The receiver is the heart of your home entertainment system. It amplifies all the sound, decodes surround sound, receives AM/FM radio, and acts as the control center for your system. One of the most reliable components, receivers rarely break down or lose their capabilities over time. That's why you should always take into account your present and future needs when choosing a receiver.

There are two types of receivers: stereo and surround. Stereo receivers are conventional two-channel receivers that may be used to play music recorded in two channels, such as CDs, LP records, and audio cassettes. Surround receivers process up to seven channels of sound. Besides accommodating traditional two-channel sources, multi-channel surround receivers can deliver the multiple-channel sound necessary for multi-channel home theater audio, the kind that comes on DVDs and many satellite TV broadcasts.

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The more you pay for a receiver, the more you'll get. A good stereo receiver with remote control can cost under $200. Surround receivers start at about $200. As you add power and features, prices go up. Prices can easily reach into the thousands.

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Multi-channel audio is the future. If this receiver is going to be the only receiver in your home, or anywhere near your TV, you want a multi-channel surround receiver. No question. Surround receivers will play your CDs and records and audio cassettes beautifully, as well as offering you the option of creating a surround system for audio or home theater--either now or in the future. At cambridgesoundworks.com, virtually all of our customers choose surround sound receivers. On the other hand, if you are certain you will only use the receiver to listen to two-channel stereo music, you can get very powerful, high-quality product for very little money.

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It is virtually impossible to have "too much" power. The power a receiver can produce is measured in watts per channel. The minimum power rating for a receiver is about 35 watts per channel; the most powerful receivers are rated upwards of 100 watts per channel. A surround sound receiver will have four or five amplifiers, one for each speaker. A surround sound receiver might be rated "100 watts x 5." This indicates that the receiver has five built-in 100-watt amplifiers to drive each speaker in a surround sound system.

The amount of power you need also depends on the speakers you have, the size of the room you intend to use the system in, and how loud you're going to be listening.

The more power you have, the louder your speakers will play before the sound distorts. Some speakers require more power than others to play at the same level. Matching your receiver to your speakers simply involves making sure you have enough power to play them at the highest volume you'd like to listen.

Generally, an amplifier of 100 watts per channel is enough to play nearly any speaker at high volume in average size rooms. Note: Dolby Digital surround has six channels of audio-including one for the subwoofer. Receivers usually don't provide amplification for the subwoofer channel. That is why most subwoofers have an amplifier built in.

All receivers are not created equal. Music and movie soundtracks have peaks and valleys in volume. The loudest moments draw the most power from the receiver. Cheaper receivers don't handle those peaks as well as more expensive "high current" receivers. High current receivers deliver cleaner, more accurate sound, performing superbly at both low and high volumes. A great benefit to a HC receiver is that you don't need to crank it up to hear all the action, or to get a good clean sound, free of distortion and noise.

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DSP (digital signal processing)
DSP creates the ambiance of concert halls, jazz clubs, etc., with non-surround sound material. Some receivers add this ambiance to Dolby Pro Logic® surround channels to create theater-like sound.

Dolby Pro Logic Surround
Dolby Pro Logic has been around for a while and is the surround sound standard for regular TV signals, cable and VCR tapes. Since the surround information is encoded in a stereo signal, you need a stereo (or hi-fi) VCR or a stereo TV with audio outputs to listen to Pro Logic audio. When you connect those audio outputs to the Pro Logic receiver the information is decoded and is sent out to the different speakers; left front, center, right front, and the two rear speakers. The left front, center, and right front speakers are somewhat independent from each other - you can hear different sounds coming from each speaker. The left and right rear speakers are mono sound - they both play the same sound. You'll need a receiver equipped with Pro Logic to get a home theater effect from TV and VCR tapes.

Dolby Digital Decoding
Dolby Digital sound is divided into six channels: left and right front, center, left and right surround and low frequency effects channel. Only receivers with built in Dolby Digital decoders can provide this sound. Some receivers are "Dolby Digital ready" in that they offer inputs for connecting an external Dolby Digital decoder. Today, virtually all DVDs and many TV satellite feeds are encoded with Dolby Digital sound. In the future, TV broadcasts and even your local cable company may also provide Dolby Digital sound.

DTS
DTS is another brand of 5.1 channel surround sound. Several DVD movie discs, and a few audio-only DVDs are encoded with DTS. Most serious audiophiles believe that DTS sounds slightly better than Dolby Digital, but the difference is very slight. And every disc that uses the DTS format can be played back on a Dolby Digital system.

THX
THX is essentially a seal of approval from George Lucas. His company licenses the THX logo to electronics manufacturers whose products pass certain performance tests.

Audio and Video Inputs
Be certain that the receiver you choose has enough audio and video inputs to accommodate not only the components you have now, but those you might add in the future.

Remote controls
Most receivers come with a remote control. But more sophisticated remotes can be programmed to control the other components in your home entertainment system as well.

Multiroom/multisource function
This feature allows you to play different sources in different rooms simultaneously.