What to Look For In AV Receivers For Home Theater

There are a few key features we look for in home theater surround sound receivers. Below, we detail each of these specs so you understand why we have them as part of the checklist. We used to call out many more things you would want to look for, but most current receivers have features that were less common just a couple of years ago. These features include Dolby Atmos on board, the ability to switch 4K video, Bluetooth, music streaming, and app control. Since every model on our list already includes these features, we will not specifically call them out with a check.

We go into more detail about the features & technologies to look for in your next home theater receiver in our How to Choose the Best Home Theater Receiver Buying Guide.

We suggest you read over the home theater receiver features we have listed below to learn more about what to look for, then take a look at our best AVRs (audio video receivers) for 2024.

Top Home Theater Receiver Features

Channels: This is the number of powered speaker channels on board to drive your speakers.

Watts Per Channel: This is the power rating of the receiver. Some companies spec this with all of the channels driven and some spec it with just two. Some will also spec it without it covering the full audio bandwidth of 20Hz-20,000Hz. The most honest spec would be all channels driven from 20-20,000Hz at a very low distortion number.

Preamp Outputs: Preamp outputs allow you to add more amplifiers later to expand your system without having to change your receiver. An example could be a receiver with 5 powered channels, yet it has preamp outs for a total of 9 or 11, which gives you great expansion options. This will be a Yes or No followed by the number of channels available as preamp outs. As a note, we will not count subwoofer channels unless the receiver does something special.

Discrete Subwoofer Channels: At Audio Advice we love multiple subwoofers! You can get far better performance if your AVR has the ability to calibrate your subwoofers separately. We will call out how many true independent channels are available as some brands may have two subwoofer connections, but they do not calibrate separately.

Power Amp Matrixing: This is a great new feature we are seeing on some models. This applies if you are thinking about upgrading in the future, or have a nice power amplifier you want to use with your home theater receiver. Amp matrixing lets you reroute channels in the receiver to other channels. An example of this might be if you had a good two channel power amp you wanted to use on the left and right channels. Amp matrixing would let you assign the internal left and right channels to other channels in the receiver that were not powered as it came out of the box. This will be a Yes or No followed by which ones can be matrixed.

ARC: stands for “audio return channel.” e-ARC is the latest version of ARC, which will pass full uncompressed Dolby Atmos down the connection. ARC will pass compressed Dolby Dolby Atmos down the connection. This all comes into play if you like to use your TV apps for streaming. All app streaming (for now) compresses the Dolby Atmos signal — so you will be ok just using an ARC connection. However, if you have connected a next-gen video game console to your TV, you will want e-ARC for the best audio.

Room EQ: We are big fans of Room Correction. No room is acoustically perfect and this technology has greatly improved over the years. Some are better than others, you can learn all about them in our video that walks you through how to optimize home theater EQ.

Phono Section: If you can connect a turntable through a phono input, this will be marked as a “yes” to indicate this. Bear in mind many turntables have a phono preamp built-in, which means you could connect that type of turntable into any of these receivers even if this was indicated with a “No.”

8K Capable: We are starting to see more 8K content in video games released. While we still feel the best way to connect for most systems is to run your game console directly to your TV and use its e-ARC connection to get uncompressed audio back to your home theater receiver, some people might want the future capability to switch more than a couple of 8K sources at the receiver. We will call out if the receiver can handle 8K and for how many sources

If you are in the market for a new home theater, be sure and check out our comprehensive collection of buyer’s guides covering everything from the best home theater speaker layouts to common electrical mistakes. When you are ready to visualize your home theater, our free 3D home theater design tool will be something you will want to test out! We hope you enjoy going through these Home Theater receiver top picks.

Best Home Theater AV Receiver Under $750

Denon was one of the first high-end brands Audio Advice brought in way back in 1979. They have always produced very well-built gear designs to last a long time.

It has Dolby Vision and can upscale your 1080p or 4K content all the way up to 8K. Both DTS and Dolby Atmos upscaling are present to take content that is only in stereo or 5.1 and upscale it to your favorite. If you do not have height channels currently, it has Dolby Atmos Height Virtualizer and DTS Virtual:X to simulate the immersive height channels. And speaking of height speakers, the AVR-S770H gives you a huge set of choices for types of height speakers to match any configuration.

The power amplifier section in the AVR-S770H is very impressive for something in this category with all discrete components and a large power supply. This results in very dynamic sound for its price and one of the main reasons we have it on our list this year.

Like all of the devices on this year's list, it includes Bluetooth streaming and the Denon can transmit to your Bluetooth wireless headphones for easy late-night listening. And with Denon’s PlayFi built in you will have tons of choices for streaming music along with all of the popular voice control options.

We have always been fans of room correction and the AVR-S770H has you covered with Audyssey MultiEQ. Audyssey has been around for decades and the Denon visual user interface makes it much easier to get it right when you do the measurements.

With its ability to deliver 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos and all of its great audio features, the Denon AVR-S770H is our top choice under $750.

High Notes

• Excellent Sounding Amp Section
• Supports Streaming, HiRes Audio, & Vinyl
• Great Room EQ with Audyssey MultiEQ
  
  

Best Home Theater Receiver Under $1,250

When you step up to our best home theater receiver under $1,250, the Denon AVR-X2800H gets you a more robust amplifier section and a great deal of flexibility in your choices for the immersive height channels.

Denon has been in the audio business since 1910 and has always made impressive-sounding gear. The AVR-X2800H is no exception, weighing in at 21 pounds with an amp section that will drive most home theater speaker systems with ease. Its dynamic power capability is excellent in this price category.

There is no question, Dolby Atmos or DTS:X can give you incredibly immersive surround sound and its popularity has resulted in many different kinds of speakers to deliver those height effects. You’ve got on-wall models that you mount high on the wall and aim down, models designed to sit on top of either your front or side speakers to fire the height sounds up to bounce back into your listening area, or dedicated in-ceiling Atmos speakers.

With in-ceiling speakers, you normally position them in the front, middle, or rear of the room. Many receivers just have one setting for height speakers but the Denon AVR-X2800H gives you a selection for each type of speaker and its position. This means its internal processing knows more precisely where in the room the speaker is to give you the most immersive experience and surround sound system possible. This feature, along with its great amplifier is why we like the Denon in this price category.

To go along with it’s great sound, you will get all the voice control options from Siri, Alexa, and Google, with Dolby Vision and both DTS Virtual:X and Dolby Atmos Height Virtualizer, plus upscaling of non-immersive audio to either Dolby Atmos or DTS:X. Bluetooth is also present with both receive and transmit capabilities for wireless headphones.

Music streaming is easy with Denon’s built-in Heos app which gives you access to all the major services, plus Spotify Connect is on board.

Hi-Res Audio lovers are covered with its very good 192K/24 bit built-in DAC’s that can support most formats, including WAV lossless and DSD 2.8MHz and 5.6MHz tracks.

Audyssey MultEQ XT is a very good room EQ and setup system that is included. Audyssey is also one of the easiest-to-use room correction systems on the market, just connect up the mic, and off it goes.

HIGH NOTES

• Great Height Speaker Flexibility
• Classic Powerful Denon Sound
• Easy To Use and Excellent Room EQ
  
  

Best Upgradeable Value Home Theater Receiver

The Onkyo RZ50 is by far one of the best values in the home theater receivers category. It has 9 powered channels included with preamp outputs for 11 plus 2 subs allowing you to add a power amp later to go with a full-blown 7.2.4 Dolby Atmos speaker configuration.

All 6 HDMI inputs are 8K HDCP 2.3 with two independent outputs that are both 8K (unless you use one for zone 2, then the second one will be limited to 4K) with eARC on the main one.

Onkyo has always been known for leading the pack with useful features and the RZ50 is packed full of them. You have app control, voice control, several ways to get streaming music into it, and bidirectional Bluetooth so you can also send the sound to a pair of headphones for late-night listening. A pretty unique feature that Sonos ecosystem fans will enjoy is the ability to connect a Sonos Port and it will show up in the Sonos app — you’ll have full control within the Sonos app, and you can add up to 3 to the RZ50!

But, the big reason for the success of the RZ50 is the fact that it has Dirac Live. Dirac has been a favorite room correction system of audio connoisseurs for almost a decade, but it has previously only been found in the much more expensive units. You’ll see it in things like the Datasat RS20i, which sells for over $20k! To be able to get this great system for the price of the RZ50 is pretty incredible. The unit comes with a microphone for setup, but if you are serious about implementing Dirac properly, we suggest you purchase an aftermarket mic like the MiniDSP for around $100.

We really like the fact you can just add a 2-channel power amp and go to a full 11-channel immersive Dolby Atmos system and with all of the preamp outs, easily add more power down the road if necessary. There are some home theater receivers that sound better, but nothing we know of has all of these great features for the price of the Onkyo RZ50.

HIGH NOTES

• Dirac Live
• 9 Powered Channels Included
• Every Audio/Video Feature You Can Dream Of
  
  

Best Value 11 Channel Home Theater Receiver

Sony’s new line of home theater receivers has finally arrived and they are fantastic. We started to create two more categories for this one, called best for renters and most tank-like build, but have to give it the award for the best value in 11 channels.

First, the AZ5000 is built like a tank for sure. It weighs in at over 42 pounds and comes with a 5-year warranty to back up that great build quality. When we listened to it in two-channel mode, we were super impressed with its audio quality in our dedicated stereo system. And it's no wonder, with its huge power supply and well-designed discrete power amp section.

It is also the first receiver we have seen that asks for so many measurements when you are doing the setup. Most just want to know the distance your speakers are from your main seat, but the Sony wants you to map out a 3-D image of your layout, which is actually pretty quick with their great on-screen guide. And the result is some of the most immersive surround sound we have heard.

Another area it really stands out from the others is how it allows you lots of options for surround speakers. For many people, running wires is just not possible. Sony gives you the option of using a wide choice of their great wireless surround speakers which is very cool. And if you just have no way to do surround speakers or go for a 7-bed speaker layer and do both surround and rear, it has phantom settings that do a very respectable job of simulating where they should be.

With all of the latest video tech, an incredibly beefy power amp, and processing that is outstanding, this is one heck of a great value for a full-blown 11-channel surround system. We see this as the perfect choice for a lot of situations, or if you do not need 11 channels, you can go with the STR-AZ3000ES and get the great features and save some dollars.

HIGH NOTES

• 11 Channels of Audiophile Level Power
• Incredible Surround Sound Effects
• Built Like a True Tank
  
  

Best 9 Channel Dolby Atmos Home Theater Receiver

When we move into this level of home theater receivers, starting around $2,500, we get into models that have seriously good amplifiers inside! You will get bigger power supplies and some serious weight. This is the case with the Marantz Cinema 50 with its great amplifier section and pretty serious weight of almost 30 pounds.

Having 9 channels of power built-in lets you do several different possible home theater speaker configurations. By adding a two-channel power amp, you can go to a full-blown 7.4.4 system. That middle .4 is the really cool part about the Cinema 50 as it actually has 4 discrete subwoofer outputs for home theater fans who are serious about their bass. Multiple subwoofers provide much more even bass response as their different positions help cancel out room issues, plus they do not have to work as hard and there is nothing like feeling the bass slam of 4 great subwoofers. The fact with the Cinema 50 you can calibrate them each separately is just super cool.

As you would expect, you get wireless connectivity with Airplay2, Bluetooth, Heos for music services, and you’ll have all the major voice control options from Apple, Google, or Amazon. Dolby Vision, low latency for gaming (ALLM), and 8K upscaling are also built-in. For the vinyl lover, there is a pretty decent moving magnet phono section included, too.

One big reason to move up to the Marantz is its great audio quality. It has a massive power supply for a receiver in this price range, and it uses all discrete components. This gives it a very rich and warm sound that just makes the music and soundtracks much more enjoyable to listen to than the previous models on this list.

You will be able to get the most out of it with the super-easy setup system. It literally walks you through every step, making it almost impossible to miss anything. The Marantz on-screen GUI setup is by far the best we have seen. Once you’ve done the setup, and run the Audyssey Room EQ tests, it will optimize your speakers for your room. Another great feature for late-night listening is Dynamic Volume, which reduces the loud explosions you might hear during an action movie.

The final icing on the cake is the option to later add Dirac Live. We were a little confused as to why Marantz did not just include it, but sometime in 2023 it will be an add-on option at a cost to be determined. We love Dirac Live which will take your sound to an even higher level.

When you care about sound and want to have plenty of channels and options on board, the Marantz Cinema 50 wins our spot as the best 9-channel home theater receiver option.

The final icing on the cake is the option to later add Dirac Live for an optional cost. We love Dirac Live which will take your sound to an even higher level.

When you care about sound and want to have plenty of channels of subwoofer control, the Marantz Cinema 50 wins our spot as the best 9-channel home theater receiver option.

HIGH NOTES

• 11.4 Channels of Processing
• Four Independent Subwoofer Outs
• Great High Power Amplifier Section
  
  

Best Sounding A/V Receiver For The Money

When we get above $2,500, the flavor of things changes. You’ll start to see units from companies that focus their efforts on the best sound possible. If their engineers have to decide between paying royalties for Alexa voice control or putting in better parts, they will always opt for the better parts.

The Anthem MRX 740 is all about great sound. We have found two things are probably the most important in how good all of these receivers sound — it's the amplifier portion and the digital portion that does all the signal processing. Anthem has put the same type of technology into their receivers as they do in their big separate power amps with massive power supplies that offer your speakers huge current reserves.

On the digital side, Anthem uses a quad core processor to extract every nuance of object-based surround information, then the signal is decoded through premium 32-bit / 768 kHz Differential-Output D/A converters. This is far better than found in most receivers and the result is sound that totally envelopes you.

Another thing you get with Anthem receivers is their famous Anthem Room Correction or ARC Genesis. Each unit comes with a professional-style calibrated microphone with a file for that exact mic. You do not have to buy a better mic as the one included is excellent and was even upgraded in 2021. Anthem Room Correction is now as good or better than Dirac as they have now given it the ability to blend your subwoofers and set levels and delays. It is also extremely easy to fine-tune all of your speakers to your listening room.

We also love the way you can set up four different profiles for room correction. Think of one for a single listener, one for a crowd, and one for music only. Super cool!

You also have room to grow into a full-blown 7.2.4 Dolby Atmos system with preamp outs on the MRX 740 for future power amps — and taking things to a level no other receiver does, you can reroute amp channels. Let’s say you need two more channels to go from the included recommended option of 5.2.2 to 5.2.4. You can purchase a great two-channel power amp for the main two-channels and use power amp matrixing to re-route those amp channels to drive any other two-channels.

Anthem also has almost everything covered on the video side with Dolby Vision, HDR, IMAX Enhanced, and the 2024 model supports 8K video. Music streaming is also very seamless with Airplay2, Chromecast, and Bluetooth.

But, it's really the sound of the Anthem receivers that win so many people over. While the MRX740 may only have 7 powered channels on board, it weighs more than any receiver on this list so far due to its massive power supply. The sound is more like what you get from separate components with dynamics that make your system really come to life.

We’ll never forget the first time we installed an Anthem MRX receiver in our showroom. This particular theater room has the gear all hidden away, and we did the installation and the calibration without letting anyone know we had changed things. Within just a few hours, our staff was doing demos and asking what the heck we did to the room as it just sounded so much better!

When you want great sound and only need 7 channels for now, but with room to grow, the Anthem MRX 740 is the best choice.

HIGH NOTES

• ARC Genesis Room Correction
• Real Amps Coupled with High-End DAC’s
• Great Speaker Profile Memory
  
  

Best Home Theater Receiver For Music Lovers

Arcam has been well known for making amazing sounding stereo gear for decades. Audiophiles have always respected their passion for audio with their two channel components always getting glowing reviews for their sound quality.

The AVR11 has a much larger power supply section and power transformer than you typically see in a home theater receiver. This is obviously apparent when you pick it up and feel its 37 pounds of weight in your hands. The Class AB amps sound remarkably similar to those you find in the Arcam stereo amps, which is saying a whole lot for a home theater receiver.

Playing back your Hi Res music files will be a delight with the Dual ESS 9026PRO audiophile DACs with ESS reference voltage regulators on board. It even supports MQA and is Roon Ready. Of course, Airplay2 and Chromecast are built in as well, and Arcam’s MusicLife app works great for most of the streaming services. Bluetooth is also top notch with aptXHD.

The great thing is, you do not give up anything from a home theater feature standpoint to get into the sound quality of the AVR11. As a matter of fact, you get all the latest with 7 8K HDMI inputs, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Auro 3D, and Dolby Vision.

You also get future expansion flexibility. You can simply add a 4 channel power amp to the AVR11 and use its 12 channels of processing power to go to a full blown 7.1.4 immersive Dolby Atmo system.

For room correction, Dirac Live is built in, which is one of the very best on the market.

But what puts the AVR11 on our list is its sound. If you are the type of person who wants to get into an excellent home theater system, but also cares dearly about your 2 channel audio, the AVR11 is the perfect choice. You have future expansion options, one of the best room correction systems on the market and world famous Arcam two channel sound.

HIGH NOTES

• Classic British Sound
• Great Built In DAC’s Provide Outstanding Audio
• Dirac Live
  
  

Best Full 11 Channel Atmos Home Theater Receiver

The Anthem MRX 1140 is basically an MRX 740 with 4 additional amp channels, an upgraded toroidal power supply for improved performance, and a few more goodies. We won’t repeat all the great stuff we said about the MRX 740 in the notes above. What you get with the 4 additional channels is the ability to install a complete Dolby Atmos system with left, center, right, surrounds, rear-surrounds, top-front Atmos, and top-rear Atmos speakers with all of the needed amps built right into the receiver. We feel it also sounds slightly better from an audio standpoint than the MRX 740 — but the difference is not huge — it’s more about having the extra amp channels on board.

There are two other things that are really cool. First, it has processing for 15 channels inside. This means you can go all the way to a 9.2.6 Dolby Atmos system just by adding a four-channel power amp. Secondly, it has two totally independent subwoofer outs. These are tuned individually using the new version of ARC Genesis to perfectly blend each subwoofer — no matter where it is positioned — with the rest of your speakers. To us, that is a huge deal!

If you are going to take a full Atmos dive and get 11 speakers now or later on, this unit offers amazing sound in one package — saving you the space that will be taken up with an additional amp or amps that you would need to add to the MRX 740 later. However, if you are just starting out with 7 channels, you could go with the MRX 740 and add the additional amps or amps later for the remaining 4 channels, if you think you will stay at 11 speakers. But, if you think you might want those wide fronts or 3 pairs of Atmos, the MRX1140 is the way to go.

If you are going full-blown Dolby Atmos the MRX 1140 is our clear winner under $5,000!

HIGH NOTES

• ARC Genesis Room Correction
• Awesome Full Atmos Amp Section with Extra Preamp Outs
• Independent Dual Sub Calibration
  
  

Best Biggest and Baddest Home Theater Receiver

If you want to keep everything in one AVR and have the most immersive home theater on your block, look no further than the Denon AVR-A1H. Just make sure you have a very stout shelf to hold up this 70 pound beast!

As object based home theater has gotten more popular, the channel count for the most immersive experience has been growing. If you did every possible option in the Dolby, DTS, or Auro 3D spec you could actually reach higher, but the great news is, Denon has all kinds of possible configurations for whatever way you decide to go. You can even set one up that covers all three of these surround options. We feel the most popular will be going with 9 bed layer speakers and 6 height speakers, and even there you will have some flexibility in where they are located based on what type you choose.

Or for a lot of people who want their main front channels to sound great, if you do not use all 15 channels, you have the option of bi-amping your front speakers.

The processing power in the AVR-A1H is first rate with a bevy of high end ESS DAC’s. It is the only receiver we know of that can decode Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, IMAX Enhanced, Auro 3D, and even Sony’s 360° Spatial Audio. And we love that fact that should you decide you want more power for any of your channels, you have preamp outs for every one and then the ability to turn off the amps assigned to those channels or you could use them to bi-amp your mains.

As you would expect from Denon who is normally first to the party with the latest video tech, you have everything needed for high speed gaming and that future 8K TV you might be thinking about.

Our tests of the AVR-A1H for audio listening were also very impressive. It has tons of slam and dynamics, which is no surprise with its massive power amp section. Heck the transformer alone weighs 29 pounds! Then when you throw in its 4 independent subwoofer outs, there is really nothing like it.

While the AVR-A1H is not inexpensive, when you look at how good it sounds, how flexible it is with speaker and subwoofer configurations, and the fact you have preamp outs for all the channels, it actually starts to look like a good value compared to trying to put all of the same tech into separates.

Custom Home Theater Solutions

If you are reading this and want to learn more about home theater in general, check out Home Theater Central. Here we have lots of articles on how to design your dream home theater. We even have a free 3D design tool so you can visualize how the screen and speakers should be placed for optimum performance in your room.

If you are lucky enough to live near our world class showrooms, we highly recommend you contact one of our local theater designers to help with your project. We can help you build the theater of your dreams from start to finish including installation.