With both Yamaha and Sony deciding not to release new models in 2019, it may seem like AV receivers are in a holding pattern right now. It's up to brands like Denon, Marantz and Onkyo to keep the traditional black box alive against increasing competition from soundbars and smart speakers.
The Onkyo TX-NR696 offers excellent home theater performance in a relatively affordable package; Its massive feature set includes Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio, Chromecast and Apple AirPlay streaming, six HDMI and a phono input for vinyl fans
It's not the most refined-sounding with music and the bloated remote lacks polish