The best stereo receivers are the hub of your home entertainment setup and the core sound device you need for any home theater configuration. They’re a necessity for any surround sound speaker setup, and also the best path for integrating smart home functionality into your entertainment system. Anyone assembling a home theater or looking to add next level sound and immersion to their existing setup needs a great receiver to anchor the entire project.
Yamaha provides consumers with a really nice middle-ground for stereo receivers—with enough power to drive your speaker setup and enough features to give you options—and the R-S202BL earns our top spot here because it does this all really well. The best thing about the 202BL is that you get a 100W/channel stereo receiver with just enough bells & whistles to feel premium at a very non-premium price, without any of the flashiness that can drive the price of your receiver way up. To be clear, this unit is a true stereo receiver, not offering anything in the way of surround sound outputs or HDMI pass-through. It is an amp that will power up to two pairs of passive speakers at 8 ohms for up to 100W of handling. It’s a good fit for a record player setup as well as a basic TV entertainment setup. There are 4 RCA-level inputs and 1 RCA output to extend your system to a separate receiver if you need more channels. There’s a radio receiver on-board to allow for 40 stations of AM/FM tuning. Plus, Yamaha has included two interesting wildcard features: Bluetooth connectivity for easily connecting to your wireless-enabled devices and an eco-mode that aims to save power when you are playing media for longer hours. Finally, the look of the unit, while not exactly compact, manages to tread a fine line between substantial and sleek. In short, the thing will look pretty classy in your setup.
Best Overall
Yamaha R-S202BL Stereo Receiver
Decent power output
Bluetooth and eco modes
Reasonably priced
A bit bulky
No subwoofer or surround support
The Yamaha R-N303BL offers a lot of the same features as the lower-end RS line of receivers, but folds in some extra functionality that might be worth the noticeably higher price tag. The dual stereo speaker outputs will drive 100W of power at 8 ohms, just like the lower end model. And all the line-level analog RCA inputs are here (though there is the addition of a phono input for a vinyl-friendly system). What’s different here is the presence of digital optical input from your TV, meaning it will assimilate more easily into a modern entertainment setup.
Best Features
Yamaha R-N303BL Stereo Receiver
Tons of connected features
Digital input available
Plenty of power
A bit pricey
No surround support
Limited inputs and no HDMI
Other key additions are Wi-Fi and smart functionality. While you can connect your phone to the receiver using Bluetooth, you’ll find a lot more value using Yamaha’s MusicCast app, which allows Alexa voice control and Apple AirPlay. This makes the receiver a lot more versatile for streaming, and considering it supports FLAC and lossless audio, it’s great for those who have a Wi-Fi-playable, high-definition audio library. For the price, it’s a solid deal considering the quality of offering here. We’d have liked to see surround support for that price, but the digital and Internet-based options are a nice feature here.
Alexa-enabled control
Sleek, no-nonsense design
Easy to set up
Slightly limited power output
A little pricey
Flip it around, and the design is pretty no-nonsense. There’s one giant volume knob on the front to allow you to control the drive quickly if needed, but all of the other functionality is controlled via the smart functions. Once you connect the device to the Internet, you’ll then use your smartphone and Alexa app to set up the device—after which, the Echo Link basically acts like any other other product on your network. That means you can control the amp with your voice or the Alexa app, and you can even set up the system for whole-home audio—telling your system to play one thing in the bedroom, and another thing in your living room entertainment setup. The name of the game here is simplicity. And though the price is a little steep for the power handling, it might be worth it if you have a truly Alexa-based home.
Sony’s STR-DH190 is about as barebones as you can get for a true stereo receiver and amplifier. With the requisite giant knobs on the front and the LED, text-based display, you aren’t getting anything that looks particularly futuristic. The 100W of RMS handling is also very basic, powering most speaker setups with enough volume to enjoy TV shows and music alike. While there are four audio inputs via RCA, there’s an additional RCA phono-specific input for connecting a record player. This, paired with the stereo outputs make this an ideal choice for record lovers.
Best Budget
Sony STR-DH190 Stereo Receiver
Reasonably priced
Solid input selection
Good power output
No subwoofer support
Bulky, heavy design
But, if you do want some modern functionality, there’s Bluetooth connectivity available for playing music from your phone, tablet, or computer. The Bluetooth protocol isn’t the main focus here, so don’t expect modern codecs like aptX or anything. Instead, you’re getting a middle-of-the-road receiver that will power your speaker setup, all for a great price. Your trade-offs come in the lack of subwoofer and surround-sound support, and the fact that it’s about 15 pounds and pretty bulky. If you want something sleeker, louder, or more versatile you’ll have to look elsewhere on the list. But from a features-to-price standpoint, this is a good option.
“Sure, I could talk about all the little things I wish it had, but it would be fairly unreasonable to do so. The STR-DH190 is a great deal for the amount that it costs, full stop.” — Jonno Hill, Product Tester
Marantz is an audio brand that always provides really solid performance, but in recent years they have tried to bring that classic AV handling into the modern market with the Denon smart-connected HEOS app. The NR1200 stereo receiver comes with HEOS capabilities built-in, meaning as long as you have other HEOS-enabled Marantz speakers, you can set up a whole-home audio system similar to Sonos and the like. This app also allows you to connect to all the requisite streaming services and it even unlocks voice control through Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. All of this makes it a truly intuitive, modern-feeling unit.
Best Control and Connectivity
Marantz NR1200 AV Receiver
Smart, HEOS functionality
Tons of I/Os including HDMI and optical
Great slim design and plenty of power
Fairly expensive
Possibly overkill for basic setups
But it isn’t just the modern features at play that make this receiver worth a look. The 75W of power handling for each channel means there’s a measured amount of power you can push to your passive speaker setup. And because there are subwoofer and zone outputs, this will work as a surround-sound system as well as just a stereo setup. There are optical ins and outs for digital audio support and HDMI inputs to use this unit as a fully controllable receiver for your whole entertainment system. And of course, if you want to use it as a traditional stereo amp, it’ll do that well, too. It isn’t exactly affordable, but the versatility might make it a good bet if your specific AV needs allow you to take advantage of all the options here.
“I think it’s a great sounding receiver that largely gets out of its own way and delivers an enjoyable listening experience in a broad range of scenarios.” — Jonno Hill, Product Tester
Cambridge Audio has earned quite the rep for their consumer audio offering. That’s because, rather than loading up their speakers and receivers with flashy extras, they stay laser-focused on high-quality audio and impeccable design. The AXA35 isn’t the most powerful receiver out there, and it certainly doesn’t offer the I/O spread of more expensive units. But what it does offer is 35W-per-channel of truly balanced sound, a moving magnet phono input that is extra friendly for record players, and some tone-shaping controls that will really provide an impressive audio response. In short, it’s everything you’ll need to let your stereo speakers shine.
Best Low Profile
Cambridge Audio AXA35
Beautiful, sleek design
Excellent, balanced audio handling
Great for turntable use
Slightly under-powered
Limited inputs and outputs
A bit pricey
Of course, the reason we’re giving it the nod here is because it sits at an ultra-thin 3.3 inches tall, and at just over 12 pounds, it’s one of the sleekest units out there that still offers sizable power. Its silver-gray design and stark white display also give it a much more futuristic look than the tired, plain black used in most receiver systems. At first glance, the price point might seem steep for only a few inputs and only 35W per channel of sound, but because of how well Cambridge Audio has handled that sound and because this thing looks so good, it’s worth the price for those who need something sleek and pro.
About Our Trusted Experts
Jason Schneider has a degree in music technology and communications from Northeastern University. He is Lifewire’s resident audio expert, specializing in everything from headphones to stereo receivers.
Our Best Overall pick, Yamaha’s R-S202BL (view at Best Buy), is a no-frills receiver from Yamaha that provides 100W of clean, substantial power to your basic stereo setup. Bluetooth functionality is nice, but beyond that, there really aren’t a lot of bells and whistles.
Jonno Hill is a writer who covers tech such as computers, gaming equipment, and cameras for Lifewire and other publications. He tested several of the stereo receivers on our list.
What to Look For in a Stereo Receiver
Price
Stereo receivers can cost you a pretty penny, but you don’t have to spend a lot to get a decent one. While higher-end offerings will hover in the $2,000 range, if you’re on a tighter budget you can expect to spend around $500.
As our handy guide explains, it’s easy to connect a subwoofer to your new receiver by way of RCA or LFE cables, or via the speaker output if your subwoofer features spring clips.
Like a lot of audio equipment, receivers can be sensitive to harsh chemicals and can get damaged when cleaned improperly. The best way to tidy up your receiver is using a can of compressed air to dispel dust on the surface and in the cavities, especially useful if you open up the chassis. It’s also advisable to occasionally remove the knobs, faceplate, or switches, and clean any point of contact with contact cleaner, which is specially designed for cleaning electronics.
Connectivity
For most setups these days, you’ll want built-in Wi-Fi. Bonus points if it includes both a 2.4GHz and a 5GHz band, plus Bluetooth connectivity — this will make it easy to stream music from your favorite services like Spotify or Apple Music. Make sure there are also ample HDMI inputs.
Sound Quality
Most brands will tout superior sound quality, but stereo receivers actually don’t differ as much in this respect. This might sound counterintuitive given that your receiver is the hub of your home audio setup, but you’re likely better off investing in high-quality speakers.
