Onkyo TX-RZ50 Review (Home Theater AVR)

[Dj7675]

Not while Dirac is active, no. You could run another profile with MCACC and then toggle it when you want to use THX Loudness. I don't personally see any need for a loudness feature with Dirac, but I have been considering experimenting with MCACC to try out Double Bass.

That is unfortunate and what it appeared to me from reading the manual. I hadn’t used any loudness controls since I switched away from Denon and to Dirac devices. I used and liked DEQ while using Denon products until the surround boosting drove me crazy and stopped using it. Stormaudio released a very nice version of loudness functionality with their beta and i quite like it. Looking around to see if any other Dirac enabled receivers/processors have it (besides monoprice htp1) and I don’t think any do.

 

[ban25]

That is unfortunate and what it appeared to me from reading the manual. I hadn’t used any loudness controls since I switched away from Denon and to Dirac devices. I used and liked DEQ while using Denon products until the surround boosting drove me crazy and stopped using it. Stormaudio released a very nice version of loudness functionality with their beta and i quite like it. Looking around to see if any other Dirac enabled receivers/processors have it (besides monoprice htp1) and I don’t think any do.

Yeah to my knowledge, none of them do. It would be nice to have multi-stage DSP because I would love to have Double Bass or LFE Distribution with Dirac enabled.

 

[dlaloum]

Does anyone use the loudness features on Onkyo models such as this? I browsed their manual and they have something called THX Loudness, but according to the manual cannot be used when using Dirac. Is this correct? If so are there any loudness features that can be used when Dirac is in use?

Yes there is, and it is associated with the Dolby decoder/mixer (so as long as you use the Dolby Mixer, you can use it with DTS or other streams).

And yes, I am puzzled too by having THX seperate from Dirac

 

[dlaloum]

Yeah to my knowledge, none of them do. It would be nice to have multi-stage DSP because I would love to have Double Bass or LFE Distribution with Dirac enabled.

I have double bass enabled with Dirac... but I use the Dolby Mixer almost exclusively

 

[navid0308]

Hi guys I am considering rz50, I am an AVE newb.
I do like the Dirac in theory but am held back by Amir’s review of RZ50

Can someone please tell if anything has changed since the date of review (firmware updates etc.)?

Also which Dirac version does RZ50 have?

I am considering X3800h as well and it seems one can buy from $250 to $650 worth of Dirac features for it. Which level does Rz50 have?

Would x3800 be a better buy overall?

idk what you ended up going with but I do wanna give a shoutout to audyssey one evo. It is a free script by a youtuber called obsessive compulsive audiophile. as long as you have the $20 audyssey app, a1 evo can leverage that and use REW to bring dirac like optimizations to audyssey. i used to wonder what i was missing out on with dirac but i no longer do. it allows you all the customizability and is a very pure approach to optimization. many have compared it to dirac and a lot prefer it over dirac. there is a massive thread on avsforum and a huge facebook group for it as well. please check it out if you have audyssey!

 

[Monosauras]

Should be fine. Let me know if it works, as I've been thinking of doing the same thing (Sony TV requires a setting change between VRR/120 and DV).

Finally got around to it.

Works fine. Have PS5 and XSX set to output via main hdmi (on Onkyo) to hdmi 3 with 4K VRR enabled. Have Apple TV set to output via sub hdmi (on Onkyo) to hdmi 4 with 4K Dolby vision enabled.

Harmony is set to:
Turn tv on to relevant input
Turn onkyo on to relevant input and relevant output (main or sub)

Turned CEC off on every device, and turned eARC off.

Only “issue” I have found is that with the Apple TV connected to hdmi 4 on the onkyo, it won’t output as 4:2:2, only 4:2:0. Since I don’t play any games on the Apple TV that isn’t an issue for me. I could probably get it working on hdmi 3, but I couldn’t be bothered swapping cables once I had it all back in place.

 

[ban25]

Finally got around to it.

Works fine. Have PS5 and XSX set to output via main hdmi (on Onkyo) to hdmi 3 with 4K VRR enabled. Have Apple TV set to output via sub hdmi (on Onkyo) to hdmi 4 with 4K Dolby vision enabled.

Harmony is set to:
Turn tv on to relevant input
Turn onkyo on to relevant input and relevant output (main or sub)

Turned CEC off on every device, and turned eARC off.

Only “issue” I have found is that with the Apple TV connected to hdmi 4 on the onkyo, it won’t output as 4:2:2, only 4:2:0. Since I don’t play any games on the Apple TV that isn’t an issue for me. I could probably get it working on hdmi 3, but I couldn’t be bothered swapping cables once I had it all back in place.

Good to know! I'll do the same setup tomorrow -- very eager to get 4K120/VRR on PS5/XSX without dealing with TV menus!

 

[ban25]

Good to know! I'll do the same setup tomorrow -- very eager to get 4K120/VRR on PS5/XSX without dealing with TV menus!

Confirmed, I have this working now.

 

[ivo.f.doma]

https://www.whathifi.com/news/onkyo...utm_term=D93C9889-AD2F-449D-9090-1A9DCE8B3591 5df6e9620feab17700f34dacf4c7338d96ad083871fb0d45bf36a906e2c74f97&utm_campaign=E632F623-34B1-4EBE&tB56C-3D25m_content=Am E55C856-6040-4D49-9F3F-93BAF84071E0&utm_source=SmartBrief

 

[Sammy135]

https://www.whathifi.com/news/onkyo...utm_term=D93C9889-AD2F-449D-9090-1A9DCE8B3591 5df6e9620feab17700f34dacf4c7338d96ad083871fb0d45bf36a906e2c74f97&utm_campaign=E632F623-34B1-4EBE&tB56C-3D25m_content=Am E55C856-6040-4D49-9F3F-93BAF84071E0&utm_source=SmartBrief

How can a rz30 with parallel sub outs get dlbc when rz50 doesn't even have it...

How is dlbc going to do each sub differently when that's impossible.

And I just read a post dirac got rid of 1 of the dlbc subwoofer purchase options and price of the license came down by a bit.

Is rz50 going to get a firmware update?

 

[popej]

How can a rz30 with parallel sub outs get dlbc when rz50 doesn't even have it...

Coming soon.

Onkyo TX-RZ50 – Dirac

DIRAC LIVE FOR Onkyo TX-RZ50 Get your license

www.dirac.com

 

[EWL5]

How can a rz30 with parallel sub outs get dlbc when rz50 doesn't even have it...

How is dlbc going to do each sub differently when that's impossible.

And I just read a post dirac got rid of 1 of the dlbc subwoofer purchase options and price of the license came down by a bit.

Is rz50 going to get a firmware update?

It's called 2021 tech vs 2024 tech, that's how!

There used to be a cost for DLBC single SW license vs a DLBC multi-sub license that costed a little more. Dirac recently unified both into a single cheaper license that covers from 1 to x number of SWs.

 

[dlaloum]

How can a rz30 with parallel sub outs get dlbc when rz50 doesn't even have it...

How is dlbc going to do each sub differently when that's impossible.

And I just read a post dirac got rid of 1 of the dlbc subwoofer purchase options and price of the license came down by a bit.

Is rz50 going to get a firmware update?

Single sub dlbc.

 

[peng]

How can a rz30 with parallel sub outs get dlbc when rz50 doesn't even have it...

How is dlbc going to do each sub differently when that's impossible.

And I just read a post dirac got rid of 1 of the dlbc subwoofer purchase options and price of the license came down by a bit.

Is rz50 going to get a firmware update?

We are on the same page on this. The "two independent/discrete" subout thing is just speculation at the moment. We will soon know as the manuals become available. I say manual because even the RZ50 and other manufacturers (example: Anthem) that advertised the "two" subout feature don't always clarify whether are are independent or not, and you have to dig in further, such as reading the manuals.

 

[peng]

Coming soon.

Onkyo TX-RZ50 – Dirac

DIRAC LIVE FOR Onkyo TX-RZ50 Get your license

www.dirac.com

Unless I missed your point somewhere, that link only shows BC is going to be available for upgrade, and that's software. For AVRs, such as the RZ50, DLBC will still treat it as single sub because the two subouts are basically like a single subout to two using a Y connector.

 

[popej]

Unless I missed your point somewhere

The point is, that Onkyo don't misname RZ30, it should be a lower model than RZ50 and missing some features rather than adding more like getting DLBC while RZ50 doesn't. As for missing, at first look I would say no radio and single USB port. And I doubt it has 2 independent subs, since it would be a major redesign - more connections to DSP, more DACs, more preamp channels.

 

[EWL5]

The point is, that Onkyo don't misname RZ30, it should be a lower model than RZ50 and missing some features rather than adding more like getting DLBC while RZ50 doesn't. As for missing, at first look I would say no radio and single USB port. And I doubt it has 2 independent subs, since it would be a major redesign - more connections to DSP, more DACs, more preamp channels.

I see no problem w/the naming convention or that newer features are featured on the "junior unit". Sometimes Mercedes will introduce something newer on the C class before the E Class (happens all the time in various industries)!

As long as you understand it's 2024 tech vs 2021 tech, then you should be able to believe the "good things" are coming!

 

[peng]

The point is, that Onkyo don't misname RZ30, it should be a lower model than RZ50 and missing some features rather than adding more like getting DLBC while RZ50 doesn't. As for missing, at first look I would say no radio and single USB port. And I doubt it has 2 independent subs, since it would be a major redesign - more connections to DSP, more DACs, more preamp channels.

Agreed, very much my points too. If one values the more than one real sub out feature, and for price points similar to the RZ50, the Denon AVR-X3800H remains to be the one to beat.

 

[popej]

As long as you understand it's 2024 tech vs 2021 tech, then you should be able to believe the "good things" are coming!

Would be nice, but I doubt Onkyo would give name RZ30 for a truly new design. It looks like a remake of NR7100.

 

[peng]

I see no problem w/the naming convention or that newer features are featured on the "junior unit". Sometimes Mercedes will introduce something newer on the C class before the E Class (happens all the time in various industries)!

As long as you understand it's 2024 tech vs 2021 tech, then you should be able to believe the "good things" are coming!

If you are still referring to the two sub outs being independent, I 100% hope you are right but that is just wishful thinking at the moment. If they did do that, the RZ30 may be the only real so called "9.2" on the market at the moment at the <$1,000 list price range. I may then try to sell my AVR-X1800H and buy the RZ30.