Best AV Receiver for 2025

AV receivers are notoriously complex, with reams of features and confusing technical specifications. (For example, what's 4K/120Hz anyway?) Yet, what are the things that really matter when buying a new model? I'm going to sum up the most important ones right here. HDMI inputs With most TVs and set-top boxes supporting HDMI, you should buy a receiver that has as many of these HDMI input ports and outputs as possible. Front-mounted HDMI ports are kind of like a human appendix -- unneeded, because most users don't hot-plug HDMI devices -- making the number of rear inputs what's most important. (How else are you going to connect your Roku, Blu-ray player, Nintendo Switch and all your other devices?) The Onkyo TX-NR6100 and Denon AVR-S970H have six rear-mounted HDMI inputs, while the Yamaha RX-V6A goes one better with seven. If you want to connect two different displays -- a TV and a projector, for example -- all but the Yamaha offer a second HDMI output. You should also be sure you have ... Read full article.