Onkyo RZ50

mrloren

Hello,

Been a bit since I've posted.

I've been reading a lot of reviews on the Onkyo RZ50, just been waiting for the price to drop to affordable.
Last wee I was able to pick one up off Amazon for $1050usd. Not a bad price and with prime if I don't like it 30 days to return it.

Once dialed in I did like my Denon AVR-X4400H great on movies, music it was soso but good enough, not like my Sony 5800ES which was great on music.
The Marantz SR5010 is better on music (why it's staying in the bedroom) but I hate that darn porthole.

I received the Onkyo last week, installed it then started to calibrate it using the phone app. First time using 3 positions it was a little thin sounding but I could hear there might be potential. Next day I ran the 9 point calibration for the app. A little better but not worth the grand I paid. I messed with settings and watched Midway. Yes there's a lot of potential. Did some research finding the best way to calibrate is with a laptop. Cool install Dirac on my laptop now just need everyone gone for a few hours. Thanks to being seriously ill today I called out from work (yes chest congestion and low fever). After I woke up from my 12 hour sleep had a coffee and went to watch a flick. hmm no one home good time to calibrate. I did a 17 point calibration and went to listen. Sounded better but still not worth it. Then I read about Harmon house curve. Go in the app and install the 8db, ok better. I then loaded slot #2 with the 10db one, ok great good bass and I didn't have to turn anything up.

Just sitting in misery I put on Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Great piano on this CD. Yes I'm liking what I hear. I was toggling thru the DIRAC slots it sounded best on the 10db curve then I went to Dirac off. Hello! with DIRAC off I was like OMG this is great, good bass no bleed or localizing of the sub. OK Korn time, Yes, this sounds as good as my Sony on music, finally. I put on Rogue One, hit, slam, shake the house but still no localizing of the sub, My VTF-3 has come to life. I went thru a scene then toggled the Dirac slots watching it over, either Dirac off or 8db Harmon curve was the best for this movie. With Dirac off I got a more even sound, fuller slamming in the chest.

On plus side, my LG QNED80 TV even with passthrough on, I was only getting DD+ to the Denon. Now I'm getting ATMOS and DTS-X.

Don't think I'll be returning the Onkyo.

Cheers,

Lorenn

mantis

Cool write up.
I'm very familiar with Onkyo/Integra Lineup. The RZ50 is a great receiver and for $1k, it's fantastic.

So lets talk about your calibration, most of the time when calibration sound worse then not calibrated is the fact your room is making a lot of changes to the way the system sounds. This is the case with most rooms.

Room treatments, proper speaker placement and proper calibration all are important to getting good results. Not an easy task.

Anyway , running a manual calibration isn't a bad idea. This is probably what your use to hearing in your room with your last AVR. This is probably why you like it more. You can also try out ACCU EQ which is like Pioneer's MCACC. Do it for 1 seat 1 position as this is where your going to sit. You don't need 2 3 5 10 different measurement points if your not constantly changing where you sit. So to fill you in on what these software programs do when you measure more than 1 seat is they start to average out the measurements they take and then you get an average calibration to satisfy more then 1 listening position. In my house, I only measure my seat and it's fine. I can move to different seats and no it's not exactly like my KING SEAT but no Theater ever has all KING SEATS. I'd much prefer one king seat over a bunch of average seats.

Onkyo/Integra do amazingly well with music. In many ways , they are my overall favorite line of AVR's on the market today. I'm actually considering getting a Onkyo RZ70 or a Integra DRX8.4. I"m also looking at the Pioneer Elite VSX LX805. All 3 AVR's share a common Amp Design and preamp section. Very similar to each other with minor differences.

The RV50 I would absolutely also own as that thing really sounds great.

mrloren

My Sony AVR didn't EQ the room, all they did was distance and level match. I would then get out the DB meter and get a correct match. My friend who bought my 5800ES still loves it on his 7.1 system.


Both my Marantz and Denon would not get these right had to manually change a lot. When I turned Audyssey off they sound real thin and lacking. It was a fun frustrating adventure to get Audyssey correct. Sit in my KING SEAT move the mic just inches for 5-6 point calibration then add 4-6db to the sub.

RZ50 did a perfect level match and distance. I didn't have to add any DB to the sub or make any changes. just added them Harmon curves.

Apparently if I run ACCU EQ that will wipe out my saved DIRAC calibration kind of don't want to do that.

rooftop59

mrloren wrote: »

Apparently if I run ACCU EQ that will wipe out my saved DIRAC calibration kind of don't want to do that.

I love Dirac for my two channel. In my large, open, untreated living room with lots of hard surfaces and not much negotiation on where the speakers sit, it works wonders.

Congrats on the avr! I've been eying that one, but my demon is for tv and movies only and it sounds wonderful for that and does everything I need, so I won't change it till it breaks knock on wood...