If you’ve been pining to get yourself one of Onkyo’s premium RZ Series AV receivers, then listen up. The long-standing audio component makers announced today the new TX-RZ30, a 9.2-channel home theater AVR that, while a little less powerful that its siblings, boasts a respectable 100 watts per channel, all the latest movie and music bells and whistles, and Dirac Live room correction software baked in, for just $1,200.
The latest addition to its RZ Series lineup that includes the slightly more powerful 9.2-channel TX-RZ50 ($1,600) and the 11.2-channel TX-RZ70 ($2,800), the TX-RZ30 shares many of the same features. Home theater and movie fiends can tick several must-haves off their list, including six rear-panel HDMI 2.1a inputs, two outputs that support 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz video, and support for 40Gbps transfer rates. All this means that you’ll get the most out of whatever you connect to the TX-RZ30 — Blu-ray players, streaming devices like Apple TV or Roku — and gamers will also enjoy lag-free gaming, too, with VRR (variable refresh rate) and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) support.
Like its TX-RZ50 sibling, the TX-RZ30 can be configured to either 5.1.4 (that’s five-speakers and subwoofer, plus two pairs of upward-firing or in-ceiling speakers) or 7.1.2 (the same, but with one of the height channels used for rear surrounds instead) speaker setups. Or you can pare it down even more and designate one or two sets of speakers into up to two additional “zones” or rooms in your home.
Picture, color, and contrast specs are in there as well, with support for HDR10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision HDR formats, and with ARC and eARC HDMI capabilities, you’ll get to take advantage of all the 3D surround sound goodness of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. The TX-RZ30 is also THX Certified as well as IMAX Enhanced, which basically means that it’s been certified by DTS and IMAX engineers as being compatible with the IMAX enhanced format available with content that supports it.
Whether your setup is in a smaller room with a great TV or a larger home theater space with a wall-filling screen and killer projector, the Onkyo TX-RZ30 comes with the AI-driven Dirac Live room correction software built-in, so your sound is tuned in to the room’s specific shape and size. An additional Dirac Live Bass Control upgrade is also available for those who want to fine-tune their room for low end, too.
Music lovers are also well taken care of with the Onkyo TX-RZ30, that boasts all kinds of connectivity options, including the best music streaming services such as Spotify, Amazon Music HD, Tidal, Deezer, Pandora, and TuneIn. The “Smart AV Receiver” also works with Google Assistant and Siri and supports Google Cast and Apple’s AirPlay 2 for connecting to a ton of other devices.
If you’re a Sonos networked speaker person, the AVR sports the “Works with Sonos” designation, which means that by adding a Sonos Port device to the system you can add the TX-RZ30 to your multiroom system and even wake the receiver and control it via the Sonos app. And if you happen to also own a set of Klipsch Reference Premiere speakers, there’s even a “Klipsch Optimize” mode that helps you tune the crossover values specifically for the speakers for perfectly paired sound (both brands are owned by the same company).
Additional connectivity to the Onkyo TX-RZ30 includes two-way Bluetooth tech, which allows you to not only stream your music to the AVR from your devices via decent-sounding SBC and AAC codecs but more importantly you can also send audio from the RZ30 to a set of compatible wireless headphones that support SBC, aptX, or even hi-res aptX HD that supports up to 24-bit audio.
The Onkyo TX-RZ30 cost $1,200 and will be available October 2024 at Onkyo.com and authorized retailers.
