Newegg had the Onkyo TX-RZ720 on sale for $479 so I thought what the heck. The unit arrived a few days ago and I was able to put it through its paces.
Unpacking
The unit came well-packed with nice think foam. It was also shipped double boxed which I always appreciate. Everything needed was in the box; remote, manual, mic, etc.
First Impressions
The unit has some weight to it and certainly doesn’t come off as cheap; although, the volume knob is a bit flimsy and doesn’t quite fit with the aluminum face plate. It has a detachable power cord and 12v trigger on the back which I always appreciate.
Setup
The AccuEQ was the first option on the list during the initial setup upon powering up the unit for the first time. This went through the familiar loud sounds and measurements and only took about 3-4 minutes before it was complete. Afterwards, I adjusted the crossovers and some other settings. The Onkyo GUI is snappy and easy to navigate so I was up and running pretty quickly.
Remote
Typical plastic variety you will find. Move on, nothing to see here.
Sound
The Onkyo has good sound and plenty of power under its hood, but I felt quite a bit was missing and the frequency range didn’t sound quite right to my ears. I tried running the AccuEQ again but came out with exactly the same result. I also messed with mic placement and tried other tricks, but just couldn’t get the sound right. This was a letdown as the older Onkyo units used Audyssey and I feel that did a much better job of room correction. This unit is THX certified so having access to those modes was a plus.
I was able to compare this unit to my own Sony STR-DN1080 which replaced my older Anthem MRX310 six months back. I don’t know if I just happen to hit a perfect combination of speakers and room for Sony’s DCAC EX room correction, but the Sony sounds better in every way. The only advantages the Onkyo seemed to have was the amps had more headroom and it also has manual EQ so you can set three presets whereas on the Sony, if you don’t like what you get, you’re pretty much stuck.
Problems
None. The unit worked exactly as it should and I did not observe any obvious problems. This was a relief as a couple of previous units in this particular line had issues with the firmware.
Summary
Unfortunately, I simply no longer like Onkyo receivers for my current setup and room. That isn’t to say others won’t have better luck, but as always, I would encourage side-by-side comparison of units in your particular environment.
