Top Picks

A/V Receivers

Top Pick of the Year:

Denon AVR-X6700H 11.2-Channel A/V Receiver
(December/January) Read Review

Packing 11 onboard 140-watt channels of class-A/B amplification plus preamp outputs that increase its total processing to 13 channels, Denon's X-Series AVR-X6700H arrives ready to power the most ambitious home theater speaker configurations. It handles all existing immersive audio formats, including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Auro-3D, and features an HDMI 2.1 input plus a pair of HDMI 2.1 outputs that can upscale video to 8K resolution. Bottom Line: The AVR-X6700H was the most featured-packed AVR to arrive in 2020. $2,499, us.denon.com

Finalists:

NAD T 778 AV Surround Sound Receiver
(September) Read Review

"Is it still okay to describe a piece of electronics as 'sexy'? Because, dammit, that's exactly what the T 778 is!" Once our reviewer John Sciacca calmed down after unboxing NAD's latest AVR, he found much to appreciate beyond its cosmetics. Highlights of the T 778 include nine 140-watt class-D amplifier channels, Dirac Live room correction, BluOS audio streaming, and, of course, the company's Modular Design Construction (MDC), which permits future upgrades as A/V tech advances. $2,999, nadelectronics.com

Yamaha RX-V6A 7.2-Channel A/V Receiver
(February/March 2020) Read Review

Built on an all-new platform, Yamaha's latest 7.2-Channel AVR delivers solid sound quality with immersive audio formats and does so at a very reasonable $600 price. And a promised firmware update from the company will make the RX-V6A HDMI 2.1-compatible, enhancing the value of an already value-packed receiver. $600, usa.yamaha.com