Home Theater Receivers: Expert and User Reviews
Page: 4 of 4
In this report
- Introduction
- Best Home Theater Receivers{2 mentions}{1 mention}{1 mention}{1 mention}
- Best Budget Home Theater Receivers{3 mentions}{1 mention}{2 mentions}{1 mention}
- Our Sources
Home Theater Receivers: Ratings of Sources
Total of 15 Sources
For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.
Best AV Receivers
by Matthew Moskovciak
by Matthew Moskovciak
Our AssessmentCNET hasn't reviewed a ton of home theater receivers, but it does weigh in on what it calls the "best bang-for-your-buck" choices for home theater use. Links lead to individual reports that are testing based and well-detailed.
Home Cinema Amplifiers
by Editors of What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision
by Editors of What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision
Our AssessmentBritain's What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision magazine reviews home theater receivers in brief but competent reports. Not all receivers are available in the U.S., and even those that are differ in some technical details, though performance should be similar. The majority of the receivers reviewed are high-end, $1,000-plus units, but the magazine also reviews some more reasonably priced models.
AV Receiver Reviews
by Editors of Home Theater magazine
by Editors of Home Theater magazine
Our AssessmentHome Theater magazine covers more receivers than many sources, but the majority of the attention goes towards high-end units costing $1,000 or more, sometimes significantly more. None of the few sub-$1,000 receivers that are reviewed earn Top Pick status, though some earn respectable ratings.
Surround Sound System Reviews
by Editors of TrustedReviews.com
by Editors of TrustedReviews.com
Our AssessmentTrustedReviews.com shares the same negatives as other British review sites -- not all receivers featured are available in the U.S., and some details vary on the ones that are. Additionally, this site covers only a few home theater receivers, clumping them into a broader surround-sound systems category. The testing and reporting are more than competent, however.
Best Home Theater Receivers - Priced at 399.00 or Less
by Robert Silva
by Robert Silva
Our AssessmentRobert Silva, About.com's home theater guide, recommends 11 low-cost home theater receivers in this listing. Testing in most cases is not well described. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
Home Theater Receivers - 400 to 1,299 Dollars
by Robert Silva
by Robert Silva
Our AssessmentAbout.com also recommends 17 mid-priced home theater receivers in a separate listing, but many cost more than $1,000, and the list is littered with discontinued models. For the most part, pros and cons are the same as in the report above. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
Home Theater: Reviews: Receivers
by Editors of BigPictureBigSound.com
by Editors of BigPictureBigSound.com
Our AssessmentThough this site reviews home theater receivers only on rare occasions, the reports that it does produce are testing based and chock-full of details. The Pioneer VSX-822-K is the only receiver covered by the site 2012, but it earns 3.5 out of 4 stars overall, with value being its best asset. Reviewer Rachel Cericola mentions some drawbacks but says that, for its price, "what it does it does insanely well at a really nice price."
Home Cinema Reviews
by Editors of ExpertReviews.co.uk
by Editors of ExpertReviews.co.uk
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 that it is easy to spot the winners from the runners-up. One drawback is that while receivers are covered on occasion, most of the site's home cinema reviews are of home-theater-in-a-box solutions.
Audio
by Editors of PCMag.com
by Editors of PCMag.com
Our AssessmentPCMag.com is known more for its computer-related coverage than its home theater expertise, and the site reviews only two receivers in 2012. The Denon AVR-1613 and the Yamaha RX-V473 are both subjected to extensive hands-on testing, but neither manages to earn a high rating.
Component Receivers
by Contributors to Amazon.com
by Contributors to Amazon.com
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.
Amps, Receivers, and Processors
by Contributors to AVSForum.com
by Contributors to AVSForum.com
Our AssessmentThis forum is a great resource for learning the ins and outs of a particular home theater receiver or to get user opinions about which receivers are best. Most, if not all, of the newest receivers have threads dedicated to them in which owners chime in with their experiences and impressions of the units. One of the forum's main functions is user-to-user help, so you'll also see lots of posts about problems and solutions. Opinions here can get heated, and some of the threads include thousands of posts.
Featured A/V Receiver Reviews
by Editors of Audioholics.com
by Editors of Audioholics.com
Our AssessmentThe reviews at Audioholics.com are a bit of a mixed bag. In the very best, the editors subject home theater receivers to a battery of bench and listening tests in detailed single-product reviews. But other reviews -- usually designated as First Looks -- are not testing based, though the writers do a good job of putting features and expected performance into context based on their own expertise. Previews of receiver lineups from several manufacturers are especially handy.
Receivers
by Editors of Sound & Vision magazine
by Editors of Sound & Vision magazine
Our AssessmentSound & Vision magazine reviews only a single home theater receiver in 2012, but the Pioneer VSX-60 is good enough to earn a Certified & Recommended award after a long, thorough review full of hands-on impressions and benchmark testing. Receivers from Denon, Yamaha and Onkyo and briefly covered -- but not reviewed -- in auxiliary articles.
Home Entertainment Reviews -- Amplifiers
by Editors of PC World (Australia)
by Editors of PC World (Australia)
Our AssessmentPC World's Australian counterpart lumps its short yet hands-on reviews in its Home Entertainment section. The only current receiver looked at by the site is the Sony STR-DH520, which is labeled as competent.
Receivers
by Contributors to Newegg.com
by Contributors to Newegg.com
Our AssessmentSince this site caters to a technology-oriented customer base, most user reviewers here have a higher level of technical expertise than average. However, most receivers get less feedback than elsewhere -- though there are exceptions -- and the reviews tend to be on the short side. Receivers from Onkyo and Pioneer get high overall ratings, albeit from only a small handful of users.
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This is our assessment of the review’s relevance, clarity of testing and thoroughness.
Read more about our Ratings Criteria by clicking the link at the top of the page.
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