Such a hot topic of debate.
To the OP, you will find two distinct camps of people on this subject. On the one hand, those like JohnK who point only to the empirical evidence. Electrons are electrons, and provided that the physical abilities of the AVR are not exceeded (clipping, etc), then all receivers and pre-processors sound the same. It's simple science, and everything else is simply hubris of the human psyche.
On the other hand, you have all of the home theater industry and many folks that passionately believe that different products sound different, and that a $10,000 prepro/amp stack will
sound better than a $99 HTIB receiver.
So who's
right? Both. Neither.
Here's my opinion. You can print it out and hang it on the wall, or send it to the recycle bin, it matters not to me.
As a physical phenominon, sound is sound. It is measurable. Those measurements may support that the sound is the always the same. All sorts of instruments can be used to detect, test, and compare the physical properties of sound. Blind comparisons may show that there really aren't many (if any) differences. But music isn't measurable. Music is experienced differently by different people. It is absolutely subject to emotion, taste, and perception. Blind comparisons remove those factors from the equation, and it's no different than trying to do a wine tasting by removing the grapes.
I like jazz, you like classical. Norah Jones' voice moves me to tears, yet does nothing for you, etc. Sound quality is highly subjective, just as 'Art' is subjective. You can say that all Art is Art, but it effects different people differently, even though various hues or techniques may be identical.
So if I spend $10k on a prepro/amp stack because
I believe that it sounds better, and it creates a more worthwhile and enjoyable musical experience than a $99 HTIB, then no one has any right to tell me that I'm wrong. The perception of sound quality is exactly that, a perception. Perception is not only influenced by the physical characteristics of the sound and one's hearing ability, but also the type of music, the happiness of the listener, events that are transpiring in our lives, and a myriad of other factors.
So do (some) more expensive receivers sound better than (some) cheaper ones? To me, yes, they do. Whether those improvements are real or imaginary, they are pleasing to me and make spending the extra money worthwile. This is, after all, a hobby and the point of it is to bring some joy and pleasure to your life.
Make no judgements based on internet chatter. Get out there and
listen. Take advantage of money-back guarantees. The land of home theater isn't Orwellian, where you
will only buy the
Big Brother's Voice Mark I receiver and you
will agree that it is the best sounding receiver in existence. Audition! Experience! Critique! Buy the one that meets your needs (features, connections, wattage), you can afford, and that makes you happy.
