Pioneer's vintage 2-channel receivers from the 70’s command very high prices these days. The Pioneer VSX-935 AV receiver has a lot to like for this price category. 

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. 

If you are a fan of Sonos gear, you can even add a Sonos Port and the VSX-935 will become a Sonos zone with easy volume control. Along with its hi-res 192/24 capability, it works with Amazon Music HD, Pandora, Spotify, TIDAL, and Deezer. For any other streaming sources it also does Airplay2, Chromecast, and Alexa. Like all of the devices on this year's list, it includes Bluetooth streaming, but the VSX-935 can transmit to your Bluetooth wireless headphones for easy late-night listening. 

We are big fans of room correction and Pioneer was actually one of the very first brands to come out with correction using their very easy-to-use MCAAC system for AV receivers. One reason we picked the VSX-935 over some other models in this price category is how MCAAC can fine-tune the phase of the subwoofer to blend it better with your main speakers. Plus the power amplifier section of the VSX-935 is beefy with a gutsy, dynamic sound. 

With its ability to deliver 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos and all of its great audio features, the Pioneer VSX-935 AV Receiver is our top choice under $750.

Denon AVR-X2800H 7.2-Channel AV Receiver

When you step up to our best home theater AV receivers 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 AV 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 its 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.

Onkyo TX-RZ50 9.2 Channel A/V 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 only 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.

Marantz Cinema 50 11.4 Preamplifier 9 Amplifier Channel 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.

Anthem MRX 740 11.2 Pre-Amplifier / 7 Amplifier Channel AV Receiver

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 that 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 2023 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.

Arcam AVR11 12 channel Pre-Amplifier / 7 Amplifier Channel AV Receiver

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. Their top-of-the-line receiver makes our list as our very best, but don’t overlook the AVR11 at roughly half the price of their top-of-the-line AVR31.

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 7.4.1 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.

Anthem MRX 1140 15.2 Pre-Amplifier / 11 Amplifier Channel AV 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 Dolby 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!

Arcam AVR31 15.2 Pre-Amplifier / 7 Amplifier Channel Class G AV Receiver

When you are ready for the best all-in-one AV receivers we have ever heard, step up to the Arcam AVR31. While it only has 7 powered channels built-in, it is — from a pure audio standpoint — the best-sounding AV receiver we have heard to date, and it has some outstanding tech to help you get the best sound for those of you with more than one subwoofer.

First, if you are reading this far, you are probably a lover of high-performance audio gear and know all about the importance of the DAC (or Digital to Analog Converter). The AVR31 uses two ESS 9026PRO audiophile DACs with ESS reference voltage regulators. 

Also, as a high-performance person, you might have heard about Class G amplifiers. The ultimate amp would be pure Class A, which sounds amazing, but runs very hot when you get into higher power. Class G runs at pure Class A up to a point, then switches over to Class AB. It may only have 7 powered channels built in, but it is also by far the heaviest unit on this list weighing in at 40 pounds with its huge power supply. The sound of this Arcam is something special — akin to big, separate components.

You will have a lot of expansion options with these AV receivers, as there is processing in the AVR31 for 15 channels. Even cooler, there are 4 assignable outputs. If you are not going all the way to 9.1.6, you can assign up to four individual subwoofer outputs and each can be calibrated independently. For those of us who like multiple subs, this is just fantastic.

From a tech perspective, you get full support for HDMI2.1 with 8K@60fps and 4K@120fps plus Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG. Airplay2 and Google Chromecast are also present, and the Arcams are the only ones on this list with the better version of aptXHD Bluetooth. There is a MusicLife app that lets you stream most of the popular services, and it is set up for Roon too.

Whether you are a fan of Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, or Auro 3D, it can decode any of those, which also makes the Arcams unique in this group.

Dirac is one of our favorite room correction systems and you’ll get the latest Dirac Live with the AVR31 — plus the option of purchasing Dirac Live Bass, which does an incredible job of blending subwoofers to your main speakers. 

If you want to start out with the very best sound, with all sorts of expansion options, the AVR31 is our top choice. It is not cheap, but nothing else has everything you get with this great home theater receiver.

We hope you have enjoyed our best home theater AV receivers article. Hopefully, it has helped you decide a great path to go down for improving your home theater or media room. Our best advice is to think about where you want to be five years from now when you start to make your choice on AV receivers. A few extra dollars spent now might allow you to do some more upgrades in the future.

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.