TX-RZ50 9.2-Channel THX Certified Network AV Receiver - Black

I’ve finally replaced 14 year-old audio/video receiver, Denon AVR-790, with this Onkyo TX-RZ50. The Denon one was a budget ($460 in 2009) 7 channel processing unit, which has served my entertainment room with 7.1 sound. Overall the old Denon was ok after Audyssey MultED calibrated speakers for the room, yet the center channel and voice left always something to be improved. I thought that it is attributed in part to the speakers. I’ve been looking for an upgrade which can process 7.1.4 surround to provide an object based sound such as ATMOS or DTS:X. This TX-RZ50 came to my search radar to meet all the requirement with great reviews from so many critics at an affordable price tag ($1,199 from Amazon or $1,599 from Onkyo). As for the ATMOS set up, I’ve added 4 satellite speakers identical with the original set (Onkyo SKS-HT540). This is a budget speaker system; but shows pretty decent frequency response, sensitivity, and drivers manufactured by Onkyo back then. I’ve installed them as two front height and two middle height speakers. ATMOS has been debatable regarding its 3D sound effect - but I became to love the front height speakers most in a way that they provided a larger screen effect more than just two front left/right speakers. There are clearly sound movements following objects between heights and ear-level speakers, but I wished I could feel more than currently what they are from streaming ATMOS contents of NETFLIX, Max (HBO), Disney+, and Apple TV+ [please read my update below]. So far, I could not test DTS:X or IMAX Enhanced properly due to the lack of sources available. This will be something I can continue to explore in the future. In this price tag, Auro-3D is not available, but that’s ok. It is true that the sound quality is steps of upgrade compared to the old Denon. Onkyo’s legacy software has been AcuuEQ. However, recent Onkyo receivers are bundled with Dirac Live software (for free!). This AcuuEQ did an ok job upon my testing; however, Dirac Live made much improved sound quality and crossover clarity with flexible controls. The mobile “Onkyo Controller” app (I have an iOS one) could perform the Dirac Live calibration in an easy but limited manner; however, I like the full software better installed to my Mac. I realized that my old speaker sets could have been this good after Dirac Live calibration with my personal touches on the volume and crossover set. During the calibration, I used the puck type microphone provided, which worked just fine - in the future, I’d like to test the calibrated mic such as UMIK. The mobile Controller app can work literally as a replacement of the remote. It’s fun to test speaker outputs in various ways from pure stereo to 7.1.4. Only I wish I can choose the output mode directly, instead of through a rotary mode. Hope that a future firmware can upgrade it. TX-RZ50 can process 9 channels (and 2 identical subwoofers) - so I needed an amp to power 2 extra channels for 11 (7.1.4) setup. I’m recycling the retiring Denon unit as an stereo amp for surround back left/right speakers - it appears that the preamp of TX-RZ50 to support 11 channels should be always from surround back left/right and that the speaker outputs from surround back left/right should go to rear height two channels, per the manual. This is a bit confusing why it should be like that. I have a funny experience with the Apple TV 4K (2nd gen), which is the main streaming box directly connected to TX-RZ50. When I assigned the Apple TV in the HomeKit to “Family Room”, the default audio output was set as TV Speakers - I had to change it to Receiver Speakers every time. However, after I reset the Apple TV in HomeKit to “Home Theater”, the default audio is now set as “Receiver Speakers”. I did not experiment carefully, but the Receiver Speakers setup gave me a better sound for some reason, especially from the height channels. TV (Samsung 75” QLED Smart 4K, 2019 model) works as a hub for ARC and HDMI-CEC to control the audio return, volume, and power for TV, receiver, and Apple TV all at once. Some consumers appear to have issue for HDMI and ARC connection, but my unit has been a charm without any. It takes about 15 sec to show the Apple TV content on screen after I turn on the Apple TV remote. Switching between connected gears such as playstation and blurry player takes about 12 sec. It is ok, but feels like a bit lagging. Overall, I’m very satisfied with this AVR at its 3 weeks possession. It is one of the best mid-range 9 channel ATMOS receivers out there in terms of sound quality. I truly welcome Onkyo back in the business after its acquisition by Premium Audio Company. I’ve contacted the service provider (11 Trading Company) during the registration, and they seem to be very responsive. The unit comes in 3 years manufacture warranty once you confirm that you purchase it from an authorized dealer. Amazon is one of them. [Update 09/08/2023] For last a month or so, I’ve tested basically multiple Blu-Ray discs of both FHD (1080p) and UHD (4K). Usually FHD Blu-Rays have 5.1 channel surround recordings of either Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio (MA). More recent 4K UHD discs usually have Dolby ATMOS (TrueHD based) or DTS:X (DTS-HD MA based). All these 4 lossless audios from physical discs sounded much better than lossy audios of streaming contents, in terms of dynamic range, loudness, details and clarity. In particular, both ATMOS (Midway, Spiderman: Across The Spider-Verse and Into The Spider-Verse) and DTS:X (Bourne 5 movie collection) sounded AMAZING! They demonstrated the “3D sound dome” where I could feel immersive and object-base effects VERY well. The same ATMOS contents from streaming services like Netflix, Max, Disney+, or Apple TV+ did not match. The last time I bought Blu-ray discs was 2015 (The Matrix Trilogy) and ever since then I was all in for the streaming. But now I bought a 4K UHD player (Panasonic UB 820P-K) and am trying to get more reference quality 4K discs. In addition, > 10 years old blu-rays were being tested and rediscovered for their excellent sound recordings through upmixing their original 5.1 into 7.1.4 by the TX-RZ50. Even “The Eagles - Hell Freezes Over (DVD, 1994)” sounds amazing with its DTS mastering! This TX-RZ50 is a fantastic upgrade for my entertainment room presenting me a new joy of watching masterpiece collection!

My history: My first surround sound A/V receiver was an Okyo TX-SV444. This was a great receiver, however it was analog only. I enjoyed it for many years until a co-worker introduced me to digital audio receivers and I replaced the TX-SV444 with an Onkyo TX-SR600. The TX-SR600 has served me well! What I liked about it is it had multi-channel analog audio inputs which allowed me to connect all four channels of my Teac Reel-To-Real multi-track tape recorder and listen to quadraphonic tapes. Tracks 1 and 3 (front speakers) and tracks 2 and 4 (rear speakers) simultaneously. I know, I know, who still uses tape decks anymore? I DO, THAT'S WHO!!! (I still use VHS technology once in a while as well!) Something disappointing about the TX-SR600 is that it has no tape monitor (sometimes called a tape loop) circuit, nor does it have a phono input. Odd that many new A/V receivers come with a phono input, but you're very hard-pressed to find one with a tape monitor circuit, or multi-channel analog audio inputs. Additionally, the TX-SR600 does not support HDMI, and this was because the HDMI technology was brand-new and not that common when I purchased this receiver. It supports Dolby Pro-Logic, Dolby Digital, And DTS. Not a bad receiver. Very well-built, and packs a punch. Well.... now that technology has advanced and we have high definition TV's, it was time to finally upgrade my A/V receiver. Did a lot of reading as well as watching various A/V comparison YouTube clips and the majority of them have given the Onkyo TX-RZ50 very good reviews. Many have said that the TX-RZ50 is THE RECEIVER to get, if you want high quality at a price that won't break the bank. I decided to buy one. The unit arrived from Amazon in two days! WOW! This unit is HEAVY! Took some muscle to heave this beast down the stairs to my basement media room. The receiver comes with an AM antenna, FM antenna, remote control, and a calibration mic with a generously long cable. The power cord for this receiver is detachable, and I believe is the same style plug as what you'd typically find on a computer. The receiver DOES NOT come with any speaker cables, NOR does it come with a printed user's manual. If you decide to buy this receiver, consider buying some ink cartridges and paper for your printer because you will definitely want to download and print out the user manual. The manual is about 209 pages! ALSO... consider buying a package of "banana" plugs for the speaker wires. You CAN get away without banana plugs, because the terminals will let you insert the speaker cables into the sides of the terminals and screw them tight, but it's cumbersome, and care must be taken not to have any exposed wires with could potentially short out. Banana plugs are definitely the way to go. This receiver has the old-style Red, Blue, Green component video input for older equipment such as DVD players, which is a plus. Additionally, it has two analog (composite) video inputs, which allows you to connect a VCR. It doesn't have an S-Video input, however. (Does anyone besides me still use S-Video? Anyone? Anyone?) The speaker output terminals are organized for front right and left, center, rear right and left, rear back right and left, and left and right "height". There are zone outputs as well (Two I think) which allows you to run sound into another room and play one audio source out your main channels and a different audio source out the zone channels, or..... play the same audio source out of all channels if you want your entire house thumping. Remember I said I have a Teac 4-channel tape deck? (Teac A-2340). The TX-RZ50, like most new A/V receivers, does not have a multi-channel audio input. HOWEVER.... with the zone channels, If I wanted to listen to 4-track recordings, I'm thinking I could "probably" plug a pair of rear speakers dedicated just for the reel-to-reel deck into one of those zones. That way, I can listen to the tape deck's front channels (tracks 1 and 3) out the main speakers AND listen to the rear channels (tracks 2 and 4) out the zone speakers! SWEET! I'm pretty sure I can do this. Haven't tried it yet. It does not have a tape monitor circuit. As for TAPE RECORDING, there is no analog audio output jacks, which is a bit disappointing. HOWEVER.... I "Think" I can probably use a zone pre-amp output as a tape/line out jack, but I will definitely want to check the pre-amp output voltages to make sure it outputs line level and won't overload the tape deck(s) tape inputs. Pretty sure I can do this, but we'll see. It DOES have a phono input! Speaking of pre-amp outputs, you can output all channels to an external amp or amps if you wanted to, and not even use the built-in amp and speaker terminals. Some audio enthusiasts are disappointed about the subwoofer options on this receiver. While you CAN connect TWO subwoofers, they are wired together. You cannot control/output each subwoofer separately. For some, this is a deal breaker, but for the majority of us, I don't think this is any big deal at all. There are two HDMI outputs, one of which is ARC. There are I think 6 HDMI inputs. The receiver supports both cabled ethernet OR wi-fi. There are two digital audio inputs; one coaxial and one optical. There are NO digital audio outputs however. I have my speaker system configured as follows: Two Infinity Primus 150 speakers for the front left and right speakers, located near ear level, next to my Infinity center channel. These front and right speakers were initially mounted on the left and right walls, near the ceiling, about 4 feet FORWARD of the center channel! HUH??? Why did I do that? I don't know, but that's how I designed the room initially. I have since relocated those front speakers so that they now sit immediately to the left and right of the center channel, as they should be. I mounted a pair of Insignia speakers on the left and right walls, near the ceiling, where my front speakers used to be. I set these Insignia speakers as my "High, MIDDLE" speakers. At the back of the room, above my couch, I have two Infinity satellite speakers mounted near the ceiling on the back wall. These are configured as my surround left and right back speakers. I bought an additional pair of Insignia speakers along with some speaker stands, and I use those for my Left and Right Surround Rear Speakers. I placed them to the left and right of the couch so that they face each other. There is also an Infinity powered subwoofer located near the front, right corner of the room. The room has a tile floor, so obviously I needed to adjust the room eq. The TX-RZ50 has Di-rack Live eq calibration as well as Onkyo's proprietary EQ option. Trust me, you're going to want to use Di-rack instead of the other! Configuring Di-rack was a bit intimidating at first. It kept losing connectivity with the network, and some of the channels gave errors about signal to noise ratio or clipping. It took some playing around to get it to finally calibrate. During the calibration process, you move the mic to various positions and take measurements. I highly recommend using the di-rack software (downloadable for free) on a LAPTOP instead of your phone. Once I got the speakers calibrated, it was time to try things out. Three words; OH-MY-GOODNESS!!!!! It sounds absolutely INCREDIBLE!!!!!! I played various songs, and wow, did it sound amazing! Put in a DVD of Jurrasic Park, and it just RATTLED the place! Sounds soooooo good! There are LOTS of listening settings, and I'm still learning what they all do. Takes some experimenting to determine what mode sounds the best with what input I'm listening to. Some reviewers have mentioned that the audio output is weak. I thought this at first, until I started experimenting with the different settings. I found that setting my equipment to use bitstream instead of PCM made a world of difference. I do have to set the volume to about 50%-ish, on average. It varies depending on what I'm listening to. I had a problem at first with getting the video to display when playing blueray disks. It was strange; I could get audio, but I'd get a message saying HDMI signal wasn't detected. It turns out I needed to enable a setting on my Visio TV, (UHD I think it was?) and now bluerays play just fine. Anyway, as you can probably tell, I am absolutely DELIGHTED with this purchase! I love the way this receiver sounds!

After doing months of research, I went with the RZ50. Took a few more weeks to get as it was hard to find back when it first came out. Had for over a year now and it is a great system. I am running it in a 7.1.4 setup with a 2 ch external amp. Bought when it was $1399. Excellent value over all the others of its class. And even better against the newer 2023 stuff which is rather pricey now. You can't beat the sound quality (clear dialogue and full sound) and the addition of free DIRAC Live for room correction ($300 value) is awesome. Plenty of power too. It will get LOUD (well past THX ref levels) by itself. Get it while you can while its still $1200 range. Highly recommended. By far the best value for your money if going 7.1.2 or 5.1.4 or 7.1.4. Great points: 1. 7.1.4 Atmos capability (need an external amp) 2. App support (Chomecast/airplay,etc) 3. Sound Quality 4. DIRAC Included with mic 5. 8K/60/4K/120 HDMI ports (6) 6. Full set of pre-outs 7. You can independently set the crossovers 8. Price/performance ratio Bad Points: 1. None I see. Odd Points: 1. If doing 7.1.4 with an external 2 channel amp, only the rear surrounds are allowed to be powered by them. You can not select a different set of speakers. 2. The dual sub outs are not independent but advertised as a 9.2 system. 3. Minor quirks with the HDMI switching - it can take a second or two to switch from one to the other like from Apple TV to Bluray or cable box and TV will temporarily show as no signal. You get used to it.

even though i am only using this in 3.1 now this is a great unit. 2 things I really like about it: Dirac Live for calibration and access the menu on a web interface. this is more than Ill ever need, great sound, tons of features

Some random ramblings: 4.5 stars. The least expensive 7.2.4 receiver on the market (at the time of purchase). I turned my old receiver into an amp for the back/rear surround channels. In my unique larger-sized room, the rear surround speakers are really only good to fill the void with music. I seldom notice any sound from movies (although my positioning isn't great). YMMV depending on your room layout. Pros: It produces great sound - rich, lush, and tantalizing. It's hard to explain other than stating it is an extremely satisfying sound. Much better than my Yamaha v383. The feature list is fantastic - so many streaming services, pre-outs, phono, headphone jack, Dirac. I looked at the Sony ES line but they don't support a lot of the streaming services, don't have a phono out, and don't have a headphone jack. Phone ridiculousness has spilled over into the receiver arena. Cons: Many functions feel sluggish, laggy. An amp is required for the remaining two channels. Would have been nice to avoid the hassle of rigging up my old receiver for two channels. But the next closest thing is a grand more so I'll live with it. The remote is pretty bad - my v383 remote is far superior. Oh and the back (return) button is on the bottom right of the button grouping instead of the bottom left. Think Samsung phone versus every other Android phone on the market. Drive me nuts! Most of the OSD graphics look quite dated. I don't know if this is an Onkyo thing or some other limitation but upmixing to 7.1.4 from 5.1 does not play anything on the rear speakers. Once in a while I need to reboot the receiver. For example: it did not recognize the DD+ stream on Max last night. BTW DD+ always has a low sound level. This occurs on my v383 as well so maybe it's just the codec. Overall, it's a huge upgrade from my old Yamaha and I'm very pleased with the purchase.

I ordered one of these after the usual consumer reading/research - expecting to find a sweet spot in value, features, tunability, sound, and functionality to replace the 10+ year old Yamaha AVR that was unfortunately going tits up. Unit arrived shortly, unboxed it, had connected the 5 speakers (5.0 system, our mains are JBJ 166 Horizons with 12 in woofers built in. No sub needed. Impressions: The tuning using the built in software was easy. Worked beautifully, warm rounded and well defined voicing and music came forth-with. Movies were excellent. Streaming functionality via the Onkyo app sucked however. Turned out the app is already weak, in design. Additionally no ZONE 2 HDMI direct support from the App is permitted. YOu have to manually hit "whole home" on the face of the unit. Ding. Not good. My Yamaha had this built into their App interface, and easily handled the function at 1/3rd the cost, no questions asked. The WiFi card was bad, and lost the IP connection to our LAN, Onkyo verified. Since IP connectivity is paramount, this was a deal breaker. Onkyo customer service was solid, had me arrange a return via Amazon. We ordered a replacement ( at a higher price, $1,230 vs. $1,170, sixty bucks MORE on Prime Day, huh?? ). The replacement is running now, and Mark Knopfler has never sounded better in THX Music Mode. 3D music. Fabulous. Other notable fact: The Cross-over frequencies (used to define the size of the speakers, by speaker channel) is available with the RZ50 and not the $1,000 priced sister unit by Pioneer. If you have any choice, its worth the extra costs to have this feature if you give two hoots about proper setup, sound, fidelity, etc. Not a trivial ommision by the Pioneer (made by the same outfit, company). Anyway, we love this thing. Support is good from Onkyo. Sound is fabulous. It is a modern unit for up-to-date modern capabilities at a good value. The Dirac Live is over-rated, but it is reportedly the blue-chip standard of room correction AVR tuning and worth having. Cooling is quiet, no whisper fans blowing and irritating. Order this thing, get it rocking and rolling. Very nice indeed. ENJOY!

Wow $1200.00 and it doest work right out of the box. No sound. How very disappointing. I have been saving for and waiting to get this for about a year. Well, Onkyo, I'm disappointed 😞. I got ripped off. I called Onkyo and was told that because I bought of Amazon they cannot help me. He said Amazon is not an authorized seller of their products and went in to say that the cd plsyer i bought too, he would guarantee that it will not work either. He did not even ask me whst the problem with the smp was, just concerned with where i bought it. Amazon said they bought it directly from Onkyo. So I don't know what's going they both pass the responsibilities to each other. Onkyo support would not help me to figure out the problem because I did not buy it from them. Of course Amazon said I can return it, and I am in the process of doing that. I hope getting my money back was as easy as it was giving it to them. Of course nobody cares about my waiting in anticipation for one other best amps out there, my saving money hoping it will be all they make it out to be -only to be let down-big time. Amazon does not care about that. I really feel like I got screwed all the way around. So be careful about buying this kind of high end, high priced stuff. You are better off going thru the manufacture, not Amazon.

Title: Exceptional Audio Experience Beyond Expectations! I recently purchased the Onkyo TX RZ50 and I am absolutely blown away by its performance! The sound quality is unparalleled, delivering rich, crisp, and immersive audio that truly elevates my home entertainment experience. From subtle whispers to thunderous explosions, every detail is reproduced with remarkable clarity, making movies and music come to life in a way I never thought possible. The build quality of the TX RZ50 is top-notch, exuding durability and craftsmanship. Its sleek and modern appearance seamlessly blends into my home theater setup, adding a touch of sophistication to my living space. I was pleasantly surprised by the incredible value this receiver offers. Considering its advanced features and exceptional sound performance, the price tag feels like a steal. Installation was a breeze, thanks to the user-friendly setup process and clear instructions provided. Onkyo has truly nailed the design, making it remarkably easy to install and configure, even for someone like me who isn't a tech expert. Using the TX RZ50 is a joy; the interface is intuitive, allowing me to navigate through settings and audio sources effortlessly. The remote control is well-designed and responsive, enhancing the overall user experience. I appreciate how Onkyo has prioritized user-friendliness without compromising on advanced features. In summary, the Onkyo TX RZ50 is a game-changer in the world of audio receivers. Its exceptional sound quality, superior build, great value, elegant appearance, and user-friendly interface make it a standout choice for any audio enthusiast. I wholeheartedly recommend this receiver to anyone looking for a premium audio experience without breaking the bank. It has truly transformed my home entertainment setup, and I couldn't be happier with my purchase!

Very easy to set up and use. Great sound quality

Ha alguns meses comecei a pensar no upgrade do meu home theater. Comecei a analisar o Onkyo 7100, depois pensei no Denon 3800 e até mesmo no Denon 4800. Decidi pelo RZ50 e acho que acertei na decisão ! Apenas R$ 1 k mais caro que o 7100 e mais barato que o 3800 e R$ 4k mais barato que o 4800 da Denon. As caixas Polk (RTi A1, CS10 e PSW10) foram mantidas. O Blu Ray Panasonic de 10 anos foi trocado por Panasonic Premium 4K Blu Ray Player DP-UB450 (Black). Um NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV Pro Streaming Media Player foi adicionado e o receiver Onkyo 676 foi trocado pelo Onkyo RZ 50. A TV permanceu a mesma, Sony XBR-75X805G. A qualidade do som, para ser sincero, não percebi grandes upgrades mas a imagem sim. Pude perceber com muita facilidade o upscalling funcionando muito bem tanto para o sinal da TV a cabo (Claro) quanto para Blu rays 1080. A TV, que eu pensava até então, trocar por uma OLED 77, vai continuar sendo a Sony porque o Receiver Onkyo RZ50 deu muito mais 'vida'a ela.

excelente equipo buen sonido buena imagen y potencia te puede dar problemas al configurarlo con pantalla negra pero solo necesitas comprar un cable hdmi ultra alta velocidad que soporte 8k y dolby atmos y queda solucionado el problema.

Comparado con mi antiguo receptor he notado una clara mejora en el sonido, incorpora el sistema de calibración Dirac que en otros receptores se debe pagar. Se nota la calidad de construcción en los materiales utilizados.

Es una joya este Receiver DiracLive, DD, DTS, THX, 9.2 canales, listo para video 8K . En fin , creo que peso a peso es un Reciever que vale mucho la pena