AVR upgrade time
codyc1ark
Posts: 2,537
in Electronics
Hi! Hope everyone has had a great 2026 so far! We've been just spending money left and right to close out 2025 so why not begin the new year the same way?! I'm looking to replace my Pioneer Elite SC-25. It's been great, but it's showing its age. I'm kind of locked on to the Onkyo RZ-30. I want to have pre-out's, the included dirac is attractive, and I can get a refurb for $800ish, and that's where I'd like the budget to be. I'm close to pulling the trigger but just wanted to see if anyone else had thoughts on something else in that range.
TIA!
TIA!
Comments
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Do you need the 9.2 of the Onkyo or is 7.2 still sufficient? How many channels do you need? This will help in the decision making.
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The RZ30 is the best thing going in that price range. New ones can be had for $999 on sale now. Yamaha Aventage is another to look at but more expensive and doesn't really offer anything better. I wouldn't go below that level. Something like the Denon X3800H is comparable but costs $1799. The RZ30 has ARC/eARC, HDCP 2.3, and a full set of pre-outs including for dual subwoofers so all set for connectivity.
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_580TXRZ30/Onkyo-TX-RZ30.html?tp=179 -
Edit: The RZ30 can be found new on Amazon from Electronics Expo for as low as $799.
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The RZ30 is the best thing going in that price range. New ones can be had for $999 on sale now. Yamaha Aventage is another to look at but more expensive and doesn't really offer anything better. I wouldn't go below that level. Something like the Denon X3800H is comparable but costs $1799. The RZ30 has ARC/eARC, HDCP 2.3, and a full set of pre-outs including for dual subwoofers so all set for connectivity.
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_580TXRZ30/Onkyo-TX-RZ30.html?tp=179
I'm seeing the same, and just wanted to get everyone else's view on it. 9.2 isn't necessary but I'm also not seeing anything at that price range that looks like it would have everything the RZ has. -
One thing that sets the RZ models apart from others is Onkyo includes a cooling fan for heat dissipation rather than larger heat sinks for the amp and processing sections. That may turn off some but it's part of the design worth knowing about. The comparably powered Denon x3800H only weighs a couple lbs more then the RZ30 but that equates to about a 9 percent weight difference and helps explain part of the price difference. When companies are competing with each other for the same customers they squeeze out quality as the price point goes down for different models. I've always viewed Onkyo as the comparatively good value brand.
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@codyc1ark. Is this for 2CH or HT or both? How many speakers are in your setup and total planned for? Are you looking for maximum features or simple HT?
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Proper heat sinks are good but moving the air is better than good.
I have a fan on my amp, a fan built into my processor... -
True! Heat kills electronics and many receiver models from 10 to 15 years ago had real problems with heat dissipation as processing power was boosted for new video and audio demands. Especially when receivers were installed by owners without adequate airflow. HDMI board failures were pretty common.
I haven't heard that Onkyo has had heat problems with the RZ30 or RZ50. The next step up RZ70 model doesn't use a large fan internally for cooling because it has adequate heat sinks. It also weighs almost 50 lbs as a result. It does have a couple of small fans for the processor sections.Post edited by Emlyn on
