So he set out to watch the latest big-screen movie on his huge HD/Plasma/3-D TV… He grabbed the bag of hot cinnamon-caramel popcorn, a cold one to drink, gathered the family and watched the movie. . Somehow the picture and sound quality was not as good as he thought and he realized that despite having an expensive TV, the visual and sound effects were not enough. This is where an audiovisual receiver (AV receiver) makes home theaters experience a fully immersive and richly satisfying experience.
An audio receiver functions as the hub of a home theater system by handling a variety of tasks, such as decoding signals for surround sound, tuning radio stations, turning on speakers, and switching between audio and video components.
Here are the 5 most important things to consider when choosing the best audio receiver.
1) A high-tech audiovisual receiver or not…
You may think that a state-of-the-art, high-tech audio receiver is the best it can get, but stop there. You have to be able to figure out how to use it! The display panel should be easily navigable so you can enjoy concert hall-quality sound and movie-quality pictures, instead of the audio receiver gathering dust because you don’t know how to turn it on.
A good quality receiver will usually include a graphical interface through which the user can configure and operate the receiver. All the information will be clearly displayed so you can find out how to navigate and use the unit.
2) Calibration: Is it easy to calibrate the AV receiver?
If you’re a novice, setting up a home entertainment system so that all components are connected correctly can be tricky, let alone determining if all components are working properly.
Most of the best audio receivers make this part a bit easier by offering automatic speaker calibration, which allows the receiver to automatically analyze and adjust the sound of the connected speaker system.
The receiver sends test tones to the speakers and subwoofer, monitors the sound using a microphone so it can determine the size of the speakers, measures the distance from each speaker to the listener, and checks whether the components are properly connected.
This technology works for traditional 2 channel home entertainment system as well as surround sound home theater.
An important note here is that powerful sound bursts in a high-action movie and other special effects can drain the power of the receiver if it is not a high-power AV receiver. A high-power unit will produce high-quality movie sounds better than a similar receiver that does not have a high current rating, even if it has the same wattage.
3) Is Airplay support available?
These days, the best audio receivers will have support for AirPlay, which is the latest technology that allows users to wirelessly stream music from an iOS (Apple) device, as well as digital apps like Pandora. This allows you to transmit directly to the receiver.
Make sure the version of iPhone, iPad, or iPod you own has built-in wireless streaming capabilities before getting an AirPlay-enabled receiver.
4) Power: Make it high wattage
Power is not just another word for volume, power is measured in watts. More importantly, it determines the ability of an audio receiver to reproduce dynamic and detailed sound. A high wattage unit will provide better sound quality than lower wattage ones, even at low and medium movie volumes.
It is vital that the receiver is powerful enough to accommodate both the speakers that are connected to it and the room where the receiver is located. Depending on the speaker’s sensitivity, the power needed to match specific speakers will depend on how many decibels you put out per watt of power.
You will find that speakers with lower sensitivity will require more power. Be sure to take into account the size of the room. If the room is large in which an entertainment system is installed, more power is required.
Another point is to consider the amount of power that will be needed, if you are looking for a home theater system or a stereo receiver.
The stereo receiver is a simpler, less expensive unit for music lovers who aren’t necessarily looking for a cinematic surround sound experience. A home theater AV receiver is designed to create a fully immersive surround sound experience for users to enjoy.
5) Last but not least: AV receiver inputs and outputs
This is very simple. The more inputs and outputs the device can accommodate, the better. These inputs and outputs are where you connect the receiver to your TV, game system, iPod, or speakers. It should have enough inputs and outputs to handle all of your gear with ease, plus a few extras just in case.
And while a good number of inputs and outputs are important, you need to make sure they’re the right kind. The audio receiver should offer digital connections, providing better video and audio quality than older analog inputs and outputs. To fully enjoy your HD equipment, it must be connected to a receiver via an HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) connection.