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Onkyo TX-RZ50 Review (Home Theater AVR)

Rate this product:

  • 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

Rottmannash

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Strange - I havn't experienced lipsync since installing the new AVR...

I wonder which part of the chain is causing the delay?
When using Roku Ultra or Chromecast >AVR>TV no problems with the setting enabled on the AVR. Using any of the apps on the tv where audio is sent back to the AVR there is a significant lag which is quite annoying-I suppose the AVR can't adjust for that lag when receiving audio from the tv? Don't know why not but luckily the PC app has a nice slider for adjusting to eliminate the lag and it works.
 

Tanquen

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When using Roku Ultra or Chromecast >AVR>TV no problems with the setting enabled on the AVR. Using any of the apps on the tv where audio is sent back to the AVR there is a significant lag which is quite annoying-I suppose the AVR can't adjust for that lag when receiving audio from the tv? Don't know why not but luckily the PC app has a nice slider for adjusting to eliminate the lag and it works.
The AVR doesn't have an adjustment? I use eARC with my AVR and home theater PC and have it noticed any lip sync issues. Maybe it's the TV? I have an LG C9 and a den on 6500.
 

Rottmannash

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The AVR doesn't have an adjustment? I use eARC with my AVR and home theater PC and have it noticed any lip sync issues. Maybe it's the TV? I have an LG C9 and a den on 6500.
I also have a C9. There isn't a problem-it's simply that the "auto" lipsync setting in the menu doesn't fully compensate when using the tv's apps. Therefore the PC menu has a nice set of sliders to adjust each input to eliminate the lag. Does that make sense? TBH on my old RZ810 I never noticed any lag when using the C9's onboard apps. But it didn't have the nice sliders either.
 

starfly

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With this AVR only having one channel for the two sub outputs (both outputs get the same signal), that means it shouldn't be possible to calibrate 2 subs separately. Can this be remedied with a minidsp 2x4, and can that be integrated with Dirac on the AVR?
 

paulgyro

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Am I just missing it or are there no measurements for the Analog-out/Pre-amp out?
 

dlaloum

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Am I just missing it or are there no measurements for the Analog-out/Pre-amp out?
Yes you are missing it - check the measurement of V out to distortion - maxes at around 3.5V before the THD starts climbing steeply (clipping)
 

techsamurai

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The deal breaker for Amir appears to be the Onkyo amp performance. It is relatively poor and can go into a limited mode that the user won’t be aware of and can only be fixed with a reboot (When used with 4ohm or less speakers).
Thanks! So if I have 8 ohm speakers will I be fine?

Also, what are the power measurements for 2 channel (low distortion) and 5/7 channel (low distortion). The amp has a relatively beefy 850 Watt power supply (albeit not toroidal) which sort of puts it up there with every flagship and can handle HDMI 2.1
 

starfly

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Thanks! So if I have 8 ohm speakers will I be fine?

Also, what are the power measurements for 2 channel (low distortion) and 5/7 channel (low distortion). The amp has a relatively beefy 850 Watt power supply (albeit not toroidal) which sort of puts it up there with every flagship and can handle HDMI 2.1
Depends on the speaker. Some 8ohm speakers can dip as low as 3ohm at certain frequencies (the load varies across the frequency range).
 

mattsrs

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Thanks! So if I have 8 ohm speakers will I be fine?

Also, what are the power measurements for 2 channel (low distortion) and 5/7 channel (low distortion). The amp has a relatively beefy 850 Watt power supply (albeit not toroidal) which sort of puts it up there with every flagship and can handle HDMI 2.1

I have been following ASR review of this receiver as well as other reviews (youtube and user reviews) out there as I am in the market for a receiver to drive a 5.1.2 setup for my basement. I haven't seen any user or reviewer reporting issues with this receiver in actual real life scenario. Yes it is possible if you pair it with a 4ohm power hungry speaker and listen to it at high volume at extended period of time, it may have an issue but with 8 ohm and transient dips to 4ohm I doubt anyone will notice any issues. The whole package is solid for its price and when I decide to drive power hungry 4ohm receivers, can always add a Emotiva A3 for LCR and end up with a better package than say Denon 4700h. Solid HDMI 2.1 performance (VRR, 4k120, LLM) on all ports is another selling point of this receiver to me. All in all, while I truly appreciate ASR's review, the issue reported may not be noticeable in real world scenarios.
 

starfly

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I have been following ASR review of this receiver as well as other reviews (youtube and user reviews) out there as I am in the market for a receiver to drive a 5.1.2 setup for my basement. I haven't seen any user or reviewer reporting issues with this receiver in actual real life scenario. Yes it is possible if you pair it with a 4ohm power hungry speaker and listen to it at high volume at extended period of time, it may have an issue but with 8 ohm and transient dips to 4ohm I doubt anyone will notice any issues. The whole package is solid for its price and when I decide to drive power hungry 4ohm receivers, can always add a Emotiva A3 for LCR and end up with a better package than say Denon 4700h. Solid HDMI 2.1 performance (VRR, 4k120, LLM) on all ports is another selling point of this receiver to me. All in all, while I truly appreciate ASR's review, the issue reported may not be noticeable in real world scenarios.

I think especially for AVR reviews, there are so many other important features that just looking at it's pure audio performance through measurements will not tell you the whole story. ASR is great for providing those measurements, but you need to balance them with all the other features provided, and also to what extent some measurements are even audible in normal use.

In an AVR, reliable video performance, good HDMI ports, good codec support, good RoomEQ software will be much more important considerations to me than the ultimate audio performance (to be fair though, I have a dedicated 2ch setup that offers close to that ultimate performance with a >110db SINAD DAC, and a >100db SINAD amp, so really don't care as much for ultimate audio performance for movies).

I'd have no qualms about buying a RZ50. And in fact, I almost came close to pulling the trigger as I want to replace my Yamaha, but am at this point waiting for a RZ70/RZ90 instead (I can live with the Yamaha a while longer).
 

Chromatischism

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Up the processing capability and make it a feature to perform all the functions at the native sample rate of the content. I think people will pay a few hundred dollars more to get this.
I may not speak for everyone, but I would not pay a few hundred more for that. I can see why this is a difficult choice for AVR makers.
 

starfly

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I may not speak for everyone, but I would not pay a few hundred more for that. I can see why this is a difficult choice for AVR makers.
I think this is only most important for music playback, for movies I don't think most people care as much. And then your money is better spent on a dedicated 2ch DAC/AMP + DSP.
 

Reed

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A question for you RZ50 folks. I’m thinking about putting together a small tv/home theater setup with the RZ50 and three Genelec 8030C powered speakers for LCR. The rear/surround speakers would be in the ceiling, powered by the RZ50. SVS Micro 3000 sub as well. Will Dirac level matching account for any mismatch between the Genelecs and the ceiling speakers? Any thoughts on this setup? Also, will the RZ50 run cooler just using two channels at a reduced level? I already have a pair of the 8030Cs in a listening room and really like them. Just trying to understand the feasibility of using them for fronts in a 5.1 system.
 

GalZohar

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Even entry level receivers usually level match in the way you describe. But don't expect even the modt advanced calibration system to compensate for significant differences in speakers' capabilities.
 

dlaloum

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A question for you RZ50 folks. I’m thinking about putting together a small tv/home theater setup with the RZ50 and three Genelec 8030C powered speakers for LCR. The rear/surround speakers would be in the ceiling, powered by the RZ50. SVS Micro 3000 sub as well. Will Dirac level matching account for any mismatch between the Genelecs and the ceiling speakers? Any thoughts on this setup? Also, will the RZ50 run cooler just using two channels at a reduced level? I already have a pair of the 8030Cs in a listening room and really like them. Just trying to understand the feasibility of using them for fronts in a 5.1 system.

Dirac will do quite an excellent job of tonal matching

The more load you take off the AVR, the cooler it will run under load (that is a given) - but also the better it will run the load it is given
As an aside, much of the heat, when running at lower W's, will be from the video/DPS/HDMI circuits - so there will be no change in the idle, or lightly loaded heat emission.

I run an Integra DRX 3.4, with the Front L/C/R externally powered - the AVR never gets hot running the surrounds
 

BJL

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A question for you RZ50 folks. I’m thinking about putting together a small tv/home theater setup with the RZ50 and three Genelec 8030C powered speakers for LCR. The rear/surround speakers would be in the ceiling, powered by the RZ50. SVS Micro 3000 sub as well. Will Dirac level matching account for any mismatch between the Genelecs and the ceiling speakers? Any thoughts on this setup? Also, will the RZ50 run cooler just using two channels at a reduced level? I already have a pair of the 8030Cs in a listening room and really like them. Just trying to understand the feasibility of using them for fronts in a 5.1 system.
On a Pioneer LX-505, Dirac gives a near perfect level match between my relatively inefficient 5 main speakers, and my relatively high efficiency height and rear surround speakers, (and the sub); and as dialum noted, it also provides decent tonal matching.
 

Rottmannash

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Same here-I have F208's L/R, Infinity C, KEF surrounds and DiracLive does a fantastic job of meshing them all. Such an improvement over the RZ810 and the old room correction software-no competition.
 

dlaloum

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I think Dirac intentionally tries to tone match the speakers by default - whereas Audyssey assumes a tonal match as a starting point - so a tonal match can be achieved with Audyssey via the apps - but it doesn't happen on its own by default (or perhaps audyssey merely puts less effort into tonal matching?).

(this is an non scientific, pure guess, based on my experiences with both Audyssey and Dirac on Onkyo/Integra AVR's)
 

BJL

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I think Dirac intentionally tries to tone match the speakers by default

I can't say anything about Audyssey, but I have, in my set up, occasionally switched the front stereo to one of the height pairs or surround back (depending on where I'm sitting) and Dirac does, to my listening, accurately match the tonal quality to the front speakers, within the physical limits (e.g. low bass extension), so that it doesn't sound unpleasantly different, but provides the close to the same audio quality. My experience has been that Dirac has more influence on tonal quality than any single other element of the system, especially (for multichannel music) now that Dirac sets separate target curves for each speaker pair.
 
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