You've probably noticed there is zero reviews out there for the new RZ series of receivers as of 10/2015. For me, I was a little wary picking up a receiver without any idea of what I was getting into. I decided to bite the bullet and be an early adopter. Fear not, this is a quality receiver that lives up to its price tag.
The RZ series is a departure from Onkyo's typical model nomenclature. A great deal of speculation has followed this line of receivers, with enthusiasts attempting to determine if the RZ series is the new top tier line from Onkyo, or if it is a possibly a new mid/high tier. The primary reason being the different amplifiers. The RZ800 utilizes an "Ultra-Low Frequency Hi-Current Amplifier," which is marketing talk for a different amplifier than the lower priced NR model series. Both models in the RZ series share the same capacitors, Darlington circuitry, and VLSC technology. The primary difference in the lineup is the RZ-900's hand-spun toroidal (think donut) transformer, which is typically reserved for Onkyo's high end tier receivers. The first thing you will notice when you embarrass yourself in front of your neighbors trying to move the box into your house is the receiver's weight. It is a hefty 40lbs+. This is good.
The RZ800 and RZ900 are both 7.2 receivers. This means they are capable of providing 7 traditional channels (center, front, surround, and rear). In DTS-X or Atmos mode, two additional "height" or ceiling channels can be utilized by DTS-X and Atmos; however, this comes at the cost of sacrificing your rear channels. In Atmos or DTS-X mode the RZ800 is a 5.1.2 receiver. You also have the option of sacrificing the height channels to bi-amp your front channels, which adds clarity to your highs under heavy load.
Compared to the previous TX-NR646 and TX-NR3030 models, I found the RZ800 generated a clearer and more accurate atmosphere. I currently use Infinity reference speakers with a 300 watt rating, which I would consider to be a mid/high tier speaker. I have always been disappointed in the power output I've had from previous models and manufacturers, and I consider myself hard to please when it comes to audio performance. For example, Harman Kardon receivers tend to have very silky rich music reproduction; however, they tend to flatten out and fade noticeably at higher output levels, such as action scenes in movies. My previous experiences with Onkyo were of a relatively smooth and soft tone across the spectrum. I found some of the mid level receivers to lack definition, especially in the mids and highs. After a menacing grin from battling the 40lb boat anchor into my cabinet, the receiver fired up with the typical multi relay clicks. I found the RZ800 to be crisp and punchy at all volume levels. At higher output levels, the receiver is able to maintain subtle and accurate finesse while also dishing out thundering ground shaking power. The amplifier handles lows with great accuracy and noticeable authority, without muddying the mids and highs. My previous Harman Kardon receiver was always slightly out of phase on the lows, and I could pick this up in my sub as sounding slightly over driven. About 30 seconds into an action movie with the RZ800, I noticed my sub was no longer struggling, and the sound production was accurate, smooth, and responsive - a very unexpected bonus. The low notes had taken their rightful place as a powerful foundation to the mids and highs. I can say without any question the RZ800 does deliver power, if that's what you're concerned with. Even at very high levels, I did not notice any falloff or clipping, which is noteworthy as this is the first receiver my speakers didn't blow the acoustical whistle on. Many receivers when ran hard have an output falloff. I put the receiver through it's paces and did not pick up any discernible drops after a proper flogging; however, my data may be skewed do to being momentarily deafened by my auditory debauchery. The receiver is rated at 185W at 6 Ohms, 1KHz, 0.9% THD, 1 channel driven, which is typical marketing manipulation. No one drives a single channel. At two channels driven, a more honest 135W is reported, and I believe this is probably an accurate rating. For comparison an additional $300 for the RZ900 delivers just 5W more. What you're paying for there is the toroidal transformer. The RZ800 should be able to breathe life into even the most demanding speakers.
One of the biggest changes for 2015 in the RZ series, and the RZ800, is 5 HDMI inputs with HDCP 2.2 standard. If you're a little lost as to why this is important, you're not alone. HDCP 2.2 (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) is an industry standard for 4K HDMI content. Essentially it's a copy prevention technology designed specifically to prevent illegal copying of 4K Ultra HD content. What that means for you is just about all 4K devices will require this standard to operate through your receiver. Without HDCP 2.2, you won't be able to handshake HDMI and utilize the content from 4k Bluray, streaming devices, or game systems. In other words, you need it.
The next biggest change in the RZ receivers is Onkyo's separation from Audyssey, the licensed and acclaimed Automatic EQ and sound configuration software used by several manufacturers (Marantz, Denon, Integra, Onkyo (previously), McIntosh, NAD, and Cambridge). Onkyo is now utilizing AccuEQ, their own proprietary solution, which many believe to be a cost saving measure. A typical microphone is included with the receiver for AccuEQ to do it's job. As required by your initial setup, I placed the microphone on a tripod at listening level and proceeded to let the new AccuEQ show me what it could do. After the typical varying noise levels, the AccuEQ spit out it's opinion of my sound system. This includes speaker crossover recommendations, perceived speaker distances, and levels. Here's how it did:
Channel - Actual Distance : AccuEQ Estimate
FL - 10ft : 9.5ft
CN - 10ft : 10ft
FR - 11ft : 11ft
SL - 6.5ft : 7ft
SR - 10ft : 10ft
SW - 10ft : 13ft
Channel - Actual Frequency Response : AccuEQ Estimate (±3dB)
Front - 35Hz : 40Hz
Center - 45Hz : 60Hz
Surround - 60Hz : 100Hz
Surprisingly, AccuEQ did a very impressive job judging distances, nearly perfectly as a matter of fact. For crossovers, with the exception of the Surround channels, all estimates were relatively accurate. Of course, this can be greatly effected by room acoustics, but it appears to be the exception and not the rule. Overall I was quite impressed with AccuEQ's capability, and overall it made accurate adjustments to each speaker, and logically increased output level to corresponding speakers (not covered). Of course, experienced users will immediately change all of the settings themselves, but the truth is AccuEQ is just as good if not better than the Audyssey platform it replaced. The receiver has a typical adjustable EQ, and all the appropriate configurations you have come to expect from a receiver. At the time of it's release, Audyssey was lauded as the best thing since sliced bread for home theater consumers. These benefits included sharpening the highs and increasing the sound stage overall. Detractors cited excessive highs, and at times a fatiguing cacophony of over-processed mids and highs. After coming directly from an Audyssey enabled receiver, I did not notice any loss of accuracy or vibrancy. If anything, I noticed a considerably less crowded sound stage. I have always been a proponent of actual content, and I do my best not to be distracted by features and certifications. I did notice a slight drop in high frequency response, but the difference was hard to discern. After adjusting the EQ in the AccuEQ menu, I was able to brighten the output back to a level similar to what I felt was on par with my previous Audyssey receivers, however after careful consideration, I opted to flatten the EQ back out as it did not feel genuine. A quality receiver should sound good, that's the whole point of it. In summary, I was unable to find a reasonable difference between receivers utilizing the Audyssey XT32, and the Onkyo's AccuEQ.
One final point worth mentioning is the RZ800's video processing, or lack thereof. The RZ800 does not upconvert to 4k, it merely passes all content through. Prior iterations have upscaled using the Marvell Qdeo video processing chip. Opinions on this are mixed, but as technology and TV's progress, more and more consumers do not see the necessity of placing this job on the receiver, and opt more for the TV itself to do the upscaling. I have owned many receivers with video processing chips, the Marvell Qdeo, Faroudja DCDi Cinema, and Torino video processors. I have personally never been able to see tangible benefits to any of this technology. If anything, there may be some advantages to running a straight pass through. I have noticed the RZ800 switches inputs far quicker than my previous Onkyo and HK receivers did. Both of which had on-board video processing chips. Of course this could be attributed to other factors; however, I did experience noticeable decreases between input changes. As with any loss of feature, some will find fault with Onkyo's decision to omit a video processor. I personally noticed no difference without a video processor than with one. I simply expect my receiver to route video to my devices, and let the devices handle the processing.
In addition to the HDCP 2.2 ports, the HDMI 2.0 allows 4K 60hz output. I did test this using a pc and it worked perfectly. The receiver's GUI will not win any awards for eye candy seeing as it is very basic; however, it is highly functional. The app allows the user to select each input via a drop down menu. Each input has it's own audio settings such as levels, bass/treble, and other useful settings. The Onkyo android and iOS remote apps are WiFi enabled, so no more pointing IR blasters. It responds very quickly (instantly). Furthermore, the Bluetooth feature is as simple and useful as you might have hoped for. Once a device is paired, and the Onkyo RZ800 is selected as the audio device, the receiver will automatically switch to the bluetooth input and plays your audio. One bonus addition to the RZ series from older Onkyo models is full time output to both the primary (Main) and secondary (Sub) HDMI outputs. On older Onkyo models, the user had to select either Main or Sub manually, meaning if you run both a projector and a TV, you had to go into your setup menu and choose which of the two would receive content. This is still possible with the RZ800, however, an additional option of "both" is now available. This allows users to set a constant output to both HDMI ports, so you can seamlessly switch between your TV and projector (or other output device). I haven't experienced any issues with HDMI handshaking when transitioning between the two outputs as I had with older Onkyo receivers. This is certainly a welcome feature.
Overall I am very happy with the receiver from a feature, power, and accuracy standpoint. 2014 had several manufacturers flirting with 4K support (one or no HDCP 2.2 ports), but no manufacturer brought a product to market which was truly future proof. The RZ800 is the first of the next gen receivers worth the money, in my opinion. If 5.1.2 is what you're after, this is the receiver. If you want 7.1.2, Onkyo doesn't have a solution for you (yet). With the quantity of HDMI 2.0/HDCP 2.2 inputs, Atmos and DTS-X support, and sufficient power output, the RZ800 delivers exactly what consumers should expect from this price point.
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From the manufacturer
Focused Power with Masterful Sound Control
The all-new TX-RZ800 is designed for today's audiophile:
Separate amp and processing blocks, custom high-current transformer, custom capacitors, Asahi Kasei 384 kHz/32-bit DAC, discrete low-impedance amp circuitry, and a 32-bit digital signal processor extract every drop of performance from DTS:X and Dolby Atmos soundtracks.
The high-current amp grips the speaker drivers
This amplification provides steady speaker control for effortlessly clear sound that extends down to 5 Hz without phase shifting, meaning you enjoy a perfectly focused audio image and earth-shaking bass. Combine this with original Vector Linear Shaping Circuitry (VLSC) technology,which cleanses the signal of pulse noise, and you have a receiver that just begs to be turned up to THX Reference levels, whether you're playing an object-based movie soundtrack over the latest spec HDMI terminals or an album wirelessly over AirPlay.
The TX-RZ800 adds pure sonic excitement to the latest in Ultra HD entertainment.
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Ultra-Low Frequency Hi-Current AmpBacked by 70 years experience building amplifiers and high-grade audio components, the TX-RZ800 reproduces ultra-low-frequencies down to 5 Hz so you can feel the bass impact in your chest. Our high-current amplification system also enhances control of the speakers for accurate and dynamic sound. This delivers massive power at 185 W/Ch (6 Ohms, 1 kHz, 0.9% THD, 1 Channel Driven) 135 W/Ch (8 Ohms, 20 Hz–20 kHz, 0.08% THD, 2 Channels Driven). |
Realistic AudioWide Range Amp Technology (WRAT) prevents phase shifting by pushing the roll-off point higher than the listening level frequency. Amplifying sound without phase shift creates an uncommonly clear, well focused, and realistic audio image. |
Smooth Analog SignalOnkyo developed Vector Linear Shaping Circuitry (VLSC) to reassemble the signal in its original form following processing. Unlike conventional filters, VLSC removes pulse noise generated in D/A conversion, allowing the sound wave to be reproduced with extremely high fidelity for a smooth analog signal. The signal's data is converted between sampling points and joined with analog vectors in real time to produce a smooth output wave form. The result is a virtually noiseless, smooth, analog signal that brings out even the most subtle of nuances in music sources. |
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THX-Certified Audio QualityAt the cinema, you practically feel the sound of the movie you're watching. With your own Onkyo THX certified receiver, you get that same thrilling tactile sound in your own home. THX certification guarantees the same high volume, low distortion sound you experience in a commercial theater in your listening room. The TX-RZ800 meets the most demanding & rigorous performance certification: it has to pass 75 test categories, 2,000 tests, covering 14,000 data points. THX Select2 Plus is recommended for screen-to-seat viewing distances of 10-12 feet. |
DTS:X CompatibleDTS:X is a next-generation object-based surround sound technology that includes height to deliver a fully-immersive listening experience. DTS:X provides listeners the ultimate in flexibility, immersion, and interactivity. Unlike channel-based audio, you will be able to personalize your audio experience. For example, you can turn up JUST the dialog within a mix. DTS:X allows you to customize to your room layout as well as control dialog and dynamic range. |
Supports Dolby AtmosWith Dolby Atmos, sound comes alive from all directions, including overhead. The format combines a channel-based audio bed with object-oriented sound to place and move specific effects around the room, creating a breathtakingly realistic and captivating sonic atmosphere. Sound designers and artists are free to mix in a 3D space, steering effects through surround channels and adding a seamless overhead dimension with discrete height channels. Additionally, a new Dolby surround up-mixer allows for your current channel-based content (that has not been mixed for Dolby Atmos) to be expanded to fill the flexible speaker layouts of a Dolby Atmos system. |
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Ready for Ultra HDThe latest HDMI specification and HDCP 2.2 compatibility support the latest formats and technologies planned for Hollywood content. This latest HDMI spec offers a significant increase in bandwidth (up to 18Gbps) to support new features such as 4K@50/60 (2160p), which is 4 times the clarity of 1080p/60 video resolution, and 4:4:4 color space. This Onkyo AVR enables transmission of High Dynamic Range (HDR) formats, and provides enhanced picture quality by simultaneously enabling greater detail for both the dark and bright parts of an image. |
Multi-Zone Audio & VideoThe TX-RZ800 features Powered Zone 2 and Zone 2/3 Pre/Line-Outs for distributed audio playback, including Zone 2 digital audio and network audio output. Control the audio content in the zones via remote app; play the same song in all zones using Whole House Mode; or enjoy a different song in each room. Further, there is Zone 2 HDMI output for HD video in a second Room, with Zone 2 HDMI supported on inputs 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5. Use the HDMI Sub Out to connect a second display in another room. This allows you to route 1080p content from the media players connected to your receiver and play it back on another TV with easy smartphone control. |
Wireless and Network StreamingThe TX-RZ800 has AirPlay, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies built in. The free Onkyo Remote app puts a range of streaming options at your fingertips, from universal hi-res audio via network-attached devices to internet streaming services to music on your smartphone and tablet. Or pair up and enjoy whatever's playing on your Bluetooth-compatible device for huge cinematic sound. It also comes loaded with Spotify, Pandora, SiriusXM Internet Radio, Slacker and TuneIn. You can select a station and search for music available on these services via the Onkyo Remote app on your phone. You'll never be short of your favorite music to enjoy. |
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Onkyo RZ series has no competition in this price range!
I've had Marantz and Denon and older Onkyo receivers and the Rz series from Onkyo blow them away for the price. I like the rich sound that is a lot more musical than past Onkyo receivers. I was surprised at the quality of the phono input on this receiver as well. Great service from Amazon as always and product arrived two days early. There is not a receiver any where close to the Onkyo Rz800 for features, sound quality, and build quality in this price range. The hdmi problem with older Onkyo has been resolved with the Rz series.
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