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4.2 out of 5 stars

Top positive review
5 people found this helpful
Great Receiver for the Money! Beware! Negative Comments are Probably User Error!
By Drkhoodie79 on Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2020
I was very hesitant to purchase this receiver due to some of the negative comments about the video cutting out on the HDMI board and customer service being unhelpful and ignoring customers. My experience with the customer service was nothing but helpful and prompt so I am not sure what the issue is with other customers. When first connecting my receiver I knew I would need at least 25 feet of HDMI cable because of where the unit was going to be so I bought a 35 foot cable just to be on the safe side. And to be clear, this cable would be exiting the back of the AVR's ARC/CEC HDMI Out port going into the TV's ARC/CEC HDMI in port. The cable I purchased was a 2.0 4K cable but only 10 gbps which I would later realize was my mistake. My TV is a Sony i 4K 60Hz HDR etc. which is far more demanding than what the HDMI cable could handle and I just didn't do the needed research to know this. I connected everything and set the receiver up. Setup is a lot more intuitive on these newer receivers which I found to be refreshing and I was up and running in no time. I had a day of solid running from the unit. The sound is amazing however I was only able to select Dolby Digital as the best surround option and not Dolby Atmos which I assumed to be something I was doing wrong but should have been my first clue as to using an improper HDMI cable. Day 2, it started happening, the dreaded picture drop for several seconds than returning. Progressively, it began to get worse. By the end of the week I found myself doing factory resets several times already just to regain the picture as the signal would eventually go away permanently. I was at loss for words cause I just got this unit and I couldn't believe that I was experiencing the issues everyone was talking about already. This problem is very different from Onkyo's hdmi board issues of the past which were plagued by cheap capacitors and poorly chosen solder for the DTS chip which in the end could have used a heat sync. These problems typically showed up after several years of use not one week! And how come a factory reset always brought back the picture signal? Something wasn't adding up so I researched and contacted customer service. Customer service was willing to repair the unit one time no questions asked which is the polar opposite from what I have been reading in the reviews. But, before sending it in I wanted to upgrade my HDMI cable as by this time I researched this is not only what causes picture drop for ONKYOs but a lot of other branded AVRs as well. I researched that if I am pushing a 60Hz 4K HDR signal across a 25 foot span that my cable would have to be capable of a minimum 18 gbps, be Dolby Vision, HDMI 2.0, HDR10, HDCP 2.2 and 1440 120hz compliant along with E-ARC. Oh and that 35 feet would not do unless I was going to purchase a booster for the cable. So I ordered the 25 foot one and made it work. After doing that every issue I was experiencing went a way. I now get Dolby Atmos, a cleaner picture, and I have not experienced one picture drop since changing the cable. Its been a couple of weeks now and the receiver is functioning without hesitation. I really hope that this review helps people. If I had known this information from the get go I could have saved myself and others a lot of time and I feel that some of these other reviews are robbing people of a great experience. ONKYO has had their share unfortunately, of some bad choices in components but for sound quality alone you can't get anything better for the money.
Top critical review
9 people found this helpful
HDMI Fail - What dolby atmos streaming?
By Scott Pincus on Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2019
As many reported here, my hdmi started getting wonky about 2 weeks into owning it. I finally requested a replacement. The system stopped recognizing the audio part of programs from my Samsung smart TV. Picture worked, but sound would no longer play. Worked for a while though. Swamping in my old receiver, audio worked just fine. The stereo companies puts a lot of marketing behind it having dolby atmos. That is fine but turns out that netflix and amazon prime have very little content that is dolby atmos. You can buy a blue ray disk that supports the format (as long as your player supports that format), and there are some games out there of course. Sound quality is excellent which is why I requested a replacement. This is the second Onkyo receiver I have owned over the years. My previous one had hdmi issues as well and had to go in for service a few years into owning. If the replacement does not work out, I will return for a refund and buy a more recent model, in the hopes that they have resolved these issues in newer model years. I like that there is a 3 year warranty on this model. Amazon tech support was of no assistance and after 30 mins and lots of hold time, basically said go to the manufacture. I had already spent over an 2 hours trying to debug the issues i had before calling. I suggest going right to the manufacture, and If I had any patience left I would have.

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Great Receiver for the Money! Beware! Negative Comments are Probably User Error!
By Drkhoodie79 - Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2020
Verified Amazon Purchase
I was very hesitant to purchase this receiver due to some of the negative comments about the video cutting out on the HDMI board and customer service being unhelpful and ignoring customers. My experience with the customer service was nothing but helpful and prompt so I am not sure what the issue is with other customers. When first connecting my receiver I knew I would need at least 25 feet of HDMI cable because of where the unit was going to be so I bought a 35 foot cable just to be on the safe side. And to be clear, this cable would be exiting the back of the AVR's ARC/CEC HDMI Out port going into the TV's ARC/CEC HDMI in port. The cable I purchased was a 2.0 4K cable but only 10 gbps which I would later realize was my mistake. My TV is a Sony i 4K 60Hz HDR etc. which is far more demanding than what the HDMI cable could handle and I just didn't do the needed research to know this. I connected everything and set the receiver up. Setup is a lot more intuitive on these newer receivers which I found to be refreshing and I was up and running in no time. I had a day of solid running from the unit. The sound is amazing however I was only able to select Dolby Digital as the best surround option and not Dolby Atmos which I assumed to be something I was doing wrong but should have been my first clue as to using an improper HDMI cable. Day 2, it started happening, the dreaded picture drop for several seconds than returning. Progressively, it began to get worse. By the end of the week I found myself doing factory resets several times already just to regain the picture as the signal would eventually go away permanently. I was at loss for words cause I just got this unit and I couldn't believe that I was experiencing the issues everyone was talking about already. This problem is very different from Onkyo's hdmi board issues of the past which were plagued by cheap capacitors and poorly chosen solder for the DTS chip which in the end could have used a heat sync. These problems typically showed up after several years of use not one week! And how come a factory reset always brought back the picture signal? Something wasn't adding up so I researched and contacted customer service. Customer service was willing to repair the unit one time no questions asked which is the polar opposite from what I have been reading in the reviews. But, before sending it in I wanted to upgrade my HDMI cable as by this time I researched this is not only what causes picture drop for ONKYOs but a lot of other branded AVRs as well. I researched that if I am pushing a 60Hz 4K HDR signal across a 25 foot span that my cable would have to be capable of a minimum 18 gbps, be Dolby Vision, HDMI 2.0, HDR10, HDCP 2.2 and 1440 120hz compliant along with E-ARC. Oh and that 35 feet would not do unless I was going to purchase a booster for the cable. So I ordered the 25 foot one and made it work. After doing that every issue I was experiencing went a way. I now get Dolby Atmos, a cleaner picture, and I have not experienced one picture drop since changing the cable. Its been a couple of weeks now and the receiver is functioning without hesitation. I really hope that this review helps people. If I had known this information from the get go I could have saved myself and others a lot of time and I feel that some of these other reviews are robbing people of a great experience. ONKYO has had their share unfortunately, of some bad choices in components but for sound quality alone you can't get anything better for the money.
Excellent Sound And Power Output, Remote Control Could Be Better
By Darren O'Neill - Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2018
Verified Amazon Purchase
I will admit I am biased when it comes to Onkyo products and have trusted them to be my main receiver of choice for about 30 years now. I wasn't even planning on retiring my old TX-SR876 which was about a decade old but still going strong until I saw this unit at a great price here on Amazon and figured it was time for an upgrade. The feature I was most looking forward to was being able to plug the receiver directly into my home network. Being able to stream my lossless music collection directly to the receiver is a lot better than having to plug another box, like the Roku or Android box, to do this. While I'm still learning all of the different programs and modes, the receiver seems to work well with Plex. The one thing that really amazed me was the amount of volume this unit could deliver through my old JBL speakers compared to the old unit. There was a noticeable power difference and even at higher volumes, the sound is crisp and clean. I feel this is a true step up in sound for both listening to music and watching television and movies. The one thing I don't love about this package is the remote control that comes with it. The remote from my old Onkyo still works so it's not a big deal, but comparing the two the older remote had more buttons and features and makes it easier to navigate the menus. Not sure why Onkyo went to the smaller remote as it is nowhere near as good. Setup of the unit was a breeze. I disconnected my old Onkyo, connected everything to the new one and plugged in the little microphone that comes with the unit and placed it where we sit to watch TV. The unit ran itself through a series of tones and the end result was a receiver that was tuned quite well to my room. While it isn't quite a full "professional setup," I believe the automated system does a good enough job for most people to be more than happy with the end result as it applies EQ and adjusts the volume of your speakers to create that ultimate sweet-spot where the microphone was placed. Overall, I am very happy with this unit so far. I have had excellent luck with Onkyo receivers lasting as long as I want them to and beyond. The overall sound quality is excellent as is the power output. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking to set up a quality music and home-theater system at a reasonable price.
Best Bang for the Buck!
By Dennis - Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2020
Verified Amazon Purchase
I purchased 2 of these back a several months ago when they were selling for $399.00. There was nothing that could touch these in this price rage, nothing! Easy to setup, I love the menu system, tons of controls, and so much clean power. The "RZ" models are Onkyo's top line receivers and they have the upgraded power supplies. I know there are others that may claim they sound "better", or have more processing options but there are very few that have this level of power and great sound. Plus, ALL of them cost way more, double if not triple this cost! This kind of power on tap creates what seems to be effortless dynamic sound. When called upon to do so, this receiver can create a very realistic energizing sound stage in my large great room with 20 foot ceilings and that only at half power! After I hooked up the first one, I had to go back through some of my favorite song playlist and movies just to hear the amazing improvements this receiver was providing! I waited to write this review because there were some reviews claiming that their Onkyo's broke or bad HDMI port issues. I wanted to see if I ran into these issues, and I have not, both of mine have been perfect! Love the Atmos processing, I am currently running them in 5.1.2 setup with my Definitive Technology BP2002 (with two built in subs) for a total of 3 subs in my Great Room Theater and it really sounds great! I have the second receiver setup in my dedicated Home Theater Projection room in my basement . System 2 has inexpensive BIC Venturi DV62CLR satellite speakers and a 15 inch Pro Sub, it sounds like I spent thousands more than I did. It feels like a got a real bargain with these receivers and I would purchase again without hesitation!
A bargain but with warts - more than I expected for the price
By Freeradical - Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2018
Verified Amazon Purchase
I replace an aging Sony DA5ES (110 watt, 6ch). The DA5ES sounds better but has less power than RZ820 The main difference appears to be that the DA5ES has a better DAC and slightly better sounding main amp. To be clear DA5ES doesn't support as many formats but it does sound better particular in the voice and midrange. The DAC also produces a pop when I start and stop streaming from my Vizo TV. If I exit app and restart instead of pausing it doesn't do it. The phono amp is garbage but does have a gain adjustment. Why do they bother. If you want good vinyl sound you will need a phono preamp. The FM section is comparable to the Sony which is excellent. No HD just analog. The wireless, Bluetooth and net features works with windows and uses a Linux computer. It doesn't state that it is compatible with IOS. I tested with high end speakers with two subwoofers (5.2 system) in a large room. The front panel is almost ugly and modes etc are very small and can't be read more than a meter away. The remote is very basic in this area the Sony blows it away but it is functional and most functions are available. The HDMI circuits are surprisingly good but I did experience some audio drop outs for the first 3-4 hrs of use. It does have 7 nice amps in it and R/L front speakers can be biamped in 5.1/5.2 mode.
Brought New Life to My Paradigm Speakers
By AdeMk - Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2020
Verified Amazon Purchase
This is an excellent amplifier. I had an old Yamaha RX V4600 that suddenly lost sound even though images still came through the hdmi output. So, I needed something to replace it fast while I was contemplating an upgrade to 4K and 8K and what may come next. I was attracted by the price and the claimed power of the Onkyo TX-RZ820 even though it was not on my radar screen. The length of the warranty gave me the peace of mind that I could wait for 8K to become established before having to upgrade. I have been pleasantly surprised by the amp. Even though it is lighter than my previous amps (Denon & Yamaha), it still brought new life to my Paradigm speakers, quelling my speaker upgrade itch. It sounds clearer (to my ears) and it has been able to drive all the 5 speakers effortlessly. The connection to the net is fantastic and music from Tidal HiFi sounds so good and makes exploring music very interesting and rewarding. What needs improvements? I think a larger screen would be better to replace all the small buttons on the side. This is especially needed when one does not want to turn on the TV to explore sound. The current screen on the amp is too tiny. The Onkyo app also works well but it too could be improved. Overall, I am smitten with the quality and musicality of the amp. Video is, of course, also excellent.
HDMI Fail - What dolby atmos streaming?
By Scott Pincus - Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2019
Verified Amazon Purchase
As many reported here, my hdmi started getting wonky about 2 weeks into owning it. I finally requested a replacement. The system stopped recognizing the audio part of programs from my Samsung smart TV. Picture worked, but sound would no longer play. Worked for a while though. Swamping in my old receiver, audio worked just fine. The stereo companies puts a lot of marketing behind it having dolby atmos. That is fine but turns out that netflix and amazon prime have very little content that is dolby atmos. You can buy a blue ray disk that supports the format (as long as your player supports that format), and there are some games out there of course. Sound quality is excellent which is why I requested a replacement. This is the second Onkyo receiver I have owned over the years. My previous one had hdmi issues as well and had to go in for service a few years into owning. If the replacement does not work out, I will return for a refund and buy a more recent model, in the hopes that they have resolved these issues in newer model years. I like that there is a 3 year warranty on this model. Amazon tech support was of no assistance and after 30 mins and lots of hold time, basically said go to the manufacture. I had already spent over an 2 hours trying to debug the issues i had before calling. I suggest going right to the manufacture, and If I had any patience left I would have.
Not impressed plus died and had to return
By Randy B. - Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2018
Verified Amazon Purchase
I bought this receiver based on an article I read saying the audio was great along with I was always curious about Onkyo, was looking to see if I could improve audio playing vinyl over the Denon AVR-S930H, which doesn't have a dedicated phone input. But the Denon sounded great, I was just looking to see if I could get a ever so slight increase in fidelity... What a disappointment... first problem was watching bluray movies... my Samsung bluray would not display video;, just snow... I did have a high end hdmi 5' cable attached... After researching the internet I found it's a common problem, I finally fixed that issue by relocating my bluray closer and using a 2' hdmi cable... ridiculous... Audio was good playing blurays after calibration using their AccuEQ system, and AFTER making manual adjustments that AccuEQ didn't get right. I was discouraged to find that the receiver doesn't display that you are watching a movie in Dolby Atmos unless you look at the display after pressing the INFO button... Denon displays it properly... While audio was good in movies, it was TERRIBLE while playing vinyl, either by using the phono input OR using a phono preamp and with another input, made no difference... I spend DAYS messing with audio settings, changing equalizer settings and everything else available... music was dull, lifeless and generally just sucked no matter what mode or setting.... yes I have a high end turntable and cartridge... I didn't have to worry about it very long though, after only having it for 2 weeks we went to watch a bluray and on power up we got a loud pop through the speakers and that was it... tried a factory reset, that didn't work, powering up just got VOLUME 40 on the display then it would power back off... unhooked everything, still the same, something internally blew... Since it was a redbox movie we were going to watch that needed to be returned I scrambled to hook my Denon back up and we could immediately tell the difference in sound... better on the movie and HUGELY better listening to vinyl... I'm happy once again, never another Onkyo, my curiosity was completed with disappointment. I just ordered a Denon AVR-4400H from Crutchfield. Why Crutchfield, well because Amazon was going to charge me sales tax and Crutchfield has a 60 day return window, first experience with them, we'll see...
Great Deal While it Lasts
By Technik - Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2019
Verified Amazon Purchase
Lets get the frustration out of the way first. After hooking everything up, the unit seemed Dead on Arrival. No sound... from any source (X1 cable, Computer... even AM/FM radio). Room calibration worked with test sounds from each speaker but when complete there was no audio. I decided to perform a firmware update (direct LAN connection). After that, the unit came alive. Surprising that the unit could not produce any sound with it's shipped firmware. Now for the good. The sound and features are excellent. I find the THX Cinema mode the most impressive. It takes a standard Dolby Digital signal and applies post processing to equalize the sound for a home setting. At low volumes, you feel the same impact from all speakers and the subwoofer. I have multi-zone speakers and that works great. I downloaded the Onkyo App (Apple) and you can manage power, volume and source for each zone. While a movie is in the theater, you can Airplay a song in another zone or listen to internet radio. Any source separately in any room. Also, the firmware upgrade includes AirPlay 2 among many other 2019 features. Lots of customization options with this unit. If interested, read the advanced manual before buying. This player will serve a more experienced audiophile/home theater customer well. If you have really good speakers, this unit will take advantage of them. Some of the options and configurations may be overkill or confusing for a novice. Overall A+ on the unit and a B- for the initial confusion and lack of sound. This was a $1300 receiver on launch. It's an absolute steal at the December 2019 price.
“Initial Setup” isn’t perfect
By J.B. - Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2018
Verified Amazon Purchase
Ok so the first impression was in size of the receiver. Take your measurements first! I had to reconfigure the placement of my components but it’s not a huge issue for me, although it may be for you...Anyway, I went through the “Initial setup” process by Onkyo and found it pretty easy to use AND the sound configuration works for my living room. Some have said it didn’t work out for various reasons but it worked for me. (I have hardwood floors which makes a big difference in sound configuration and reverberation of sound) I used the enclosed microphone and each speaker is well balanced for my seating arrangement. WiFi setup was a breeze, I don’t use Zone 2 so I skipped that step. Dislike: The “Initial setup” has a missed opportunity when detecting HDMI cable connections for each input on the receiver. I have my DirecTV box, Xbox One, and Xbox 360 connected. Simple right? Nope! Onkyo decided to utilize the “Game” HDMI input to recognize as Component cables. Why? I have an HDMI plugged in! Makes no sense. During the initial setup, I was able to successfully see picture and hear sound for “Cabl/Sat” and “Strm Box” with HDMI. (The latter is my Xbox One) I have my Xbox 360 plugged into “Game 5” which is HDMI 5 on the receiver. No picture, no sound...this is where I had an issue. Long story short, you need to configure the “Input/output Assign” in their settings, then assign the proper HDMI Input numbers for your components. WHY DIDN'T INITIAL SETUP DO THIS?!?! I don’t know, but my issue was fixed when I assigned them correctly. Also, I have an LG smart TV and couldn’t properly set up the TV audio out through HDMI for built in apps. (The TV and receiver have a setting to send TV audio out through HDMI ARC when using built in tuner and apps like Netflix and others.) Trust me, I had them plugged in properly and still didn’t work. I decided to use fiber optic output since my previous setup was like that anyway. Not a big deal to me but would have liked it to work they way it was designed. I did configure the TV and receiver to work this way but still nothing...I may call Onkyo support for this issue but haven’t as of this review. Overall sound is full as expected from Onkyo. I’ve used their receivers since 2001 paired with Polk speakers and love the combination. I do like this receiver a lot, I wish Onkyo would have let the initial setup auto detect all inputs and assign them for me. Still, I’m happy with the purchases and definitely recommend to anyone shopping for a replacement of old equipment. (My previous one was from 2006 and only had 2 HDMI inputs; but also suffered a nasty power surge from a lightning strike. I’ve protected my equipment with Monster Power surge protection and truly believe they work flawlessly, it’s worth the investment) I strongly recommend this receiver for all its capabilities and selection of HDMI inputs as well as multi zone (even though I don’t use it) and sound quality.
Loved it till amp failed after only 6 years
By KingB - Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2025
Verified Amazon Purchase
This was a good receiver while it lasted. Amp section started blinking out after 6 years of medium duty use in a home theater. Research shows this is a common problem for Onkyo so I'm not alone. Tried some of the YouTube fixes using heat gun over the circuit boards but nothing worked. I read that some users got Onkyo to replace defective units outside of warranty because of this known issue, but after hours of searching for a contact phone number I was told 'too bad for you'. I've still got a 30 year old JVC 2 channel receiver that's never failed and sounds great, but Onkyo has problems.
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