The four best AV receivers of 2016

Always one of our most hotly-contested categories, there are four winning home cinema amplifiers to choose from this year.

Our most affordable winner is also our Product of the Year, it's the Denon AVR-X2300W (£499).

Improving on last year's Award-winning AVR-X2200W was no mean feat but thanks to changes to internal components and circuitry, rather than features (which were already very thorough), Denon successfully upped its game.

Sonically it's a combination of agility, insight and refinement that sets this amp apart, helping this Denon to deliver class-leading sound in stereo and surround sound modes.

Next in line is the, erm, next in line - the Denon AVR-X3300W (£799).

A little extra power converts to a lot better sound, fully justifying the extra outlay over the '2300W if you want to improve on your budget home cinema.

Want more? You should look in the direction of these two AV receivers from Yamaha.

Our third winner is the Yamaha RX-A1060 (£1100). It needs a little care with partnering, so you should avoid speakers that err on the side of aggressive or bright, but that done it's capable of a big, exciting sound.

A whole host of features and connections are of course on board, including Bluetooth and DLNA streaming and Yamaha's MusicCast multi-room technology, but it's the dynamic but subtle sound quality that will keep you coming back for more.

But there's more... in the form of the top-price winner, the Yamaha RX-A3060 (£1999). Another member of Yamaha's high-end Aventage range, if you have the room and speakers to do it justice, it will get more from your movies.

You get a musical AV amp that is as capable with music as it is with movies, delivering huge dynamics alongside excellent detail, immersive surround sound and impressive, natural vocals.

The choice, is yours...

MORE: Awards 2016: Home cinema amplifiers

See all our What Hi-Fi? Awards 2016 winners

Joe is the Content Director for What Hi-Fi? and Future’s Product Testing, having previously been the Global Editor-in-Chief of What Hi-Fi?. He has worked on What Hi-Fi? across the print magazine and website for almost 20 years, writing news, reviews and features on everything from turntables to TVs, headphones to hi-fi separates. He has covered product launch events across the world, from Apple to Technics, Sony and Samsung; reported from CES, the Bristol Show, and Munich High End for many years; and written for sites such as the BBC, Stuff and The Guardian. In his spare time, he enjoys expanding his vinyl collection and cycling (not at the same time).