An AV Receiver Refresher

There are Many Reasons Manufacturers are Now Updating Their AVRs

- Michael Heiss

Make no mistake about it, the audio/video receiver (AVR) has been, and will remain, a critical ingredient in the home entertainment technology ecosystem. But, over the past few years, due to the pandemic, chip shortages, and supply chain delays, products in this category have been either difficult to find or lacking the latest features and capabilities.

That is changing already this year as both mainstream and custom/high-end centric AVR brands have begun introducing new models that keep the category viable in the face of the everchanging pace of technology. AVR manufacturers are catching up to the latest technologies and growing popularity of 8K video, HDMI 2.1 connectivity, immersive audio, and gaming.

Some people may believe that AVRs are no longer needed in a world dominated by soundbars. Although soundbars have become a leading product in the home audio market, there are many places where they are not the best (or at least only) choice for enhancing audio coming out of the TV. For example, in my own home I am using a soundbar with wireless surround speakers and subwoofer in a room where the viewing and listening is causal. However, an AVR is used in my “main room” application because it is capable of doing things that soundbars cannot and likely won’t do down the road.