The pre-out count decides whether a receiver can ever hand a channel to an external amplifier. We read the published figure for all 16 receivers in the database. 12 publish usable main-zone pre-outs, 2 publish none, and 2 do not publish the figure at all.
Last verified: 8 August 2026
Why this is the number to check
Amplified channels tell you what the receiver drives today. Pre-out channels tell you what you can still do with it in three years, when the speakers change or the room does. A receiver with full pre-outs can hand every channel to an outboard amplifier and become a processor. A receiver with none can never do it, at any price, and the specification line that says so is written in a way that is easy to misread — one manufacturer publishes “Multichannel Pre-out: Yes (0.2)” for a receiver with zero main-zone pre-out channels.
The full reading of that spec line is in The receiver spec that decides whether you can ever upgrade.
Receivers that publish main-zone pre-outs
| # | Photo | Receiver | Main-zone pre-outs | Amplified ch. | Processing ch. | 4-ohm rating | Source | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Denon AVR-A1H | 17 | 15 | 15 | not published | source | Check price |
| 2 |  | Marantz AV 10 (processor, no amplification) | 17 | 0 | 15 | not published | source | Check price |
| 3 |  | Denon AVR-X3800H | 11 | 9 | 11 | not published | source | Check price |
| 4 |  | Denon AVR-X4800H | 11 | 9 | 11 | not published | source | Check price |
| 5 |  | Marantz CINEMA 50 | 11 | 9 | 11 | not published | source | Check price |
| 6 |  | Marantz CINEMA 40 | 11 | 9 | 11 | not published | source | Check price |
| 7 |  | Yamaha RX-A6A | 11 | 9 | 11 | not published | source | Check price |
| 8 |  | Marantz CINEMA 70s | 7 | 7 | 7 | not published | source | Check price |
| 9 |  | Marantz CINEMA 60 | 7 | 7 | 7 | not published | source | Check price |
| 10 |  | Yamaha RX-A4A | 7 | 7 | 7 | not published | source | Check price |
| 11 |  | Denon AVR-X1800H | 2 | 7 | 7 | not published | source | Check price |
| 12 |  | Yamaha RX-V6A | 2 | 7 | 7 | not published | source | Check price |
Receivers that publish no main-zone pre-outs
These cannot pass a main-zone channel to an external amplifier. That is not a fault, but it is a ceiling, and it is worth knowing before rather than after.
| Receiver | Main-zone pre-outs | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denon AVR-X2800H | 0 | Denon publishes “Multichannel Pre-out Yes (0.2)” — the (0.2) means ZERO main-zone pre-out channels and 2 subwoofer outputs. Bi-amp is assignable but reassigns internal amps. Zone 2 pre-out feeds Zone 2 only. | source |
| Onkyo TX-NR6100 | 0 | North American models: no main-zone pre-out. Onkyo documents “PRE OUT FRONT jacks (European, Australian and Asian models)”, so non-NA stock DOES have a front-channel pre-out. Region-dependent. | source |
Receivers where the figure is not published
We leave these blank rather than counting the jacks in a product photograph.
Shopping to a budget
The same receivers, grouped by what their manufacturers list them at. List price is not street price, and each page says so, but it is the only price we can publish with a source attached.
- AV receivers Under $1,500 — 3 models in this band, each with its published figures, what they favour and what to check
- AV receivers From $1,500 to $3,000 — 4 models in this band, each with its published figures, what they favour and what to check
- AV receivers Over $3,000 — 4 models in this band, each with its published figures, what they favour and what to check
Related
- AV receivers Under $1,500 — the same category by price band
- AV receivers From $1,500 to $3,000 — the same category by price band
- AV receivers Over $3,000 — the same category by price band
- The receiver spec that decides whether you can ever upgrade — how to read the pre-out line
- Which AV receivers actually publish a 4-ohm rating — the load question
- Atmos Layout & Amp Assignment Planner — which channels your layout needs an outboard amplifier for
- The gear database — every figure above, with its source
- How we work — the method, and where it breaks