Top AV Receivers Under $500

Finding a high quality AV receiver can completely enhance your home theater experience. With beautiful surround sound and smart capabilities, an AV receiver is a must-have if you love listening to music or watching movies in high-quality right in your own home. We also understand that you don't want to too spend much.

There are several important features that you should take advantage of when purchasing a high quality AV receiver. In this review, we are going to compare the various brands and features that come with each product. You might be interested in several different perspectives when it comes to finding the right device, and that's fine! You have to figure out what works for you. The good news it that we will introduce five of the best options in the entire industry. This will allow you to examine several products with varying design perspectives.

Top 5: AV Receivers Under $500 Review

Yamaha RX-V685 7.2-Channel AV Receiver with MusicCast

This Yamaha RX-V685 7.2-Channel AV Receiver could very well be one of the most sophisticated AV receivers around, and it will certainly impress you with its in-depth feature set. Included are voice controls, bluetooth connections, WiFi, and music casting capabilities.

With a Yamaha RX-V682 it will only take a few minutes to set up your enhanced home theatre. Now 4K Ultra HD streaming is entirely possible, as well as connections to Apple Music, Spotify, and Pandora!

Yamaha RX-V685 7.2-Channel AV Receiver with MusicCast

While it may be one of the most expensive selections on the market, it is equipped with all of the features that customers are looking for. It has received an extensive amount of positive ratings, even with its higher price point. You know you are truly getting your money's worth.

Pros

  • Music cast capabilities.
  • Bluetooth and WiFi support.
  • Voice controls.

Cons

  • Expensive price range.
  • Minor compatibility issues.
Pioneer VSX-LX303 9.2 Channel 4k UltraHD Network A/V Receiver Black

This Pioneer VSX-LX303 9.2 Channel 4k UltraHD Network A/V Receiver might make for an exciting purchase, especially if you are looking for top-end features. Some of these features include a built-in Chromecast and exceptional performance and compatibility options.

Several customers have already praised this receiver for being extremely simple to use and convenient to connect to their home theater. While it still retains a price at the higher end of the spectrum, it does manage to convince customers that it is an impressive piece of hardware.

Pros

  • Long term durability.
  • Simple and easy to use.
  • Professional design quality.

Cons

  • No customer warranty.
  • Expensive price range.
Denon AVR-S540BT 5.2 channel Receiver - 4K Ultra HD Audio Video | Bluetooth,  USB port | Compatible with HEOS Link for Wireless Music Streaming

The  Denon AVR-S540BT Receiver is significantly lower in price than some of the alternative options on this list, but that does not mean that it has compromised its value. Denon has created several variations and designs so you can browse around to see what works best for you. This model in particular may have struck the right balance between value and quality because it has received a #1 Best Seller rating on the marketplace.

Even with its exceptional rating, some customers have complained of occasional mishaps with this product. For example, a few customers believe that the durability might not be as good as other devices. This claim was made after they had experienced a faulty receiver. There is also very limited customer service according to many customers who attempted to reach out for assistance. If you are willing to live with the negative aspects relating to this product, then it could certainly be right for you.

Pros

  • Several variations available.
  • #1 Best Seller rating.
  • Convenient control settings.

Cons

  • Short term durability.
  • Poor customer service.
Marantz AV Receiver NR1509 - 50W Powerful Slim Profile 5.2 Channel Home Theater Amplifier, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio | Alexa Compatible and Stream Music through WiFi, Bluetooth and Airplay

This Marantz AV Receiver NR1509 could be one of the best alternative product selections that you can find in this industry. Marantz has been building receivers for decades, and the NR1509 shows that their durability and customer loyalty is withstanding. This receiver is constructed with a professional quality design and is crafted to be extremely efficient and user friendly. It supports several of the most common voice control agents as well.

Unfortunately, at some point in the future, this device will be discontinued by the manufacturer. This means that it could be your last chance to purchase a Marantz NR1509. It has an outstanding reputation and deserves to be recognized by potential customers.

Pros

  • Professional design quality.
  • User friendly design.
  • Supports voice controls.

Cons

  • Expensive price range.
  • To be discontinued (last chance to buy!).
Onkyo TX-SR373 5.2 Channel A/V Receiver with Bluetooth

It is time to take a look at the final product within this top five review of the best AV Receivers under $500. The Onkyo TX-SR373 5.2 Channel A/V Receiver with Bluetooth Support is impressive for a lot of reasons. First off, it is exceptionally cheap when compared to other products under the $500 price range. It also retains a lot of the desired features that customers are looking for.

Additionally, it has a positive customer reputation and comes from a brand that has a stout track record within the industry. It could very easily be considered the most valuable and cost effective product that we have reviewed in this entire post.

Pros

  • Extremely affordable.
  • Bluetooth support.
  • Long term durability.

Cons

  • Minor compatibility issues.
  • No customer warranty.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Features Are Usually the Most Popular on an AV Receiver?

Surprisingly, bluetooth support and extensive voice controls are extremely popular when customers browse for their favorite product. There are also other aspects that customers look for as well. User friendly designs are typically popular because they are simple and easy to use.

What Is the Purpose of an AV Receiver?

The main purpose of owning a high quality AV receiver is to enhance the experience of your home theater system. There are dozens of essential abilities that can only be achieved when purchasing a receiver.

Decoding DVD's, managing speaker setups, and converting audio signals are all essential tasks that customers might want to pursue when buying an AV receiver.

What Are the Best AV Receivers to Purchase?

It is such a competitive market right now, especially with so many different companies producing the same types of hardware at the same price. We selected the Yamaha RX-V685 7.2-Channel AV Receiver with MusicCast to be the number one choice because it has an incredible reputation and exceptional features, which are all of the impressive aspects that customers are looking for.

The only problem is that it finds itself right at the top of that $500 budget that we have listed for this review. If you are willing to test the limits of your budget, it could very well be the best option for your home theater system.

Final Verdict

It can be an incredibly stressful search browsing through dozens of competitive brands within this industry. Comparing all of the features, designs, prices, and customer ratings can be extremely stressful and tedious. This review is intended to try and simplify the search and make it easier to narrow down the best options so that you don't have to go through all that extra trouble.

It might be smart to start with the two or three products that stand out to you the most. If you find yourself eliminating the options that you don't like, you might find yourself committed to a purchase, sooner than you think.

REFERENCE & RESOURCES


Official Top 5 Review Team
Official Top 5 Review Team

The Official Top 5 Review team is dedicated to testing and researching the top products available for many different industries. We do the research and testing so that you don't have to! We welcome you to provide your feedback on your experiences with any products that you have experience with.

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