DrStranger
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Onkyo TX-RZ50 Review (Home Theater AVR)
- Thread starter amirm
- Start date
There is a firmware update available... increases the max delay from 20ms to 50ms (for those for whom that was an issue) - and a couple of other minor issues... (none of which impacted me...)
Just updated my Integra 3.4, took a few minutes, and its done, no issues no problems.
Just updated my Integra 3.4, took a few minutes, and its done, no issues no problems.
I'm guessing based on this test I would benefit from running external amps for my LCR which are Theos and Stage? I have the TZ-RX50 powering them now. I don’t listen that loud so I don’t necessarily need more power but wondering if the speakers that can dip under 1 ohm will overtax and shorten the lifespan of the receiver. I’m using all 11 channels for 7.1.4, the other speakers are non-electrostatic MartinLogan speakers. Would I possibly notice any audible difference also with external amps? Was looking at Crown XLS, Emotiva, Purifi, etc.
Do you have the impedance vs freq curve? Dip below 1 ohm is interesting but how bad that is would depend on at what freq. and the duration of the dip too.
Yes - if you have the ML ESL's with the 1ohm dip - you will see noticeable improvement in clarity, soundstaging, imaging from running something with serious current for the Fronts.
This was immediately obvious with my Integra 3.4 driving my Gallo 3.2's (3ohm woofer, 1.6 ohm tweeter) - even at very moderate volume, they sounded congested... when I put the Crown XLS2500 in the setup, driving the L/R (not even the center - which is similar in profile) - it cleaned up right away - the AVR then had enough current to handle the center and the surrounds.
If you have the 1 ohm ML's - you should definitely look at a high current external power amp for them.
Hard to find an impedance graph for the Theos - but looking at relative, Aerius, Sequel, etc... they all tend to drop down below 2 ohm on the highs...
And they all have a reputation for mating well with power amps that have huge current outputs... a number of people have used the Crown XLS2500 with success with the ML's... 1200W@2ohm and totally stable at 1 ohm... most amps just give up at that kind of low impedance level!
And they all have a reputation for mating well with power amps that have huge current outputs... a number of people have used the Crown XLS2500 with success with the ML's... 1200W@2ohm and totally stable at 1 ohm... most amps just give up at that kind of low impedance level!
@dlaloum
Thanks. Would I even need a 2502 if I never listen that loud? Would a 1502 or even 1002 work just as well at moderate volume levels?
Yes - a 1502 would probably be ample.... I would not choose the 1002 simply because the most basic model has lower specs for noise and THD... from the 1500 upwards they all have the same specs other than power/current.
Sounds good. Would you recommend setting it to .775Vrms, the gain at max and regular RCA cables with the TX-RZ50? I'm going to be using Dirac.
I use the earlier 2500, not 2502, with 1.4v sensitivity, and it works fine.
Not sure whether there is any gain one way or the other.
amirm wrote ..... "Anyway, I can't recommend the Onkyo TX-RZ50. If they fix the power handling issue, they may then get a marginal recommendation from me.
Hello everyone.
In regard to the power issue that Amirm discovered, has Onkyo addressed this in any way?
Has anyone experienced any issues that can be attributed to this?
Best regards,
Charlie
Hello everyone.
In regard to the power issue that Amirm discovered, has Onkyo addressed this in any way?
Has anyone experienced any issues that can be attributed to this?
Best regards,
Charlie
It's a "nanny" circuit...
From Amir's perspective, one that is overly sensitive.
In actual use, by users in their home, you can search through the various forums, you just don't see problems reported of the kind Amir experienced during testing. - Basically the test pushes the AVR beyond what its designers made the "safe" limit...
People who run these AVR's with more "normal" speakers (ie: 6ohm to 8ohm, with reasonable efficiency... SPL/wm) have not experienced issues with them.
If you read through the details of the tests and the subsequent discussion - the RZ50 actually ranks pretty well, and is highly competitive with its main competitor the Denon X3700.
"Nanny circuit" issues during tests have come up before, and are not uncommon with Denon, Marantz, Yamaha, etc... - they don't actually indicate a problem, they indicate a protective design feature which clashes with a reviewers "stress test".
You need to decide whether it is a protection which will interfere with your use case, and therefore something you should consider seriously (very rare!) - or something which should be taken with a "pinch of salt".
Those of us who have inefficient or hard to drive (low impedance... 2ohm or below) speakers, already know that we will need external amps, and look at the AVR as primarily a pre-pro (for the front channels in any case) - and as a prepro, the RZ50 ranks quite highly among AVR's (check out its SINAD and Voltage output before clipping).
The tests provide raw data for your consideration, the associated comments are a subjective response by the individual reviewer - which may or may not agree / align with your needs.
valerianf
Addicted to Fun and Learning
I am waiting for the RZ70 or RZ90.
I do not want to get an amp that could be in protection mode (5W) without any warning about that.
I already have a Yamaha RX-A700 that is far less powerful than my old RX-V1200.
For $×××× I do want a powerful amplification.
I do not want to get an amp that could be in protection mode (5W) without any warning about that.
I already have a Yamaha RX-A700 that is far less powerful than my old RX-V1200.
For $×××× I do want a powerful amplification.
If they use the same chassis as the previous generations (and for power, why wouldn't they) - then it is not massively more powerful than the midrange RZ50.
There hasn't been an equivalent of the high powered Tx-NR906/876 (and their brethren) in quite a few years (6? 7?)
If you really need high power, or loads of current - an external amp is a better solution!
I had an 876, it ran my speakers OK - but external amps got a touch more out of the speakers. With the current NR7100 / DTR 3.4 it simply doesn't cope with my speakers (soundstage collapse, congested sound).
I am hoping that the 70/90 series will be able to handle my speakers well, allowing me to simplify my setup... but I am also not relying on it.
Well they did mention a new amplifier type in their last teaser. Take a the wind out of the competition: release a processor and multichannel amp as seperates but beat them to the punch by not having absurd prices for the prepro and using class-D chip amps.
Balanced only outputs and justify it by doing true balanced amplification maybe? BoM is still under multichannel A/B (I think...?) and you can probably do a bunch of tricks to pull out big numbers for marketing while giving healthy headroom to cut for bin/channel matching. It won't be better than balenced -> se -> balenced when done right but it will give them a big wedge to break open the 'audiophile' market which is begrudgingly giving in to the centrality of multi-channel capability. 'balence' their hatred of class-d against their love of overly complex sounding systems.
Unfortunately all of these decisions were made 16 months ago I'm sure.
valerianf
Addicted to Fun and Learning
The 2015 Onkyo TX-RZ800 and TX-RZ900 were class A/B with AKM DAC.
Let us hope that one of the new AVR will take the same technical choices.
Let us hope that one of the new AVR will take the same technical choices.
The subsequent RZ3100 & RZ3400 were Class D - adopting the chassis from Pioneer I believe, after purchasing the brand.
The Flagship models abandoned AB after Pioneer joined the stable...
This is one of the most civil audio forums I have looked at, good job to all participants.
My use case is a ROKU Ultra, PS5, Series X, BD player going through the AVR to the TV and I also listen to music once in a while that resides on a PC through the local network.
My speakers are Klipsch RF-83s, RC-62, RS-42s and an Outlaw LFM-EX subwoofer, so the speakers are not especially difficult to drive.
The spousal unit with her delicate hearing might dispute this, but I do not listen at ear bleeding levels anymore.
The AVR I am currently using is a Denon X-2200W that I got second hand about a year ago after a Pioneer VSX-23TXH failed.
The 2200W is fine, but I will be getting a new TV soon and I want a new AVR to take advantage of the PS5 and Series X capabilities.
HDMI functionality and stability for console support is a high priority for me and gapless music playback through the network is important too.
After keyword searches and browsing this thread, I did not find any major issues being complained about on the TX-RZ50.
With that taken into consideration I find it very interesting that only 25% of survey respondents rate this AVR as a happy or golfing panther.
75% of the responders are negative towards this AVR.
Is it just the measurements not being 'best in class' that is off-putting, or have I missed something important that affects functionality?
The AVRs I have been looking at are TX-RZ50, VSX LX-505 which are pretty much twins and now that the X-3800H has landed it is under consideration too.
If anyone else has a similar use case to mine do you recommend this AVR or do you recommend something different?
Thanks.
My use case is a ROKU Ultra, PS5, Series X, BD player going through the AVR to the TV and I also listen to music once in a while that resides on a PC through the local network.
My speakers are Klipsch RF-83s, RC-62, RS-42s and an Outlaw LFM-EX subwoofer, so the speakers are not especially difficult to drive.
The spousal unit with her delicate hearing might dispute this, but I do not listen at ear bleeding levels anymore.
The AVR I am currently using is a Denon X-2200W that I got second hand about a year ago after a Pioneer VSX-23TXH failed.
The 2200W is fine, but I will be getting a new TV soon and I want a new AVR to take advantage of the PS5 and Series X capabilities.
HDMI functionality and stability for console support is a high priority for me and gapless music playback through the network is important too.
After keyword searches and browsing this thread, I did not find any major issues being complained about on the TX-RZ50.
With that taken into consideration I find it very interesting that only 25% of survey respondents rate this AVR as a happy or golfing panther.
75% of the responders are negative towards this AVR.
Is it just the measurements not being 'best in class' that is off-putting, or have I missed something important that affects functionality?
The AVRs I have been looking at are TX-RZ50, VSX LX-505 which are pretty much twins and now that the X-3800H has landed it is under consideration too.
If anyone else has a similar use case to mine do you recommend this AVR or do you recommend something different?
Thanks.
I had a Pioneer SC-27 but one of the amps failed. Like you I was considering very same units and in the end I went with TX-RZ50. I eliminated the Pioneer VSX LX-505 because same as my old SC-27 it does not have the ability to select individual crossovers for each speaker, something I truly missed. The Denon X-3800H based on my research apparently still has some issues with firmware updates but most importantly does not have as of now Dirac Live. Denon announced that It will be coming later by firmware update but it will be available for a fee. So far I am very happy with the TX-RZ50 in every aspect and Dirac makes a big difference in my listening environment. I did run few calibrations with Dirac using my laptop not the phone app and every time I am getting better results. Note that calibration with Dirac is quite detailed and I would not recommend it without doing some homework. You really have to plan the whole process including elimination of all external noises (fridge, heater fan etc.). So far all of my AVR connected devices work without any issues and I am very happy with my choice. But at the same time I think that the other mentioned AVR's are still very good choices for consideration and a lot depends on individual needs or ability to properly configure the equipment. Hope this helps and good luck 
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