Onkyo TX-RZ50 Review

As my friend once said: “One should have a really good reason or a truly poor judgment to opt for an Onkyo receiver in the high-end segment.” Well, we all know that Onkyo doesn’t offer any special sound peculiarities and is generally considered inferior to Denon and Marantz (although some fans of this brand and experts will probably disagree with me). But I am here today with my Onkyo TX-RZ50 review, aiming to do the Onkyo justice, finding out if those prejudices even have a solid ground to exist.

Features and specs

First of all, the TX-RZ50 receiver is a powerhouse. With 9.2 channels and the power of 120W per channel with 8 Ohm speakers, this device left a little room for improvement when it came to power. It weighs 37.5 pounds and generates quite a bit of heat when running at maximum. Don’t fear this, as almost all models get pretty hot when running at maximum capacity. But keep it in mind and prepare a spacious place for it. I’d also like to point out that the TX-RZ50 is equipped with a powerful power supply that helps provide a stable and consistent power flow to the amplifier. This helps reduce distortion and noise and positively affects the overall “soundstage”.

Before I get to its main features, I want to emphasize two important points. First, the RZ50 features WRAT (Wide Range Amplifier Technology) to help improve the overall sound quality of the amplifier. It includes a low negative feedback design, high instantaneous current, and high slew rate. These features work together to optimize the sound to be accurate and dynamic. Second, the Onkyo TX-RZ50 is THX Certified Select, which means it has passed rigorous testing to meet THX standards for sound quality, power, and distortion.

Now, let’s move on to the basic features of this device. The RX50 gives you a wide range of connectivity options. It has 7 HDMI inputs and 2 outputs, which means you can connect all your devices, such as a game console, Blu-ray player, etc., without having to switch cables constantly. The HDMI connectors support 4K and 8K video, as well as multi-zone video. So you can watch a video in the main room and a second video in a separate room.

In addition to HDMI, the Onkyo TX-RZ50 has many analog, component, and digital inputs. In fact, there are plenty of them to connect all your equipment. As expected in this price range, the Onkyo TX-RZ50 has built-in WiFi and Bluetooth modules. You can also control it with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Finally, the Onkyo TX-RZ50 also has a phono input, allowing you to plug in a turntable and enjoy your vinyl collection (if you have one, of course). As you can see, Onkyo’s connectivity options are just as good as those of its perennial competitors.

Honestly, there are more features to this receiver. I just don’t want to overflow this text with them. You have got the idea right — it is filled with features (including support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X). Not all of those are fancy proprietary ones like Denon, Marantz, and Sony have, but don’t let it fool it. The TX-RZ50 is a modern and very powerful receiver.

Sound

To put it to the test, I first played action movies with bold soundscapes. The RZ50 delivered throbbing bass and crisp midranges competently, immersing me in the action. Gaming had a solid punch, too, with responsive dynamics but lacking some high-end detail. Testing with music, saxophones, and guitars came through clearly but missed that spectacular sparkle and sound stage width to really dazzle.

Pros and cons