Home Theater Receivers: Reviews

Updated August 2011

A great home theater system starts with a solid anchor -- a home theater receiver. ConsumerSearch drills down to find out what makes a great home-theater receiver, with an eye toward choices that deliver great performance without breaking the bank. Picks are based on expert feedback and hands-on reports from owners.

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Best budget home theater receiver

Pioneer VSX-821-K

*Est. $315 Compare Prices

If you want to put together an impressive home theater on a budget, the Pioneer VSX-821-K belongs on your short list. Like most home theater receivers in its price range, amplifiers for a standard 5.1-channel… expandsurround-sound setup are built in. However, you can add an external two-channel amp for a full 7.1-channel surround-sound setup, with your choice of two rear surrounds or (thanks to Dolby Pro Logic IIz support) two front height channels. The VSX-821-K's video capabilities are called "flawless" by more than one reviewer, and the audio capabilities of the VSX-821-K far surpass those of other budget receivers. Speaker setup is made easier by a built-in auto-calibration program, Pioneer's well-regarded Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration Control (MCACC). The unit's four HDMI ports support both 3D and audio return channel. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

BigPictureBigSound.com: Rachel Cericola's critique of the Pioneer VSX-821-K continues BigPictureBigSound.com's tradition of detailed reviews.

HomeTheaterGears.com: The editors of HomeTheaterGears.com take a quick look at the technical features of the VSX-821-K before jumping into usage details.

About.com: The Pioneer VSX-821-K receiver lands in the fourth spot on Robert Silva's list of the top receivers under $399.

Amazon.com: While there aren't a substantial number yet, user reviews are beginning to accumulate at Amazon.com.

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Buy from Amazon for $198.99
BuyDig.com for $329.99	Crutchfield for $249.99	Beach Camera.com for $329.99

Best 5.1 home theater receiver

Onkyo TX-NR509

*Est. $400 Compare Prices

Despite its budget price, Onkyo's TX-NR509 is a strong-performing home theater receiver -- and a perfect audio component for those jumping on the streaming media bandwagon. It can be connected to the web (though Wi-Fi is… expandan extra-cost option) for streaming from Internet radio stations or from content providers such as Slacker, Rhapsody, Pandora, Napster, SiriusXM and more. It is also DLNA-compliant for streaming files from your computer. Its four HDMI ports are sufficient for all but the most complex home theater setups, and offer support for both 3D video and audio return channel. The 80 watts per channel isn't quite enough to move walls or wake neighbors on the next block, but still provides enough pop to make movie watching a great experience in most small to moderately sized rooms. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

HomeTheaterGears.com: The anonymous editors at HomeTheaterGears.com have little negative to say about the Onkyo TX-NR509, though they do caution readers that the receiver doesn't offer any kind of video conversion.

About.com: Robert Silva's review of the Onkyo TX-NR509 receiver seems more of a review of the unit's features than of the actual unit itself – no testing is mentioned, nor does he provide his feedback on the receiver's AV capabilities.

Amazon.com: User-written reviews of the Onkyo TX-NR509 are beginning to accumulate at Amazon.com, and the majority of owners look to be pretty happy with their purchase.

AVSForum.com: The incredibly dedicated users at AVSForum.com lump the TX-NR509 into a thread earmarked for discussion on all of Onkyo's budget or mid-range 2011 receivers.

NewEgg.com: Consumer reviews of the Onkyo TX-NR509 are slowly beginning to trickle in at Newegg.com.

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Crutchfield for $399.99	eBay for $229.99	OneCall for $245.98

Best home theater receiver

Onkyo TX-NR609

*Est. $500 Compare Prices

Few other home theater receivers at or near its price draw as much critical acclaim as the Onkyo TX-NR609. It's strong on performance and features, sound quality is top-notch and reviewers and users alike say both movies… expandand music sound great on this receiver. THX Select2 Plus certification helps ensure that what you hear in your moderately sized listening room is the same as what you'd hear in a movie theater. Six HDMI 1.4a ports -- including one on the front panel -- should handle even the most complex home theater setups and offer support for all 3D video formats, audio return channel and HDMI pass-through. Video processing is first-rate -- better than what's found in most mainstream home theater equipment, reports say. To top it off, the TX-NR609 offers all of the streaming audio options of the Onkyo TX-NR509, including the ability to fetch content from the Internet or from your personal computer, though again you'll need an optional adapter to stream wirelessly. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

CNET: CNET's attention to detail can't be beat; reviewer Matthew Moskovciak takes a look at every aspect of the TX-NR609 and details both its strengths and its weaknesses.

TrustedReviews.com: TrustedReviews.com doesn't spend a lot of time looking at home theater receivers, but it takes notice of the Onkyo TX-NR609.

TechRadar.com: Danny Phillips also delivers an evaluation of the Onkyo TX-NR609 review, covering much of the same ground and makes the same points as Phillips's write-up at TrustedReviews.com, but does spend a little more time detailing the receiver's video upscaling prowess.

Expert Reviews: Tom Morgan spends the majority of this two-page review singing the praises of the Onkyo TX-NR609.

What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision: The editors of What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision seem especially impressed with the Onkyo TX-NR609's streaming Internet options and the high quality of its audio in this relatively brief review, especially after configuring the unit with the included Audyssey 2EQ auto setup.

Amazon.com: The Onkyo TX-NR609 draws a good number of user reviews at Amazon.com, and the vast majority are positive.

About.com: Robert Silva offers a detailed Product Profile of the features found in the Onkyo TX-NR609, but doesn't put the unit through any first-hand testing.

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Buy from Amazon for Too low to display
OneCall for $395.00	eBay for $418.95	eBay for $498.94

Best home theater receiver for iPad owners

Pioneer VSX-1021-K

*Est. $550 Compare Prices

The Pioneer VSX-1021-K doesn't draw quite as many raves as the Onkyo TX-NR609, but most are still quite impressed with its performance and features. Most notable is its extensive support for Apple devices. Billed as the… expandfirst AV receiver designed for use with the iPad, the receiver is also fully compatible with other iOS devices, namely the iPod Touch and the iPhone. The VSX-1021-K supports Apple's proprietary AirPlay technology, which lets you stream music wirelessly between an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch and the receiver, getting rid of the hassle of using a dock. Other goodies include an iOS app that turns your apple device into a control for the VSX-1021-K. A second app lets up to four iOS devices share music and browse playlists simultaneously using the receiver as a hub. Audio and video performance is also very good, though an occasional bobble is noted. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

CNET: Reviewer Matthew Moskovciak takes an in-depth look at every aspect of the VSX-1021-K en route to awarding the receiver an excellent 4-star rating.

MaximumTech.com: Michael Brown offers a long look at the VSX-1021-K in a review that mostly focuses on the receiver's abilities to communicate with iOS devices.

Audioholics.com: Audioholics.com offers a First Look Preview rather than a review, which means Tom Andry bases his impressions on the receiver's spec sheet rather than hands-on testing.

Amazon.com: Users on Amazon.com think highly of the VSX-1021-K, with the majority of reviews awarding either a 4- or a 5-star rating; not a single 1-star rating was found at the time of our visit.

About.com: About.com's Robert Silva names the Pioneer VSX-1021-K as the ninth-best receiver in this price range, although many of the higher-ranking models cost more.

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Buy from Amazon for $398.00
Vanns.com for $399.97	eBay for $399.99	OnlyFactory- Direct for $549.00