How To Buy A Receiver May 2026

The first decision is deciding what you are actually hooking up.

Essential if you plan to connect a turntable without a separate preamp.

Ensure there are enough for every device (TV, PlayStation, Apple TV) plus one or two spares for future gadgets. how to buy a receiver

Look for built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for streaming music via Spotify, AirPlay 2, or Chromecast.

If you have a 4K or 8K TV, your receiver must be HDMI 2.1 compliant to pass those high-resolution signals through without losing quality. The first decision is deciding what you are

Best if you only care about music . It typically powers two speakers and a subwoofer (2.1 setup).

The choice for home theaters . It handles surround sound and video switching for multiple devices like Blu-ray players and consoles. 2. Count Your Channels Look for built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for streaming

Required for Dolby Atmos or DTS:X , which add "height" channels to make sound feel like it's coming from above you.