Onkyo TX-RZ50 Review – Incredible Value

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Onkyo TX-RZ50
onkyo tx-rz50

Product Name: Onkyo TX-RZ50

Overall
92
  • DESIGN - 92
  • FEATURES - 92
  • CONNECTIVITY - 92
  • SOUND QUALITY - 94
  • VALUE - 92

Summary

Great sound quality, good features, good design this receiver has a lot to offer at a very attractive price point.

Pros

  • Safe and reliable HDMI 2.1 ports
  • Impeccable sound quality
  • Excellent connectivity and ports
  • Wide variety of user-friendly features
  • Powerful performance
  • Innovative Dirac Live audio calibration
  • Outstanding video capabilities
  • Robust build quality
  • Flexibility for customized setups

Cons

  • Nothing innovative in the design compared to previous Onkyo models
  • The remote control could have been better

Onkyo TX-RZ50 Review

Onkyo TX-RZ50 review

People always look for a powerful, functional, and user-friendly AV receiver that delivers the best value for money. You can come across many different home theater receivers nowadays. What about Onkyo TX-RZ50? Is this model a top choice? This Onkyo TX-RZ50 review explores the features, pros, and cons of this model with an unbiased approach. Let us find whether this home theater receiver offers the best value for money.

Onkyo TX-RZ50 – Build and Design

Onkyo follows the same design pattern for its premier RZ models. The TX-RZ50 model does not make an exception. There are no knobs for input selection on this device. Onkyo utilizes dedicated buttons for each input. You can describe this AV receiver as a black box with a large display screen on the front side. It boasts 15 small buttons above the large volume knob on the right.

On the left side of this receiver, you can find a circular power button and a pure direct button. There are also two small buttons and knobs for tone and listening modes on the bottom left corner. The flip door below the display covers other knobs and buttons to provide an uncluttered look.

The remote control comes with large buttons with a rubber feel to ensure ease of use. However, it does not have a backlit feature. Overall, the pretty clear design makes a good impression like the previous models. The build quality of this model is appreciable. Solid aluminum is used to make this robust AV receiver.

Onkyo TX-RZ50 – Features

Sophisticated video processing

TX-RZ50 comes with the most advanced video technology. Equipped with an updated version of the Panasonic HDMI 2.1 chip, three HDMI ports of this device have a 4K@120Hz configuration. It also supports an 8K/60p video pass-through to make your movie-watching experience enjoyable. The color, contrast, and brightness are efficiently optimized by Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG, and HDR formats.

eARC and HDPC 2.3

The eARC feature makes decoding and amplification effortless. That is to say, this AV receiver passes multi-channel audio from TV to AVR perfectly. All HDMI terminals are compatible with HDCP 2.3. You don’t need to worry about screen blanking between HDMI switching. Thanks to the QMS feature.

Excellent mapping of sound origins

DTS: X and Dolby Atmos compatibility map sound origins efficiently to create an immersive listening environment. You can enjoy the 3D sound when you use this device. The Dolby Surround and DTS Neural: X compatibility lets you rediscover classic titles with the help of a height-enabled system. These features create outstanding audio quality with the perfect analysis of soundtracks to discover spatial cues.

Dolby Atmos Height Virtualizer

This model comes with a Dolby Atmos Height Virtualizer. This feature takes the quality of the Dolby formats to the next level. Equipped with a conventional speaker layout, this AV receiver produces excellent virtual surround and height effects. The short signal paths of the HDMI board prevent unwanted noise as well.

Experience lag-free gameplay

The new HDMI features of this model enhance virtual worlds with impeccable 3D sound to offer the best gaming experience. You can enjoy more responsive and fluid gameplay. There is no need to worry about shutter or frame-tearing and lag. Thanks to the QFT, ALLM, and VRR features.

onkyo tx-rz gaming

Hassle-free music streaming and multi-room entertainment

You can stream music from your tablet or smartphone using a built-in Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2, or Bluetooth. Digital musical files can be played over the Wi-Fi network. The phono output with a built-in phono stage lets you connect the turntable’s cartridge output directly to the receiver. This AV receiver also allows you to play high-resolution tracks with the help of a USB drive.

You can share music in several rooms with effortless ease. Streaming content can be accessed from TuneIn, Deezer, Amazon Music HD, TIDAL, Spotify, and Pandora through DTS Play-Fi, AirPlay2, Works with Sonos, and Chromecast.

Outstanding room calibration

Onkyo TX-RZ50 comes with the most advanced Roon-tested room connection platform known as Dirac Live audio calibration. It analyzes the room acoustics, including the setup mic, before fine-tuning the sound output. The outcome will complement the distinct sonic characteristics of your room.

Perfect compatibility with leading voice agents

You can use your voice to operate this receiver. Thanks to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility. The home theater AV receiver works with leading digital voice assistants to deliver excellent ease of use.

Customized setup flexibility

The 12 V trigger output of Onkyo TX-RZ50 lets you connect a motorized projector screen or an external power amp and power it up automatically. The CEC or HDMI control does the same process for media players. The receiver can be hidden from the screen with the help of an IR repeater input. So you can create a customized theater with effortless ease. The integration of the device into the automation system can be achieved using the Ethernet and RS-232 terminals.

IMAX Enhanced

IMAX enhanced takes maximum advantage of DTS: X technology to create the best theatrical experience. With an excellent reproduction of the content, this feature offers an IMAX signature experience that filmmakers always want to convey.

Other Notable Features

The speaker impedance of this device is 4 to 16 ohms. It offers a signal-to-noise ratio of 106 dB. The frequency response of TX RZ50 is 5 Hz-100 kHz. With an operating power consumption of 850 watts, idle power consumption of 75 watts, and standby power consumption of 0.1 watts, this model helps you save on energy bills. The weight of this product is 30.9 lbs.

Onkyo TX-RZ50 – Connectivity

onkyo tx-rz50 back

The number of HDMI inputs available on this AV receiver is 7. You can also find 3 HDMI outputs. It boasts 6 analog stereo inputs, 2 composite inputs, 1 IR input, 1 coaxial digital audio input, 1 optical input, 1 component input, and 1 phono input.

You can also find 1 component output, 1 12V trigger port, 11.2 multi-channel pre-outs, 1 USB port, and an RS-232 port for control on this receiver. Other connectivity features include an Ethernet port and dual Wi-Fi/Bluetooth antennas.

Onkyo TX-RZ50 – Sound Quality and Performance

TX RZ50 comes with a 9.2-channel amplifier. The power output per channel is 120 watts at 8 Ohms and 250 watts at 6 Ohms. This home theater receiver supports 11.2 channel processing. With the help of built-in amplifiers, you can configure this device into a 7.2.2 or 5.2.4 system. It can be converted into a 7.2.4 system using an external amplifier.

This device measures the acoustic data and corrects the amplitude and timing of sound coloration to make your listening experience incredibly immersive. With enhanced staging, bass response, voice intelligibility, clarity, and localization, TX RZ50 transforms your listening environment.

The panning effects and the low-end action of this AV receiver can be termed as exceptional. It recreates all the action scenes with immaculate precision. With a harmonious combination of outstanding dynamics, perfect balance, great clarity, and excellent accuracy, this model offers an immersive soundstage that surpasses your expectations.

When you watch diverse movies with bombastic and low-end scenes and surround sounds, Onkyo TX-RZ50 handles them all with clinical precision and balance. This home theatre receiver renders even the tiniest details to create a realistic movie-watching experience. RZ50 offers the right amount of weight each scene demands.

With delicate use of bass, proficient overhead layer filling, and impressive utilization of the surround channels, this receiver takes the user experience to unprecedented heights. It always pushes the subwoofers to optimal limits. This model recreates even battlefield scenes with authority. You don’t need to worry about dialogues overlapping the actions. Overall, RZ50 will make you feel like you are at the center of all the action.

You can expect faithful reproduction of sound when you use this home theater receiver. It handles all frequency range levels with minute attention to detail and care. As mentioned above, the magnificent stereo panning effects and transparency enhance the listening quality admirably. Onkyo TX-RZ50 stays dynamic and energetic at high-end frequencies. When it comes to handling mid frequencies, this receiver shows exceptional control and balance.

Verdict

Pros

  • Safe and reliable HDMI 2.1 ports
  • Impeccable sound quality
  • Excellent connectivity and ports
  • Wide variety of user-friendly features
  • Powerful performance
  • Innovative Dirac Live audio calibration
  • Outstanding video capabilities
  • Robust build quality
  • Flexibility for customized setups

Cons

  • Nothing innovative in the design compared to previous Onkyo models
  • The remote control could have been better

Final Words

What do you think? Is this AV receiver worth buying? When you analyze all these features, pros, and cons of Onkyo TX-RZ50, you can find that this model is a feature-rich and user-friendly AV receiver. Compared to the previous models, it does not come with any innovation in terms of design. However, you must appreciate the excellent features and performance of the Onkyo model. It is more powerful than other AV Receivers at competing price like Denon AVR-X3700H and Yamaha RX-A4A. The bottom line is that this home theater receiver comes with more appreciable functional advantages than many other models available on the market today. Overall, TX RZ50 is a top-quality product that offers the best value for money.

REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING:

Vivek Sehgal
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