If Total Score is 0-4, you can probably get away with your current A/V receiver amp section. If Total Score is > 4, then it is time to consider adding a separate power amp to your system.

Can you add an amp to a AV receiver?

You can add as many connections from the AV receiver to the power amp (and respective speakers) as the AV receiver can support.

What is the difference between AV receiver and home theater?

An AV receiver contains five or more amplifiers (at a minimum) to drive five or more speakers. A typical home theater system has 5 speakers that, together, create surround sound… and each speaker requires its own separate audio signal from the AV receiver.

Can you hook up 5.1 speakers to 7.1 receiver?

Well yes, a 7.1 AV receiver will be fine to use with this type of speaker system. You will just connect the center, front left/right, surround left/right and subwoofer speakers as normal, and you will leave the two extra rear left/right speaker outputs disconnected.