Best 5-channel home theater amplifier 2020

Needless to say, you can hardly set up a qualitative home theater system without a proper and relevant mediator. In our case, a 5 channel amplifier would be the best suited. Would you like to get the decent sound? Do you want to match different components of your home theater system? We are here to help you.

With our list of the best 5-channel home theater amplifiers, you will discover solutions to level up your home video and audio experience significantly. Get ready to make the best investment ever! Let us start this journey!

Editor’s Choice

Before we present you with a detailed description of our top 5 solutions, take a look at their basic characteristics. This information will contribute to your first impression greatly and help you understand the suitability of each for your location specifications.

Name	Image	Purpose	Dimensions (inches)	Weight (pounds)	Class	Price
OSD Audio 240W		Editor’s choice Outstanding combination of beneficial features	6 x 16.8 x 17	50	AB/H	**	Check Price
Outlaw Model 5000		Runner-up Excellent protective mechanisms	17 x 17 x 6	50	AB	**	Check Price
Rockford Fosgate Punch P1000X5		Bronze medal A great match for subwoofers	15 x 7.8 x 2.4	14.85	D	**	Check Price
Monolith		Fourth Place Stable and impressive performance	23.5 x 23.2 x 14.5	92.8	AB	*	Check Price
Planet Audio AC1800.5		Supporting role Perfect adjustment features	19.7 x 10 x 2.4	14	AB	***	Check Price

Keep reading this article to find out secret details about each of our winners. Ready, steady, go!

The First Prizewinner: OSD Audio 240W 5-Channel Home Theater Amplifier

The manufacturer guarantees excellent sound quality. This high power device possesses 120 watts RMS per channel. The OSD Audio amplifier is equipped with RCA and XLR inputs. With them, the combinability of the device can hardly be underestimated. Besides, this solution includes specially designed connectors. Their gun-metal and gold finish allows you to achieve incredible transfer of sounds. In addition, these elements are aimed at providing customers with superior control for reaching detailed sound representation.

With this device, you can forget about constant automatic switching-off protection modes. Its circuitry is designed in such a way to allow you to enlarge your long-term music experience and not to overload the amplifier and the whole home theater system at the same time. For instance, the product features an outstanding cooling mechanism. Therefore, there is almost no chance you will face overheating issues with this amp.

Unlike the other devices on the list, this equipment combines all the advantages of the AB class and benefits it is possible to get from the class H performance. This design allows modulating the amplifier’s power consumption. In simple words, the device under consideration performs like an autonomic machine with the so-called intuitive control mechanism. It can choose the necessary voltage rails to run the system in the most effective way.

This OSD Audio model also possesses a high-end power supply. It contributes greatly to continuous and reliable performance.

Moreover, the product’s structure allows achieving near-zero distortion. That is why a clear sound is guaranteed, regardless of the frequency and loudness applied.

All in all, when it comes to driving the entire range of audio tones in your house, this option is one of the best cheap home theater 5-channel amplifiers you’ll find.

The Second Prizewinner: Outlaw Model 5000

If you are interested in stepping up your audio game, then you cannot pass by this product.  When driving all five channels on 8 ohm speakers, we get 120 watts per channel. When driving two speakers only, you can get 170 watts per channel correspondingly. As for 4 ohms ratings, this best 5-channel home theater amplifier 2020 gives you 180 watts per channel, while 2 channel output is 230 watts.

What does this mean? If you have 4 ohm or 6 ohm speakers, this would be a great 5-channel amplifier to run them. If you have speakers that have a lower sensitivity, we would also suggest going for this device. With it, you can boost your system’s performance easily.

Even without a subwoofer connected to the system, you can achieve incredible results. First of all, any dynamic sound shift will not be a problem to produce. You will hear, and therefore enjoy, this model’s deep and decent sound. Secondly, the up-market protection circuitry ensures excellent efficiency of the product. In this perspective, the product’s output protection, which is separate for each channel, is your perfect  problem-solver when it comes to preventing damage from DC offsets or shorts.

There are four output devices per channel. They are presented in a monoblock configuration. The icing on the cake is a large power supply. Its centralized location allows fast and easy powering of each channel, no matter which connection or number of channels you are using.

Another thing that’s is great about this solution are its transistors. The use of Toshiba elements gives you an awesome opportunity to achieve outstanding reliability of the product.

This 5-channel amplifier can boast of its audio channel design. Its special modular realization allows customers to have all the signals isolated all the way from the input to the output.

Of course, to use this amplifier for your home theater system, you will need an AVR that has RCA pre outs.

All in all, you should go with this 5-channel amplifier by Outlaw, if you want to achieve enormous efficiency at a reasonable price.

The Third Prizewinner: Rockford Fosgate Punch

The circuit board was redesigned to improve signal flow and power efficiency to maximize the output power of the amplifier. Overall, the product features up to 300 RMS power per channel.

Due to the three-layer protection, the product can please its customers with incredible durability and performance. For instance, special dynamic thermal management allows you to eliminate the risk of overheating completely. Of course, careful use of the product is a must if you want to contribute to the general device’s lifecycle. Besides, with the help of MEHSA³, it is not a problem for this device to reduce temperatures caused by MOSFET, influence distortion and minimize it, as well as prolong the longevity of an amplifier. Overall, getting long hours of powerful sound has never been faster and easier with the product by Rockford.

The product can boast of its combined class typology. Therefore, its AB circuitry allows the product to suit several speaker models, while BD class is what you need to drive a huge number of subwoofers with different impedance levels.

What is more, this possesses an infrasonic filter. This feature allows you to control the frequencies produced by the amplifier. Therefore, you can take better care of a device and protect it from unnecessary shifts and overloads.

Moreover, the manufacturer offers a one year warranty for this product. If you are dissatisfied with the perfomance of this product, you can easily solve that issue.

All in all, the advanced suite of features allows us to consider this amplifier one of the best products available on the 2020 market. If you want to drive multiple different solutions, then it will be a reliable investment.

The Fourth Prizewinner: Monolith Multi-Channel Power Amplifier

This is the best bet when it comes to value for an amplifier; the price per channel can seem pretty high, but it is worth every penny spent. In addition, by buying this product on Amazon, you can save an extra 5% on the cost. This 5-channel amplifier will be the best fit for your home theater system. Overall, you can use it for matching several speakers and subwoofers. Besides, it is a great option for byamping. You never know when you could use more amplification. And this best inexpensive 5-channel home theater amplifier has plenty of juice to meet your needs from now and into the future.

It is not a secret that this product is designed by ATI. By the way, it is one of the leading names in this manufacturing industry. This reputable company designs amplifiers for a lot of high-end organizations that cost thousands of dollars more than what Monoprice is selling their products for. That is why you can be absolutely sure of the top-notch quality of the Monolith Multi-Channel Power Amplifier.

Basically, this equipment possesses a monoblock construction. That means each channel has its own heatsink, output devices, and filter regulation. Also, the Monolith amplifiers feature 80 volt capacitors. In turn, per channel, there are 456 hundred microfarad capacitors. When they are all parallel, they yield twenty two thousand four hundred microfarads. This function allows the amplifier to cut down on the ripple voltage. Besides, it results in a lot of sound dynamics.

The use of qualitative and robust elements provides excellent longevity of the device. There is a lot of space in the amplifier, so it offers plenty of ventilation. That is why there is no need for noisy fans. Moreover, even though the product is not equipped with protective circuitry, its structure allows it to achieve an equally stable and solid effect. For instance, metal film resistors ensure the correct functioning of all the circuit boards. By the way, the latter elements are double sided and performed with the use of glass and epoxy. In simple words, you can run this amplifier for hours and hours, and it will result in marvelous efficiency. Overall, the product manufacturer can be proud of its stable 200 watts per channel.

The extra bonus of the line is the thump free start function. With its help, customers can achieve the maximum sonic clarity.

This device features a powerful decibel signal to noise ratio. This parameter significantly exceeds 120 dB. What does that mean? It means that you can experience a wide range of sounds in different configurations. The device allows accurate and clear reproduction of stereo at all frequencies and loudness portions.

All in all, this device has definitely stood the test of time. It will be a solid guarantee for your home theater system for enormous durability and productivity.

The Fifth Prizewinner: Planet Audio AC1800.5

If you want to get more but pay less, then this solution is your soulmate. This 5-channel home theater amplifier under $200 has a lot of surprising features.

First of all, it is a pretty powerful product. It can boast of 113 watts per channel when working at 4 ohm. You can significantly enhance the efficiency if you decide to bridge this device. In turn, when bridged, the amplifier possesses 450 watts per two channels at the same ohm level.

What is valuable about the product is its well-thought-out design. It possesses both low and high level inputs. They make the product incredibly matchable to other devices. In addition, the manufacturer offers outstanding control abilities for customers. Due to several variable elements, you can adjust the amplifier’s performance to suit your home theater system. In the future, they will also be your best friends, if you decide to upgrade your system. Let us be more precise, bass boost and all-the pass-range crossovers are lifesavers.

The kit includes another great element. With a remote control aimed at managing the subwoofers, it will be a piece of cake to configure the amplifier and its functions with the equipment connected to it.

Due to the MOSFET technology, this amplifier allows customers to spare the use of energy. Moreover, the ability to control the output voltage is a top-notch contribution to the protection circuitry of the amplifier.

All in all, any sound enthusiast will fall in love with this beautiful product. It is a rare opportunity to achieve this level of efficiency for such a low price.

Buyer’s Guide

Power of Speakers and more

A lot of people want to know how much power the speakers need. How do we figure this out? When you are looking at the specs on a speaker, you see a bunch of different numbers. There are  parameters such as the wattage number in RMS, the wattage number at peak value, resistance measured in ohms, and a sensitivity rating (usually labeled as decibels). The latter specification is important to solve our original issue.

Let us get a deeper insight into this information. For instance, you have an 88 decibel sensitivity rating per 1 watt per 1 meter on your speaker. That means that you should be hearing 88 decibels at 1 watt of power and at 1 meter away. Pretty simple, isn’t it? But the main question is as follows: at what volume do we need our home theater to be?

The THX volume level is 105 decibels. Frankly speaking, that is really loud. The problem is getting the power to reach that level. To go up just three decibels, we need to double the power. So if we go up to two watts, we get 91 decibels. Then we have to double the wattage again to get 94 decibels. Easy calculations will produce the following results. For instance, 106 decibels are possible at 64 watts.

In simple terms, the reference level refers to a calibrated volume setting. When it comes to production and representation of movies, this parameter can hardly be underestimated. It is a commonly known fact that our hearing is non-linear. That is why it is a must to have a consistent playback level to achieve the maximum effect from the mix of sounds, volumes, and frequencies.

The principle is the same when we check the power based on a different sensitivity level. Therefore, if we have a speaker of 86 decibels at 1 watt, it will produce 107 decibels at 128 watts.

Let’s look at another scenario where we have a speaker that is more sensitive. For example, let’s say it has a 92 decibel sensitivity rating. In this case, 104 decibels are achievable at just 16 watts, while 107 decibels are possible at 32 watts.

This parameter is also influential when we are choosing amplifiers and subwoofers for our home theaters. We dont want to bore you with the math, so we will just present you with the facts. To achieve a productive system, you need to favor subwoofers capable of 115 decibels. The THX volume level for amplifiers should be the same as for speakers.

All in all, we can draw a conclusion that the higher the sensitivity rating is, the less wattage you are going to have to put into the speaker. The same applies to subwoofers as well.

Is an upgrade necessary?

On the one hand, it is really important to make all the elements of your home theater compartible. In this case, the constant desire to improve the sound or the quality of video representation is natural. On the other hand, the search of new models does not promise you will find better solutions. The performance of the new equipment may not be significantly better compared to your old devices. Overall, it is necessary to be careful with all those marketing advertisements and to be able to see the truth hidden under beautiful slogans.

AV receiver

If your home theater system has an AV receiver, then it may seem like the number one product to upgrade. Some manufacturers state that their product’s life cycle is almost as short as HDTV displays. In general, it is unbelievable how fast the technologies change. But when you step back and take a closer look at the alterations from one series to the next, they are usually incremental and very subtle.

That is why you need to be very attentive when choosing such devices. Newer models do not always mean better models. Some of the products that are being realised by the major manufacturers are not built to the same standards like ten years ago. For instance, the front panel oven can be plastic instead of metal.

Overall, if you are contemplating on upgrading your AV receiver, make sure you get one with preamp outputs. If you want to add more power down the road, you do not want to have to toss the whole amplifier out.

Home Theater Amplifier

If your home theater system works due to an amplifier, the situation is pretty much the same. Let’s make something clear: the amplifier technology has not changed radically in the last decade. Once again, to purchase a more recent model does not mean you will get prefer a better solution. Some of the modern devices do not play well with complex load impedances. We recommend caution when it comes to trading your amplifier. If your equipment is in perfectly good condition, if it sounds good, and provides plenty of power to your speakers, then why would you fix something that is not even broken?

Blu-ray Players

If you are using the HDMI output of the Blu-ray player, those are pretty consistent in performance these days. We don’t mean you need to get a really crappy device that has bad video performance. Your Blu-ray player is worth being replaced if you are looking at getting into HD Blu-ray and having an HD display. In addition, it is worth upgrading if your old model is not compatible with Atmos.

Speakers

When it comes to speakers, this technology evolves the slowest out of all the home theater equipment. No matter which material is used (gold-plated beryllium or something like that), basic speaker design has been pretty much the same for the last couple of decades. Of course, the drive technology, crossovers, etc. are getting better. But a good speaker made 10 years ago is still a good one. It is worth investing your efforts to improve the sound of your room. If your room echoes a lot, it does not make a huge difference whether you possess 200 watt or 1000 watt speakers: they will sound equally bad. So focus on your room acoustics and speaker placement before you start upgrading your speakers.

Subwoofers

Our recommendation for the subwoofers is very similar to our previous one about speakers. Do not forget about the entire set of requirements when focusing on the power of your equipment, for instance. The only thing to add is the following. If you are satisfied with the performance of your sub, we highly recommend you add an extra one to your home theater system. Therefore, you can achieve better sound. Of course, pay attention to your room size and acoustics so that you don’t spoil the originally good system.

Cables

Ironically, cables are the simplest elements in most home theater systems, but they are the most controversial at the same time. If you are satisfied with how your current cables work (for instance, you do not ground loops and noise in your system, and they are long enough to meet your needs), then do not change any of your cables. Of course, if you have problems with your HDMI when you have upgraded to 4k, it is high time to start looking at getting a better HDMI cable.

Wrap It Up

All in all, there are some basic criteria it’s necessary to pay attention to when purchasing any element of your system. First of all, you need to consider products from reliable brands only. If one item is cheaper than Yamaha’s equivalent, for instance, but you’ve never heard of it before, do not waste time on something suspicious.

Secondly, you need to investigate all the specs of the equipment. For instance, when choosing an amplifier, it is really important to see its impedance balance and how great it will work for 4 ohm or 8 ohm speakers.

Thirdly, we recommend that you take a look at the power parameter. Everything is relative, so bigger does not equal the most qualitative. When selecting any device for your home theater system, you cannot forget to take your room size into consideration. And finally, do make sure you have installed and adjusted all the products correctly and accurately.

FAQ

1) What sounds better: separates or integrateds?

Of course, everything depends on the system. But the general rule of thumb tells us that separate elements perform better than if they were integrated into one product. At the core of this issue, when a manufacturer tries to combine two things, let’s say, a power amp and a preamplifier, together, one of the first things that you have to realize is that you are now sharing a common power supply.

Therefore, you are losing fidelity. When it comes to separates, you need to spend time on proper connection and cabling. However, separates may turn out to be more expensive than integrated solutions. Therefore, the final choice is up to you.

2) What is the best way to optimize small room acoustics?

Naturally, the best way to achieve impressive sound quality from your room is to build it, taking into consideration necessary rules and dimensions. There are simple formulas. With their help, you will know for sure which room will have the best acoustics possible. But that is not usually an option. The majority of the consumers have standard or non-standard apartments or houses, so it is hard to predict how the sound will behave in this or that room.

To optimize the acoustics, you can either absorb or diffuse the sound. The first kind of acoustics treatment uses things like tube traps or absorbers that hang on the wall. However, it is mission-impossible to absorb all the frequencies. When diffusing the sound, we make it hard for the ear to perceive where the sound comes from exactly. For instance, you can use RPG diffusers or its knockoffs. It will be rational to place one behind the speakers on the rear wall and on the sides where the point of first reflection is, if possible. You can also use books or pieces of furniture to get this scattered sound.

3) Do amplifiers and AV receivers mean the same thing?

Frankly speaking, it is a mistake to say so. In general, both of them are aimed at amplifying signals. The main difference between them is in their body composition. Overall, a common amplifier is a separate element, while an AV receiver is an integrated product. Any AV receiver includes a preamp and a tuner, apart from an amplifier.

Besides, additional functionality is different. For instance, most of the receivers are capable of decoding modern surround-sound formats. Amplifiers will perform better when it comes to adjusting speakers’ and subwoofers’ sound and efficiency.

Conclusion

All in all, your home theater system will not be productive without an external amplifier. In this article, you can find five different solutions to contribute to your home audio and video experience enormously. Our top 5 of the best 5-channel home theater amplifiers is aimed at simplifying the search for the most suitable equipment. Each of our products is a perfect match for both locations with incredible acoustics properties, and rooms that require acoustics treatment.
This equipment is chosen out of dozens of the competitors on the market. Their disadvantages can hardly spoil their merits. Some of them are budget solutions, some are not. However, each of these amplifiers is worth considering. Hurry up and experience the fastest shopping in your life!