Best Stereo Receiver Reviews 2020

Before buying a stereo receiver, one of the first things you should consider is the amount of money you are willing to spend. There are different qualities of stereo receivers, so, of course, there is a wide range of prices. Prices of stereo receivers generally range from $150 to $800.

The more features a receiver has, the more expensive it will be, and the higher the level of satisfaction you’ll likely get from using it. During our research, we came across a lot of cheap stereo receivers that were of average or less-than- average quality. Of course, we did not feature any of these receivers here, because we are focused on bringing you the best and only the best. We found that one of the greatest determinants of price for a stereo receiver is the range of amplifier power, so you have to decide whether you want less or more power. Keep on reading, and you are sure to find the stereo receiver that will give you great value for your money.

Stereo receivers vary in their designs and the features they possess. Your focus must be on functionality, and functionality is determined by the features a product has. It is always better to make an informed decision. Here are some of the most important features to consider when deciding to buy a stereo receiver:

• Sound quality
• Range of amplifier power
• Stereo or surround
• Power
• Streaming
• Bluetooth compatibility
• Number/type of input/outputs
• Channels
• Controls
• Total harmonic distortion

Do you want a receiver that you can upload music files to via Bluetooth? While this is a popular feature, not all receivers have it. You need to check the inputs/outputs (both type and numbers) available. Does your receiver have an HDMI input? Can you play songs from your flash drive via USB? How many channels are available to you? What type of channels are they? You can have mono, stereo, 5.1 surround channels, or a combination of these. This will determine what type of speaker arrangements you can benefit from. For example, using a stereo channel for a 5.1 surround speaker setup will give you less than optimal results. So check your speaker setup (or what you plan to buy), and choose a receiver that helps you get the best from it.

What level of amplification do you need? A receiver that will be suitable for powering two 100-watt speakers will be too much if all you need is amplification for two 40-watt speakers. Check the power output (we’ll get into more details on that in the next section). Do you like tweaking your sound, or are you usually satisfied with sound the way it is? If you like tweaking things to your personal taste, then it would be a great idea to check the controls. Are they just treble and bass controls, or is there an equalizer? If the receiver has an equalizer, how many bands does it come with? The more control you want, the higher the number of bands or frequencies you should have on your equalizer.

You also need to pay attention to the material used to make the stereo receiver, and the design, as they determine how well a receiver works and how long it will last. Some receivers overheat easily because of the design and materials used, and, of course, nobody wants that.

Since power is one major determinant of the cost of a stereo receiver, you really need to be careful. Manufacturers have devised means of misleading buyers somewhat. Since the FTC has mandated that manufacturers disclose the testing conditions for arriving at the power rating for every device, with some knowledge, you can easily differentiate a genuine power rating from one that has been doctored. Pay attention to the following:

RMS: This means Root Mean Squared; that is the continuous power that a device can sustain for long periods of time. Power ought to be expressed as RMS and not peak power, as peak power could simply mean that this stereo puts out Y watts for less than a second. It doesn’t mean that this power is sustainable.

All Channels Driven: You should look for the statement "all channels driven," as this means there is equal amplification to all the channels of the receiver. Depending on the mode of the receiver, it can output (for example) 120 watts per channel in stereo mode and 100 watts per channel when in surround mode. This simply shows that the power of one amp is being split among several speakers, which naturally results in low power being available when needed.

Bandwidth: Bandwidth ratings should be achieved under high stress conditions. Ideally, you should look for ratings achieved at between 20hz to 20khz.

Total Harmonic Distortion: This is an indicator of how faithful and consistent a sound signal remains when compared to the original as the receiver amplifies it. You should go for a THD rating of 0.08 or less, and steer clear of anything higher than 0.1 percent.

You should also watch for impedance rating of between 6 to 8 ohms. Impedance is a measure of electrical resistance.

Now that we have gotten the power rating clarified, you need to determine how easy it is to understand and set up the receiver. You don’t want a stereo receiver that requires many days of learning to operate. One last thing to check out is the weight and mobility of the receiver, if you intend to move it from place to place.