A stereo receiver typically has two channels, one for each speaker in a stereo system.
This is because the term "stereo" refers to a sound reproduction system that uses two separate channels to create a more immersive and realistic listening experience.
Each channel in a stereo receiver is responsible for transmitting audio signals to a corresponding speaker, often left and right, to create a sense of depth and width in the soundstage.
While some receivers may offer additional features like surround sound or multi-channel audio, the core functionality of a stereo receiver is to handle two channels of audio.