9 Best 2 Channel Stereo Receivers 2024 in the US

Nowadays, there are home theater systems and stereos that allow for “surround sound”--you’ll see stereos with “5.1 channels”. This “5.1” indicates that there are 5 speakers plus 1 subwoofer, for the bass sounds. You distribute the 6 speakers to the center, 60° to the left and right, and 120° to the left and right, and the subwoofer that you can place anywhere. There are even 7.1 or 9.1 channel stereos!

In that case, settling for just a 2 channel stereo seems like a let-down. But, it has advantages. It will have an “A” channel and a “B” channel. You can send the music or other audio content to Channel “A” or Channel “B”, or to both Channels “A” and “B”. A 2-channel stereo system would be useful in an office--you can picture a dentist’s office where relaxing music is being piped into the room with the dentist’s chair, while there is no music in the reception area.

We’ve composed this buyer’s guide to help you make the right decision when selecting a treatment for a two-channel stereo receiver. It'll help you:

• Choose the right type of two-channel stereo receiver,

• See useful tips about that particular type of two-channel stereo receiver,

• Read reviews of different two-channel stereo receivers, and what customers are saying,

• Select the right brand of two-channel stereo receiver, and

• Compare prices and find the best deals.

• Stereos with a Speaker A/Speaker B switch: In this option, you can set up the Speaker A system for television and video. The Speaker B system can be in another room, so that you can pipe music in that room as well. This option can also be used to compare different speakers, by seeing whether the “B” speakers perform better than the “A” speakers, or not. (There are speakers more suitable for classical music, and other speakers that are better for pop or dance music.)  You can also have both “A” and “B” running at the same time. The Sony 2-Channel Stereo will even let you disable both “A” and “B”, letting you just hear the sound through headphones.

• Zone 2 Stereo Systems: After having Speaker A and Speaker B playing the same signal, the next logical step is being able to send different signals to Speaker A and Speaker B. This is the “Zone 2” option that exists on some stereo systems. This allows you to be able to watch a movie in one room and enjoy Speaker A’s sound, and play music over Speaker B for people in the other room.

• Good for people who don’t need state-of-the-art playback: People who just want to enjoy music from many different types of media will find a two-channel stereo quite sufficient. They are still fitted with Bluetooth capability and a number of audio ports.

• Remote control: The Sherwood 200 Watt stereo has an intuitive remote control, which allows you to click through the options from a distance. Some find this easier than using the onboard controls on the stereo.

• Power-save feature: Some stereos have a power save feature which you can modify. It will put the stereo on standby if there is no audio signal for 30 minutes. The Yamaha stereo can be programmed to go into standby mode after 2, 4, 8, or 12 hours.

• Ability to connect many devices: A two-channel stereo receiver may be a bit "old-fashioned" since many still use analog technology, rather than the newer digital technology.  But they still are able to connect up with many types of modern-day media. You can find stereos to which you can connect:

  • A Blu-ray or DVD player,

  • A laptop computer or other mobile devices, such as a Smartphone, iPhone, or tablet,

  • Game consoles such as a PlayStation, cassette decks, VCRs, and cable or standard TV.

Some even have a jack for connecting a phonograph turntable, so that you can play the old vinyl LP records (which are still popular). Others won’t have such a jack but will allow you to connect a turntable via a preamp.

There are also docking devices, such as the Onkyo DS-A5 AirPlay RI Dock. This is a nice accessory to let you hook up a mobile device, such as an iPhone, iPad, iPod, and the like.

• Power of speakers: You can find stereo receivers that have amplifiers to generate 100 or even 175 Watts of power. Since the power is split between the two channels, it is important that the stereo can still produce a strong signal to all the speakers, so that the sound doesn't degrade as you add speakers.

• Total Harmonic Distortion: You will see a spec on stereos called "THD". This is Total Harmonic Distortion, which is defined as the ratio of the sum of all the signals produced, compared to the fundamental frequency. So, it's desirable to get the THD as low as possible--that means that the speakers produce a very accurate reproduction of the sound. For example, the  Onkyo TX-8020 2-channel stereo receiver has a THD of 0.08 %, which is very good. Others will have a THD of 1%.

• Radio features: You can find stereo receivers that have options to store up to 40 radio stations, both AM and FM, by means of pre-set tuning.  

• Onkyo--was established in 1946 as a company specializing in phonograph equipment. They later expanded to stereos, CD players, amplifiers, and A/V receivers.

• Sony--is a conglomerate with its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, founded by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita in 1946. They deal with electronics, motion pictures and entertainment, music, and finance. They have products for audio and video recording, optical and magnetic storage, computing, photography, and more.

• Sherwood--is a maker of hi-fi equipment and audio-video receivers, but presently they make smart audio devices such as Bluetooth speakers, as well as sound bars, CD and Blu-ray players, and more. They were founded in 1953, and have their headquarters in Southaven, Mississippi.

• Yamaha-- is a Japanese corporation established in 1887 in Hamamatsu, Japan, for manufacturing musical instruments.  They have expanded over the years to manufacturing electronics, motorcycles, and power sports equipment as well.

• Pyle--was founded in the 1960s, originally making speaker equipment. They sell replacement speakers and car audio systems. They now have separate divisions for audio for car, for the home, and for professional use (DJs, musicians, etc.). They also make microphones, rechargeable batteries, and more. Their headquarters is in Brooklyn, New York.