Got a lot of flack over my input situation but really, it all works fine a receiver is just going to force something else out of the cabinet.

Am I missing something here?

gently cut the gray cord with the blue stripes.... geeeeeenttttttttllllly

You’re missing cable management. And I’m guessing you only use the TV speakers, which if that’s the case, then you have no real need for a receiver. But even a simple 3 speaker setup will more than likely improve on the sound, in which case having a receiver would be a good idea. Even a soundbar would benefit using a receiver.

At the minimum, maybe get some cable covers, cause - damn.

I have the TV putting out to a decent stereo for sound. Surround maybe at the next house.

The blue wire with the silver stripes that I was advised to snip is the optical sound out that goes to that little black box that makes the signal analog for the stereo.

And is that really the only thing I am getting flack for, that it looks messy? The back of the TV that no one sees? I was thinking there might be some technical befit?

Who's giving you flack?

Home Theater Enthusiasts. I don't really care that much, just was wondering if I am missing something. I am all about upping my experience (for instance I finally made the jump to one of those Harmony Elites and things are so much better now) and I know a lot of people swear by their receivers but I really just don't see the point. Maybe if you had 30 items you were trying to plug in but even then why not just get a couple of significantly cheaper HDMI switches?

If you don't need/want surround sound with multiple speakers and you're content with optical out to a stereo then you don't need a receiver, which will be as you say just a glorified HDMI switch at that point. Home Theater Enthusiasts may scoff because you prioritize video over audio but it's really up to you, who cares?

So, no one that comes over to your place.

It's all personal preference. Not everything has to be according to what others might think.

A home theater receiver is essentially several devices in one: surround sound processor, amplifier, input switcher, AM/FM tuner, bluetooth receiver, etc. Some also have additional features intended to maximize sound/video quality, such as acoustic room correction, advanced video upscaling, etc. The benefits are many: multi-channel sound, higher sound quality, easier cable management, etc all in one device that only takes up one power outlet. If I were you, I probably wouldn't bother though, until you're ready to go surround sound. It would make much more sense at that point.

Even though no one sees the back of the system I'd still do some basic cable management - just routing things in an organized way with a few velcro ties. It can make things easier if/when an equipment change is made.

Some people enjoy "theater sound" so will give you flak simply because you don't have surround sound. I'm one of those who *hate* "theater/surround sound" for movies or TV shows. The *only* reason I have a receiver connected is for headphone use (my set doesn't have BT built in) late at night. That's for those movies with "bad" audio mixes (90% of what's released these days). You know the ones. The music/sfx are louder than dialog so if you've set the audio level to hear softer dialog the music/sfx blow you out of your chair. I've found it's either that or always use SDH/subtitles just to know what's being said.

I do think cable management is mitigated somewhat these days by the use of HDMI (though that also means you have to have a newer receiver for 4k HDR). So yeah, if you don't need surround sound/amplification, a receiver probably isn't worth it (probably why sound bars are so popular nowadays)

Your multitude of links in your signature block states otherwise.

I have a receiver for surround sound. If I didn't care about that, I'd just plug directly into the TV, or use an HDMI switcher.

Haven't watched a movie without surround sound since 1989. You gotta have great sound, plus my receiver can upscale all my analog sources to 4K! Just have to use one HDMI input on the TV for everything.

Not just surround sound, but better overall sound with stand-alone speakers, as well as greater control over volume levels across speakers. I find that with just stereo TV speakers and a source that contains center channel content that I am continuously messing with the volume, increasing it for vocals and decreasing it for special effects. With a true Center speaker I can set the levels to my preference and all channels from the source are being output as intended. Now, if none of that matters to you then No you aren't missing anything by not having a receiver and standalone speakers. However, i could never give up the benefits of quality sound reproduction when watching.

And it's not just TV, in fact receivers were once the heart of a basic audio system. In addition to providing surround sound, I have mine for listing to music via a turntable or I can Bluetooth Spotify to it. And it also powers my outdoor speakers by the pool. I can even play Spotify outside while the receiver provides surround sound inside from a different source.

Seems as if a simple smartphone app would plop the receiver down, right in the person's media lap of different devices they wanted to connect to. Problem is, the electronics manufacturers haven't dedicated enough app engineers to create something that is truly versatile. Yamaha gets good reviews on their app for many receivers. Denon, not so much.

I need at least a 3.1 system (L/R, Center, and Sub). 5.1 is preferred.