Midrange AV receiver roundup

Matthew Moskovciak, October 15, 2009

Prices on AV receivers range from as little as $100 up to several thousand, but most home theater buyers focus in on the "sweet spot," where you get most of the important features and performance for the least amount of money. We tested the midrange models from nearly all the major AV receiver manufacturers to see how they stack up, and after completing our roundup we came away with some clear picks depending on what you need for your home theater.

The standout AV receiver is the Pioneer VSX-1019AH-K, which we awarded the Editors' Choice. The VSX-1019AH-K does just about everything right--it has four HDMI inputs, a graphical user interface, and outstanding sound quality. It can upconvert analog video signals to 1080p with average image quality, which is impressive because receivers at this price generally have poor image quality on upconverted sources. The most unique feature is the VSX-1019AH-K's iPod-compatible front panel USB port, which allows you to browse and play back songs from your iPod using the receiver's onscreen display. (Pioneer even throws in an iPod cable.) It's a little more expensive than some of the other receivers we looked at, but you'll feel like you got your money's worth.

The rest of the receivers have their perks, but aren't as well-rounded. The Onkyo receivers are loaded with HDMI connectivity and powerful sound, but have poor upconverted analog image quality. The Denon AVR-1910 has the best upconverted image quality by far, but its sound is just average and it's expensive. The Sony STR-DN1000 comes in cheaper than the other models and has impressive sonics for the price, but it lack some standard features and also has subpar analog video upconversion quality. Coming in at the bottom of the roundup is the Yamaha RX-V665BL; it's not necessarily bad, but we just couldn't find a good reason to choose it over the competing models.

For a more detailed discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of these models, check out our in-depth comparison blog, as well as the individual reviews.