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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

dlaloum

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There was a response on one thread... trying to remember which site... perhaps AVForums (?) - which is frequented by a lot of UK and Europe based people, mentioned that the RZ50 was available out of Poland (!).
 

pdefina

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Disappointing - however I am not overly concerned with the power amplifier issues, as I was planning on running external amps, due to my speakers being quite a difficult load....
The issues with Jitter are a bit disappointing - and there it cannot easily be remedied externally.

Still going to give it a try though - I think Dirac might be a game changer. (I have ordered the Integra DRX 3.4... should be same pre, with fewer channels, and lower power amps)

And if unhappy with the results - I will trade in for something like the Denon X3700/4700 -
I have been using the denon x3700 and the Integra 3.4 for a few days now. I can tell you the Integra, almost identical to an Rz50, is light-years ahead of the denon in terms of software, if you care about that sort of thing. The HEOS app is like windows 98, and can't even play my Amazon music playlists!

Denon has one 8k input, Onkyo/Integra has all 8k inputs. I'm using an adcom GFA-5500 on the front mains and it sounds wonderful on either receiver. I will probably get rid of my two channel preamp and dac and just use this Integra for streaming, or maybe pkug the dac into an anolog input on the integra and try that out.

Don't rule out Onkyo. Their products are much more polished than D and M. Nobody ever talks about how old and cluncky the denon software is. I'd try both!
 

dlaloum

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One issue I have had twice, once yesterday and once two weeks ago...

Suddenly there is no audio - typically just after turning it on (from standby) - with the HTPC being my primary source, I always focus first on checking the sound drivers, whether the PC is on mute etc.... but both times, the issue was finally resolved with a "cold boot" of the AVR - ie: full power off, disconnect the power cord, plug it back in 10s later - everything is fine.

It seems like the operating system gets its knickers in a knot after a couple of weeks without a full reboot, and needs a clean restart....

Would be nice if there was an easier way to do that - or even better, some way to schedule an automatic restart every morning at 4am!
 

tjcinnamon

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SINAD is worse than Denon indeed, but Onkyo appears to have HDMI 2.1 ports that work well. That's apparently still problematic on the Denons. Perhaps when Denon releases the X*800 range of AVRs later this year, it'll be fixed, but still problematic on their current X*700 range (e.g. X3700, X4700). And, well, the Onkyo has Dirac Live :)

For movies and such, I'm not too nitpicky about SINAD and the utmost fidelity anyway. For music I am, and I have a dedicated streamer with integrated DAC for that, with a SINAD in the 110db+ range. As well as a Purifi poweramp, also in the 110db+ SINAD range, arguably above the range where most human ears can't hear a difference anymore (though some say it's 120db+).
What HDMI 2.1 issues do they have?
 

starfly

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What HDMI 2.1 issues do they have?
I believe I had read that Denon needed to send out a separate device to make HDMI 2.1 work correctly, but maybe that's based on outdated information.
 

GalZohar

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I believe I had read that Denon needed to send out a separate device to make HDMI 2.1 work correctly, but maybe that's based on outdated information.

Originally latest-gen denon units had faulty HDMI 2.1 due to using a buggy chip. At some point the chip was replaced, and newer units don't have the bug anymore and as far as I'm aware are supposed to work, however they also have a different DAC, and I haven't seen any measurements of how it affects the overall performance.
Owners of older units can request under warranty and external device that supposedly fixes the issue, but availability for it can be problematic depending on where you are, and it supposedly adds some significant latency, which beats the whole point of 4k120 gaming, which is the main purpose of HDMI 2.1.
 

dlaloum

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Originally latest-gen denon units had faulty HDMI 2.1 due to using a buggy chip. At some point the chip was replaced, and newer units don't have the bug anymore and as far as I'm aware are supposed to work, however they also have a different DAC, and I haven't seen any measurements of how it affects the overall performance.
Owners of older units can request under warranty and external device that supposedly fixes the issue, but availability for it can be problematic depending on where you are, and it supposedly adds some significant latency, which beats the whole point of 4k120 gaming, which is the main purpose of HDMI 2.1.
Yes, they had two issues...

1) Faulty HDMI - fixed with an update to the HDMI board
2) DAC Supply issues after the AKM factory burnt down - they replaced the DAC boards using alternate (lower performing... in theory) DAC's

Note: we have yet to see one of the updated versions tested - all the tests have been of the original AKM DAC versions. - Impact to performance of the change of DAC's and the revision of the entire circuit board to enable that, are still unknown.
 

cavedriver

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If it's so obvious that Onkyo intends serious listeners to use a separate amp for the front channels they could at least bring back the balanced pre-outs that they had on my ~2015 vintage NR1030 and add a 12v trigger for the front output to switch the amp. Then my Hypex 502MP can happily drive my speakers through the roof with it's silly 350+ wpc. I get the feeling the current team at Onkyo may have lost some key people during the bankruptcy, like all the audiophiles.
 

Rottmannash

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If it's so obvious that Onkyo intends serious listeners to use a separate amp for the front channels they could at least bring back the balanced pre-outs that they had on my ~2015 vintage NR1030 and add a 12v trigger for the front output to switch the amp. Then my Hypex 502MP can happily drive my speakers through the roof with it's silly 350+ wpc. I get the feeling the current team at Onkyo may have lost some key people during the bankruptcy, like all the audiophiles.
It does have a 12V trigger out-I use it.
 

dlaloum

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yes, but no balanced pre-outs. That combination hasn't existed in any of Onkyo's generations as far as I've found?
Only in the totl flagship prepro...

And the flagship models (including the prepro's) have not been issued for the current generation - we are all waiting!

If (as they have in the past), they keep the current chassis - it will use ESS DAC's and Class-D amps for the AVR models

The prepro's will be available in Onkyo and Integra versions (no Pioneer prepro apparently).
 

valerianf

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Question for Amir.
Did you try any noise measurement on the speaker outputs with Dirac engaged?
On another forum there are some claims that engaging a Dirac profile brings a static noise (hiss) on the speaker output but not on the pre-amp outputs.
Did somebody notice that?
 
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Rottmannash

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Rottmannash

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Does this AVR have an auto lipsync feature?
I had to manually adjust the delay when using eARC when using the tv apps.
 

Rottmannash

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How about with external inputs? I use a Shield as my streaming device.
With anything hooked into the AVR I use enable the lipsync feature in the app-it seems to work perfectly but w/o manual adjustment there is quite a lag when viewing apps on the tv via eARC.
 

dlaloum

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Does this AVR have an auto lipsync feature?
I believe it is built into it's HDMI setup - never had a sync issue with it!

I run HTPC > AVR > TV - AVR to TV is setup for full sync capabilities, 4k+, VRR etc... TV is set up for full extended HDMI input

everything seems happy!
 

dlaloum

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With anything hooked into the AVR I use enable the lipsync feature in the app-it seems to work perfectly but w/o manual adjustment there is quite a lag when viewing apps on the tv via eARC.
Strange - I havn't experienced lipsync since installing the new AVR...

I wonder which part of the chain is causing the delay?
 
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