They became very fashionable more than a decade ago, when everyone wanted to have a Home Cinema at home. Today, AV receivers remain one of the best investments you can make to transform the audio-visual experience in your home. They have been modernized with smart features and allow you to create a clean and well-organized setup. Today we will tell you everything you need to know before launching yourself into the purchase of an AV receiver.
What is an AV Receiver?
An AV receiver is an all-in-one device that allows you to easily manage all the multimedia on your audiovisual equipment. Mainly, the receiver is responsible for bringing together all our audio and video devices. He will take care of sending that image and sound to speakers, a television or even a projector.
The strong point of the receiver is sound management . The AV receiver captures the digital audio signal, transforms it into an analog signal, amplifies it if necessary, and then sends it to our speakers. The receiver, as its name suggests, receives an audio and video signal. It processes it, and then sends it to the various peripherals. If we are watching a series or a movie, this process will be done at the same time that the receiver sends the image to the television, so we will have an outstanding listening experience. However, the receiver can work without the television, and we can use it to listen to music, for example.
Advantages of having an AV Receiver
There is a before and after when putting a receiver at home. These are the main features that you will find in most of the equipment on the market:
Amplification
TVs are getting thinner. At the same time that year after year, we have had screens with higher image quality, the sound has been getting worse, since there is hardly any physical space to place good speakers.
Anyone who wants to enjoy a complete audiovisual experience at home will not settle for mediocre speakers built into the TV – however premium the product may be. In fact, sound bars are becoming more and more popular products, since they allow us to recover a large part of the sound quality that we have been losing.
However, more advanced users prefer to build their own custom speaker system . And in this field, the AV receiver is the ideal device to act as an amplifier .
cable management
Take a look behind your TV. Lots of wires? Well, with an AV receiver, you will also be able to solve this problem at a stroke. The receiver will be the device to which we will connect all the devices and peripherals that we will use with our television. Whether analog or digital. What will connect our receiver to the television will only be an HDMI cable .
With this, you will have killed several birds with one stone. First, you get rid of that dangerous mess of cables that we all have behind our TV. On the other hand, you will not have to change the HDMI source every time you want to change the device, but you will do it through the receiver. And on the other hand, you will have everything in one place, and managing new connections will not be as cumbersome as removing the television and connecting the devices from there.
All in one
This advantage is very much in line with the one we talked about in the previous point. With the receiver you will be able to control everything with a single remote , and that is perfect when you have several different devices.
Digital and smart features
There are many people who think that AV receivers are simply amplifiers, but they are dead wrong. Depending on the model, many receivers also allow the use of technologies such as AirPlay. This means that we will be able to send content directly from our mobile phone to our speakers through the receiver.
What should I look at before buying one?
If you are thinking of buying one of these devices, there are a number of factors that you must take into account in order to find the device that best suits your needs. They are the following:
Multi-channel audio management
You will need a more complex receiver the more extensive your speaker network is. The most common receivers have 5.1 or 7.1 systems, which are more than enough for most users.
Here you are free to do some research. The most interesting equipment can be configured to give Dolby Atmos 5.1.2 sound, as well as support for DTS: X Virtual. It’s a matter of planning which team we’re going to create and which receiver best suits that design we have in mind.
On the other hand, we have the audio zones . And it is that the receiver can manage the sound of several rooms simultaneously, as long as we make a correct configuration and have the appropriate peripherals to separate both installations.
Amplifier type and power
Audio can be amplified in two different ways: using transistors or using tubes . Tubes do a better job than transistors, but they require a lot more maintenance, which has caused most of the equipment you’ll see on the market to be transistorized.
Regarding power , don’t be fooled by the numbers. In audio, manufacturers always refer to this concept as electrical resistance , which is measured in Ohms. If the manufacturer does not give you data on the impedance , look it up online so you don’t get a bad surprise once you get home.
output resolution
Receivers are not cheap equipment, so it is usually interesting to buy a model with a view to staying with us for a long time. If you have a TV with 4K resolution, it’s not a bad idea to get a receiver that supports 8K . If in a few years we change our television, we will not have to spend twice buying a new set of these.
Today, most modern computers support 8K resolution at 60 FPS and 4K 120 FPS. This, together with several HDMI 2.1 input sources – it is important to have more than one – is key when it comes to getting new equipment.
Wireless and smart features and connectivity
Don’t be left alone with HDMI connectivity. There are other features that are also interesting to have on the device, such as eARC or wireless options such as Wi-Fi , Bluetooth or AirPlay 2 compatibility.
Don’t just think of the receiver as just an amplifier. Some have smart features, such as playing music directly from Spotify.
receiver format
There are receivers that are designed to be very flat and can be placed on any piece of furniture, and others that are much wider. Everything will depend on the space you have available at home and the prominence you want the team to have.