Buying an audio receiver was one of the best things I’ve ever done. I initially grabbed one just to get Dolby Atmos with Apple Music, but I have since unsubscribed from Apple Music. However, just because Apple Music is gone doesn’t mean Dolby Atmos has to be. Atmos is my favorite audio format, and the best way to experience it is through physical media — preferably with a 4K Blu-ray disc. I’ve been building up my 4K collection for several years now, and I haven’t once regretted having an Atmos sound system to go with it. While that’s the main appeal of my receiver, it can do a lot more than just playing audio.
I know that audio and receiver go hand in hand, but these are versatile machines even if you don’t have an Atmos sound system to go with it. I still have a pair of stereo receivers that can only have two speakers hooked up at any given time, and they still get a lot of use. It’s not as much as my Atmos system, but it shows that Atmos isn’t the be-all-end-all. Even if it’s not about audio at all, there are still many reasons to grab a receiver.
Maybe you want more HDMI ports than your TV has to offer
Yes, audio is probably the biggest factor that goes into buying a receiver, but there’s a reason to get one that has nothing to do with that — HDMI ports. My receiver, a Denon S760H, comes with six HDMI ports that let me plug in all of my devices. Now, you might be thinking you don’t have that many devices, but it’s actually easy to fill up the whole receiver.
Look at it like this: I have an Xbox Series X, a PS5, a Nintendo Switch 2, a 4K Blu-ray player, and an Apple TV 4K. That’s five devices right there, and one of those ports has to go from the receiver to the TV, so that’s another. What I’m saying is that it’s very easy to fill up all of these ports if you’re a gamer. Getting a receiver is a very good workaround to not only ensure that all of your devices get their own HDMI 2.1 port, but it also makes sure you don’t have to move a cable around every time you want to use a different device. Receivers with HDMI 2.1 ports aren’t cheap, however, so I’d still plan to use it for more than just HDMI ports, because a splitter would accomplish that same task for cheaper.
Good ones give you access to many audio formats
It’s a big deal
Most receivers worth their salt these days come with access to Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Dolby Digital, etc., and I wouldn’t recommend buying one without those included. The reason why this is big is that your TV might not support all the modern audio formats. For example, many TVs support Dolby Atmos, but there’s more out there than that, and if you’re a physical media lover, you won’t always have an Atmos track to fall back on. That’s why it’s important to have a receiver that can handle it for you.
Older receivers can still handle a lot of formats, but you run the risk of not having Atmos if you go back far enough. I have a receiver in a spare room that doesn’t have Atmos, but since I just use a pair of stereo speakers with it, it’s not a big deal. Something you also need to be aware of is that not every streaming box supports every audio format. The Apple TV 4K is notorious for this, because while it has Atmos, it doesn’t have audio passthrough to let my receiver handle the other formats. In this scenario, the receiver is useless because the Apple TV isn’t letting the audio get to it. That’s something to be aware of before you buy a receiver.
Listen without a TV or record player
Wireless listening is available
Something a lot of people sleep on is the fact that their receiver can do things wirelessly without the need for a TV plugged into the HDMI port or a record player plugged into the Phono port. Many receivers support Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay, and Google Cast, where you can open up an app like Spotify or Apple Music and listen through your sound system. It’s actually very easy to do, and it means you don’t need to use a USB cable or headphone jack to connect your phone anymore.
When I listen to music, I typically do it through a dedicated player, but if you just have a receiver, it works great with your phone. There are some obvious downsides, with the obvious one being you’re not going to get the best audio quality thanks it being streaming instead of physical. Nothing will quite beat having an actual CD or record, but it’s still nice to listen to Spotify through a real sound system if you have the option to.
Radio if you’re feeling old-school
Listen to a baseball game
While music apps have largely replaced the radio for many people, listening to the radio is still an excellent way to use your receiver. I grabbed a very cheap stereo receiver and a pair of outdoor speakers for my garage for this very purpose. Many receivers, although quality may vary, have a built-in AM/FM radio tuner that lets you listen to music, news, and sports.
I mostly use it to listen to sports radio because I somehow always miss the baseball games when I’m out in my garage or grilling something in the yard, but it’s nice for when I can catch a game. I also don’t care what happens to the receiver itself, since it was dirt cheap to begin with. Sure, I’d like it if it lasted forever, but for what I bought it for, it’s already paid for itself several times over.
