Roundup: Midrange AV receivers compared

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Prices on AV receivers range from as little as $100 up to several thousands, but most home theater buyers focus in on the "sweet spot," where you get most of the important features and performance for the least amount of money. We tested the midrange models from nearly all the major AV receiver manufacturers to see how they stack up, and after completing our roundup we came away with some clear picks depending on what you need for your home theater.

The standout AV receiver is the Pioneer VSX-1019AH-K, which we awarded the Editors' Choice. The VSX-1019AH-K does just about everything right--it has four HDMI inputs, a graphical user interface, and outstanding sound quality. It can upconvert analog video signals to 1080p with average image quality, which is impressive because receivers at this price generally have poor image quality on upconverted sources.

The most unique feature is the VSX-1019AH-K's iPod-compatible front-panel USB port, which allows you to browse and play back songs from your iPod using the receiver's onscreen display. (Pioneer even throws in an iPod cable.) It's a little more expensive than some of the other receivers we looked at, but you'll feel like you got your money's worth.

Next in line are the two Onkyo receivers. The trump card for these units is HDMI connectivity; the TX-SR607 has six HDMI inputs and the HT-RC160 has five (it lacks the front-panel HDMI input of the TX-SR607.) They also measure up well in terms of sound quality, which won't surprise fans of the Onkyo brand. On the downside, both have poor upconverted image quality and surprisingly lack a multichannel analog input. Both receivers offer a lot of value, but the HT-RC160 is an incredible deal with its street price inching below $400. If you just need HDMI connectivity and powerful sound, the HT-RC160 is the way to go.

Denon's AVR-1910 is the most expensive midrange model we looked at, but it ended up with an average score. That's mostly because of two factors: average sonics and a lousy remote. The rest of its feature set is in line with the competition, and its image quality on upconverted analog video signals was superior (by a large margin) to every other receiver we tested. Ultimately, we didn't feel like the AVR-1910 offered enough to justify its price, but it's the hands-down best choice if you need solid upconverted image quality.

Last year's Sony STR-DG920 was our favorite midrange receiver pick, but the STR-DN1000 doesn't quite live up to its predecessor. It's held back by poor upconverted image quality and the lack of traditional multiroom functionality (although it does support Sony's proprietary S-Air system).

On the upside, we did appreciate the STR-DN1000's sound quality, which is particularly impressive considering it costs considerably less than the competing models we tested. If you're on a tight budget and can live with its limitations, the STR-DN1000 is a sweet-sounding alternative to some of the more fully featured options available.

Coming in at the bottom of the roundup is the Yamaha RX-V665BL. While nothing was necessarily bad about the RX-V665BL, we couldn't find a good reason to pick it over the other models. It's also the only model we tested that doesn't allow you to assign audio inputs, which seemed like a strange limitation that didn't plague Yamaha in the past. If you find the RX-V665BL at a steep discount, it can get the job done, but otherwise we'd stick with its competitors.

Related content: Side-by-side comparison of these midrange AV receivers

[jgross433]

Where are the harman/kardon units? Right now their AVR-254/354 are right in line with the other receivers mentioned.

[shopkins82]

The top-pick Pioneer is also probably right at the bottom of the list (with the Sony and Yamaha) in terms of measured amplifier power. The Denon would be my choice (more powerful, Audyssey MultiEQ, ABT VRS video scaling), with the Onkyo (solid power, tons of inputs, but only Audyssey 2EQ) as a less-expensive second. These reviews seem to be very skewed towards features and ergonomics and away from actual performance.

I agree with you 100%, I listened to everyone of these in the past few months and I ended up buying the Denon, because it had much better video capability and overall, it sounded better. Most manufacturers are starting to just pack in features and ease of use instead of performance.

Many complain then Denons aren's as user friendly as others and their menus are confusing and the remotes are horrible. That's all fine an dandy but how many times a year will you go into the menu and change a setting? Not often. And most will have a universal remote so the Denon remote wont be used. Personally I'd prefer for manufacturers to invest in audio and video performance rather than if I have a pretty GUI or button placement on the remote.

[salemdoc]

When is HD radio going to make it into receivers?

[jgross433]

Most receivers have poor FM tuners as it is. Manufacturers would need to put a lot more thought into the radio function before they started including HD radio tuners.

I agree though, if it was done right, HD radio tuners would be great!

[John_Kramer]

Honestly, why would you have a shoot-out and NOT include the new Harman Kardon units. That's like, doing a car of the year award, and not including the line-up from one of the major auto manufacturers. Even if Harman Kardon wasnt included - at least MENTION that they werent included for one reason or another and point out their models or something and use a "stay-tuned" catch phrase. C'mon.

[LVLLN]

I like the Yamaha RX-V665BL for one reason: It has pre-outs for 5.1 channels. So instead of having to invest in a nice 5.1 or 7.1 speaker set, I can hook up my existing PC speakers to it using a mini-to-dual coax converter.

Shame it came in last. Why can't other receivers have pre-outs for all (or at least 5.1) channels? Does anyone know of any better ones that do?