These are the best AV receivers from Onkyo, Sony, Yamaha and Denon, based on CNET’s testing.
If you’re serious about bringing theater-like sound into your home, an AV receiver is the best choice. An AV receiver gives you much more control over how you set up and interact with your home theater system. A receiver has many roles — it acts as a video switch between components like a streaming box or gaming console, and it also decodes and amplifies audio signals so you can hear them through your speakers. The best receivers offer excellent sound quality and come equipped with 8K video, Dolby Atmos and music streaming capabilities, and they connect to your TV via an HDMI cable. You can start with as little as a pair of stereo speakers and then add rear speakers and a subwoofer later. This will enable you to get the best movie, TV show and music performance to suit your budget.
I’ve tested many of the big-name brands in sound, including Denon, Sony, Yamaha and more, to discover which receivers deliver the best sound. With more than 20 years of home entertainment experience, I’ve personally had hands-on time with each of the models included on this list and reviewed them based on price, features, sound quality and performance. I’ll update the list as more products are released.
Which receiver should you buy?
If you’re spending under $1,000, there are four main receivers to choose from — the Sony STR-AN1000, the Yamaha RX-V6A, the Onkyo TX-NR6100 and the Denon AVR-970H. All offer excellent performance, so the short answer about which to buy is whichever is available for the lowest price. At the moment, that is either the Denon or the Onkyo, and I especially recommend the Onkyo TX-NR6100″ target=”_self for its combination of excellent performance and connectivity. The Onkyo offers easy setup, excellent usability, solid looks and useful features, including the best streaming suite (alongside Sony). As an added plus, the Onkyo was never prone to the 4K issue that plagued early versions of the Yamaha RX-V6A.
Meanwhile, the step-up Onkyo TX-RZ50 is an excellent receiver if you’re looking for the next level of features and a performance bump over sub-$1,000 models. It offers an excellent, if slightly scary, calibration routine from Dirac Live and the best number of streaming features on the market. It sounds great with music and movies alike.
Lastly, if it’s home theater thrills you’re after, the Yamaha RX-A4A offers crisp, dynamic sound and fantastic build quality for $1,300.
Factors to consider when buying an AV receiver
AV receivers are notoriously complex, with reams of features and confusing technical specifications. (For example, what’s 4K/120Hz anyway?) Yet, what are the things that really matter when buying a new model? I’m going to sum up the most important ones right here.
HDMI inputs
With most TVs and set-top boxes supporting HDMI, you should buy a receiver that has as many of these HDMI input ports and outputs as possible. Front-mounted HDMI ports are kind of like a human appendix — unneeded, because most users don’t hot-plug HDMI devices — making the number of rear inputs what’s most important. (How else are you going to connect your Roku, Blu-ray player, Nintendo Switch and all your other devices?) The Onkyo TX-NR6100 and Denon AVR-S970H have six rear-mounted HDMI inputs, while the Yamaha RX-V6A goes one better with seven. If you want to connect two different displays — a TV and a projector, for example — all but the Yamaha offer a second HDMI output. You should also be sure you have an extra HDMI cable or two on hand — these things are like the second sock of a pair as you can never find them when you need them.
Dolby Atmos capability
Most receivers in the $500-and-above price range include Dolby Atmos capability and DTS:X, but the effect these formats have on your home theater movie-watching can be subtle, or in most movies, nonexistent. In other words, don’t worry about missing out on these formats by not installing a ceiling-pointing speaker or two. Mounting your rear surround speakers high on the wall will get you halfway there in terms of quality, immersive sound.
WiFi music streaming
Most midrange receivers have onboard Wi-Fi network connectivity for wireless music streaming via your speaker system. There are plenty of standards for wireless streaming services, but the most universal are Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay and Google Cast. If you’re looking to build a multiroom system with a variety of AV systems and speakers with wireless connectivity, these are the three flavors to aim for. Onkyo and Sony are the only devices to support all three. The Denon receiver model lacks wireless streaming via Google but ups the ante to AirPlay 2 and the proprietary HEOS system. Meanwhile, Yamaha has its own MusicCast system.
How CNET tests AV receivers
At CNET, I test audio equipment from compact soundbars to surround sound systems, but regardless of the device, my methodology is the same. I always compare products against one or more reference devices that offer the best performance at a similar price.
When it comes to receivers I want to see how well a system performs with music and movies, as most people will want to do both. I watch test scenes from 4K Blu-ray or streamed from a 4K streaming service (Fandango at Home, for example) and evaluate aspects such as Dolby Atmos surround sound performance and dialog clarity. I also use several test music tracks and test streaming features such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Systems that can perform well with both types of entertainment inevitably score the highest.
Check out CNET’s receiver buying guide for more about the features and things you should consider when looking for a new system.
Other AV receivers I tested
Denon AVR-A10H ($5,199): If you hear the words “home theater” and think “dedicated room with a screen and leather recliners,” then the AVR-A10H is the kind of receiver you would use to power it. It has all of the features you need, including Dolby Atmos, music streaming, 4K/120Hz on all seven HDMI inputs and more. While it sounds good — I tested it powering a set of Klipsch Fortes — the combination of a high price and 13(!) powered channels may be too much for most living rooms.
Yamaha RX-V6A ($599): This Yamaha RX-V6A offers a fresh look at AV receiver design, with its futuristic edges and simple controls, while maximizing sound quality. The Yamaha might even make you forget about visiting a cinema ever again, and it’s no slouch with music, either. It offers plenty of connectivity with Wi-Fi bringing AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Bluetooth and Yamaha’s MusicCast system for streaming from your devices. Notably, the TSR-700 is identical, and it was an exclusive model for some outlets. Find out more in CNET’s Yamaha RX-V6A review.
Denon AVR-X3800 ($1,699) Denon has a reputation for quality sound and powerful amplification, and the AVR-X3800 will be able to power most systems with ease. In terms of features, the Denon has everything you need in a modern receiver including Dolby Atmos and six 8K HDMI inputs. Based on my head-to-head testing, I found that the Denon was even-handed with movies and music, but not as good as the equivalent Marantz SR6015 with music or as good at home theater as my current pick, the Onkyo RZ50. Read CNET’s first take on the Denon AVR-X3800.
