Receivers

Receivers are the secondary component to affect overall sound quality. Speakers are primary

STEREO OR SURROUND

The STEREO believers say:

  1. Two good speakers sound better than 5.1 mediocre speakers
  2. Two speakers recreate the front sound stage of a live performance.
  3. Two speakers are easier and faster to set up than 5.1
  4. Two speakers combine the sound with the image on the TV.

The SURROUND believers say:

  1. I want to swim in the music.
  2. I want to feel like I’m in the movie.
  3. I want my house to sound like a dance club.
  4. I like the way my car sounds and it has speakers all around me.

WHAT ABOUT POWER?

In short, go for as much power as your budget permits. Your speakers are far more likely to be damaged by a distorted (clipped) signal – which is what happens when an amplifier is pushed beyond its limits – than by being fed too much clean power.

WHAT FEATURES DO YOU LOVE?

  • Ease of Use / Ergonomics
  • On-screen Volume & Mute Indicator – Helps prevent against being blasted out of your chair & possible speaker damage.
  • On-screen menu for Surround Setup and Calibration – Allows much easier adjustment of surround modes and surround volume.
  • Pre-Outs (To add a bigger amplifier. Rarely used by most people)
  • Main-Ins (To use amp in the receiver with a separate preamp. Very rarely used)