For most people, a home theater setup means buying a receiver and some speakers, hooking them up, and maybe quickly calibrating. For some though, it means precise calibration, hours spent comparing components, and even serious renovation. If you fall into the latter camp, Onkyo’s latest receivers are aimed squarely at you.
Earlier this month, Onkyo unveiled four new receivers packed with features and connectivity options, and now it’s following up with three new models in its RZ series. Each model here is built with custom installations in mind — with built-in features aimed at easily integrating the receiver with control systems.
The two top-of-the-line models here are the TX-RZ810 and TX-RZ710, both of which are THX Select2 Plus-certified 7.2-channel models. Each receiver supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X (coming in a firmware update this summer) and features Onkyo’s Dynamic Audio Amplification with high-output transformers and customized capacitors. The TX-RZ810 offers a claimed 130 watts of power per channel, and the TX-RZ710 is no slouch either, with a claimed 110 watts per channel.
Each of the above receivers offers a staggering eight HDMI inputs and two outputs, with one output meant for Zone 2 HDMI. All of these support 4K/60Hz with HDR, 4:4:4 color space, and HDCP 2.2. Each receiver offers multi-room support with a dedicated Zone 2 DAC, and the TX-RZ810 adds Zone 3 pre/line-outs and 7.2 multichannel pre-outs for even more customization.
The TX-RZ610 is the entry-level model here, but is itself well-favored, offering 7.2 channels at a claimed 100 watts per channel. As with the above receiver, the HDMI inputs are all HDCP 2.2 capable with support for 4K at 60Hz and 4:4:4 color space, and a Zone 2 DAC sending signals to dedicated powered Zone 2 outputs.
In addition to playing Ultra HD movies, all of these receivers support AirPlay, Bluetooth, and Google Cast for wireless sharing, and FireConnect powered by Blackfire for wireless multi-room audio, with the latter two coming in a firmware update this summer that will also add Tidal support to complement the receivers’ built-in Spotify support.
Each of these receivers is available now, with the TX-RZ810 selling for $1,300, and the TX-RZ710 and TX-RZ610 selling for $1,000 and $800, respectively. Later this year, Onkyo will also introduce the 9.2-channel TX-RZ100 and 11.2-channel TX-RZ3100 network receivers, as well as the 11.2 channel PR-RZ5100 network pre-processor. See the Onkyo RZ series website for more details.
