Home Theater Receivers: Expert and User Reviews

Our AssessmentCNET hasn't reviewed a ton of home theater receivers, but does weigh in on what it calls the "best bang-for-your-buck" choices for home theater use. The Denon AVR 1912 narrowly beats out the Pioneer VSX-1021-K for the site's Editors' Choice honors. Links lead to individual reports that are testing based and well detailed.

Our AssessmentThis is another British site with a fair selection of home theater receivers that are also available in U.S. versions. Reviews here are taken from several related sites and publications, so are variable in quality -- some are brief and somewhat superficial, while others are long and detailed. Reviewer Danny Phillips singles out the Onkyo TX-NR609 with a flawless 5-star rating, calling it "a force to be reckoned with."

Our AssessmentReviewer Michael Brown delivers an in-depth look at Pioneer's VSX-1021-K receiver, spending considerable time talking about the various apps that can interface with the networked receiver as well as covering some of the more technical aspects of the unit's sound. In the end, he gives the VSX-1021-K a final score of 9 out of 10, but fails to award it the site's Kick Ass award due to a couple of networking glitches.

Our AssessmentAbout.com also recommends 17 mid-priced home theater receivers in a separate listing, but many cost over $1,000. For the most part, pros and cons are the same as in the report above. Both the Harman Kardon AVR 2600 and the Onkyo TX-NR609 cost less than $600 and rate relatively well. Extensive testing is conducted on the AVR 2600, but the TX-NR609's review seems more spec based than hands-on. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)

Our AssessmentExpert Reviews is based in Britain, but much of the gear it reviews is also available in versions sold in the U.S. Reports are testing based and opinions are clearly stated. Ratings are provided and show enough variation so that it is easy to spot the winners from the runners-up. Although the majority of the site's home cinema reviews are of home-theater-in-a-box solutions, reviewer Tom Morgan awards the Onkyo TX-NR609 receiver a perfect 5 out of 5 rating and a Best Buy award in a detailed four-page review, saying its "extra features make it practically unbeatable."

Our AssessmentAmazon.com lets customers report on their post-sale experiences with home theater receivers. On the positive side, reports that appear here are often decently detailed. One negative is that the site includes many discontinued models, so navigation can be a bit difficult. Most new receivers have yet to receive a lot of feedback, but there's enough to start to see trends as to which receivers do the best job of satisfying their owners.

Our AssessmentAt first glance, HomeTheaterGears.com looks like one of a multitude of marketing-driven websites with no purpose other than to drive visitors to their preferred retail partner. However, a closer look reveals that several receivers covered get a real hands-on look by the site's anonymous editors. While write-ups still lean heavily toward features, some performance testing is done, and impressions about audio/video quality as well as ease of setup and use are shared. Receivers are not rated, but the review catalog is one of the deepest around, with every model from every major manufacturer receiving its own dedicated review. Still, we'd be more comfortable taking the conclusions stated seriously if more were known about the site's authors and their expertise. That said, the Pioneer VSX-1021-K rates as the best receiver under $1,000; it falls in the third slot on the site's top 10 list, narrowly beating out the Onkyo TX-NR609.

Our AssessmentThese are the test bench results that accompany a still-to-be-published (at the time of our visit) review of the Onkyo TX-NR509. Daniel Kumin says the TX-NR509's low end produced "stunningly good bench results." Although he calls the unit's power output "modest," Kumin nevertheless says that the TX-NR509 makes the most of it, with enough in reserve to deliver more than its rated specs for short periods of time.