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 Denon AVR-X2800H 7.2 Ch Receiver is a feature-packed AV receiver designed to enhance your home theater experience with its strong performance in both audio and video processing. One of its standout features is the 95W per channel power output, which should offer robust and immersive sound, especially in a 7.2 channel setup. This receiver is also geared for the future with 8K/60Hz pass-through, ensuring it can handle the latest high-resolution video content, along with support for various advanced video formats like HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. This makes it particularly suitable for users with 8K TVs who want to get the most out of their screen's capabilities.

Connectivity options are abundant with this model, including 8 HDMI ports (6 in, 2 out), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and even a phono input for turntable users. The built-in HEOS technology allows for wireless music streaming and multi-room audio functionality, which is a great bonus for those who want to enjoy music throughout their home. In terms of audio formats, it supports Dolby Atmos, DTS Neural:X, and DTS:X, providing a rich and immersive surround sound experience. Additionally, the Audyssey Room Correction Suite helps calibrate and tune the receiver to your specific room layout, enhancing sound quality.

The complexity of its many features might be overwhelming for those who are not tech-savvy, and setting it up properly may require some patience. Users looking for a simpler, more straightforward system might find this receiver a bit too advanced. Despite this, its comprehensive feature set and future-proofing capabilities make it a solid choice for home theater enthusiasts who want high performance and flexibility.