Best AV receivers for 2021 Cnet FacebookTwitterEmail 2of5 3of5 5of5 Onkyo TX-NR696 The Onkyo TX-NR696 is the best AV home-theater receiver for those looking for a budget-ish option. This receiver was released in 2019 with a wealth of connectivity that supports multiple audio formats by way of a big, bold sound. It isn’t the direct replacement to our favorite receiver of 2018, the TX-NR585, but this step-up AV receiver model offers a number of improvements, including a bump in power (from 80W to 100W) and a front-mounted HDMI port (in addition to the six HDMI inputs on the back). This video and audio receiver offers streaming protocols, including built-in Chromecast, DTS Play-Fi, Spotify Connect, AirPlay and Bluetooth. The only thing we didn’t like was the remote control (it was just a bit too much, even with all those connectivity options). If you can find the TX-NR696 under $500, that’s great, but it’s still worth the extra coin.