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- #5 Elite VSX-LX104 From PIONEER
- #4 11.2 Channel AV Receiver From Marantz
- #3 Yamaha RX-V6A From YAMAHA
- #2 AVR-X6700H 11.2 Channel 8K Ultra HD AV Receiver From Denon
- #1 Sony STR-DN1080 From Sony
Best AV Receivers 2021 Reviewed
There’s no substitute for a great AV receiver if you want a cinema-style listening experience in your own home. The best receivers combine incredible sound performance and reliable HDMI connectivity with simple, sleek styling. The best AV receivers will let you connect your TV and streaming devices with ease, and make sure that every detail in your film or TV show comes through loud and clear.
If you’re looking for a new receiver that’ll serve as the heart of your home cinema system, we’ve got you covered there too:. The items mentioned are in no exact order, so be sure to stay to the end, so you don’t miss the perfect model for your needs.
To give you this top 5 review, we have looked at 104 products and analyzed 2962 customer reviews.
#1. STR-DN1080 From Sony
Best Home Cinema Amp Under $700
Top Pick
Sony STR-DN1080 is a complete AVR package. Wide soundstage with discrete surround sound and support for DTS:X and Dolby Atmos. Music Center app allows you to stream music from your PC or mobile phone to the amp. It’s a music-oriented system, too, with a wide soundstage and supportive multi-room audio.
- Dts:X & Dolby Atmos
- Voice Assistant
- Multi-Room Audio
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Want to feel the thrill of cinema without the price tag? The Sony STR-DN1080 is our recommendation for anyone on a budget but without compromising on sound quality. Its crystal clear and detailed sound, beautifully renders everything from explosions to violins. The soundstage is expansive and offers a wide dynamic range.
For music fans, there’s a wide soundstage with discrete surround sound and support for DTS:X and Dolby Atmos. If your music is similarly impressive, this amp is a worthy contender for your home cinema system.
The Sony STR-DN1080 is a complete AVR package and offers cutting-edge features including Dolby Atmos, expanded Ethernet, and voice assistant. Sony’s Music Center app allows you to stream music from your PC or mobile phone to the amp.
It’s not just a home cinema amplifier, though. It’s a music-oriented system, too, with a wide soundstage and supportive multi-room audio. If you’re looking for an amplifier that can serve as a home cinema amplifier as well, the STR-DN1080 is our top recommendation.
#2. AVR-X6700H 11.2 Channel 8K Ultra HD AV Receiver From Denon
Most Powerful Amp
Top Pick
11.2 channel configuration provides an immersive, spatial audio experience. Includes Dolby Atmos, Dolby VisionTM, and 8K upscaling. HDMI inputs support the latest HDMI formats. QMS (Quick Media Switching) for eliminating video delay. 2 channel power amplifiers to build out a 7.2 or 9.4 speaker configuration.
- 3D Audio
- HDMI 2.1 and 4K
- QMS (Quick Media Switching)
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With its 11.2 channel configuration (with 2 additional optional power amplifiers), this high-end receiver provides an immersive, spatial audio experience. Featuring the latest in 3D audio formats, Dolby Atmos, Dolby VisionTM, HDR10, HDR10+, Dynamic HDR, HLG, as well as 8K upscaling and support for the latest HDMI specifications, this receiver delivers an immersive, 3D audio experience.
Its HDMI inputs support the latest HDMI formats, as well as QMS (Quick Media Switching) for eliminating video delay. And it has 2 channel power amplifiers to build out a 7.2.6 or 9.2.4 speaker configuration for more powerful audio.
#3. RX-V6A From Yamaha
Best Overall
Best of the Best
Yamaha’s RX-V6A has a large LCD screen and several inputs and outputs. It has a suite of smart features, including AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect, but it doesn’t have Google Assistant support. While it isn’t as futuristic as the Marantz, it still sounds amazing when watching movies or playing music.
- Excellent Clarity
- Large LCD Screen
- Airplay 2 & Spotify Connect
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If you want a receiver that sounds exciting and that has a sleek-looking design, look no further than the Yamaha RX-V6A. While it doesn’t have quite the same sonic pedigree as the Marantz, it still manages to produce a rotund sound and excellent clarity through its various speaker outputs.
It has a futuristic look with a large LCD screen and several inputs and outputs that are arranged in an unconventional order. The Yamaha also has a suite of smart features, including AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect, but unfortunately, it doesn’t have Google Assistant support.
While it may not have quite as many connections as the Marantz, it still offers plenty of options for connecting your smartphones and tablets to the Yamaha RX-V6A.
While it isn’t as futuristic as the Marantz, it still sounds amazing when watching blockbuster films or playing your favorite music.
#4. 11.2 Channel AV Receiver From Marantz
Beautiful Design
Top Pick
Marrantz SR8015 has 11 discrete amplifiers, each rated at up to 140Watt output into 8 ohms. Support 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound formats, and a multitude of inputs and outputs. Can upscale video to 4K to 8K resolutions, and has Auro 3D sound mode. Fantastic value for money for music and film lovers who want exceptional performance at a reasonable price.
- Impressive Sound
- Auro 3D
- 140W Output
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This is a brilliant amplifier at an incredible price. And it is a great option if you want impressive sound and versatile setup flexibility. If you’re looking for a superb amplifier at an extremely reasonable price, look no further than the Marantz SR8015.
It’s the best of the best at managing the volume of a speaker system and is a brilliant choice for those who love music and films, and who are willing to listen to it in quiet environments.
When it comes to video, this amplifier supports everything from 4K to 8K resolutions, with the ability to upscale video inputs to any resolution. There’s even an Auro 3D sound mode, and it has a built-in voice feature. The amplifier has incredible flexibility, supporting both 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound formats, and a multitude of inputs and outputs.
It has 11 discrete amplifiers, each rated at up to 140Watt output into 8 ohms, two channels drove, and the ability to reassign any of the amplifier’s outputs to another zone.
The Marantz SR8015 is pretty much as good as you can get in a home cinema amplifier, unless you’re prepared to leap to the units that cost 10s of thousands of dollars.
It’s a fantastic option for those who want exceptional performance at a reasonable price, and we think it’s even better than the BenQ HTX700.
#5. Elite VSX-LX104 From Pioneer
Best Multi-room AV Receiver
Top Pick
Pione Elite VSX-LX104 is a good choice for a big home with lots of speakers. It provides excellent sound quality and reliable connections to all of your devices. It has excellent multi-room functionality, allowing you to group compatible devices together. It isn’t powerful enough to handle the highest resolutions, but it provides adequate power for most applications.
- 4K/HD Video Formats
- Room Calibration
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If you have a big home with lots of speakers, the Pioneer Elite VSX-LX104 is a good choice. It provides excellent sound quality and reliable connections to all of your devices, whether they are connected to the AV receiver via Ethernet, WiFi, or through Bluetooth.
It has all the necessary connections to handle all of your high-resolution and 4K/HD video formats. The AV receiver has excellent multi-room functionality, allowing you to group your compatible devices together and easily manage them all from a single AV receiver.
The sound quality is excellent and connections to all of your devices are reliable, including Apple AirPlay and Sonos devices. In addition to providing excellent sound, the Pioneer Elite VSX-LX104 has exceptional flexibility, providing you with the ability to mix and match different sources and devices, as well as access to all of your inputs and outputs.
Other excellent built-in features, including a room calibration feature that automatically adjusts the volume for each zone. It also gives you the ability to easily adjust the volume of each zone independently, which is a nice feature to have when listening to music.
The device isn’t powerful enough to handle the highest resolutions, but it provides adequate power for most applications. In short, it is a solid choice if you want to have ultimate control over all of your outputs from one AV receiver, and it offers excellent sound quality and reliable connections.
