AV receiver: Buying guide

Purchasing Criteria

When buying an AV Receiver, the following factors should be carefully considered.

1. 1.    Sound output and quality: This is obviously the most important aspect of an AV receiver. An AV receiver is meat to enhance your aural experience, and bless you with cinema-like surround sound. It is a common notion that the more the wattage, the louder the AV receiver. However, human ears assess sound-volume in a non-linear scale, and are less sensitive to louder sounds. Consequently, to a human ear, 100 watts is double in volume of 10 watts and not 50 watts! Thus, power output (in watts) shouldn’t be the only criterion in choosing a receiver. Further, in most cases, an AV receiver would have multiple output channels, and the power output for each channel is measured separately. Hence, a 100 WPC (watts-per-channel) 5 channel receiver would have a power of 500 (100 x 5) watts. Here, it is important to note that there are two types of measurements: watts root mean square (RMS), and watts peak music peak output (PMPO). The watts PMPO rating denotes the loudest sound that a speaker can produce in peaks; the watts RMS rating, on the other hand, denotes the output level at which the speaker can operate for extended lengths of time. Thus, RMS output is a more reliable statistic. The output also depends a lot on the resistance that the current has to counter. The more the resistance, the lesser the output. Resistance ratings for a receiver are measured in 4, 6, and 8 ohms. It is advisable that when comparing power outputs, you compare the power output at a resistance of 8 ohm for it is the “benchmark” for the measurement of output. Further, an AV receiver plagues by a high distortion level or excessive noise might yield bad sounds at higher volumes. Ideally, the distortion should be in the range of 0.1-0.01 total harmonic distortion (THD). Signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) is the ratio of desirable sound to background noise. A high S/N ratio means the ability of the receiver to separate desirable sound from background static is good, translating into better clarity. One must also check the sound quality of all the sound formats on the stereo receiver. The shifting of sound from one speaker to another must be smooth, without any “bleeding.”

1. 2.    Brand: Unlike some products, when buying an AV receiver, it is very necessary that you opt for a brand that carries weight in the market. There are plenty of options that you can choose from including Sony receivers, Onkyo receivers, and Yamaha receivers. Marantz, Denon, and Pioneer are some of the other popular brands for receivers.

1. 3.    HD audio/video: Given the trend toward HD technologies and products, it is essential that you get an AV receiver that can support and play HD video and HD surround sound audio. Note, however, that HD AV receivers may be slightly more expensive. 

1. 4.    Extra features: Though not necessary, some features such as an LCD screen that provides detailed information, a well-equipped remote (preferably with an LCD screen), backlit buttons, gold-plated connectors, etc., do enhance the user experience and make operating the AV receiver a rather easy task. Some AV receivers also boast of wireless connectivity, but do come at a premium. If, however, wiring clutter is highly undesired and the most optimal speaker spots are difficult to connect with wires, going in for a wireless AV receiver would be a good idea.

1. 5.    Build quality: Any AV receiver that has inconsistent gaps between the various panels and buttons, that comes with flimsy buttons and cheap sockets, and/or that is made from substandard plastics is likely to boast of internal components and parts of a below-standard quality. As such, one must be careful when assessing such an AV receiver.

1. 6.    Connectivity: It is vital that you check the number of inputs and outputs that the AV receiver has. Standard options include multiple A/V inputs and outputs, both analog and digital, and plenty of s-video/component video switches; we can also find plenty of HDMI receivers as well. Also ensure that the connectors of the other components in your set-up are compatible with those on your AV receiver.

Summary

1. An AV receiver, which often looks like a DVD player on steroids, acts as the hub of your multimedia set-up. It provides video signals to your TV and audio signals to your speakers.
2. The most significant advantage of an AV receives is the sound quality it provides, which can rival many mid-end pro-audio systems. In mid- and high-end AV receivers, the actual sound output is only constrained by the quality of your speaker set-up.
3. Furthermore, AV receivers provide you with more upgrade and customization options; for example, you can use a 5.1 channel speaker set with a 7.1 channel AV receiver with almost negligible compromise in sound quality, and upgrade your set-up later.
4. An AV receiver also gives you more direct control over the various sound settings, which comes handy in a multi channel surround sound set-up wherein the spatial conditions limit sound quality.
5. With the current trend toward HD audio and video, it is advisable that one chooses an AV receiver that offers HD functionality.
6. Advanced AV receivers have emerged that can decode Dolby Prologic, Dolby Prologic II, Dolby Prologic IIx, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX, DTS, DTS-ES, DTS Neo 6, and THX Surround EX, thus pushing the boundaries at which home theater systems can mimic actual cinema sound.
7. AV receiver has multiple A/V inputs and outputs, both analog and digital, and plenty of s-video/component video switches. Also ensure that the connectors of the other components in your set-up are compatible with those on your AV receiver.
8. There are plenty of options that you can choose from including Sony receivers, Onkyo receivers, and Yamaha receivers. Marantz, Denon, and Pioneer are some of the other popular brands for receivers.

Final word

The whole point of going in for an AV receiver is good sound quality. Further, given that AV receivers can be very expensive, it is very essential that you are satisfied with your purchase. Consequently, it is recommended that you first take a demo of you AV receiver (if possible in a real home-like environment and not a studio) to know what you are paying for.