Whether you've got an entertainment room or a full-out home theatre, a great AV receiver will be a key component to the setup.
There are plenty of brands/manufacturers that produce AV receivers. Some are better than others (technologically, price-wise, service-wise, etc.). This article will focus on the best receiver brands on the market today to help you choose the best option for your setup, whatever that setup may be!
The top 11 best AV receiver brands are:
Let's go through each of these brands in greater detail and explain why they belong in the top 11 best AV receiver brands. For each brand, I'll share the country of origin, a bit of history, an example of a best-selling or flagship model, and a link to the official website.
Related My New Microphone article: Receiver Or Amplifier: Which One Should I Buy?
Click here to return to My New Microphone's articles on musical equipment brands/manufacturers.
Denon
Denon is completely committed to enhancing the entertainment experience. The creation of products that deliver total quality enjoyment to others is a fundamental driving passion for Denon. It should come as no surprise, then, that this company is a big name when it comes to AV receivers.
Denon's impressive line of AV receivers includes units for small entertainment rooms to full-size home theatres and everything in between.
Their attention to detail is impressive, and the feature-rich designs ensure that at least one of their receivers will be the perfect fit for you and your setup.
Noteworthy receiver: Denon AVR-X7200W (link to check the price on Amazon).
Denon was founded in 1910 by Frederick Whitney Horn as part of the Nippon Chikuonki Shokai (Japan Recorders Corporation). Denon, as a brand, came after several mergers. In 1947, Nippon Columbia merged with Japan Denki Onkyo, and the Denon brand was born. D&M Holdings Inc. was created in May 2002 when Denon Ltd and Marantz Japan Inc. merged. On March 1, 2017, Sound United LLC completed the acquisition of D+M Holdings. Today the company is headquartered in Kawasaki, Japan.
Parent company: Sound United LLC.
Link to visit the official website of Denon.
Denon is also featured in the following My New Microphone article:
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Onkyo
Onkyo is a big-name brand when it comes to home audio entertainment systems. Onkyo has top-of-the-line products for your audio system needs, from speakers to playback devices to amplifiers and receivers.
Onkyo's AV receiver range is very impressive, complete with amazing functionality and product for nearly every home listening environment imaginable.
Checking out their product line, it should be relatively easy to see why Onkyo is a part of this list of the best AV receiver brands.
Onkyo has teamed up with the smart speaker company Sonos to bring the best whole-home audio experience to your very own space.
Sonos is featured in My New Microphone's Top 11 Best Home Speaker Brands You Should Know And Use
Noteworthy receiver: Onkyo TX-RZ1100 (link to check the price on Amazon).
Onkyo was founded in 1946 as “Osaka Denki Onkyo K.K” by Takeshi Godai in Osaka, Japan. In 2014, Onkyo acquired the home AV electronics division of Pioneer Corporation. Onkyo also owns its home theatre division under the name Integra. The company is headquartered in Osaka, Japan.
Link to visit the official website of Onkyo.
Sony
The Japanese-based Sony Corporation is a global conglomerate involved in sectors such as gaming, entertainment, financial services, and, of course, AV receivers.
Sony is a giant company and is part of the Fortune Global 500 (top 500 companies in the world based on revenue).
In the audio industry, Sony is likely best known for its revolutionary 1979 device: the Sony Walkman.
As for receivers, Sony produces a variety of receivers from low-end to high-end models. Their AV receivers are among the most popular in the world. Whatever you're looking for in an AV receiver, Sony is likely to have for you.
Noteworthy receiver: Sony STRZA5000ES (link to check the price on Amazon).
Sony was founded in 1946 by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita in Nihonbashi, Chūō, Tokyo, Japan. The company is headquartered in Sony City, Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Link to visit the official website of Sony.
Sony is also featured in the following My New Microphone articles:
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Marantz
Since the 1950s, Marantz has been making a name for itself as a reputable and acclaimed Hi-Fi brand.
Marantz receivers are designed and manufactured to bring out the most excitement and emotion in music or screened media by keeping the audio as the musicians and mixing engineers intended. Their AV receivers are an excellent choice for any home entertainment system.
Marantz receivers reproduce the magic and realism of recorded audio are some of the best in the world.
Noteworthy receiver: Marantz SR7011 (link to check the price on Amazon).
Marantz was founded in 1953 by Saul Marantz in Kew Gardens, New York, USA. After several buyouts, the Marantz brand found itself in Japan. D&M Holdings Inc. was created in May 2002 when Denon Ltd and Marantz Japan Inc. merged. On March 1, 2017, Sound United LLC completed the acquisition of D+M Holdings. Today the company is headquartered in Kanagawa, Japan.
Parent company: Sound United LLC.
Link to visit the official website of Marantz.
Marantz is also featured in the following My New Microphone article:
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Anthem
Anthem has a very impressive line of affordable Hi-Fi power amplifiers and AV receivers.
Anthem designs its receivers to give users the most advanced tools available to easily connect, control, optimize and power all of their entertainment systems. This dedication is apparent in the company's receivers, which are most likely to be at the center of any home entertainment system.
The expertise acquired by Anthem allows the company to continually push boundaries and produce better receivers for their customers. When it comes to performance, reliability and pricing, Anthem is a leader.
All Anthem receivers are engineered and built in-house with hand-selected components and incredible attention to detail.
Noteworthy receiver: Anthem MRX 1120 (link to check the price at Crutchfield).
Sonic Frontiers Inc. (the original owner of the Anthem brand) was founded in 1988 by Chris Johnson and John Sloan in Ontario, Canada. Toronto-based Paradigm Electronics acquired Sonic Frontiers and the Anthem brand in 1998. The company is now headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Parent company: Paradigm Electronics.
Link to visit the official website of Anthem.
Anthem is also featured in the following My New Microphone article:
• Top 11 Best Power Amplifier Brands In The World
Yamaha
Yamaha is yet another Japanese-based Corporation that has become a global conglomerate. The company has expanded to many sectors, including motorcycles, electronics, musical instruments and, of course, AV receivers.
Yamaha has been in the game of home entertainment and AV receivers for a very long time and has amassed an impressive line of receivers that work perfectly well in home audio-visual systems.
The company's size affords Yamaha a large budget for research and development for their receivers and keeps their price points competitive.
Of course, the ultimate quality of the AV receiver comes down to superb design and excellent manufacturing. Yamaha, of course, has these factors as well.
Noteworthy receiver: Yamaha Aventage RX-A3080 (link to check the price on Amazon).
Yamaha Corporation was founded in 1887 as Nippon Gakki Co by Torakusu Yamaha. Today, Yamaha's headquarters is located in Nakazawacho, Naka-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan.
Link to visit the official website of Yamaha.
Yamaha is also featured in the following My New Microphone articles:
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Integra
Integra is the home theatre brand of the aforementioned Onkyo.
By taking the best experience of Onkyo and mixing it with new ideas, the Integra home theatre brand has produced an impressive range of products, including their DRX, DSX and DTM receivers.
The brand's obsession with delivering flawless audio experiences is built into the design, construction, and performance of every Integra component. This is clearly shown in Integra's receivers which have become the top choice of many AV experts and home theatre owners worldwide.
Noteworthy receiver: Integra DRX-R1.1 (link to check the price on Amazon).
Onkyo introduced Integra in 1969 as a premium brand. Integra Research became its own division of Onkyo in 2000. The company is headquartered in Osaka, Japan.
Parent company: Onkyo.
Link to visit the official website of Integra.
AudioControl
AudioControl has been around for quite some time as a manufacturer of car, home and pro audio equipment. The company was founded by none other than Greg Mackie before he began his wildly successful company, appropriately named Mackie.
AudioControl prides itself on a long history of designing and building top-level audio equipment from scratch.
The mid-sized company may not be as popular as the other brands on this list but rest assured that the receivers of AudioControl are in the same echelon.
The experts at AudioControl have designed and built incredible-sound receivers with a common goal of producing audio tools for people who love amazing sound, no matter if that love is new or longstanding.
Noteworthy receiver: AudioControl Concert XR-8 (link to check out the receiver at AudioControl's official website).
AudioControl was founded in 1977 by Greg Mackie and was a precursor to Greg's more famous brand “Mackie” founded in 1988 (known as Loud Audio since 2003). The company is headquartered in Mountlake Terrace, Washington, USA.
Link to visit the official website of AudioControl.
Pioneer
Pioneer is yet another giant Japanese company. This brand focuses on audio products, including subwoofers, car and marine audio, and home audio systems.
Pioneer receivers are popular, and for good reasons. The functionality and design quality of Pioneer receivers is top-notch, and the prices are affordable to both casual users and dedicated audiophiles.
Noteworthy receiver: Pioneer Elite SC-LX904 (link to check the price on Amazon).
Pioneer Corporation was founded by Nozomu Matsumoto in 1938 in Tokyo, Japan. The company headquarters remain in Tokyo.
Link to visit the official website of Pioneer.
Pioneer is also featured in the following My New Microphone articles:
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Arcam
Arcam (short for A&R Cambridge) has been around for a very long time though it was only as far back as 1995 that the company expanded into home cinema electronics.
Since then, Arcam has cultivated a world-class reputation for making some of the best-sounding AV electronics, including, of course, AV receivers.
Their receivers are built with the industry's best design and production techniques to pick up all subtleties, nuances and excitement during the reproduction of the source audio signal.
Arcam aims to deliver maximum enjoyment to the listener, which is certainly made possible by their superb AV receivers.
Noteworthy receiver: Arcam AVR850 (link to check the price on Amazon).
A&R Cambridge Ltd. was founded in 1976 by science and engineering students from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Arcam was acquired by Harman International Industries in 2017 and is now part of the South Korean company Samsung Electronics. The company is still headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom, today.
Parent company: Harmon International / Samsung Electronics.
Link to visit the official website of Arcam.
Outlaw Audio
Outlaw Audio is a high-end manufacturer of audio equipment with a customer-direct approach. The company focuses on customer relationships and building the best products (AV receivers included) without spending on marketing, sales or distribution agents.
This intense focus allows the team of experts at Outlaw audio to design and build some of the best AV receivers on the market and sell those receivers at a very reasonable cost.
If you're looking for great performance and great value, look no further than Outlaw Audio.
Noteworthy receiver: Outlaw Audio RR 2160 (link to check the price on Amazon).
Outlaw Audio was founded in 1999 by a group of audio/video product designers, engineers, and marketers in Easton, Massachusetts, USA.
Link to visit the official website of Outlaw Audio.
Choosing the best AV receiver for your AV setup can be a daunting task. For this reason, I've created My New Microphone's Comprehensive AV Receiver Buyer's Guide. Check it out for help choosing the centrepiece of your entertainment system.
This article has been approved in accordance with the My New Microphone Editorial Policy.