Best home theater AV receivers under $500

Top pick: Yamaha RX-V4A. It's the most complete movie receiver here — 5.1 channels with Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, 4K/HDR passthrough and HDMI 2.1-era connectivity, from a brand with a long track record on room calibration and reliability. If you want one box that just works with a 5.1 speaker set and a modern TV, start here.

Who the others suit:

• Denon AVR-S570BT — same 5.2 layout with 8K-ready HDMI; pick it if you plan on an 8K or next-gen console.
• JBL MA510 — 8K, four HDMI inputs, well reviewed; a clean, simple alternative to the Denon.
• JBL MA310 — the value choice if 4K is all you need and you'd rather spend the rest on speakers.
• Yamaha RX300A — compact and light, good for a small room or a second setup.
• Denon AVR-X250BT — 5.1 with plenty of HDMI inputs, but it ships from abroad, so expect duties and a longer wait.
• Sony STR-DH590 — a basic 5.2 option if you're building slowly.

Skip the no-name Pyle/Blitzmax/Donner boxes: the channel counts look impressive, but they lack the decoding and calibration that make surround sound actually work.