Jon, this channel is amazing! While listening to your guidance on how to connect a speaker, I found myself thinking, 'Wow, that’s a lot of work!' It made me wonder about the purpose of the channel and who your target audience is. As an enthusiast, I really enjoy hearing your reviews and feedback on various AV products. This type of content is interesting, even when I’m not actively looking for a new AV solution. It keeps me informed on current capabilities and features, giving me a strong foundation when I do decide to upgrade. Nice discussion, Jon
I had bought an Onkyo Tx-rz50 which I am currently set up in 7.2.4 Atmos setup. I initially had it in 7.2.2 then realized I needed an external amp to run extra rear hight speakers. I saw my 25+ year old Denon AVR- 3802 7.1 receiver I got for my dad when I worked for the Good Guys back in the 1990’s had rca inputs for rear back surrounds which I used for that in my 7.2.4 setup. I also ended up buying the Emotiva XPA DR3 to run my front stage speakers which are also 25+ year old pair of Boston Acoustic VR30 towers I got for my dad from working at the Good Guys.
Jon, I loved your comparison of the Denon X4800H to the Cinema 50. While similarly priced, they differ in features and power-Denon offers more value. Masimo and others often compare Marantz to lower-priced Denon models, arguing Marantz is better due to its HDAMs and other components. For example, they might compare the Cinema 50 to the Denon AVR-X3800H, which costs $1,000 less, and then claim Marantz sounds better-well, it should be $1,000 more! That’s not a fair comparison. I prefer seeing what $2,500 gets you with Denon vs. Marantz. I’d love your broader take on Denon vs. Marantz since they share a parent company, interface, and presentation, yet seem aimed at different audiences. While Marantz is often seen as higher-tier, I suspect that may not be true when compared by price point.
Hi Jon. I loved your detailed review of the RZ50 and I am eagerly awaiting your future review of the RZ30. Based on your reviews, I am aware that the RZ50 would be a better purchase than the Denon x3800h, however in Europe currently, the price difference is significant: the RZ50 is 60% more expensive (EUR 1600 compared to EUR 995 for the Denon). Given that fact, is it still a better purchase? I plan to use the AVR a lot for stereo (turntable and movies in 2.1), therefore the 4 independent sub outs do not really matter that much to me on the Denon. Everything else apart the price difference is pointing me to still choose the RZ50. I am curious to hear your thoughts too. Thank you!
Regarding the Denon/Onkyo combo at 15 minutes, check if the Denon 7.1 RCA input has a analogue bypass, some do some don't. Check the denon input settings.
I’m doing this exact thing with my Onkyo RZ-830 (predecessor to your RZ50) and an old Cambridge Audio AVR. I’m using it to power the center and 4 surrounds, along with a beefy Carver amp to power the L&Rs, leaving the Onkyo with the 4 overhead speakers as its only duty. It works beautifully! Two thoughts though, one that you’ve already clued in to, is to determine whether there’s a digital stage in the signal path on the Denon. My guess is no- and the way to tell is if any of the delays, EQ controls, etc are available while using the discrete RCA inputs. if they’re unavailable, then I’m fairly certain it’s just passing the analog signal unmolested to the amp section (as is the case with my Cambridge AVR- the only control available for that input is Volume). The other item to note, is that I basically leave the Cambridge at MAX volume… it then acts like a normal standalone amplifier. I may have the channel trims tweaked a dB or two on the Onkyo’s channel setup, but in this case, “MAX” volume seems to mean “I’m just an amplifier now!”, which is exactly what I was looking for it to do. In case you’re concerned about any speaker damage from the volume set so high, remember, any standalone amplifier would blast uninhibited if fed a strong enough signal. The only thing I would worry about is the Denon accidentally getting set to the radio tuner or something. I’ve been running this way for 6 years, and it’s been a non-issue. I’m so glad I tried it, and I feel like I’m giving my Onkyo some extra life by not stressing it.
Have yet to hear what the Yamaha booth at Cedia was all about but it seems like no new Receivers have been reported. That Onkyo RZ30 might just be a game changer for receivers in 2025 as it pushes down the price for advanced features.
Jon -- would be helpful to have links to the comments you are responding to, in case someone else can help. For Lemon48 and his Denon issue -- I have a 6800 which forgets that it has ever been configured when power is removed about once every month -- let me explain. Because of the CEC issues in my KRP500M, I use a switching power strip to remove the power from the receiver when the TV is turned on/off. I got it when I had an Onkyo receiver that burned 50+ watts in standby, and I continue to use it because about a third of the CEC commands sent to my TV result in the panel complaining about illegal commands and I wind up having to stumble around to find that remote to dismiss the dialog box. Not worth it. But, that does mean that I'm yanking the power from the Denon, and rarely (about once a month) that results in receiver alzheimer. I use a USB backup to restore my settings. It's just frequent enough to be annoying, and not frequent enough to send it back. In point of fact, I usually have other random issues more frequently (hdmi handshake screwing the sound and requiring all device restarts). My old Denon would forget how to sync to the optical audio cable about as frequently. How I wish manufacturers would add another 9 to their reliability here. Anyway, I'd definitely send yours back. There's got to be something specifically wrong with our units, but you've got a situation that's definitely return warranted....
My guess is the RZ 30 will surf on the waves of the RZ 50, them insisting on the extended bandwidth etc makes me think they improved on the preamp part specifically and it might end up with better numbers than the RZ50 preamp part. Tbh i was more expecting a Higher end model RZ 90 than a lower end model from Onkyo. This will hurt the NR line sales in my opinion.
I agree getting a model below the TX-RZ50 was not expected. If the specifications end up being better, I am all for it - progress. The 70 and now 30 are post ownership change while the 50 was designed beforehand. It could hurt the NR line, but if they steal from sales their own portfolio while gaining new Onkyo owners, it is worth it. -Jon
I have the Onkyo 6050 running only a stereo pair of Polk R200 at my computer and it does well with them, not 'muddy' or anything like the 6100 owner reported. Tonight I've been eyeing the deal on the Pioneer Elite 805 for $1499 right now at BestBuy for running my big surround setup though.
In my humble opinion I'm requesting Yamaha Flagship receivers... to be made in Japan it will make a huge, Huge difference to put Yamaha Avr on top...like the Yamaha amplifier line....at least tge flagship shuld be 250 watts 11.2 150 Watts' all channel driven.. Maney is not the problem but give people what they want..perid.
Yamaha is great, but it needs a modern room calibration system like Dirac or MultiEQ-X that connects to your computer. While the high-end models offer manual PEQ controls, they miss the convenience and precision of advanced calibration options. I hope the upcoming flagship you mentioned improves on this, along with the OSD and the small LCD screen size relative to their current flagship
Sorry about that. This video is part of our “Ripewave Connections” series where I answer email questions and provide the latest audio news. We typically provide only light details as an announcement only. Then we follow up later with a more complete review. It is in those focused reviews we provide more in depth details. -Jon
Sir, I normally like your stuff. Always a little dry but very detailed. In this case, I am very dissatisfied. Would be the nicest way to put it 39 minutes into your video before we hear about things in the title seriously. Are you desperate for views? Maysame harsh, but holy cow. Man, you don't know anything about it. Don't put it in the title.
I appreciate the candid feedback on the title. Sorry about that. This video is part of our “Ripewave Connections” series where I answer email questions and provide the latest audio news. We typically provide only light details as an announcement only. Then we follow up later with a more complete review. It is in those focused reviews we provide more in depth details. Going forward I may drop the news story details for the title, but likely include product photos in the thumbnail. -Jon
Maratz cinema 30 is not worth a flagship maybe they should correct those mistakes and bring cinema 20... With a proper buld quality. More power etc.... out of the box
Build quality like you see the new Amp 10. That's a quality of a flagship 👍👏👏 Power shuld be atleast 140 watts all channel driven... Exl in put and aout put...surbwoor exl in and out.... etc.... Give what customer's what !!
@@Porchewaitombi I like the idea of giving customers what they want, but you're comparing a Marantz AVR receiver to a Marantz flagship dedicated amp. In fact, I don't believe the Amp 10 even includes an all-channel drive rating because that's an impractical measure for an amplifier like that. According to the Amp 10 manual, it provides 200W x 2 at 8 ohms, and 400W x 2 at 4 ohms or 8 ohms in BTL mode. This highlights its focus on high-quality stereo output rather but I wonder if would get close to that with all channels.
