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Gear & technology

Receiver

Also called AV receiver, stereo receiver, AVR

A receiver is an amplifier with extra functions built in: a radio tuner in a classic stereo receiver, or surround-sound decoding, video switching and room correction in an AV receiver. One box replaces a preamp, power amp and several sources.

SourcesCD, turntableReceiverTunerradioPreampselect, volumePower ampinputslinelevelSpeakersspeakerlevel
A receiver puts a radio tuner, a preamp for input selection and volume, and a power amplifier in one box that drives the speakers directly. An AV receiver adds surround decoding and HDMI switching for five or more channels.

Stereo receivers from the 1970s, such as the Marantz 2270 or Pioneer SX series, are prized today for their build and a sound many owners describe as warm, and many still serve as the Amplifier in two-channel systems. Modern stereo receivers add DACs, Bluetooth and streaming.

An AV receiver drives five or more channels and connects to a television over HDMI. Its per-channel Power output into real loads is often lower than the headline figure, which is measured with one channel driven.

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