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Q I’m in the market for a new 7.1 home theater receiver but have been told that many lower-end models do not pass HDMI audio signals from an Apple TV box or Blu-ray player to their Zone 2 or Speaker B outputs. Is this true? I don't want to invest in a new receiver if I can't play Internet radio from my Apple TV, or Pandora from my Blu-ray Player, to the speakers on my patio. Is there a way to identify receivers that do or do not support this? —James Goar 

A Let’s start with Zone 2. It’s true that most lower-end receiver models do not pass audio signals from an HDMI or other digital audio source to a Zone 2 output (powered or line-out). The main benefit this feature provides over a Speaker B output is an ability to play different sources in different spaces—TV audio in the living room, streamed music from Spotify on the patio—with independent volume control over both sources. Depending on the capabilities of the particular receiver model, you may be limited to switching analog, not digital, audio sources, however.

It usually takes digging to find out what those capabilities are. Onkyo lists that info on its website as “Zone 2 Digital-to-Analog Conversion,” followed by a list of supported audio source types (e.g., S/PDIF, Network Audio, USB, HDMI). Its TX-NR646 ($699), for example, supports Zone 2 audio output of S/PDIF (coaxial and optical digital), Network audio, and USB along with analog audio sources. To add Zone 2 support for HDMI audio, you’d need to step up to the company’s comparatively pricey TX-NR1030 ($1,699).

Unlike Onkyo, Pioneer provides little data about the Zone 2 capabilities of its receivers; you have to download the owner’s manual to find out what’s going on. For example, Pioneer’s web site states that receivers ranging from the VSX-1124 ($599) up to the SC-82 ($1,300) provide a powered Zone 2 output that lets you “enjoy 5.1 surround in the main room and stereo audio on another component in Zone 2.” Read the fine print in the manuals, however, and you find out that it’s “not possible to downconvert the audio input signal from the HDMI or digital input terminals and output them to Zone 2.”

Speaker B outputs are a different story. This feature lets you switch the same stereo output that feeds the front speakers in your main system to a different set of speaker output jacks. Since price is a concern in your case, I’d suggest finding an affordable receiver that supports Speaker B output. It may not provide the benefits of Zone 2 (independent source switching and volume control, etc.) but it will let you listen to HDMI audio sources such as an Apple TV over a second set of speakers on your patio.