It's systems that can perform well with both types of entertainment which inevitably score the highest.Ĭheck out CNET's receiver buying guide for more about the features and things you should consider when looking for a new system. I also use a number of test music tracks and evaluate any streaming features such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. I watch a handful of test scenes from 4K Blu-ray or streamed from a 4K streaming service (Vudu, for example) and evaluate aspects such as Dolby Atmos surround performance and dialog clarity. When it comes to receivers I want to see how well a system performs with music as well as with movies, as most people will want to do both. I always compare products against one or more reference devices which offer the best performance at a similar price. Still, as the Onkyo offers balanced performance across both, it's my current favorite.Īt CNET I test audio equipment from compact soundbars though to surround sound systems, but regardless of the device my methodology is largely the same.
The Yamaha is great with movies but doesn't sound as good with music streaming. What was surprising is that the onboard phono preamp was even better than the one on the rival Onkyo RZ50, so I can recommend it for people who don't want a separate preamp for their turntable. The Yamaha's sound quality tended toward the cinematic rather than the musical and offered a big, roomy sound perfect for blockbusters or moody conspiracy thrillers. I tested the Yamaha A4A against the Onkyo RZ50 and the Denon X3700. The system is capable of a beefy 110 watts per channel (stereo) and has seven HDMI ports for your connectivity needs. Look through the fancy top grille and you'll see neatly packed components and a distinguished, stamped transformer. As it turns out, this Yamaha offers even better build quality and a huge cinematic sound. I'm a big fan of the Yamaha RX-V6A, so I was curious to see what the step-up RX-A4A brings to the table. The addition of Dirac Live adds its own complexities in setup - please, only use the Onkyo Controller mobile app in combination with the supplied microphone - but doing so rewards with a highly-involving performance.īe aware the Onkyo may be out of stock at some places, but as I write this Amazon has units available for sale.
Performance was excellent whether watching a movie (and I haven't heard Dolby Atmos sound this convincing in a long time) or listening to streamed music.
It also has two-way Bluetooth for streaming as well as listening on wireless headphones.
What improvements does the $1,400 TX-RZ50 offer on the $800 TX-NR6100? Firstly, it offers double the number of 8K compatible inputs (six versus three) plus it offers more power (120 watts versus 80 watts). Also, being able to request songs directly from Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa is a real boon. Like its budget-oriented label mate, the TX-NR6100, it's stacked with features including the audiophile-quality calibration routine called Dirac Live as well as the best streaming suite in an AV receiver.
Onkyo's TX-RZ50 is a perfect step-up model for those looking to upgrade their systems for a set of better-quality speakers or to add a turntable. Alternatively, if it's home theater thrills you're after, the Yamaha RX-A4A offers crisp, dynamic sound and fantastic build quality for the same $1,400 - and unlike the Onkyo, it's available to buy right now. It sounds great with music and movies alike. It offers an excellent, if slightly scary, calibration routine from Dirac Live and the best number of streaming features on the market. Meanwhile, the Onkyo TX-RZ50 is an excellent receiver if you're looking for the next level of features and a performance bump over sub-$1,000 models. The Onkyo is an excellent performer and offers easy setup, excellent usability, solid looks and useful features, including the best streaming suite. If you want to be on the safer side, the Onkyo TX-NR6100 is the receiver to buy. However, the company has fixes standing by, as you'll see below. On that last point, it is worth noting that until mid-2021 all models were susceptible to a bug making them non-4K/120Hz-compliant, and there may be some of these left on the shelves.
It also has plenty of connectivity options including a wealth of HDMI 2.1 ports for connecting the Xbox Series X and more. The Yamaha RX-V6A is CNET's favorite receiver under $1,000 and offers striking looks with the performance chops to match.