Overview of 5 Popular AV Receivers
We independently test the products and technologies that we recommend.
The main criteria that you should pay attention to when choosing a receiver are as follows.
Modernity or relevance. This refers to support for the most modern technologies, thanks to which the receiver can delay its time moral obsolescence. These are important characteristics, but "running ahead of the engine" is not recommended. When purchasing, say, a device that supports 4K, ask yourself a few questions: will it be connected to an appropriate TV, panel or projector? Where to get films? The fact is that relevance does not affect the price in the best way. On the other hand, it can be terribly disappointing when the receiver suddenly does not support playback of some cherished movie - either a codec, or a stream, or a connection.
The weight of the receiver. Paradoxical as it may seem , in this age of digital amplifiers, switching power supplies and thin plastic cases, high-power toroidal transformers, intricate heatsinks and fundamental anti-resonance chassis are still valued in receivers. If a device with an elementary 5.1 configuration is claimed to have a long-term musical power, say, a modest 70 watts per channel, and its consumption is claimed at the level of 300 watts, then the law of conservation of energy comes into play, which simply does not allow the amplifiers to give out what is promised. They don't have enough power. The result is distortion. A high-quality, “honest” apparatus cannot do enough. Impulse exceptions in class D are still quite rare - these technologies are partly in the stage of overcoming development problems.
Customization options. Let's say you have purchased an absolutely amazing AV receiver - all its parameters are above all praise. The sound is full Hi-End. Support for all known technologies. Power, control, design. There is only one problem - the “bottom” sticks out, there is no “top”, the sound stage is shifted somewhere to the side and all the characters speak from the same speaker ... We exaggerate, of course, but the correct setting can bring the operation of an ordinary receiver to a very high level, and the wrong one can turn the flagship device into a device that you simply don’t want to turn on. Many modern receivers have fully automatic sound tuning capabilities, while others have flexible manual settings. When buying a receiver, consider your own qualifications. If you are a professional sound engineer, or if you have such a person among your closest friends, then it is likely that you can stop at manual tuning. In other cases, it is better to trust the auto-tuning functions.
The technical characteristics of all review models can be compared in this table< /a>. This link contains a complete catalog of modern AV receivers.
 | With a quite acceptable price tag, the device can please with good sound, but when all channels are working at the same time, the power will be reduced. Final amplifiers are assembled on discrete elements - this is a positive. There is no subwoofer amplifier in the Yamaha RX-V377, which in many cases can also be attributed to the advantages: using a subwoofer with a built-in amplifier may be preferable in terms of increasing the price-quality ratio. The only pity is that there is no wireless connection mode for such a case. The YPAO sound optimization system for automatic acoustic tuning works adequately, with its help it will not be difficult to create the desired sound coloration. Extra Bass technology is provided to enhance the bass in the satellites, but a full-fledged subwoofer cannot replace such a trick. Interestingly, in case of problems with the placement of satellites around the listener, you can try using the CINEMA FRONT mode, which provides virtual surround sound when the speakers are located in front. There are 4 HDMI inputs on board and 1 output, 4K Ultra HD video signal passthrough is provided. Owners of "apple" gadgets will appreciate placed on the front USB-connector for connecting an iPod or iPhone. On the other hand, the functionality of the built-in USB player is at the entry level. There may be some problems with the auto-shutdown of the system, which occurs when there is no sound signal - a long silent scene during viewing may be interrupted automatically, it will be necessary to turn on the device again, but the function can be disabled in the settings. If the equipment complex contains and other Yamaha products, you should try the proprietary SCENE function, which allows you to change the input source and sound field programs with the touch of a button. The function is really really easy to manage, but you should make sure that all components support it. |
 | In the fall of 2014, the device received an EISA nomination - recognition of the chief editors of European specialized magazines. And it is obvious that there is a reason. Let's dwell only on some of the device's capabilities, since a complete description of the functionality of a modern receiver takes about a hundred pages ... There is a proprietary Direct Energy amplifier and a Texas Instruments Aureus digital signal processor on board. The built-in ADC and DAC work with bit rates up to 96kHz/24-bit. The installed DAC, among other things, suppresses jitter, thanks to which the signal is reproduced without digital artifacts - a natural, clear sound. The manufacturer promises up to 150 watts of pure sound on all 7 channels. The proprietary MCACC system is responsible for setting up the acoustic field, which can also compensate for the difference in the parameters of the satellites - for example, you can install a "hodgepodge" of speakers from different brands, but they will sound equally good. The system also compensates for differences in sensitivity levels and distances to the listener. A separate subwoofer EQ is provided to maximize the enjoyment of the low end of the system. The gain zone of the second audio output allows you to watch a movie in one room while someone else listens to music in another. The device reads not only AIFF and Apple Lossless high-resolution audio files from external USB drives, but even multi-channel audio files WAV and FLAC - audiophiles can be satisfied. It is completely ready for the advent of the 4K era, it supports almost all conceivable modern formats, and triple HD noise reduction is provided for low-quality pictures. all possible functions. And anything not used automatically means an overpayment. |
 | This receiver is built around a massive transformer capable of delivering really high supply currents, enough to properly operate the discrete three-stage inverse circuit Darlington amplification. Adding weight is the high-strength cabinet design, which really minimizes the mutual displacement of the system components - all this is done in order to get high-quality reproduction of the most intense and complex multi-channel soundtrack. This 7.2 configuration AV receiver is capable of delivering "honest" 160 watts per channel at 106 dB signal-to-noise ratio, giving you complete control over your connected speakers. The sound of the system is linear - probably, therefore, the possibilities for adjusting the amplitude-frequency characteristic of the satellites are not great ... The "audio directivity" of the device is supplemented by the presence of the MM phono stage - you can connect a turntable to the receiver and use the system in an audiophile way . Naturally, the acoustics that work with such a device must have the appropriate level, otherwise the result is simply offensive ... There is an audiophile TI Burr-Brown DAC on board. It's a bit of a pity that the system only has one optical audio jack, but otherwise the switching is more than adequate. Implemented support for 4K/60Hz for Ultra HD video at 60fps. The system provides connection to the network via Ethernet and (or) Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are on board by default, no additional adapters need to be purchased. To all of the above, you can add the presence of an AM / FM radio tuner, although will the owner of the Onkyo TX-NR636 be up to it? Tip. A high-quality, “honest” apparatus cannot do enough. If a device with an elementary 5.1 configuration is claimed to have a long-term musical power, say, a modest 70 watts per channel, and its consumption is claimed at the level of 300 watts, then the law of conservation of energy comes into play, which simply does not allow the amplifiers to give out what is promised. They don't have enough power. The result is distortion. |
 | Another audiophile AV receiver, like the previous participant in our review. As you know, the main arrays of audio recordings remain in two-channel stereo format. Especially for this, the creators of the device have allocated two amplification channels for the front pair of high-quality floor acoustics. We have 2x200 W with the quality of a good integrated stereo amplifier, as well as an MM phono stage. The power of the remaining "satellite" channels is 165 W each. For true audio gourmets, the device offers the possibility of forming a system with Bi/Tri-amping. Sound settings can vary from full Direct to the use of advanced built-in DSP and equalizer, and even with tone compensation. As for working as a home theater component, this device is able to transform a fairly large room to an advanced cinema. This includes 4K support. We also add Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, AirPlay, DLNA, Internet radio - content can be received from anywhere. The receiver provides 9.2-channel signal processing, and through the Pre Out outputs it is capable of outputting a signal in a 13.2 configuration. The firmware provides automatic speaker calibration. This process uses the Audyssey MultEQ-XT32 / LFC system, the world's premier digital room correction solution with over ten thousand individual control points. We add that on the basis of the device we implement a three-zone multi-room - each of the three rooms can have its own soundtrack: in one - watching a movie, in the other - listening to music, and the radio - in the third. | tr>
 | AV receiver configuration 11.2. The first thing we pay attention to is that the nine amplification channels of this device, according to the passport data, deliver 200 watts of power to a load of 6 ohms in multi-channel (!) mode. In other words, in a sufficiently large room with good acoustics, the earthquake scene at the time of landing of an alien armada fired from nuclear installations will be voiced as naturally as possible ... The system uses upgraded proprietary HDAM amplifying modules that provide an uncompromisingly steep signal rise front . But this is exactly what it is for. Not one, but two processors at once are responsible for digital signal processing - this is necessary for a clear implementation of Dolby Atmos processing algorithms or system settings using Audyssey technologies. Let's add that the system based on the device can be further expanded - the output from the preamplifier is already provided in the 13.2 configuration. The level of approach to audio playback is well illustrated by the parameters of the built-in DAC: here it is no longer 24 bit 96 kHz, and all 32 – 192. Naturally, there are built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, network broadcasting via AirPlay, DLNA 1.5, Internet radio is supported. The device is completely ready to work with 3D and 4K. In addition to working with mobile gadgets, the system, like most of the above, supports control from devices based on iOS, Android. On the other hand, the built-in ARC system allows you to control the device directly from the TV via HDMI (on, off, volume). |
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