Comparison Onkyo TX-RZ70 vs Denon AVC-X6700H

— AV receiver. This category includes the actual AV receivers in the classical sense. They may differ in individual capabilities, however, all such devices have the presence of two key functions: the ability to independently play content without an external player (due to a tuner, USB port, support for online services, etc.) and its own built-in power amplifier. Thus, such models combine the functionality of a multimedia player, processor and amplifier (see the last two below) and can work with equal success both in the signal switching mode (with amplification) and in the player mode. This makes them the most versatile; in addition, separate external power amplifiers are not required for operation.

— AV amplifier. One of the features of AV amplifiers and their main difference from the receivers described above is the inability to play content "on their own" — the amplifiers only process the signal from an external source (for example, a DVD player). Accordingly, of the three key possibilities, two remain here — signal transmission and amplification. In many of these models, the functionality for setting the sound is significantly wider than in devices of any other type.

— AV processor. Devices of this variety have a tuner (or other direct playback capabilities), but are not equipped with their own full-fledged power amplifiers for speakers. Thus, you can use processors in home theater s...ystems only with external amplifiers. On the other hand, they have extensive possibilities for signal processing (both video and audio), the use of special effects, etc.; according to this indicator, this type can even surpass classical receivers.

In this case, the function of automatic adjustment of each individual sound channel in terms of level and delay is implied so that all of them together provide surround sound that best matches the intention of the creators of the film or musical composition. The need for such a setting is due to the fact that practically no room (neither residential, nor even specialized) is acoustically perfect: the sound propagation is affected by the wall material, floor covering, furniture (sofas, wardrobes, etc.) and other factors. Therefore, the technically correct arrangement of the speakers alone does not guarantee a full-fledged surround sound.

Typically, automatic tuning uses a microphone placed at the intended listening position. During the calibration process, the device outputs test sound signals through the acoustics and “listens” to the features of the sound through the microphone, if necessary, independently changing the audio parameters.

Such a function can greatly simplify the preparation for work — after all, the device will carry out the main part of the setup on its own. However, keep in mind that even in the most advanced receiver models, automatic calibration algorithms are not perfect. As a result, it is highly likely that the automatically set parameters will not meet the tastes of demanding audiophiles. In addition, the reliability of the calibration is also highly dependent on the characteristics of the microphone used — and options with high...sound quality can be quite expensive.

This function automatically adjusts the volume level of the sound when it changes abruptly. Such a need is associated, for example, with the fact that one film can contain both dialogue and intense special effects; as a result, at low volume, conversations can sometimes be hard to hear, and at high volume, the sound can periodically “beat on the ears” and disturb others. In addition, while watching TV, many have probably come across commercials that sound noticeably louder than the main programme. Automatic level control boosts the volume at low audio levels and lowers it at high levels, thus helping to avoid the discomfort of too loud sound while maintaining normal hearing.

The ability to increase the resolution of the video signal processed by the receiver - if the original video resolution is lower. Depending on the capabilities of the receiver, in particular its HDMI ports, upscaling to Ultra HD 4K and upscaling to Ultra HD 8K may occur.

The principle of upscaling is that a relatively low-resolution video is supplemented with the required number of pixels using special algorithms. Due to this, when playing such a video, the quality of the “picture” is noticeably higher than without upscaling (although somewhat lower than that of content originally recorded in UltraHD). It makes sense to specifically look for a receiver with this function if you plan to use it with a 4K or 8K screen.

the maximum sound power that can be delivered by the power amplifier (if the receiver has one, see "Type") per speaker channel. It is worth noting here that in this case it is customary to indicate the so-called RMS (Rated Maximum Sinusoidal), or rated power. Rated is considered the highest power that the amplifier is guaranteed to be able to produce without interruption for an hour without any failures or breakdowns. Short-term jumps in the signal level can significantly exceed this value, but the main indicator is still the rated power.

The power of the amplifier largely determines the sound volume of the speaker system connected to the device. In fact, the loudness also depends on the characteristics of the speakers — sensitivity, impedance, etc.; however, other things being equal, the same acoustics on a more powerful amplifier will sound louder. In addition, this parameter also affects the compatibility of the speakers and the amplifier — it is believed that the difference in the nominal powers of these components should not exceed 10-15% (and ideally, the powers should generally match). And since different rooms require speakers of different power, this also affects the choice of amplifier for a particular environment; specific recommendations on the ratio of room characteristics and acoustic power can be found in special sources.

Also note that if the amplifier can operate with a load of different resistance (see..."Permissible acoustic impedance"), then for different options the power per channel will be different — the lower the resistance, the higher the power. In the characteristics, in this case, the maximum value of this parameter is usually indicated — that is, the power at the minimum allowable resistance.

This indicator determines the amount of extraneous noise that accompanies the sound output by the receiver's amplifier. It is convenient because it takes into account almost all possible significant noise — both created by the device itself and due to external causes. The higher the signal-to-noise ratio, the lower the noise volume compared to the main signal, the cleaner the amplifier will sound. A reading of 70-80 dB is considered normal for most consumer electronics, but in AV receivers, which are usually premium devices, this can only be called satisfactory. In the most advanced models, this figure can significantly exceed 100 dB.

The lowest impedance of the loudspeakers of the speaker system, with which the amplifier is able to work normally. The nominal impedance of the speakers, also referred to as the term "impedance", is one of the key parameters in the selection of audio system components: for normal operation, it is necessary that the speaker impedance match the characteristics of the amplifier. If the speaker impedance is greater, the sound volume will decrease significantly, if it is less, distortion will appear in it, and in the worst case, even overloads and breakdowns are possible. Therefore, in the characteristics of receivers, it is usually the minimum resistance that is indicated — after all, connecting a load of too low impedance is fraught with more serious consequences than too high.

The range of sound frequencies that the receiver is capable of outputting (this parameter can also be specified for models without their own amplifier, see “Number of channels” for more details). The completeness of the transmitted sound depends on this parameter; of course, the sound quality in general is highly dependent on a number of other factors (for example, frequency response), but the wider the frequency range, the less risk that the amplifier will completely “cut off” some part of the sound. On the other hand, it should be taken into account here that the normal hearing range of the human ear is approximately 16 – 20,000 Hz, and deviations from these limits are rather small. And although many modern receivers provide a much wider frequency range, however, this is more of a marketing ploy than a really significant indicator (or some kind of "side defect" in the design of a high-quality amplifier).

It is also worth considering that in order to reproduce the full frequency of the amplifier, you will need speakers with the appropriate characteristics.

Audio and video file formats that the receiver is capable of playing on its own. Models with player features generally support most popular media file types (particularly AVI, MPEG and MKV for video, MP3, WAV and WMA for audio), but the file set may have its own peculiarities. This item allows you to find out.