Best AV Receivers
Check out the best AV receivers, as rated by Digital Trends’ expert reviewers.
We have put together our list of the best AV receivers as rated by our in-house experts. Picking a receiver can be tricky business; there are so many terms and features to learn before you pick one out. Lucky for you, we do the hard work for you. Simply pick out a budget, and choose the receiver below that falls within it. Then click to read the full review and see if that receiver fits your needs. Don’t forget to read the user reviews and check out our AV receiver buying guide as well.
Our best AV receivers list is continually updated as we review new receivers that enter the market.
Anthem Integrated 225
Anthem’s entirely solid state Integrated 225 is able to take listeners to that magical place for $1500.
- Pros: Pure, accurate and engaging sound, Extremely…
- Cons: Overly sensitive volume control
- Buy online:
- From Anthem
Marantz PM6004
While we wouldn’t exactly call the PM6004 a budget component, it does offer a premium sound quality that has a way of blasting away its competition’s price-performance justifications.
- Pros: Ample power, Tight bass, transparent mids…
- Cons: Lacks muscle needed for deepest sub-bass, No…
- Buy online:
- Buy Now: Amazon...
Yamaha Aventage A-3020
Album after album, we enjoyed the way the Yamaha RX-A3020 made music, and our experience with this latest version mirrors the excellent performance we got from the 3010…
- Pros: Clean, gutsy and powerful sound, Excellent detail…
- Cons: Upper mids and lower treble a little too bright…
- Buy online:
- Buy Now: Amazon...
Yamaha RX-V773
For Yamaha’s best performance and value under $1,000, these receivers are the way to go.
- Pros: Clean, muscular sound, Dual HDMI outputs, Built-in…
- Cons: Unimpressive Internet radio interface, Remote not…
- Buy online:
- BestPricePhoto.... $533.95
Onkyo TX-NR818
Listening to the percussion-heavy “Piano Smasher,” from Blue Man Group’s DVD The Complex, made me us as though we were about to personally reenact the chest-burst scene from Alien.
- Pros: Excellent audio performance, Exceptional video…
- Cons: Grey-on-black labels are very difficult to read…
- Buy online:
- RytherCamera $789.00
Denon AVR-4311CI
The Denon AVR-4311CI is a feature rich, network capable receiver with enough guts to power big systems in big rooms.
- Pros: Great Sound, USB, Ethernet and iPhone friendly…
- Cons: Complicated Setup, Some menus hard to understand…
- Buy online:
- Amazon.com $1599.00
Sony STR-DN1030
- Pros: Good headroom and dynamics, Inclusion of both…
- Cons: GUI navigation and set up menus still miserable…
- Buy online:
- Amazon.com $458.55
- Adorama $498.00
- Buydig.com $498.00
Marantz SR6007
If you’re in the market for a performance-oriented receiver at around $1,200, the Marantz SR6007 should be at the top of your list.
- Pros: Top-class sound quality, Good-sounding phono input…
- Cons: Loses some functionality compared to previous…
Pioneer Elite SC-57
What we have in the case of the SC-57 is a super-powerful, very musical sounding receiver that should satisfy those who value listening to music as much as they do blasting the latest blockbuster movie.
- Pros: Extremely powerful (THX Ultra 2 Plus), Great…
- Cons: Cluttered remote, No zone 2 remote, GUI needs…
- Buy online:
- Buy Now: Amazon...
Marantz SR6006
Network streaming and AirPlay capability catches the Martantz SR6006 up with its competition, making it a welcome new model in Marantz’s A/V receiver line.
- Pros: Great sound, Network, USB and AirPlay included…
- Cons: Marantz iPhone remote app a little sluggish, User…
- Buy online:
- Buy Now: Amazon...
