Best 7.1 and 7.2 channel AV receivers

If you want to have a really great sound in your living room, then you need an A/V receiver. And a 7 channel home theater receiver, even complete with entry-level acoustics, already thoroughly raises the sound quality level.

Choosing the best 7 channel receiver can be an overwhelming task because each model today is trying to stand out with a host of logos and built-in proprietary technologies, which are not easy to figure out if you are not familiar with the basics of home audio technology and on this page, you can compare devices from different brands in detail and choose the best 7 channel receiver for yourself.

What is a 7 channel receiver?

The traditional 7 channel receiver works 3 front channels, 4 rear channels, and a subwoofer. 8 loudspeakers placed around the room create a sound field with a spectrum of 360 degrees. When watching movie acoustics 7.1 creates the effect of presence. A user located in the center of the room hears sounds coming from different angles of the room, due to which there is a feeling of direct participation in the plot of the film.

7 channel receiver and Dolby Atmos

The latest high-definition surround sound formats, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio offer playback of up to 7.1 channels of the audio signal without loss of quality. Along with the addition of two additional rear channels for standard Dolby Digital and DTS formats, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio systems are encoded with a lot of information in the channels. In fact, the quality of these formats is identical to the original studio recordings. Improved sound directivity and clarity of effects make the sound even more realistic.

Blu-ray discs are encoded with other separate 7.1 surround formats. For example, Dolby Digital Plus from DTS and Dolby Laboratories, and DTS-HD (high resolution). These formats deliver sound through 7.1 independent channels. They provide a more complete presence effect than 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS, but not without loss, such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. Receivers that support 7.1-channel formats without loss of sound can also play Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD with high resolution.