Finding the Best Stereo Receiver

Radio receivers have come a long way since their first trials in the late 1800's. Today's stereo receivers are more powerful and intelligent than ever. Choosing a receiver for the home theater environment comes with a clause - research must be done! What it really boils down to is; what kind of experience is the consumer looking for and how much are they willing to pay? The price of a receiver is certainly not always a reliable indicator that it will fulfill the user's needs.

The first thing that needs to be realized by the consumer is what functions will be wanted or needed. With the advancement of technology, entertainment has become a science. Home theaters require three basic components; the television or display, the speakers and the receiver. While the display is the obvious center piece and speakers make it sound good, the receiver is the glue that brings it all together to make it perform as one cohesive unit.

Choosing the receiver should be based on what it can do for the consumer. Most likely he or she will probably at some point, want to plug just about every imaginable piece of entertainment equipment into it; anything ranging from gaming consoles, a PC, video cameras and on and on. Making sure that the receiver has adequate ports to support your needs should be near the top of the list of priorities. Of course ensuring that the receiver is compatible with the equipment already purchased is number one on the list.

Make sure the ports are correct for your theater needs. A little forethought on part of the consumer goes a long way. Does it have the latest and greatest connections as well as some of the older versions to compliment some of your more chronologically challenged devices? Will the receiver work with your current A/V equipment?

Most straight out of the box from the manufacture theater systems do indeed come with a receiver but they may not be up to your standards. I highly recommend building your own system; you'll always get exactly what you want. True, the price tag may sting a little, but the pain will go away after you watch your favorite movies.

The technology behind some of these platforms is simply amazing. One of the latest and greatest technologies on the market today is called MCACC, which stands for Multi Channel Acoustic Calibration. Imagine a receiver that can test the sound quality of the room in which it is being used and make adjustments to sound levels; adjust frequency response times; compensate for the reverberation coming off the walls; adjust the speakers individually so that all ambient sound is neutralized, leaving the consumer with a clean, smooth and single sound field. Sounds almost too good to be true doesn't it?

Some of the newest receiver manufactures are certainly trying and vying for your pocket-book. With prices of up to fifteen hundred dollars, consumers absolutely need to do the required research phase of tricking out their living rooms.