Best $500 AV Surround Receivers Compared

2014 has been an exciting year in the A/V receiver market. HDMI 2.0 made its debut, promising Ultra-HD resolutions at 60Hz; meanwhile on the audio side, Dolby Atmos formally entered the scene at the 2014 CEDIA Expo. What does all this mean to the budget A/V receiver buyer? That’s a little less clear at the moment. While HDMI 2.0 promises more bandwidth over HDMI 1.4, mum is the word at this time on whether Ultra-HD Blu-ray discs will require updated copy protection, i.e. HDCP 2.2. While most 2014 receivers boast HDMI 2.0 ports, precious few are ready for HDCP 2.2, including a grand total of zero in our roundup. What about Atmos? Given the additional processing power required to handle the object-based format, we don’t expect to see it in this market segment any time soon.

The AV receivers we’re looking at today aren’t necessarily a quantum leap over the predecessors we examined in last year’s roundup. That said, there are a few things worth discussing, so let’s dig in:

 *HDMI 2.0 via Blu-ray and Game HDMI inputs.

Our Picks

Denon AVR-X1100W

Nominally priced at $549, the Denon AVR-X1100W has a lot to offer the budget buyer. 7.2 channels of audio are on board, backed by 80W of power (8 ohms, 20Hz-20kHz, 0.08% THD). Auto-calibration is handled by Audyssey MultEQ XT, which is a relatively advanced solution at this price point. 6 HDMI inputs are available, although only 2 of them (Blu-ray and Game) are HDMI 2.0 compliant. That leaves one big feature to talk about: integrated WiFi and Bluetooth. While Atmos may not be on the menu for this year’s $500-600 AV receivers, almost everyone is rushing to offer wireless networking options. As you can imagine, we find the prospect of not having to run wires (or set up a separate wireless bridge) to stream audio content to your receiver fairly appealing.

Front & rear view of the Denon AVR-X1100W.

In terms of drawbacks, there isn’t anything lacking in the AVR-X1100W’s feature set that we view as critical. Legacy inputs are a bit light, with no component video I/O’s or coaxial digital inputs on board. While the latter might be an annoyance for someone wanting to connect a CD player (though two optical digital inputs are available), component video is effectively dead in 2014. Beyond legacy connections, the X1100 also lacks an MHL HDMI input, which could be used for connecting (and powering) mobile devices as well as accessories like Roku’s MHL version of the Streaming Stick.

Sony STR-DN850

Last year we felt Sony’s STR-DN840 stole the show. While the competition has stepped up in the interim, we can’t deny that the DN850 still appears to offer a solid value. Like its predecessor, the STR-DN850 brings 7.2 channels of audio to the table with 95W of power. We again note that the power rating is slightly inflated as it’s specified into a 6 ohm load versus the more common 8 ohm rating. For those keeping track, 95W into a 6 ohm load equates to 71.25W into 8 ohms if you hold voltage constant. That’s nothing to sneeze at in present company, but it’s not class leading either. In terms of feature set, WiFi and Bluetooth on board, as are 5 HDMI 2.0 inputs, one of which is MHL compatible. Last but not least, the STR-DN850 also has one unique feature in this lineup: it can upscale video up to Ultra-HD.

Front & rear view of the Sony STR-DN850.

So what keeps the Sony from the top of the list this time around? In a word, or acronym as the case may be: DCAC. As compared with Audyssey MultEQ XT as seen on the Denon AVR-X1100W, DCAC is a relatively simple room correction system relying on a handful of parametric EQs versus the hundreds of FIR filters that Audyssey can apply. While this doesn’t mean that a system built around the STR-DN850 will necessarily sound bad, it does suggest that the Sony has a limited ability to combat the effects of your room (peaks, dips, resonances, etc.)

Yamaha RX-V577

Rounding out our top picks in the $500 A/V receiver market, we look to the Yamaha RX-V577. Like the aforementioned Denon and Sony, the V577 is a 7.2 receiver, and rated power is practically identical to the Denon X1100. Yamaha has also brought their YPAO auto-calibration system, along with integrated WiFi (Bluetooth requires an optional adapter). What’s more, the V577 has the strongest complement of legacy connections, with a pair of component video inputs and 4 composite video jacks. On the downside, the V577 is the only receiver of the bunch that didn’t come to the party ready for HDMI 2.0, though the caveat about HDCP 2.2 may make this a moot point. Also unlike our other picks, there’s no support for height channels (or presence channels in Yamaha lingo).

Front & rear view of the Yamaha RX-V577

The Rest of the Bunch

Pioneer VSX-44

In most respects, the Pioneer VSX-44 is a top notch A/V receiver for the money. Like everything else we’ve looked at this far, it packs 7 channels of amplification, and boasts identical power ratings to the Denon AVR-X1100W. Six HDMI 2.0 inputs are available, one of which is MHL compatible. On the downside, the VSX-44 didn’t receive a version of MCACC (Pioneer’s proprietary auto-setup & calibration system) with Subwoofer EQ. We also note that Pioneer is the only one in the bunch not to offer any form of integrated wireless connectivity. While one could buy an optional adapter to get over that hump, the writing seems to be on the wall that integrated WiFi and/or Bluetooth should be standard for this price class in 2014.

 

Front & rear view of the Pioneer VSX-44.

Onkyo TX-NR535

Unfortunately we don’t have a lot of nice things to say about Onkyo’s $500 A/V receiver offering this year. The TX-NR535 packs 5.2 channels of audio versus 7.2 for the rest of the crowd. Amplification is the weakest of the bunch at 65W per channel, and this is rated at a relatively high 0.7% THD, versus the usual <0.1%. The coup de grâce: AccuEQ.  It's also the lightest receiver weighing in at just under 17lbs.

Front & rear view of the Onkyo TX-NR535.

For those unfamiliar with AccuEQ, it is Onkyo’s proprietary auto-calibration system which replaces Audyssey MultEQ in the outgoing TX-NR525. As far as we can tell, the switch appears to be driven more by cost savings rather than improving audio quality. Per Onkyo, AccuEQ doesn’t apply any sort of correction to the main L/R speakers or the subwoofer. This certainly results in a savings for Onkyo, as much less DSP power is required. However, there’s nothing magical about front L/R speaker position or subwoofers which make them immune to room introduced anomalies. Color us unimpressed.

Conclusion

While there have been several big news announcements relating to the A/V receiver market in 2014, their implications for the budget segment are unclear (HDMI 2.0) or non-existent at this time (Dolby Atmos). As such, the changes over last year’s models are largely evolutionary steps rather than huge leaps forward. That said, $500 today goes quite far indeed, with the best offerings coming with 7.2 channels of audio, wireless networking, sophisticated auto-calibration systems, and various other goodies. Suffice it to say, it’s not a bad time to go shopping for a budget A/V receiver.