So you got ready to watch the latest movie on the big screen on your huge HD / plasma / 3-D TV … You grabbed the bag of hot caramel cinnamon popcorn, a cold one to drink, got the family together and you watched the movie. Somehow the picture and sound quality wasn’t as good as he thought it would be and he found that despite having an expensive TV, the sound and visual effects weren’t that great. This is where an audio visual receiver (AV receiver) makes the home theater experience a totally immersive and highly satisfying occasion.
An audio receiver functions as the hub in a home theater system, handling a variety of tasks, such as decoding signals for surround sound, tuning in to radio stations, turning on speakers, and switching between audio and video components.
Here are the top 5 things to keep in mind 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 possible thing, but stop there. You need to know how to use it! The display panel should be easily navigable so that you can enjoy concert hall quality sound and movie quality pictures, rather than the audio receiver collecting dust because you don’t know how to turn it on.
A good quality receiver will generally include a graphical interface through which the user can configure and operate the receiver. All information will be clearly displayed so that you can discover how to navigate and use the unit.
2) Calibration: Is it easy to calibrate the AV receiver?
If you’re a newbie, setting up a home entertainment system so that all the components are connected correctly can be tricky, let alone figuring out if all the components are working properly.
Most of the better audio receivers make this part a bit easier by offering automatic speaker calibration, allowing the receiver to automatically analyze and adjust the sound of the connected speaker system.
The receiver sends test tones to the speakers and the subwoofer, monitoring the sound using a microphone so that you can determine the size of the speaker, measure the distance from each speaker to the listener, and check if the components are connected correctly.
This technology works with the traditional 2 channel home entertainment system as well as the surround sound home theater system.
An important note here is that powerful sound bursts in 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-powered unit will produce high-quality movie sounds better than a similar receiver that does not have high current power, even if it has the same power.
3) Is there Airplay support available?
These days, the best audio receivers will have support for AirPlay, which is the latest technology that allows users to stream music wirelessly 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 have has built-in wireless streaming capabilities before getting a receiver with AirPlay technology.
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 the audio receivers to reproduce detailed, dynamic sound. A high wattage unit will provide better sound quality than those with less power, even at low and medium volumes on film.
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 sensitivity of the speaker, the power needed to match specific speakers will depend on the number of decibels they put out per watt of power.
You will find that speakers with lower sensitivity will require more power. Be sure to consider the size of the room. If the room is large in which an entertainment system is installed, more energy is required.
Another point to consider about the amount of power that will be required is if you are looking for a home theater system or stereo receiver.
The stereo receiver is a simpler and less expensive unit for music lovers who are not necessarily looking for a theater 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 with your TV, gaming system, iPod, or speakers. You need to have enough inputs and outputs to handle all your gear easily, plus a few extras just in case.
And while a good number of inputs and outputs are important, you need to make sure they are the correct type. The audio receiver must 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.
