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Onkyo TX-RZ50 Review (Home Theater AVR)

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  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 96 31.6%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 114 37.5%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 63 20.7%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 31 10.2%

  • Total voters
    304

Svet

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I think the issue is, if you add up all the individual bits that make up an AVR, you typically get a price that is substantially higher....

The Loxjie is a 2 channel DAC - you would need between 4 and 6 of them for an AVR
Then you need the equivalent number of power amps
Then you need at least 8 channels of ADC (so you could price 4 x stereo ADC's)
Finally you need a good DSP to decode and process those inputs

It is not unachievable - but achieving it at a price most of us are willing to pay, is a challenge.

The High end receivers of the 80's and 90's only needed to provide stereo!

In terms of value we are doing very well indeed....

In terms of performance, it seems to me to be not unreasonable to ask better, especially from the high end flagship models... The JBL Synthesis, Trinnov, Storm level models....

We can hope for something close to that from a model like the RZ50.... while we expect more from the upcoming RZ70 flagship...
Agree with that. Of course, there is more electronic design in a modern AVR. However, I, as many of you, have an AVR, but for music I still connect an external quality DAC in search of better sound. This better one could have been put in the AVR upfront (for stereo for example), so we need not buy another. And many times the other channels have a different, less performing DACs / amps, where surround demand less (until multi-channel music recordings becomes mainstream?). The video side is a different topic and I guess is usually well implemented, with some glitches here and there. Let's hope... :)
 
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Svet

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Completely agree with above post. The other thing to note is that a lot of their development time/budget is probably spent on software/firmware and high speed design for the video path. These Chinese DACs and amps have very little software, usually just an MCU. It's a far cry from the amount of work required to add all the features of a modern AVR. If it were easy, we'd see a Loxjie or similar AVR, but it's actually a lot of work, so they stick to simple designs.

I do think the AVR mfgs should improve their quality in many areas, but the profit margins are probably already low.
True, they are not billionnaires... I was actually surprised that Denon has only 50 employees... o_O
 

voodooless

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True, they are not billionnaires... I was actually surprised that Denon has only 50 employees... o_O
Where do you get that info? I've seen that number as well on some websites but also seen 2784... So which one is it?
 

Svet

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Where do you get that info? I've seen that number as well on some websites but also seen 2784... So which one is it?
Well I must say I was too quick on the click this morning while hurrying to work... :-( Denon is actually part of SoundUnited (https://www.soundunited.com/), who was just acquired by Masimo: https://www.soundunited.com/news/Masimo Closes Acquisition of Sound United

I saw both the numbers you mention, but they are probably not valid, especially now. And by the way, this thread is about de Onkyo AVR...... sorry for the confusion.:facepalm:
 

lolek

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One question about RZ50. I browsed user manual and for late night listening I found only Late Night mode. Does anyone know if they did improve it? I'm mostly curious in improving sounds when watching something during late night of course. I know that Denon has Audyssey Dynamic Volume and Dynamic Eq, Yammaha has Ypao Volume and Adaptive DRC and Anthem has Dolby Volume. Seems like even having Dirac, Onkyo has almost nothing in this regard? Or maybe Dirac has something internally but it's named different way so one can't find it in the Onkyo user manual?
 

dlaloum

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There is "Late Night" mode, and if using Dolby, you can also enable Dolby Loudness (via web interface) - I use Late Night, but found Dolby Loudness to be too bassy... (used to use DynamicEQ/Volume quite a bit.... this is not as good)

The other thing that can be useful (codec dependent) is the Vocal boost ...
 

lolek

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I know about Dolby Loudness but yeah it seems there's nothing as good as
(used to use DynamicEQ/Volume quite a bit.... this is not as good)
it's a shame they put Dirac in but missed something like Dolby/Auddyssey/Ypao Volume.
 

dlaloum

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I know about Dolby Loudness but yeah it seems there's nothing as good as

it's a shame they put Dirac in but missed something like Dolby/Auddyssey/Ypao Volume.
It's just not Dirac's main focus...

And in theory Dolby used to cover this with their Dolby Loudness and Volume functions....

It's just that the Dolby function doesn't do as good a job as the Audyssey one.
 

lolek

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And in theory Dolby used to cover this with their Dolby Loudness and Volume functions....

It's just that the Dolby function doesn't do as good a job as the Audyssey one.
Well in Onkyo there's Dolby Loudness but what's missing is Dolby volume and I've read somewhere that Dolby Volume i way better than Audyssey/Ypao Volume.
 

luigy39

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This is my first post here, but I have been coming to this forum for a long time, and I am very happy to become a member of it, I have been following this thread and this product for a while.
I'm planning on buying this unit and use it as a pre, I'm worried about the review part where it states that in some situations the receiver using an external amp could be pushed into oscillation, i don't know if I understood that part completely, I'm planning to add a multi channel amp as well as my existing integrated amp that has a home theater bypass mode to power my left and right speakers, will this be a good idea?

My speakers are the Gallo 3.5 and the integrated amp is the Kinki EX-M1+
 
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Dougey_Jones

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This is my first post here, but I have been coming to this forum for a long time, and I am very happy to become a member of it, I have been following this thread and this product for a while.
I'm planning on buying this unit and use it as a pre, I'm worried about the review part where it states that in some situations the receiver using an external amp could be pushed into oscillation, i don't know if I understood that part completely, I'm planning to add a multi channel amp as well as my existing integrated amp that has a home theater bypass mode to power my left and right speakers, will this be a good idea?

My speakers are the Gallo 3.5 and the integrated amp is the Kinki EX-M1+
If you’re using it as a pre with external amplification you will not run into the limited mode that Amir wrote about.
 

luigy39

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If you’re using it as a pre with external amplification you will not run into the limited mode that Amir wrote about.
Thanks for your response, This what Amir said when measuring the preamp section in pure mode. "Notice that this run in Pure mode (red and green) has a spike. This would come and go depending on settings of the frequency response sweep (green spike). It may be a bug or ringing of the resampling filter. Onkyo should investigate and fix this. Fortunately it is at 60 kHz so not an audible concern but maybe it pushes some external amp into oscillation"
 

Dougey_Jones

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Thanks for your response, This what Amir said when measuring the preamp section in pure mode. "Notice that this run in Pure mode (red and green) has a spike. This would come and go depending on settings of the frequency response sweep (green spike). It may be a bug or ringing of the resampling filter. Onkyo should investigate and fix this. Fortunately it is at 60 kHz so not an audible concern but maybe it pushes some external amp into oscillation"
So are we agonizing about ultrasonics now, or are you concerned that IF this is a consistent bug and not a one off that it will damage your power amp over time?
 

Rottmannash

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My concern is ending up with a broken amp or speaker
I'm using a Purifi and a Buckeye 252 and at reference volumes no hint of oscillation with F208s.
 

dlaloum

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Well in Onkyo there's Dolby Loudness but what's missing is Dolby volume and I've read somewhere that Dolby Volume i way better than Audyssey/Ypao Volume.
I think the "Late Night" is the compression function (ie: Dolby Volume) - and Dolby Loudness is still there.

Overall the capabilities are still present - I just don't like their calibration as much as the Audyssey versions.
 

SDMatt

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Finally got set-up. I am running my Onkyo TX-RZ50 as a pre/pro with the audio going out of the preamp outs directly into my Class D power amp from D-Sonic. My power amp has 7 channels and each channel runs 400 watts at 8 ohms. Dirac is magic and absolutely lives up to the hype. My set-up has never sounded so good. I can crank the levels and my ears give out way before there is any audible stress or clipping. Highly recommended for a truly immersive experience.
 

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lolek

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Overall the capabilities are still present - I just don't like their calibration as much as the Audyssey versions.
yeah this is what I see from the manual I'm just wondering if they did any improvement for that in the RZ50 cause for me if they didn't well.
 

IsGill

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Thanks to all the posts and responses on this forum which have guided me in deciding to move to buy the RZ 50. I got my Rz 50 set up finally ...I have a 5.1.4 setup in a 20 x 18 room with LCR channels powered by an Acurus 3x200 Amp and Rz running the bottom surrounds and the 4 top height speakers. I loaded two dirac curves in slot one and two. I like the sound compared to the Denon 6200w it replaced...Over all there is more treble in all the channels and the surrounds and height channels have more heft and are more distinct compared to the Denon (which sounded like higher treble frequencies got rolled off. ) ....Listening in stereo 2.1 mode the Rz does sound musically less colored and less warm specially in the mid range( voices, saxophone, flutes). Coming from 15 years of listening to the two denon units 3808ci and 6200w it took me about 10 days to adjust to the new sound...The RZ sounds much tighter and focused with a big soundstage after the Dirac treatment. So far the RZ has not given me any problems what so ever. Am going to keep the Denon 6200 as a back up just in case.
 

ViciousXUSMC

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Just joined the forums, mostly read thru the 28 pages for this thread. Just wanted to key in with my personal experience of the RZ-50.
I got it soon after it came out, it was the only AVR that really had everything I wanted/needed (except Auro 3d) I have a smaller room but with an open floor plan so the livingroom is open to the kitchen and hallway, and then that's open to other parts of the house.

I decided to pair the RZ-50 with 4x Monoprice THX-365T and a THX-365C, and 4x SVS Prime Elevation speakers.
The speakers are rated as 4ohm for all 5 of my base layer. So I am powering 9 channels all from the AVR.

I AM offloading the AVR quite a bit by not running full range speakers, I have them set to small crossed at 70hz.
Bass duty going to a MiniDSP 2x4HD and 4x15" Monolith subs.

I have taken a DB meter and cranked it up to reference with more room to go before I maxed out my volume, and I listen rather "enthusiastically" sometimes. So far with months of operation I have not had any sort of protection mode kick in, or noticed any issues at all.

So while one persons experience cant be definitive, I wanted to at-least share that in the case of how I have things configured, even with 4ohm speakers this AVR has been solid, and preformed up to and beyond my expectations.

I do have some amps laying around that I thought about trying out "just for fun" but I am not expecting to really get any gains from doing this, it's more "for science".
 
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