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Onkyo TX-NR7100 AVR Review

Rate this AVR:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 154 73.7%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 44 21.1%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 8 3.8%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 3 1.4%

  • Total voters
    209
I disagree. It's a lower tier line and I've expected it to be a paid option if it ever happened. It's a $300 option for the RZ50, so I'm not sure why you're saying "free"?
You're confusing Dirac Live Bass Management (DLBM) with Dirac Live Bass Control (DLBC). Anyone who already had Dirac Live Full Bandwidth license is eligible for DLBM, which includes RZ50 and similar brethren (Pioneer 505 and Integra DRX5.4). I had access to DLBM last year when my Denon 3800 had a firmware upgrade similar to what the RZ50 is getting now.

After the calibration results that included DLBM, I was satisfied and opted not to pay for the additional DLBC license (especially since I only have one SW)!

As I stated before in a previous post, I suspect Voxx didn't update the 7100/305/DRX3.4 for DLBM/DLBC in order to create further market separation from the more expensive siblings despite the hardware being nearly the same! If it was going to get DLBM/DLBC, it would have been available at the same time as the RZ50/505/DRX5.4!
 
I may be acting prematurely. With this firmware update, I have changed my votes in the polling for the Onkyo TX-NR7100, Onkyo TX-RZ50, and Pioneer Elite VSX-LX505 to 'Fine'.
 
I may be acting prematurely. With this firmware update, I have changed my votes in the polling for the Onkyo TX-NR7100, Onkyo TX-RZ50, and Pioneer Elite VSX-LX505 to 'Fine'.
It's definitely going in the right direction but I would really like some indication (bench test is best) that the "limp mode" is a thing of the past!
 
You're confusing Dirac Live Bass Management (DLBM) with Dirac Live Bass Control (DLBC). Anyone who already had Dirac Live Full Bandwidth license is eligible for DLBM, which includes RZ50 and similar brethren (Pioneer 505 and Integra DRX5.4). I had access to DLBM last year when my Denon 3800 had a firmware upgrade similar to what the RZ50 is getting now.

After the results that included DLBM, I was satisfied and opted not to pay for the additional DLBC license (especially since I only have one SW)!

As I stated before in a previous post, I suspect Voxx didn't update the 7100/305/DRX3.4 for DLBM/DLBC in order to create further market separation from the more expensive siblings despite the hardware being nearly the same!
Ah I see. I can't find anything official mentioning DLBM, but from what I see in forums and my own AVR, DLBM is just Dirac Live adding a simple Sub Crossover like every other Room Calibration software. My NR7100 is able to EQ the sub but not adjust a crossover, that's handled by the Onkyo, hence only DL. Denon did add DLBC last year, so I'm they added it when adding DLBC support. I still don't see how this would rule out DLBC being a paid option in the future for the NR7100, they just may not have gotten to it yet.
 
Ah I see. I can't find anything official mentioning DLBM, but from what I see in forums and my own AVR, DLBM is just Dirac Live adding a simple Sub Crossover like every other Room Calibration software. My NR7100 is able to EQ the sub but not adjust a crossover, that's handled by the Onkyo, hence only DL. Denon did add DLBC last year, so I'm they added it when adding DLBC support. I still don't see how this would rule out DLBC being a paid option in the future for the NR7100, they just may not have gotten to it yet.
My understanding is that the 7100 has 80-90% of the RZ50's hardware. If they were going to do it, they would have made it available in the update that came out yesterday, no?

In my mind, this is just one easy way to market the RZ line as more premium over the NR line for Onkyo!
 
My understanding is that the 7100 has 80-90% of the RZ50's hardware. If they were going to do it, they would have made it available in the update that came out yesterday, no?

In my mind, this is just one easy way to market the RZ line as more premium over the NR line for Onkyo!
Not really. It's a tier below the RZ, and less popular I'm sure. So it makes sense to work on this option for the RZ first, and then the TX later. I'm not holding my breath but I see no "nail in the coffin" to the NR7100 getting it. Personally I think at most it will get DLBM, but it would be cool if it got DLBC.
 
Not really. It's a tier below the RZ, and less popular I'm sure. So it makes sense to work on this option for the RZ first, and then the TX later. I'm not holding my breath but I see no "nail in the coffin" to the NR7100 getting it. Personally I think at most it will get DLBM, but it would be cool if it got DLBC.
FYI: DLBM and DLBC capability go hand in hand. If an AVR gets DLBM functionality, it'll be DLBC capable (should you choose to pay)!

The 7100 is below the RZ50 only because Onkyo made it so. Unlike the 7100, the equivalent Integra DRX3.4 has a full set of pre-outs, which makes it a decent alternative to the slightly more powerful RZ50!
 
FYI: DLBM and DLBC capability go hand in hand. If an AVR gets DLBM functionality, it'll be DLBC capable (should you choose to pay)!

The 7100 is below the RZ50 only because Onkyo made it so. Unlike the 7100, the equivalent Integra DRX3.4 has a full set of pre-outs, which makes it a decent alternative to the slightly more powerful RZ50!
Are you positive though, or just speculating based on what Denon and Onkyo got? It's literally the difference of a crossover. I don't think we have a concrete answer, it's just unknown right now.
 
Are you positive though, or just speculating based on what Denon and Onkyo got? It's literally the difference of a crossover. I don't think we have a concrete answer, it's just unknown right now.
This is my experience from following the 2021 Voxx products (RZ50, 7100, etc.), 2023 Voxx products (RZ70 owners who told me they had DLBM before they purchased DLBC), and the current Denon lineup that's DLBM/DLBC capable.

I have yet to see an AVR that can do DLBM but can't do DLBC.

I'm also very active on the nearly 24k post Dirac thread on AVS where many other brands are also covered (StormAudio, JBL, Arcam, etc.).
 
Very early reports are that the RZ50 firmware update that brought DLBM availability "cured" the SW bug for Dirac RC. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for 7100 users whose firmware is noticeably absent of DLBM. I'll report again after a week and the dust settles some more...

This is very good news for RZ50 Dirac users and not so much for 7100 ones. I suppose this is how Onkyo will try to upsell you to the RZ30 though the RZ50 can be had for much less at current street prices!
 
Very early reports are that the RZ50 firmware update that brought DLBM availability "cured" the SW bug for Dirac RC. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for 7100 users whose firmware is noticeably absent of DLBM. I'll report again after a week and the dust settles some more...

This is very good news for RZ50 Dirac users and not so much for 7100 ones. I suppose this is how Onkyo will try to upsell you to the RZ30 though the RZ50 can be had for much less at current street prices!
Looks like the same firmware updates came out for Integra 5.4 and 3.4, sadly the 3.4 missed out on DLBM/DLBC just like the NR7100.

(What will the RZ30 twin in the integra range be? - will there be one?)
 
Very early reports are that the RZ50 firmware update that brought DLBM availability "cured" the SW bug for Dirac RC. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for 7100 users whose firmware is noticeably absent of DLBM. I'll report again after a week and the dust settles some more...

This is very good news for RZ50 Dirac users and not so much for 7100 ones. I suppose this is how Onkyo will try to upsell you to the RZ30 though the RZ50 can be had for much less at current street prices!
Latest report from AVS: at least one owner found a repeatable bug and it has been reported to Onkyo/Dirac. DLBM/DLBC is currently not perfect for RZ50 yet!
 
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