only valid for Zone 1/Zone 2 will only produce 4K120 resolution when two separate HDMI sources are used. THX Certified Upon evaluating the Onkyo TX-RZ50 features in a real-world scenario, I was amazed by the remarkable performance enhancement in my speaker system. The first thing I listened to when I began testing this AV receiver was Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”– the TX-RZ50 definitely elevates the audio quality across various elements. The cymbals displayed a perfect balance between sharpness and smoothness without being harsh. The guitar exhibited an impressive level of depth and spaciousness, revealing previously unnoticed nuances. Furthermore, the drums maintained a clean and pronounced punch, demonstrating the receiver’s capacity to deliver an outstanding listening experience for diverse musical genres. If loading HARMAN, etc, curves take that into account, and adjust with the AVR sub level before DIRAC. When looking for a decent base for your home theater, it’s worth figuring out initially what you’ll need to enjoy quality for years. And this Onkyo TX-RZ50 review is for those willing to spend a little more but get a premium receiver at a mid-range price. This 9-channel model is the flagship of the brand’s AV receiver lineup, and I expect from this device not only quality sound but also a lot of modern features. So let’s take a closer look at it and figure out what it really has to offer. Add to all this the legendary score by John Williams that was reproduced with delicacy and care and you have a masterpiece that the TX-RZ50 made real justice.

As we mentioned above the RZ50 features an isolated 1.8 GHz quad-core SoC that is capable of performing multiple processing tasks at once. It evolves network functions and supports the 802.11ac (2×2 MIMO) standard for stable multi-room audio streaming either this is made through a wireless and wired connection. For those of you with too loud or too low warnings with your subs in the PC DIRAC app, this is a great workaround if you have a calibrated USB mic:

If I have one complaint about the RZ50, it would be that it could utilize more finesse. Personally, I enjoy its in-your-face sound, but when you compare it to the Marantz SR5015, the 5015’s sound is a little more nuanced. The loss in sales between the two quarters were disastrous, but the losses in operating profit were at least moving in the right direction, despite 2020 dropping a bomb on the company. It shows that although Onkyo suffered over 70% decline in sales, it still managed to stop 7.5% of the bleeding. Onkyo & Pioneer Look for a Strong 2021

With the available built-in amplifiers you can create a Dolby Atmos system up to 7.2.2 or 5.2.4 channels. As the TX-RZ50 offers processing for up to 11 channels if you add an external amplifier you can create a system with a configuration of 7.2.4 channels. As for this review we went for a 5.1.4 channels setup with four height speakers and a single subwoofer. Lastly, the Onkyo TX-RZ50 also has a phono input, which allows you to connect a turntable and enjoy your vinyl collection. RZ50 Setup supports Bluetooth transmission for sending audio from the receiver to Bl There are various presets where you can save your configuration and also after the initial measurements you can go to each channel separately and adjust the curve any way you like so this can be particularly handy for those that seek to do micro-adjustments to the system’s own balancing. AV receivers are notoriously complex, with reams of features and confusing technical specifications. (For example, what's 4K/120Hz anyway?) Yet, what are the things that really matter when buying a new model? I'm going to sum up the most important ones right here. HDMI inputsOnce your subwoofer trim is correct you can once again set the Master Volume and Speaker Tabs as you have been doing and you are ready to measure. At this point save your project under a new name. I called it Base as this is what I always import before doing any measurements in Dirac after setting my Master Volume and Speaker Tabs. You should not receive any clipping or signal noise messages. Measure your 9 points or 13 points or 17 points. Personally I feel the 9 point calibration sounds better. Save your project after measuring with a different name. You will be able to return to this project in the future to change your target curves without having to re-measure. I named this file 9 point.

However, it doesn't quite feel polished compared to my old RZ830. It's practically the same AVR but just with Dirac and HDMI 2.1 ports. It's advertised as a 9.2 channel receiver but the subwoofer outputs are not independent of each other like what you get on Denon AVRs, so it's the same signal split in two. Which means I can't eq my two subwoofers which means I need to get another device like a minidsp to eq them. There is no sign of Dirac Live Bass Control coming to this so if you have more than 1 sub this AVR may not be right for you. But if you are only ever going to be running one sub then it's no big deal. You can also stream music by connecting an external hard drive on the rear USB port although we would definitely prefer to have this at the front as it is extremely difficult to reach it where it is now and as a result most people have to rely on some kind of USB extender for easy access. You can give the Onkyo TX-RZ50 AVR commands by speaking into an Alexa device. To listen to music, radio stations, or podcasts, all you have to do is ask. It also enables the playing of music through various devices and spaces. Multi-room audio may require a firmware upgrade. Connect speakers for powered multi-room sound The front face is completely similar to the TX-RZ840 and keeps certain design aspects that are very characteristic with most Onkyo AV receivers. As such there is no knob for input selection that we see in so many other models and Onkyo instead uses dedicated buttons for each input. Now if this is more practical or not is certainly a personal matter so we will leave it at that. plays high-resolution digital music files via USB storage device or a networked computer (up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution)

Specs

Last part of our testing was music so we switched to a 2 channels setup and got some tunes to see how the TX-RZ50 can do with something more musical. The chart below compares fiscal Q1 2020 with Q1 2021 in two important metrics, sales and profit (loss in Onkyo’s case). The graph’s unit of measure is 1-million Japanese Yen. First of all we will talk about its calibration system and this is the rare case where an AV receiver actually includes two of them! You see, until recently all Onkyo AV receivers were coming with their proprietary AccuEQ auto calibration system. For the first time Onkyo still uses it but also brought Dirac Live built-in and this is something that many fans of the brand will warmly welcome. Hello. Since the RZ50 is starting to become more prevalent out in the wild I figured it was time to start an Owner's Thread. Klipsch Optimize Mode enables seamless integration of your new Klipsch Reference Premiere speakers with your Onkyo AV receiver. For some of the new Reference Premiere speakers, Klipsch and Onkyo worked together to implement the proper crossover values. Your Onkyo AV Receiver is prepared to sync with your Klipsch speakers. Rejuvenate Your Lifestyle of Entertainment

Prices valid in stores (all including VAT) until close of business on 26th November 2023. (Some of these web prices are cheaper than in-store, so please mention that you've seen these offers online.) The TX-RZ50 features up to 11.2 channel processing and pre-outs for 7.2.4 system layouts, making it an ideal choice for your premium home cinema setup Another particular handy feature is the inclusion of a low latency mode. We had tried using the Bluetooth transmission feature but when watching a movie there is obvious lip sync issues due to the slow transmission of the SBC protocol. With the RZ50 including a low latency mode means that streaming to some Bluetooth headphones will sync the audio exactly to what is on screen.Onkyo had been preparing for difficult times long before we even knew about COVID-19, despite losses and compounding problems that may have sunk another company, Onkyo had already been working a recovery plan. But is Onkyo’s plan working? According to Ted Green, business strategy insights expert and founder of Strata-Gee.com, Onkyo’s plan seemed to be showing positive signs as recently as last November. Green’s excellent article on Onkyo provides more insight into the specifics of Onkyo’s plan over 2020. Positive Signs for Onkyo Last film we tested and we could not close this review without it is one of our favorite films of all time, The Lord of the Rings. This time we decided to try our the Two Towers and obviously the battle of Helm’s Deep was the obvious choice. AB31, AB32, AB33, AB34, AB35, AB36, AB37, AB38, AB41, AB42, AB43, AB44, AB45, AB46, AB47, AB48, AB49, AB50, AB51, AB52, AB53, AB54, AB55, AB56 For sound and video quality, you’ll get the same impressive stats from the Onkyo TX-RZ50 that you’ll find on the Pioneer VSX-LX505 above. This includes Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and IMAX sound, and support for video resolutions up to 8K. It’s a great system for movies, music, or gaming, with support for multi-room music and direct streaming from apps like Pandora and Spotify. The Onkyo TX-RZ50 has THX Certification which ensures that the viewing and listening experience has passed critical industry standards. The Pioneer VSX-LX505 on the other hand, does not have THX Certification, which guarantees Onkyo’s quality.