The best home theater receiver for 2024
George Eldridge Apr 25, 2024 5:29 AM
Each best home theater receiver has specific features, making it more challenging to choose. But wait, don't worry about that. We've already done some research and rounded up a list of the best home theater receiver on the market. Check out our selection of up to 29 products and opt for the best home theater receiver with ease.
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- BrandSony
- Prime
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- BrandYAMAHA
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Marantz Cinema 60 7.2-Ch Receiver (100W X 7) - 4K/120 and 8K Home Theater Receiver (2022 Model), Built-In Bluetooth, Wi-Fi & HEOS Multi-Room, Supports Dolby Atmos & DTS:X
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- BrandMarantz
- Prime
Denon AVR-X3800H 9.4-Ch Receiver (2022 Model) - 8K UHD Home Theater AVR (105W X 9) Built-in Bluetooth, Wi-Fi & HEOS Multi-Room Streaming, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, IMAX Enhanced & Auro 3D
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H Score is a ranking system developed by our team of experts. It from 0 to 10 are automatically scored by our AI Consumer Report tool based upon the data collected. This score has no relationship or impact from any manufacturer or sales agent websites. Learn more
- BrandDenon
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- BrandOnkyo
- SCORE9.2AI Score
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- BrandOnkyo
- Prime
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- BrandPIONEER
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Denon AVR-S750H Receiver, 7.2 Channel (165W x 7) - 4K Ultra HD Home Theater (2019) | Music Streaming | New - eARC, 3D Dolby Surround Sound (Atmos, DTS/Virtual Height Elevation) | Alexa + HEOS
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- BrandDenon
- Prime
Denon AVR-X2800H 7.2 Ch Receiver (2022 Model) - 8K UHD Home Theater AVR (95W X 7), Wireless Streaming via Built-in HEOS, Bluetooth & Wi-Fi, Dolby Atmos, DTS Neural:X & DTS:X Surround Sound
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- BrandDenon
- Prime
Onkyo TX-NR696 Home Audio Smart Audio and Video Receiver, Sonos Compatible and Dolby Atmos Enabled, 4K Ultra HD and AirPlay 2, Black
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- BrandOnkyo
- Prime
Last update on 2024-04-25 / Affiliate links / Images, Product Titles, and Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API
Home theater setups are typically huge, complex, and expensive. They require an entire room of dedicated equipment, including a giant TV and at least one home theater receiver that costs thousands of dollars. The question is: what can you learn about it? Can you learn about how the theatre receiver works? Do you know what it does? How does a home theater receiver help you set up your home theater? If you have these questions, this article is for you.
The primary purpose of a home theater receiver is to take all the sound sources and connectivity devices on your setup and act as a central hub that allows all of them to function smoothly and effortlessly. It converts the audio signals into a digital format (called "bitstream") that can be passed on to an amplifier for sound amplification. To aid in this process, most receivers include pre-amplifiers or volume controls by which other devices such as an amp can be attached.
1. Denon AVR-S750H Receiver, 7.2 Channel (165W x 7) - 4K Ultra HD Home Theater (2019) | Music Streaming | New - eARC, 3D Dolby Surround Sound (Atmos, DTS/Virtual Height Elevation) | Alexa + HEOS
- UNPRECEDENTED REALISM AND NEW FEATURES – eARC and heightened sound effects with Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization Technology. Be it the sound of a helicopter or torrential rains, it’ll sound so real, you'll think it's happening right above you
- MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR NEW 4K ULTRA HD TV with this 7.2 Ch stereo receiver. Featuring HLG, HDR10, BT.2020, Wide Color Gamut & 4:4:4 Pure Color sub-sampling, it DELIVERS EXCEPTIONAL BRIGHTNESS, CONTRAST and COLOR enriching your movie and gaming experience
- EXTEND THE REACH OF YOUR MUSIC to any room in the house via Wi-Fi, Airplay or Bluetooth with HEOS MULTI-ROOM WIRELESS SPEAKERS. No Command Center or extra hardware required. Get Hi-Fi sound around your home with Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn, Deezer and more
- FULL VOICE CONTROL COMPATIBILITY WITH AMAZON ALEXA lets you sit back and enjoy music without having to reach out for the remote. Adjust the volume, change the track or switch the inputs absolutely hands-free
- AWARD-WINNING ON-SCREEN SETUP ASSISTANT walks you through clear simple instructions to connect your TV, specific EQ settings and helps you optimize your surround sound. Denon's legacy and Japanese precision technology makes it a must-have for your home
- All HDMI ports (6 In, 1 out) follow the LATEST REVISION TO HIGH-BANDWIDTH DIGITAL CONTENT PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS (HDCP 2.3) and are backward compatible with the earlier versions. Don't fret if your devices have HDCP 2.2 - they'll work perfectly well
- SMOOTH, SOOTHING, CLEAR SOUND EVERY SINGLE TIME – During setup, the Audyssey Suite – an EQ calibration system – measures & dynamically optimizes all speakers in your home theater for all listening levels. No sudden blasts or muffled dialogues anymore
The receiver is also in charge of playing your music. Some receivers have built-in radio tuners and CD players to connect to other music devices. If your receiver has a USB port, you can use it to add new tracks and playlists directly off a USB stick. Many receivers also have WiFi connectivity, which allows you to stream audio from the web through your home theater setup. Many receivers come with connections for TV, home cinema, music, and others. These pre-configured audio inputs and outputs are designed to make it easy to plug in the proper devices. Different types of receivers depend on the number of channels they offer. The most common are a 5.1 receiver, 7.1 receivers, and 9.2 receivers (the extra two channels coming from two rear surround speakers). A 7.2 home theater receiver comes with seven main channels plus two additional surround-back channels (SB).
2. Sony STR-DH790 7.2-ch Surround Sound Home Theater AV Receiver: 4K HDR, Dolby Atmos & Bluetooth Black
- CINEMATIC SOUND AT HOME: Enjoy your favorite movies, TV shows and more with theater like sound in the comfort of your home
- BREATHTAKING AUDIO: Dolby Atmos and DTS:X deliver multi-dimensional and object-based surround sound
- STUNNING 4K QUALITY: 4K HDR pass through with support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, and Hybrid Log Gamma provides greater and clearer color, contrast, and brightness
- GET CONNECTED: 4 in/1 out HDMI each and 1 optical / 1 coaxial digital and analog audio connections
- AUTO CALIBRATION: Advanced D.C.A.C. analyzes and adjusts the audio for optimal sound in every room
- SMARTER CONNECTIVITY: Stream music and use Bluetooth Standby turn on the receiver from your phone
- LOW PROFILE DESIGN: STRDH790 Bluetooth receiver measures 5 1/4" tall to fit into most AV cabinets
The 7.2 channel AV receiver has four HDMI inputs, one on each side and one on the back panel. There is also a single HDMI output for connecting an additional device such as a games console or Blu-ray player.
The 6 HDMI inputs provide two for the front two speakers and three for the rear speakers or an optional subwoofer. Since one of the front channels has been used by the front speakers, it would be ideal for connecting your Blu-ray player, games console, or even a DVD player to this channel. The pre-configured surround-back media should be used to connect additional rear speakers or an optional subwoofer (or both).
3. Denon AVR-S540BT Receiver, 5.2 channel, 4K Ultra HD Audio and Video, Home Theater System, built-in Bluetooth, and USB port, Compatible with HEOS Link for Wireless Music Streaming
- MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR 4K UHD TV – At 140W per channel, the Denon AVR-S540BT receiver delivers exceptional brightness and contrast, and supports HLG, HDR, BT.2020, Wide Color Gamut and 4:4:4 Pure Color sub-sampling for realistic display and immersive sound
- YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC AT YOUR FINGERTIPS - With built-in Bluetooth, play music from eight different devices, and create an integrated multi-room audio system with Denon HEOS LINK. Allows wireless music streaming from Spotify, TIDAL, Pandora and more
- OUR EASY ON-SCREEN SETUP ASSISTANT walks you through clear simple instructions to connect your TV, specific EQ settings and helps you optimize your surround sound
- FOUR QUICK SELECT BUTTONS ON THE FRONT PANEL help you store your preferred audio settings for television, Blu-Ray, and more, and allows you to switch between them quickly
- With its 100-year legacy and Japanese precision technology, Denon AV Receiver S540BT DELIVERS MULTI-DIMENSIONAL SURROUND SOUND with 5.2 channel compatibility and SUPPORTS 4K ULTRA HD PICTURE QUALITY, perfect for your home theater and entertainment system
- CONVENIENT CONTROL - Connect the AVR with your Smart TV Remote and access all your speaker sources and surround mode selections using just one remote, or download the Denon 500 Series Remote App for iOS and Android and control the AVR through your phone
Each speaker has a different role in the sound. The front left and right speaker is responsible for projecting the main audio channel, while the surround speakers are used to provide ambiance and atmosphere for the home theater. There is also a subwoofer that offers low-frequency bass notes and punchy beats. When the bass and surround channels are combined, it results in vivid audio tracks and fascinating sound effects.
1. Price:
You need to get the best home theater receiver within your budget, and it is also a big deal that you don't want to spend too much on your home theater setup. The receiver takes so many roles in the design, and if you put so many components together, it becomes essential to take care of its price, which will affect everything.
2. Size:
You could use the traditional room-sized home theater system or a more minor, compact surround sound system. The size of the room and how many people will need access to component output should also be considered.
3. Sound quality:
The sound quality of your home theater will depend on the quality of the home theater receiver. The receiver provides all the signal amplification, it will also play all audio streams, and if you are looking for top-class sound quality, you must get a high-quality home theater receiver.
4. Connectivity:
Next, consider the number of inputs and outputs provided by the home theater receiver. Do you need a multi-room audio system? And also, make sure that your surround sound system doesn't have wires running across your floor.
5. Model:
A home theater receiver can be an all-in-one package, or it can be entirely separate. If you are new in the world of sound, or if you want to keep it simple and get one top-notch preamp, then a full-featured receiver is what you need. However, if you plan to add more components like surround speakers and a subwoofer later, then a separate unit would be great.
The options for home theater receivers have expanded dramatically in recent years.
1. What do I need to get started with home theater?
A TV, speakers, cable box, and your favorite movie or game system work well for a good home theater setup. If you are looking for different speakers, you will have to upgrade your TV's speakers, and you might even have to upgrade your entire entertainment center.
2. How much power does the receiver need?
Some older receivers may need up to 12V, so make sure the receiver can handle the extra power from the home theater setup before buying one more expensive than required.
3. How much does the preamp or receiver cost?
The price of the preamp or receiver depends on its size, audio output, maximum power, and other factors. Since it is a highly technical gadget, you might have to shell out a lot of money.
4. I'm not tech-savvy enough to wire up my home theater setup; how do I get started?
Don't worry! You will soon learn to understand the complex wiring process involved in a home theater setup. The important thing is that you read all the instructions provided by your manufacturer before moving forward with your home theater setup.
5. I want to know more about home theaters; what should I do?
You can learn more about home theaters by enrolling in a local class or requesting one from your local library. You might also consider joining your neighborhood's community center and taking over their home theater system.
6. Do I need a surround sound receiver or amplifier?
The receiver and amplifier are two different things. The amplifier does all the heavy lifting for the sound with the needed power to reach the entire area where you are seated in your home theater setup. The receiver does all the other exciting things, like switching between inputs and sending out audio signals for different speakers to play various sounds.
