Onkyo TX-RZ30

[dlaloum]

I ask because someone suggested to me recently that they made some changes, specifically to the 30 and 70 models (not to the 50, if I'm not mistaken), where the user can now keep just the surround mode up (but not together with the input/source name) -- but I wasn't sure if this was true. This is a big deal for me, so it's why I wanted confirmation before I purchase a new Onk to replace the Denon 2800 I'm using now (which I'm not really in love with).

That would be a useful feature - I would configure it that way too if I could....

If you get confirmation of how to do that, please remember to post it here!

 

[J. Lohmann]

That would be a useful feature - I would configure it that way too if I could....

If you get confirmation of how to do that, please remember to post it here!

Will do; I'd ideally prefer for the listening mode to be shown ALONG WITH the input name, like they used to, but apparently they're just not going to offer that.

I simply don't understand Onkyo and their parent company anymore; these tactics just don't make sense -- Denon can offer an AVR that shows input name and listening mode at the same time, and Onkyo models USED to do this, so what's the problem? Especially on large models like the RZs that boast a lot of front panel real estate -- why did they program their software on these AVRs so it only shows the input name and volume?

THIS is the way it should -- and used to -- be:

 

[HTPC_Dude]

After taking delivery of my RZ-30 last week (upgraded from a Yamaha RX-V6A) I initially performed room correction using the included microphone and AccuEQ and it was good, maybe a little bit better than YPAO that is included with the Yamaha receiver. However, this weekend I spent about an hour setting up Dirac Live! using the miniDSP UMIK-1 and the difference is amazing much better than I expected. I've never heard my speakers put out such great sound and the bass from my two subwoofers is much livelier than it ever was before. Clarity, detail bass integration, it's all there now. So glad I did the upgrade, totally worth the $750 I paid for the RZ-30 and the microphone. Any RZ-30 owners that haven't taken the time to setup the included Dirac Live!, don't put it off, it's worth the effort.

 

[valerianf]

I did an upgrade from a Yamaha to the RZ30.
Dirac and the RZ30 are perfect for movies: it is really a step forward.
But what about listening music?
I am nostalgic of the Yamaha sound.
Please, give me some feedback, those who are listening music with the RZ30.

 

[dlaloum]

I did an upgrade from a Yamaha to the RZ30.
Dirac and the RZ30 are perfect for movies: it is really a step forward.
But what about listening music?
I am nostalgic of the Yamaha sound.
Please, give me some feedback, those who are listening music with the RZ30.

I'm listening to music with its Integra sibling the DRX3.4....

Very happy with the results - many people prefer a milder bass boost for music, vs more of a Harman target curve for movies...

But that is more of a "salt and pepper to taste" matter!

Remember you can have 3 seperate target curve "pofiles " stored ... so you might have one setup of movies, one for music, one for late night (add a perceptual curve for listening at lower levels)

 

[Power Pop 23]

Per Slickdeals,

Adorama in NYC is currently offering the Onkyo TX-RZ30 AVR for $749.99 after applying a $100 digital coupon at checkout.

Onkyo TX-RZ30 170W 9.2-Channel 8K/4K Network AV Receiver - 2025-11-27

This popular front-page deal is still available. Adorama has Onkyo TX-RZ30 170W 9.2-Channel 8K/4K Network AV Receiver (TX-RZ30BMDC) on sale for $849.99 - $100 with coupon code NOVE2521 at checkout

slickdeals.net

 

[HTPC_Dude]

Per Slickdeals,

Adorama in NYC is currently offering the Onkyo TX-RZ30 AVR for $749.99 after applying a $100 digital coupon at checkout.

Onkyo TX-RZ30 170W 9.2-Channel 8K/4K Network AV Receiver - 2025-11-27

This popular front-page deal is still available. Adorama has Onkyo TX-RZ30 170W 9.2-Channel 8K/4K Network AV Receiver (TX-RZ30BMDC) on sale for $849.99 - $100 with coupon code NOVE2521 at checkout

slickdeals.net

Got a pre-Black Friday deal a few weeks back from Electronics Expo, it was $799 with a 10% off coupon for a sale price of $720. The Adorama deal is good though, about as cheap as you can get this feature packed receiver.

 

[HTPC_Dude]

I'm listening to music with its Integra sibling the DRX3.4....

Very happy with the results - many people prefer a milder bass boost for music, vs more of a Harman target curve for movies...

But that is more of a "salt and pepper to taste" matter!

Remember you can have 3 seperate target curve "pofiles " stored ... so you might have one setup of movies, one for music, one for late night (add a perceptual curve for listening at lower levels)

Isn't the Integra DRX 3.4 similar to the Onkyo RZ50 (not the RZ30)?

 

[EWL5]

Isn't the Integra DRX 3.4 similar to the Onkyo RZ50 (not the RZ30)?

A misconception. The RZ30 is a descendant of the 7100/305/DRX 3.4 clones. The RZ50 is more powerful and can process 11 channels (DRX 3.4 and RZ30 can only do 9).

 

[dlaloum]

Isn't the Integra DRX 3.4 similar to the Onkyo RZ50 (not the RZ30)?

Yes it is the full pre-out sibling of the NR7100 and LX305... pretty much an RZ50 with one less channel, and 100W amps.
It is a great sounding AVR, and probably the best value Dirac capable AVP you can get.

It is strange that PAC have not matched the release of the RZ30 with an equivalent Integra model... perhaps they are waiting for stock levels to reduce? - The Integra's are less well known.

Personally I prefer the aesthetic of the current Integra range to the flat faced blockiness of the Onkyo's

 

[HTPC_Dude]

A misconception. The RZ30 is a descendant of the 7100/305/DRX 3.4 clones. The RZ50 is more powerful and can process 11 channels (DRX 3.4 and RZ30 can only do 9).

Oh, right.
DRX 3.4 = RZ30
DRX 5.4 = RZ50
DRX 8.4 = RZ70

 

[dlaloum]

Oh, right.
DRX 3.4 = RZ30
DRX 5.4 = RZ50
DRX 8.4 = RZ70

Sort of - the DRX3.4 belongs to the earlier generation - so has only a single sub channel, even though it has dual sub outputs (just like the RZ50) - whereas the RZ30 gets dual sub outputs... theoretically an advantage for something like DLBC or DLART... and yes DLBC is available for the RZ30, but not for the DRX 3.4.

 

[HTPC_Dude]

Sort of - the DRX3.4 belongs to the earlier generation - so has only a single sub channel, even though it has dual sub outputs (just like the RZ50) - whereas the RZ30 gets dual sub outputs... theoretically an advantage for something like DLBC or DLART... and yes DLBC is available for the RZ30, but not for the DRX 3.4.

I looked at all three of the Onkyo RZ series receivers, among many others. I had decided the RZ50 was an older design, the RZ70 was way more than I needed but appreciated the unit has some very high quality internals. I decided to go with the RZ-30 for the cost, the fact that it has independent sub woofer outputs, is a newer design than the RZ50 and it came with Dirac Live!. I just couldn't find another receiver that checked all the boxes, particularly for the $700 that I paid for it. Everything else I looked at was 2X, 3X or 4X the price. It pairs nicely with all my Klipsch RP series speakers and SV subs. Once I get everything setup and calibrated, I feel I could have spent more money but wouldn't have been any happier than I am with the RZ30. Once calibrated with Dirac Live!, the sound is better than expected. I'm not experiencing any issues with HDMI switching. 2.1 channel audio sounds wonderful as does 7.2 surround. My next step is to install two more ceiling speakers for height channels and run a 7.2.2 system.

 

[EWL5]

I looked at all three of the Onkyo RZ series receivers, among many others. I had decided the RZ50 was an older design, the RZ70 was way more than I needed but appreciated the unit has some very high quality internals. I decided to go with the RZ-30 for the cost, the fact that it has independent sub woofer outputs, is a newer design than the RZ50 and it came with Dirac Live!. I just couldn't find another receiver that checked all the boxes, particularly for the $700 that I paid for it. Everything else I looked at was 2X, 3X or 4X the price. It pairs nicely with all my Klipsch RP series speakers and SV subs. Once I get everything setup and calibrated, I feel I could have spent more money but wouldn't have been any happier than I am with the RZ30. Once calibrated with Dirac Live!, the sound is better than expected. I'm not experiencing any issues with HDMI switching. 2.1 channel audio sounds wonderful as does 7.2 surround. My next step is to install two more ceiling speakers for height channels and run a 7.2.2 system.

If you like DL, then you may want to consider adding the DLBC license that is on sale only until tomorrow.

 

[woofersus]

I finally broke down and bought one of these. It's not exactly what I wanted but with it selling for at or close to $700 and the X3800 being $1800 before the Dirac license it was just too good a bargain. I might get something nicer later but I only need 5.1ch and not really a ton of power. If I really need more at some point I can add external amplification. I'm upgrading from a trusty old Yamaha RX-V663 of 2008 vintage and I needed updated HDMI to pass 4K, HDR, DV, etc. to my OLED tv and I wanted Dirac. I was tempted to look at the RZ70 for the bigger power, better DACs, and a few options but it's physically too big to fit in my TV stand.

Anyway, I did a first run with Dirac and it definitely needs some re-measuring of certain points but overall I'm impressed with how well it handled the bass even without DLBC added. My sub never sounded better for sure. Surround effects and dialog are undeniably better as well. (I wasn't using anything before other than measured distances/levels, because 18 year-old YPAO is terrible) I also appreciate the quick adjustment for sub level and center level without pausing a movie and going into the menu, plus being able to do it from my phone. (I know, coming from the stone age)

I'm annoyed that when I want to change the music mode I have to cycle through the whole list, as it seems "direct" doesn't include the crossover settings and sub so I have to go to "stereo" if I want to play music with the subwoofer. There's no real reason to prefer "direct" over "pure direct" since it's just stereo without Dirac or sub. I need to figure out if it's possible to have it default to a different setting and then just program a pure direct toggle on my harmony remote. I also wish I could use different crossover settings on a per-input basis, as what I prefer for music with fairly large front speakers is a bit different from when I'm watching a movie. At least it doesn't seem like I can do that. And when I use Dirac the crossover seems to be locked in place, so while I can use a different Dirac slot for music with a different curve, I can't specify a lower crossover point.

Overall, I'm happy enough with it for the money. The TV sure looks great.

 

[J. Lohmann]

I finally broke down and bought one of these. It's not exactly what I wanted but with it selling for at or close to $700 and the X3800 being $1800 before the Dirac license it was just too good a bargain. I might get something nicer later but I only need 5.1ch and not really a ton of power. I'm upgrading from a trusty old Yamaha RX-V663 of 2008 vintage and I needed updated HDMI to pass 4K, HDR, DV, etc. to my OLED tv and I wanted Dirac. I was tempted to look at the RZ70 for the bigger power, better DACs, and a few options but it's physically too big to fit in my TV stand.

Anyway, I did a first run with Dirac and it definitely needs some re-measuring of certain points but overall I'm impressed with how well it handled the bass even without DLBC added. My sub never sounded better for sure. Surround effects and dialog are undeniably better as well. (I wasn't using anything before other than measured distances/levels, because 18 year-old YPAO is terrible) I also appreciate the quick adjustment for sub level and center level without pausing a movie and going into the menu, plus being able to do it from my phone. (I know, coming from the stone age)

I'm annoyed that when I want to change the music mode I have to cycle through the whole list, as it seems "direct" doesn't include the crossover settings and sub so I have to go to "stereo" if I want to play music with the subwoofer. There's no real reason to prefer "direct" over "pure direct" since it's just stereo without Dirac or sub. I need to figure out if it's possible to have it default to a different setting and then just program a pure direct toggle on my harmony remote. I also wish I could use different crossover settings on a per-input basis, as what I prefer for music with fairly large front speakers is a bit different from when I'm watching a movie. At least it doesn't seem like I can do that. And when I use Dirac the crossover seems to be locked in place, so while I can use a different Dirac slot for music with a different curve, I can't specify a lower crossover point.

Overall, I'm happy enough with it for the money. The TV sure looks great.

Can you tell me if the knobs on the front, specifically the master volume control, is made of metal or plastic?

 

[woofersus]

Almost certainly plastic, but I'll check as soon as I wander downstairs.

 

[J. Lohmann]

Almost certainly plastic, but I'll check as soon as I wander downstairs.

Thanks; that's disappointing at this AVR's price level, to say nothing of the fact that it's part of the premium RZ range.

 

[ban25]

I finally broke down and bought one of these. It's not exactly what I wanted but with it selling for at or close to $700 and the X3800 being $1800 before the Dirac license it was just too good a bargain. I might get something nicer later but I only need 5.1ch and not really a ton of power. If I really need more at some point I can add external amplification. I'm upgrading from a trusty old Yamaha RX-V663 of 2008 vintage and I needed updated HDMI to pass 4K, HDR, DV, etc. to my OLED tv and I wanted Dirac. I was tempted to look at the RZ70 for the bigger power, better DACs, and a few options but it's physically too big to fit in my TV stand.

Anyway, I did a first run with Dirac and it definitely needs some re-measuring of certain points but overall I'm impressed with how well it handled the bass even without DLBC added. My sub never sounded better for sure. Surround effects and dialog are undeniably better as well. (I wasn't using anything before other than measured distances/levels, because 18 year-old YPAO is terrible) I also appreciate the quick adjustment for sub level and center level without pausing a movie and going into the menu, plus being able to do it from my phone. (I know, coming from the stone age)

I'm annoyed that when I want to change the music mode I have to cycle through the whole list, as it seems "direct" doesn't include the crossover settings and sub so I have to go to "stereo" if I want to play music with the subwoofer. There's no real reason to prefer "direct" over "pure direct" since it's just stereo without Dirac or sub. I need to figure out if it's possible to have it default to a different setting and then just program a pure direct toggle on my harmony remote. I also wish I could use different crossover settings on a per-input basis, as what I prefer for music with fairly large front speakers is a bit different from when I'm watching a movie. At least it doesn't seem like I can do that. And when I use Dirac the crossover seems to be locked in place, so while I can use a different Dirac slot for music with a different curve, I can't specify a lower crossover point.

Overall, I'm happy enough with it for the money. The TV sure looks great.

Try browsing to the IP address to access the web UI. Enter ciuser for both username and password to get the full set of options. You should be able to set Listening Mode Presets per input.

 

[woofersus]

Can you tell me if the knobs on the front, specifically the master volume control, is made of metal or plastic?

Sorry, I got distracted by a squirrel....

Everything is definitely plastic. It's reasonably high quality plastic, and I think it looks fine overall, though I've never loved the Onkyo AVR aesthetic. I get wanting something a little more premium looking/feeling, but this seems like the standard anymore at this price point, especially given this price includes the Dirac license. I wouldn't pay full price for it, mind you, but it seems to be regularly available for $750 or so. At full price, I'd probably reach just a bit higher for the Denon X3800h