How to choose a music receiver: an overview of the best models and reviews

A music receiver is the most important part of any modern audio system or even a home theater. This is the main component in the whole system. Any receiver focuses on several important devices: a signal preamplifier, a tuner and a signal switching station in one person. All components of the audio and video systems are connected to a single center - the receiver. It receives signals from all devices and forwards them to others. There are a lot of receivers, and they all have not only different characteristics, but also different purposes. The receiver, designed for car speakers, simply can not work in a more powerful home system.

Manufacturers

In the world there are quite a lot of manufacturers of electronic devices, and it's no secret that half of them are Chinese firms. It is not customary to save on receivers. Acquire a Chinese replica of the branded device is not worth it, although it is much cheaper. Otherwise, there is a serious danger of disappointing and underestimating the music receivers. Before buying, you should take a closer look at the following companies:

• Yamaha;
• Pioneer;
• Onkyo;
• Denon.

Select brands known in the domestic Chinese market only if there is no way to purchase a receiver from a well-known company. Replica and restored devices should be avoided.

Types of receivers

All receivers are different, not only in terms of characteristics, but also in their intended use. That is why, when choosing a receiver, it is mandatory to determine in advance with its purpose. As a rule, the first stage of selection is simple.

• Mobile receiver. An excellent version of the music receiver in the car. It is compact and can fit even in your pocket. It is connected via the standard AUX connector, which is provided in many cars. Unfortunately, the advantages of this device end here. Due to its size and specific purpose, it does not produce a much-desired quality sound.
• Stationary receiver. This is a whole group of devices with a huge range in cost and quality. Option for home audio or video systems, or even for cinema systems. A music receiver in a stationary version is a rarity. As a rule, AV receivers are used.

It is equally important to understand how the system will be connected to the receiver. There are not so many options, but they are constantly expanding. You can connect the receiver using:

• The cable.
• Wi-Fi connection.
• Via Bluetooth. Not all companies provide for bluetooth. The music receiver works without it, as some manufacturers decided and suffered losses. Such connection in the modern world is necessary.

Good models of receivers are not so demanding of connection, because they contain a really large number of different connectors. There are not only modern ports, but also morally obsolete. Buying a receiver, we must not forget about decoders. There are several options:

• Dolby Digital Plus. A modern decoder for playing quality audio and video. First of all, it is necessary for Blue-Ray drives.
• Dolby Digital. This decoder is required if the audio system implies the reproduction of content from CD or DVD discs.
• Dolby Pro-Logic. This obsolete decoder will ensure high-quality work with obsolete film cassettes, but it does not work with optical disks.

The music receiver always needs to be calibrated. There are no universal parameters. The configuration of the connected devices and the size of the room are different. Of course, self-calibration is a whole science, but automatic comes to the rescue. Modules for automatic calibration are usually supplied with the device, but they may not be, if it is a professional equipment.

Design of receivers

The receivers vary in design. Each of the designs has its advantages and disadvantages.

• Receiver on semiconductors . The most popular and often used solution. These receivers are quite reliable and can even survive significant voltage drops.
• Receiver on the lamps. This is a very expensive and impractical solution. Typically, this option is typical for professional models. The music receiver on the lamps gives a more lively sound. You can not buy cheap models of such receivers. They are very short-lived and will be much worse than similar in price semiconductor receivers.
• Mixed receivers . Extremely rare solution for receivers. Occurs exclusively in highly specialized models.

Music AV Receiver

This universal receiver is the most popular option on the market. Receivers designed only for music systems are very expensive professional tools that are inaccessible to ordinary people. The AV receiver perfectly copes with tasks of any kind. It is not a highly specialized device and it gives a wonderful sound, excellent synchronization and high-quality image on the TV screen. It can be used in home theaters, separately in audio systems and even combine all that.

The broad capabilities of AV receivers

The capabilities of such receivers will satisfy not only an inexperienced music lover, but also a picky specialist. This device combines a number of features:

• Gain. The primary signal, as a rule, is weak enough, and for its qualitative reproduction on the good equipment it is necessary to strengthen the signal. The receiver eliminates the need to buy a separate device and amplifies the signal by itself, thereby making the sound more saturated.
• Switching. This is the property necessary for each receiver. The essence of switching consists in combining multiple signals into one.
• Decoding of audio tracks. On an optical disc or any other medium, the audio file is recorded in the encoded video track. The receiver decodes the track and plays. The better and more expensive the receiver, the more formats it is able to decode. If the format of the material can not be decoded, it must be converted to an acceptable format, and this can not always be done without loss of recording quality.

Each receiver for a music center or home theater has all these capabilities. In compact car receivers there may be no gain at all.

The best car receiver

Not all cars are equipped with modern audio systems. Often happens such, that in a radio tape recorder there is no USB a socket and even AUX. This is in itself a rather tangible problem. Automobile receivers are always small in size. They have a number of shortcomings, but with their help you can listen to music without radio interference and CD-ROM drive. A music bluetooth receiver is the only way to listen to a quality sound in an old car. Manage the playlist with the phone is very convenient, but in motion is quite dangerous. Do not forget that bluetooth receivers, especially inexpensive models, will not give a high-quality sound.

Best receivers for a democratic price

Every person, buying any product, wants to get the best quality for a lower price. Not always this possibility is available, but fortunately, electronics manufacturers understand that not everyone can afford expensive devices. The market is full of cheap Chinese counterfeits and so-called junior models of branded devices. It's hard to choose something really good. At the moment the most musical receivers from an inexpensive segment are:

• Sony STR-DG520;
• Pioneer VSX-519V;
• Yamaha RX-V365.

Each of these receivers allows you to get a great sound with minimal cash costs. Of course, the sound will not be perfect. However, the usual music lover will not hear any shortcomings in the sound of these models.

Wires are a symbol of the past

The use of wired receivers and docking stations in our time of development of wireless technologies has long been outdated. Modern manufacturers of musical equipment see the prospect of improving bluetooth technologies. The direction of connection of constructive-wired devices to wireless is considered to be especially promising.

The music bluetooth receiver is not only a great option for a car, but also a real find for a music lover. Possessing small dimensions and inexpensive cost, these devices can create an inexpensive audio system with good sound even in the closest space. The best models of such receivers on the market are:

• Belkin F8Z492TT Regular;
• Belkin F8Z492TT HD;
• HomeSpot BTADP-233;
• BrightPlay Music Receiver.

Do not take the cheapest bluetooth device. In this case, the most reasonable is to purchase a receiver of the middle price range.

"Pioneer" - affordable quality

AV Receivers from Pioneer are, above all, a good choice and reliability. The model range of this company is very good, there is always something to choose from. Despite the good reputation, you do not need to take cheap receivers of this company. All that is cheaper than 10000 rubles, will not be able to please either the build quality, or a pleasant sound. Moreover, budget devices need to be calibrated manually, and for the sake of listening to music it is necessary to tinker.

The name of the company speaks for itself. The new models have no obsolete connectors, decoders and archaic design. Virtually all devices of this company somehow support wireless bluetooth connection. The music receiver "Pioneer" is not only stationary, but also mobile. A truly successful model is Pioneer SC-LX57. This inexpensive, but very high-quality model of the receiver, fully justifies the name of the company. The pure sound of this receiver is much better than that of similar devices from competitors.

Inexpensive receiver from Sony

Sony is a company familiar to everyone. The company produces many electronic gadgets and each of them is special. The line of music receivers from Sony is very high. Honestly, everyone can find an affordable receiver for themselves. By and large, the same principle works here as with other manufacturers - the more expensive the device, the better the quality. The advantage is that even the cheapest models give quite acceptable sound.

The music bluetooth receiver BM10 is a popular model. This receiver is not worth more than 4000 rubles, and also has a compact size and good characteristics. Managing it from the phone is a pleasure. However, there were some shortcomings. The fact is that the bluetooth works on the same radio frequency as Wi-Fi. This does not create special difficulties, but it is a disadvantage if the buyer prefers to watch movies in high resolution, through the mobile device connected to the receiver.

Sony does not fail. Feedback on BM10

SONY is reliable. This slogan is justified almost always. Despite the small price, this receiver favorably differs from similar ones. It can only be used with a home system, but it is not a minus. The ascetic design of the receiver is suitable for any interior. The sound is very pleasing. Usually any budget device can not boast of something good, but here is a completely different conversation. The lack of digital inputs does not make the receiver worse, because it is quite inexpensive.

The only drawback is a bad package. In it there is no instruction, no adapters, not even a spare cable.

HA100

Among motorists, compact wireless receivers are very popular, which can be hidden in a glovebox or behind a radio tape recorder. There are many such receivers on the market, and all of them use a standard AUX-connector for work. The most popular device that meets all the requirements is the HA100. Music bluetooth receiver from the company TP-Link.

The main advantages of this model are compactness, material quality and ease of use. Unfortunately, the quality sound is not about this model. The main drawback is low-frequency noise. They are always present, but not everyone can hear them. For people with sensitive hearing this model will not work.

Feedback on TP-Link HA100

This small, but very high-quality device, has a number of undeniable advantages. First of all, this is the quality of the assembly and its attractive design. But this is not the main thing in receivers. The best thing that is in it is an unexpectedly pleasant sound and the absence of any wires. It can even be hidden from prying eyes, and the signal will still be stable.

Unfortunately, there were some shortcomings. Due to the design features, this receiver can not be placed in close proximity to the speakers. The minimum distance is about 30 cm. This small minus can be forgiven, if you recall the cost of the receiver.

Onkyo: not on hearing

Choosing a receiver, each buyer tries to take the device of a well-known brand, completely forgetting that similar devices from other manufacturers can not be worse. This mistake is made by people buying the receiver for the first time.

In Onkyo create high-quality equipment for audio systems and home theaters. The model range is represented not only by budget equipment, but also by professional equipment. The Onkyo's music receiver is no worse than a device from any other brand. Proven and well-proven receivers are:

• Onkyo TX-NR636;
• Onkyo TX-NR838;
• Onkyo TX-NR1030;
• Onkyo TX-NR3030.

Each of these receivers is able to work with the most powerful audio systems. The high cost of devices is compensated by perfectly clean sound.

Why buy an expensive receiver?

There is not and can not be a single answer to this popular question. Dear receiver will be useful not only for professionals, but also for fans. The colossal difference in sound quality between an expensive and cheap device is clearly visible even to an inexperienced music lover.

Expensive technology is much more reliable than cheap, and it is really nice to use. Expensive equipment makes us look at art and the world around us in a new way. Listening to music or watching a movie from entertainment turns into a real hobby.