TOP 5 AV RECEIVERS 2021
Top 5 AV Receivers of 2021 by Andrew Robinson. Originally published December 24, 2021.
HOME THEATER GUIDE! 5 BEST HOME THEATER RECEIVERS IN 2021
Shopping for an AV receiver for your home theater can be daunting, so we’ve compiled a list of the top 5 AV receivers you can buy TODAY that will fill all of your surround sound AND maybe your hi-fi needs. So, let’s jump into it!
THE RULES
Before we get started all of the receivers on this list had to meet three criteria. First, they had to sound great for both music AND movies! Second, they had to have support for the latest video formats and tech, because if we’re spending money we want to be as “future-proof” as possible. And third, they had to be “smart” receivers meaning you can connect them to your home’s wifi, or stream directly through them or to them in order to enjoy content the way a lot of people do nowadays. This also means they have support for streaming platforms like Spotify or the like. Now on with our list!
#5 Onkyo TX-NR5100
This sub $600 AV receiver truly has it all –no firmware updates required. While not as powerful as the Yamaha we just talked about, the ONKYO 5100’s 80 Watts per channel is still good enough to drive most mass-market speakers from the likes of Klipsch, Polk Audio, JBL and more to cinema-like levels. But don’t think that the sound quality is just LOUD with no finesse, it’s not. The 5100 is actually pretty refined when paired with speakers with a sensitivity of 89dB or higher with an impedance that doesn’t dip below 6 Ohms or so –it even sounds incredibly good for two channel listening! Warning - this receiver DOES NOT have a built-in phono preamp. If you want to enjoy the occasional record and your turntable does not already have a built-in phono preamp, this is NOT the receiver for you. The good news is, the 5100 supports 8K/60 and 4K/120 out of the box, so those of you with next gen gaming consoles like the PS5 or XBox Series X can enjoy gaming at higher resolutions and frame rates from day one.
The biggest drawback to the NR5100 –at least for me –is its build quality, which isn’t as good as Denon, Marantz, Yamaha or even other Onkyo receivers. The good news, the 5100’s build quality doesn’t affect its performance so if you can overlook its small push-pin style binding posts and thinner aluminum used throughout the chassis, you’ll have a truly capable receiver with arguably MORE features than even the Yamaha V6A for less money!
#4 Marantz NR1711
I love this AV receiver. First off, the Marantz NR1711 doesn’t LOOK like an AV receiver in that it isn’t just a large black box with a bunch of nondescript buttons. The 1711 looks a lot like a Marantz integrated receiver, meaning you can hide it in plain sight. Because of its size you also don’t need specialty AV furniture to house it! Aside from its form factor, the 1711 is a very refined sounding receiver, with a rich, full-bodied sound that is very indicative of the Marantz brand. It is absolutely terrific in stereo making this one of the better hifi and home theater receivers on the market right now –especially if you have a budget vinyl rig as the built-in phono preamp is pretty good.
The 1711 is a little limited with respect to power; rated at only 50 Watts per channel in stereo with its multi-channel power rating likely falling well below 50 Watts. Still, you wouldn’t necessarily know it when listening. If your speakers are 89dB sensitive or higher, I doubt you’ll ever tax the 1711 despite being the least powerful receiver on this list!
Like the Onkyo 5100, the 1711 is ready to take advantage of next gen video formats like 8K/60 and 4K/120 though you are limited to only one HDMI input being next gen capable, which is kind of a bummer though not a deal breaker for me. If you have BOTH a PS5 and XBox Series X, and you want to connect them BOTH (that is, at the same time) to your AV receiver at the highest possible quality, you may want to consider other receivers on this list. But if you’re just looking for a capable receiver that has some support for next gen video features then the 1711 is definitely worth your consideration!
#3 Denon X3700H
The X3700H from Denon borders on perfect for me. This 9.2 channel AV receiver has the requisite power to drive most any loudspeaker on the market, but if its 105 Watts isn’t enough, it has full preamp outputs for 11.2 channels, meaning you can add third party amplifiers to the 3700H for more power and flexibility. Those of you with difficult to drive speakers like Magnepans that want to expand into home theater, should potentially consider the 3700H. But on its own the 3700H sounds fantastic –especially when watching Dolby Atmos encoded films! The Audyssey room correction does a great job in tailoring your speakers’ sound to fit your room, providing for a clear and dynamic presentation!
Like the Marantz NR1711 the 3700H is ready for next gen video formats, though it is limited to just one HDMI input. That said, unlike other receivers on this list, if you have older video formats or players still hanging around your home, the 3700H will work with them and in some instances even upscale their video quality. Those of you who like vintage console gaming take note!
#2 Pioneer Elite VSX-LX305
The Pioneer is somewhat a “baby” Onkyo RZ50, though it lacks a lot of the Onkyo (and Denon’s) expandability with respect to preamp outputs. So, if you’re looking for an AV receiver that is going to potentially allow you to grow your setup by adding third party amps and/or more channels beyond the 9.2 it offers, the Pioneer may not be for you. But if 9.2 channels gets it done the Pioneer is likely ALL the AV receiver 99% of you may ever need.
The Pioneer has DIRAC Live built-in, which is rather insane considering its asking price. It sounds utterly fantastic for both music and movies –especially Atmos setups utilizing upward firing Atmos speakers. Like both the Onkyo 5100 and RZ50 the Pioneer is next gen video capable, though not ALL of its HDMI inputs are created equal. The first three will allow for a 40 gigabit per second connection whereas the other three are limited to 24, but this isn’t a deal breaker for the Pioneer still allows for more connection options than the Marantz as well as the costlier Denon.
#1 TOP RECEIVER 2021 - Onkyo TX-RZ50
The RZ50 is arguably the best receiver on the market right now when you consider price and performance. There is little this receiver CAN’T DO. It is a 9.2 channel receiver with full preamp outs for 11.2 channels, meaning you can expand its capability and power over time if the internal 120 Watt per channel amps aren’t enough. In our tests the Onkyo’s power rating seem conservative. It drove even difficult to drive speakers like the PSB T600 towers with no problem! And the sound quality is so good! I love this receiver for both two channel listening as well as home theater. It’s Dolby Atmos performance is fantastic and among the best I’ve heard regardless of price. What’s more, the RZ50 comes with DIRAC Live built-in, which is arguably THE BEST room correction software in the game right now, and on most devices that support DIRAC will run you extra whereas with the RZ50 it is included!
What’s more, the RZ50 is fully 8K/60, 4K/120 ready out of the box with all of its HDMI inputs AND outputs supporting some form of next gen capability. This means if you own more than one console (and wish to have them connected at the same time), or just want to game at the highest level, the RZ50 is likely going to be for you. It also means that as more devices –aside from gaming consoles –come to market, you’ll also be able to connect them as well!
The biggest drawback to the RZ50 is the fact that of all the receivers on this list, it has proven the most difficult to get a hold of in 2021. That said, stock is being replenished all the time so if the RZ50 sounds like it might be the AV receiver for you, put your order in now so that when new shipments come in you’ll already be on the list and more likely to receive one quickly.
But if the thought of waiting for an RZ50 to come back in stock isn’t your bag, try shopping for the comparable Pioneer Elite receiver as we’ve found the performance between Pioneer and Onkyo to be similar if not the same, which isn’t surprising given that they’re under the same ownership. So while the RZ50 may be the IT receiver of 2021, it may be possible to snag a comparable Pioneer Elite receiver now and potentially save a few bucks in the process!
So that is it for my TOP 5 AV Receivers of 2021! Did your favorite home theater receiver make it the list?
