Which onkyo receiver should i buy

The SR stands for surround receiver. A great choice if you want to keep the cost down, but still have the advantages of an AV receiver. Search for: Search Button. Paul started the Home Cinema Guide to help less-experienced users get the most out of today's audio-visual technology.

He has worked as a sound, lighting and audio-visual engineer for around 20 years. 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. I link to products I like.

Check Price. Note: It is currently marked as being discontinued on many shopping sites, but Sony has confirmed to CNET that it remains a current model. I would advise caution on buying a Yamaha receiver in particular right now, especially if future-proofing is something you're interested in. You see, all of the newest, 8K -compatible receivers were susceptible to a bug preventing them from displaying variable refresh rate video, and from the Xbox Series X in particular.

While Denon, Marantz and Yamaha announced fixes for existing models, if you buy a Yamaha RX-V6A right now it could mean sending your new receiver in to get a mainboard replaced.

Yamaha says new compliant receivers won't be available on shelves until fall. The spokesperson said that if customers are unsure whether their model is compliant or not they should contact their dealer or customer support. Older, noncompliant models are able to be rectified with a free adapter, but the company advises these dongles are now out of stock for the next five months. Future games and even video sources may make the differences clearer, and that's why you'd want a receiver that's fully compatible.

If you do buy an older receiver, don't care about the Xbox Series X , or don't want to send your 8K model to the shop, you can always hook a fancy new console directly to the TV, then use eARC to get audio to the receiver. Despite the mess AV receiver manufacturers find themselves in right now, there is one thing the following models have in common: great performance. This receiver was released in with a wealth of connectivity that supports multiple audio formats and gives a big, bold sound.

It isn't the direct replacement to my favorite receiver of , the TX-NR , but this step-up AV receiver model offers a number of improvements, including a bump in power 80 to watts and a front-mounted HDMI port, in addition to the six HDMI inputs on the back.

Video compatibility aside, the Yamaha RX-V6A offers a fresh look at AV receiver design with futuristic edges while also maximizing sound quality. The RX-V6A could make you forget about ever visiting a cinema again, and it's no slouch with music, either. Just wait a month or two till the updated models go on sale. The receiver is laid-back, blends well with forward-sounding speakers and replays music beautifully. Sound quality isn't quite as strong as those of the Denon and Onkyo, but they're all very close.

If you want a receiver that offers ease of use and integrates both AirPlay but not AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast built-in wireless streaming, this is a great option. It even uses virtual speaker relocation technology to optimize sound in the room where you set it up. AV receivers are notoriously complex, with reams of features and confusing technical specifications. For example, what's "ultra HD"? Headphone Deals. Bluetooth Speaker Deals. Car Fit Finder. Schedule a free consultation.

And, as an added bonus, maybe even C come equipped with a few extra talents you knew nothing about, but will love anyway.

In a hurry? Here are some key things to keep in mind when shopping for an AV Receiver. An AV receiver contains five or more amplifiers at a minimum to drive five or more speakers. Why so many? A typical home theater system has 5 speakers that, together, create surround sound… and each speaker requires its own separate audio signal from the AV receiver.

These days, many home theaters have more than 5 speakers, including those that are Dolby Atmos-enabled. A stereo receiver contains 2 amplifiers one for each channel , and is primarily used for listening to audio. Think of channels as speakers. Ultimately, it comes down to price and priorities. Bottom line: AV receivers were designed and built primarily for TVs as a way to bring an authentic, cinema-like experience to the home. On the flip side, like we said above, a stereo receiver and TV combination does not deliver surround sound on its own.

The whole reason AV receivers exist in the first place is to make amazing home theater system surround sound possible. What follows: Everything you need to consider when choosing the best receiver for you, your room, your tastes, and your budget.

Plus, you want to make sure you can connect to everything you have now. Look for a minimum of 4 HDMI inputs so you can connect a cable box, a Blu-ray player, a PlayStation, and at least one more input for future expansion.

Planning to connect to a turntable? Be sure to look for a phono input. With 4K, the picture is so detailed, you can sit right in front of the TV with your nose almost touching the screen, and the picture still looks great. Even on the biggest 4K TVs. However, to make it all happen, your AV receiver needs to be capable of switching 4K signals. If it is, you can send both sound and picture from all your video sources through your sound system and enjoy live performance-sound without losing any detail in the video.

Another feature to look out for: HDCP 2. HDCP 2. Ideally, everyone would hard-wire physically plug in their TV to their home network, but that's not always possible — especially if you live in an apartment and can't run wires through walls. That's where Wi-Fi saves the day, allowing all the smart functions new TVs have for streaming movies, watching YouTube, etc.

We're beginning to see Wi-Fi built into audio systems for the same reason, so you can, for instance, stream music without having to physically connect your sound system to your router. DTS:X is a new surround sound format designed to make home theater audio more immersive, not unlike Dolby Atmos.

Remember the old Mac vs. PC war? Same thing. The good news: most new AV receivers can play both formats. HDR on a TV generates higher contrast within the existing pixels, expanding contrast and color so the end result is more accurate and has more depth. How is HDR relevant to receivers? Like we said above: think of channels as speakers.

And though most music formats only require 2 channels left and right , the sky's the limit for true home theater surround sound. In a nutshell: The more channels you have, the more more speakers you can add — and the more speakers you add, the better and more immersive the sound. A good old stereo system is now referred to as 2.

The "2" refers to the two front speakers, and the subwoofer is the ". Add another subwoofer to the setup, and you have a "5. To recap: a 9. Plus two subwoofers, which are typically in the back, but can go anywhere.

You'll need a receiver with 9 channels or more to power a system like this. How much audible difference is there between the two? Still, that said, a few words on power from one of our own, a World Wide Stereo industry expert, Bob Cole:.

That is, the loud parts can be a LOT louder! It's important to get a receiver with power reserves, or the loud parts will distort. That not only sounds bad, but it can hurt your speakers. I like to see about Watts per channel or more for most rooms and speakers.

Even better, some receivers have preamp output jacks on the rear, so you can later add a power amplifier to boost the power. It future-proofs your power. What to look for if you want wireless multi-room audio. In the old days, like way back in the year , if you wanted music in another room, you drilled lots of holes in walls and floors so you could run wires to speakers.

And if you got fancy, you also ran wires to a keypad on the wall so you could control everything. Today, you can do the same thing, minus the drilling and the wires by going wireless.