10 Best AV Receivers 2026 in the United States

The Denon AVR-X3800H is a powerful 9.4-channel AV receiver with an impressive 105W per channel output. This makes it suitable for users looking for a robust home theater experience. It supports a wide array of audio formats including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X Pro, IMAX Enhanced, and Auro 3D, providing immersive 3D audio that can elevate your viewing experience. Additionally, it features Dolby Surround and DTS Neural:X for enhancing legacy content, ensuring all your media benefits from its capabilities.

One of its standout features is its 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz pass-through, making it ready for the latest high-definition video standards and ensuring compatibility with new 8K TVs. The receiver boasts extensive connectivity options with 9 HDMI 2.1 ports, built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and HEOS multi-room streaming, offering flexibility in how you connect your devices and stream content. The inclusion of advanced video formats like HDR10+, HLG, Dolby Vision, and Dynamic HDR further enhances the visual experience.

Room calibration is made easy with the Audyssey Room Correction Suite, which fine-tunes the audio to suit your room’s acoustics. On the downside, the Denon AVR-X3800H is relatively heavy at 27.6 pounds, which could be cumbersome for some users. Its complexity and advanced features might also pose a learning curve for users not familiar with high-end AV receivers. However, the on-screen HD GUI setup assistant helps ease the initial setup process. This receiver is ideal for those who want a future-proof, high-performance AV receiver with extensive connectivity and superior audio-visual capabilities.

The Onkyo TX-RZ70 AV receiver packs a lot of power with its 11.2 channel configuration and 140 watts per channel, making it a top choice for home theater enthusiasts. It supports multiple subwoofers and offers the flexibility to create discrete audio zones in your home, which is great for customizing your entertainment spaces. The inclusion of Dirac Live Room Calibration ensures that your sound is perfectly adapted to your room’s acoustics, and future firmware updates will enhance bass control, adding to the receiver’s versatility.

Its studio-grade processing, featuring ESS Sabre DACs and THX certification, promises high-quality audio performance across various listening modes like cinema, gaming, and music. The IMAX Enhanced Mode improves the visual and audio experience, bringing a more immersive theater-like feel to your home setup. Connectivity is robust with HDMI, and it seamlessly integrates with Klipsch speakers for optimal sound settings.

The TX-RZ70 also supports a range of streaming apps and smart home assistants, making it convenient for modern users. The advanced features might be overwhelming for users who prefer a simpler setup, and the high power output could lead to higher energy consumption. Additionally, while Dirac Live technologies provide excellent room calibration, some might find the need for firmware updates for full functionality slightly inconvenient.

The Sony STRAZ7000ES Premium ES 13.2 CH 8K A/V Receiver stands out with its 13.2 channel configuration, offering an impressive power output of 150W per channel, which is ideal for creating a powerful and immersive home theater experience. Its support for 8K and 4K/120 HDMI connectivity with HDMI 2.1 ensures compatibility with modern high-resolution video formats, making it future-proof for upcoming advancements in video technology.

The receiver supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio formats, providing a rich, object-based sound decoding that enhances the surround sound experience significantly. Additionally, with Digital Cinema Auto Calibration IX and 360 Spatial Sound Mapping, it offers advanced room calibration features that tailor audio output to your specific room setup for optimal sound quality. Connectivity options are robust, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, and Apple AirPlay, allowing seamless streaming from multiple sources.

Its network and streaming capabilities are further enhanced by integration with Google Assistant and compatibility with SONOS systems. This makes it versatile for both entertainment and smart home integration. However, it is quite hefty at 55.8 pounds and may require a sturdy setup. Also, its complexity might be overwhelming for users who prefer simpler AV receivers. Given the advanced features and high-quality audio-visual processing, it is best suited for audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts who seek top-tier performance and flexibility. Customer reviews averaging 4.0 out of 5 stars reflect that it might not be the best choice for casual users looking for a straightforward setup.