The RX-A8A is the first Yamaha integrated receiver with built-in support for 11 channels and contains the high-end CX/MX A5200 power amplifier and preamp architecture.

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