Best Slim AV Receiver

Choosing the best slim AV receiver is no easy task, especially if you barely understand what all those ports, features, and buttons are needed for. Since slim AVRs differ from larger counterparts, you may feel even more confused when picking the most suitable option.

Our pick

Marantz NR1711

Best slim AV receiver

Hear the most musical sound from an elegantly slim profile. The Marantz NR1711 7.2ch 8K AV receiver drives immersive, high-fidelity audio from a compact chassis. Read the full review

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I have studied current offers back to forth to provide you with the most important information in this review. In general, people looking for mini AV receivers have a limited space where they can locate such a device, and they often forget about the importance of its sound-emitting capabilities. That’s a huge mistake that can become a sore point in the future. I believe that there is nothing more important than the quality and richness of the sound produced when it comes to receivers in general.

To help you grasp how to get a perfect model for your money, I have meticulously described the most important parameters you need to keep in mind. From the number of channels and power output to the wireless connection and dedicated control apps – this is just a glimpse of what you can find in my review.

Slim receivers comparison table

Which slim receiver to choose: stereo or surround sound

While searching for the best small receiver, you are likely to bump into 2 separate categories of products – home theater receivers and stereo receivers. Both types of devices can nicely level up your media consumption experience, but each in a different way. Some users rush to purchase both systems, but you need to learn the peculiarities of each unit to avoid needless expenses.

Home theater receivers are specifically optimized for surround sound and video content, but most of them can also work in a 2-channel stereo mode. Once you activate this mode, you can use a device to listen to music with high clarity and crispness. When a home theater receiver is used as a substitute for a stereo device, only the front left and right speakers, and a sub, are active. In all other cases, there are at least 3 speakers you can take advantage of.

If you are an audiophile and need a receiver solely for music listening or want a hub for the second room, then getting a stereo system is a smart thing to do. Though such a device is deprived of video extras and some advanced features, it can reveal its sounding potential in full glory, especially when paired with a set of top-notch loudspeakers.

Whether you decide on a stereo receiver or the one capable of outputting surround sound, you must understand that they differ depending on the brand and the model. The main distinction lies in the range of features. If you look for a receiver in a brick-and-mortar shop, you can ask for a listening demo to understand what boost a device can add to your current audio system. If you are doing online shopping, this possibility is absent, and you need to trust the specs.

Pay attention to the heating of the slim receivers

The main reason why people buy compact receivers is that they occupy very little space if compared to standard-sized systems. It is common to locate such a device in restricted areas, embed it into shelves, place it among tight furniture pieces, etc. It seems like a great space-saving decision, but there may arise a serious problem – overheating.

When a receiver keeps running in a confined space for a long time, it will inevitably overheat no matter how elaborate its original cooling system is. If you want to prolong the service life of your small device, you need to do all possible to dissipate the emitted heat.

Some users decide to buy a stock cooling system, but this is the minimum you can do. A good rule of thumb is to place your receiver in the area where its parts responsible for “exhaling” heat won’t be closed by walls, shelves, etc. This way, you can expect natural ventilation.

The latest low-profile AV receivers are designed with overheating problems in mind, so they are equipped with sensors that automatically shut off your electronics if it starts operating at high temperatures. Unfortunately, wallet-friendly devices don’t have such sensors, so you need to keep tabs on how hot they get yourself. Just check your receiver from time to time to avoid overheating.

If you treat your device with the utmost care, it will reward you with many years of trouble-free operation.

How I picked and tested compact receivers

I was determined to find a high-quality small surround sound AV receiver and a good stereo receiver so that you can feel every tremble and sound shift while listening to music or watching movies.

To evaluate the quality of surround sound in video, I watched John Wick 3. First of all, I am a fan of this film (I think like millions of movie lovers), and secondly, this movie has a lot of action scenes, special effects, and talks. So it’s perfect for testing it out.

To check whether receivers are equally efficient with audio, I listened to tracks in different genres and from varied sources.

• Bob Marley & The Wailers – Turn Your Lights Down Low – Deezer
• Arctic Monkeys – Do I Wanna Know – SoundCloud
• Radiohead – The National Anthem – Spotify
• The Weeknd – The Hills (CD player)
• Mahler – Symphony No.2 (CD player)
• Led Zeppelin – Ramble On (CD player)
• Jacky Terrasson – Reach (CD player)
• Mark Nauseef – With Space in Mind (CD player)

My toolset for tests consists of:

• • CD player SACD 30n
  • Blu-ray player Sony UBP-X700
  • Speaker wire – AudioQuest Type-9
  • Speakers for the movie – Klipsch RP-8060FA (used 5.1)
  • Stereo speakers:
    • Klipsch RP-8060FA
    • KEF Q350
    • DALI OBERON 5

Best compact surround sound receivers

Marantz NR1711 – best overall

It is a standard practice that multi-channel receivers usually have bulky cases. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this 7-channel AV receiver with the dimensions of 17.3 x 14.8 x 4.1 inches/43.1 x 35.5 x 10.1 centimeters and a multitude of really cool features. Of course, the manufacturer had to redesign the entire internal architecture, but all his efforts paid off.

The device supports 8K video at 60Hz, and 4K rates can go up to 120Hz. After watching the test movie, I had only the most pleasant impressions of the sound quality. Thanks to advanced sound optimization for room acoustics, I felt as if I was running away from bad guys together with John Wick. That was incredibly atmospheric and cool!

Seven high-current discrete amplifiers deliver 70 watts per channel in a 6 Ohm sound system, and also the AV receiver can operate with an 8 ohm load with an output power of 50 watts. While calibrating speakers for audio tests, I fully relied on Audyssey MultEQ, and it worked perfectly. It was very nice of the manufacturer to equip the receiver with technologies to optimize the volume and frequency response. Those made my experience even more pleasant.

It is written on the official website that the NR1711 can be used as a streamer, and I was curious whether it is true. I listened to the audio (hi-res formats included) from computer/servers on a local network and via the USB port without any hassle. Wi-Fi connection makes it possible to stream from Deezer and other popular platforms. I also liked the operation of the HEOS wireless system, which makes the entire process of controlling audio playback easy and convenient. By the way, the Sony STR-DH590 has nothing like that, and this is a clear plus for the leader of my list.

I’ve come across some reviews in which people complained about laggy voice assistants, so I decided to test them. No problems at all. I also checked a bundled application and standard remote control. They all worked as intended.

Sony STR-DH590

Since the 80s of the 20th century, Sony has focused on the production of audio equipment, trying to cater to the needs of avid audiophiles. Such hard work is generously rewarded by many satisfied buyers and their complimentary reviews. Anyway, I was determined to check whether their products can live up to their reputation, and I chose Sony STR-DH590 for my test.

The first thing I noticed is that the unit is even smaller than Marantz NR1711, so if you have a very tight space for your receiver, it may be an ideal option. The real dimensions are 17 x 5.1 x 11.7 inches43 x 13.3 x 30 cm. Another difference is the number of channels. While the first model can be used as the core of a 7.2-channel system with native Dolby Atmos sound, this receiver has only 5 channels.

The power output of each channel is 145 W at 6 Ohms, and the distortion doesn’t exceed 0.9%. You can use a total of 4 HDMI inputs and 1 output, 4 analog and 1 optical audio inputs, ports for connecting a game console, TV, Blue-Ray player, and headphones. Such a variety of ports is an excellent future-proofing move, and I appreciate it.

A slew of integrated decoders for DSD, Dolby Digital, Dolby Dual Mono, and DTS-HD High-Resolution Audio is the highlight of this receiver, as it delivers crisp and detailed sound. I was impressed with incredible audio (both while watching the movie and listening to songs) without echoey and fake tones.

Marantz NR1510

Marantz NR1510 appeared on the stage of AV receivers in 2019 and since then has won the hearts of cinema lovers and those users who like listening to high-quality music. It is advertised as “a receiver for a media room and a home theater”, and my plan was to check how well it copes with both tasks.

The manufacturer states that the NR1510 is a 5.1-channel receiver with 50 watts (at 8 ohms) and 100 watts (at 8 Ohms) per channel. I believe this is a good variant for boosting any home theater system and frankly speaking, I was astonished at how crisp audio was while I was watching the movie. It seemed that shooting and fights took place right in my studio. Awesome!

The unit supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoders, so you can enjoy high-resolution multi-channel audio playback with perfectly defined low and high frequencies. Besides, Marantz NR1510 receiver is compatible with HEOS technology, which makes it possible to control the unit using any HEOS-compatible device for a great listening experience.

Wireless connectivity is on point thanks to built-in Wi-Fi (dual band), Bluetooth, and AirPlay. That’s what makes it more appealing than Sony STR-DH590, as the latter offers only Bluetooth. Though it may be a minor advantage, it is always nice to have a broader selection.

Another thing I like about this model is its space-saving design. With the size of 17.3 x 14.8 x 4.1 inches/43.1 x 35.5 x 10.1 centimeters, it can be easily arranged on a shelf, a stand, etc.

Best small stereo receivers

Marantz NR1200 – best stereo

Even if I didn’t know this is a Marantz product, I would immediately grasp that because of the company’s recognizable design. It has a thick aluminum front panel with all the major controls logically arranged, so a setup process doesn’t take much time.

The size of this compact stereo receiver is identical to that of Marantz NR1711/1510 – 17.3 x 14.8 x 4.1 inches/43.1 x 35.5 x 10.1 cm. Thus, it is an excellent option for small- and medium-sized rooms. The power output of the unit is 75 watts per channel at 8 ohms and 150 watts at 6 Ohms. There are only 2 channels, but it is no surprise since this is a genuine stereo receiver.

This model is supplied with all the must-have digital inputs and outputs (5 HDMI inputs and one HDMI output). Thanks to the built-in converter, the NR1200 can be used as an external DAC. Besides, you can connect 2 subwoofers. While listening to soundtracks from different sources, I got great sound every time. A built-in headphone amplifier with volume control was a pleasant surprise that allowed me to enjoy every music transition.

I used HEOS technology for instant access to Spotify Connect, Pandora, Amazon Music, and other music streaming services. Its video-sounding capabilities can’t compete with Marantz NR1711, but we can easily forgive this deficiency because this model is initially designed for music playback.

Controlling is straightforward. I tried to switch modes and adjust settings using on-screen menus, a bundled remote control, and a dedicated app. Everything worked flawlessly. Unfortunately, it is impossible to change the volume of A and B speakers, but general customization can be made at the startup.