With people relying on more and more home theatre systems these days, AV receivers are also gaining the need constantly. Well, it is all about the feature sets, connectivity options, and performance levels, and also the pricing. The major brands have everything from Dolby Atmos to Wi-Fi music streaming to voice control; and, of course, high-quality audio that make your home system ravishing.
So let us find out, which is the best among the major brands like Onkyo, Denon, Sony, and Yamaha.
Onkyo TX-NR696
This AV receiver is the best budget option you can find. This has amazing connectivity power that also supports multiple audio formats with a striking sound. It is a developed model of Onkyo that comes with improved power, and a front-mounted HDMI port. It also supports streaming protocols, such as built in Chromecast, DTS Play-Fi, Spotify Connect, AirPlay, and Bluetooth.
Denon AVR-S750H
This receiver being developed in 2019 replaces its former version greatly. With a little bit of tweaking though, it is almost as same as the former ones. It features almost everything like voice control compatible via both Amazon Alexa and Google speakers, Atmos and Apple AirPlay 2. It also has the provision for an on-screen setup assistant that makes connecting to TV and optimizing surround sound easier. Also, this works irrespective of immersive audio experience in your home theater or jumping among channels from your comfort area.
Sony STR-DN1080
Sony’s audio range has always been great and this particular model has been a rockstar since 2017. The sound quality, however, is a bit low as compared to Denon and Onkyo’s current, but still close. This is the perfect option for you if you are looking at the ease of use and integration of AirPlay and Google Chromecast built-in wireless streaming as well. It also features the use of virtual speaker relocation technology that optimizes the sound around the room it is set up in.
Yamaha RX-V485
This AV receiver is great at its sound quality for the affordable price it is available. Alongside it also offers Wi-Fi connectivity, Airplay 2, Spotify Connect, Bluetooth, and other music casting from your devices. It has an Ultra HD 4K model with HDR10. Most people consider worth buying this as it features the extra HDMI inputs and outputs and Dolby Atmos capability.
AV receivers are particularly extremely complex with lots of features and many confusing technical specifications. Well if you are investing in one you need to look for the following.
- 4K HDR compatibility: So that it can keep up with all the latest TVs or video gear and also the time to time updates.
- At least 4 HDMI inputs: You might need to connect so many devices such as TV, gaming station, soundbar, etc. And when choosing devices like a soundbar, check the compatibility of the TV as well.
- WiFi Music Streaming: Mostly they have buil-tin Apple AirPlay and Google Chromecast (and sometimes Spotify Connect). This has become a necessity today as everything runs wirelessly.
At the budget, Onkyo is a good option as it offers easy setup, superior usability, good surround sound with plenty of headroom, easy speaker setup, compact looks, and, most important, plenty of up-to-date features essential to a stereo receiver. Sony is also close to it even though it is from 2017 and so is Denon. Denon is indeed better in case of refined performance as compared to Sony and Onkyo. Three of these can be termed as excellent in their price range with great performance. However, if you are willing to spend a little less you can hop on to other options as well.
About Ankita Mohanty
Ankita Mohanty is a Software Engineer who has the passion for content creation, tech and travel. She believes in that there's nothing in this world that's unachievable when you work hard for it.