Buy the Onkyo TX-RZ30 while it tracks $400 below the Denon. Both rows state nine amplified and eleven processing channels, and at that distance the Denon's four subwoofer pre-outs against two, its stated Audyssey MultEQ XT32 and its third HDMI output are an upgrade rather than the reason to choose. The watt figures settle nothing and we do not rank them: 100W and 105W are both stated into 8Ω with two channels driven, but at 1% THD against 0.08%, which is not one yardstick. Read the subwoofer pre-outs, the room-correction row and the price column instead.
As tracked by Home Theater Builder: the Onkyo TX-RZ30 tracks at $999; the Denon AVR-X3800H at $1,399.How we verify this data →
Onkyo's TX-RZ30 and Denon's AVR-X3800H both drive nine amplified channels and process eleven — $999 vs $1,399 in the price row above. The watt stickers are the one thing on these two sheets you should not read side by side.
Specifications · side by side · per-field provenance
● SOURCE-TRACKED
Spec
Onkyo TX-RZ30
Denon AVR-X3800H
Price
$999
$1,399
Brand
Onkyo
Denon
Channel Config
9.2
9.4
Main Channels
9
9
Processing Channels
11
11
Sub Pre Outs
2
4
Zone 2 Capable
Yes
Yes
Watts Per Channel 8ohm
100
105
Watts Per Channel 6ohm
170
135
THD Percent
1
0.08
Power Measurement Channels Driven
two channels driven
two channels driven
Impedance Range
4 ohms to 16 ohms
4-16 Ω/ohms
Dolby Atmos
Yes
Yes
Dts X
Yes
Yes
Imax Enhanced
Yes
Yes
HDMI Inputs
6
6
HDMI Outputs
2
3
HDMI Version
2.1
2.1
HDMI Max Bandwidth Gbps
40
40
HDMI Earc Port Count
2
1
Max Passthrough Resolution
8K 60
8K 60
HDR Support
Dolby Vision, HDR10+
HDR, HLG, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, Dynamic HDR
VRR Passthrough
Yes
Yes
ALLM Support
Yes
Yes
Phono Input
Yes
Yes
Wifi
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth
Yes
Yes
Airplay2
Yes
Yes
Streaming Services
Spotify Connect, Amazon Music HD, Tidal Connect, Deezer, TuneIn
TuneIn, Spotify Connect, Pandora, Qobuz
Form Factor
full size
full size
Width Inches
17.1
17.1
Height Inches
7
6.6
Depth Inches
15.1
14.9
Weight Lbs
25.4
16.8
Power Consumption W
760
660
Height Channels
not stated
4
Zone 3 Capable
not stated
No
Impedance Min Ohms
not stated
4
Impedance Max Ohms
not stated
16
Auro 3d
not stated
Yes
Room Correction System
not stated
Audyssey MultEQ XT32
Measurement Mic Included
not stated
Yes
HDMI 21 Port Count
not stated
6
Heos
not stated
Yes
Alexa Built In
not stated
Yes
Ip Control
not stated
Yes
Trigger Outputs Count
not stated
1
Shaded rows differ · green dot = lab-measured · amber = manufacturer-verified · blue = retailer/community-reported · grey = estimated · “not stated” means exactly that
Reading the numbers honestly
Start with the trap. Both rows state their power into 8Ω with TWO channels driven, which is the honest half of the story — and then they part on the distortion figure: 1% THD on the Onkyo against 0.08% on the Denon. A rating taken at 1% distortion is measured at a point most listeners would call the edge of clipping, so 100W and 105W are not one yardstick, and neither are the 6Ω figures (170W against 135W) that carry the same mismatch. Our data stores the context beside the value, so we can say that plainly and rank nothing on it. What IS comparable: both rows state nine amplified channels, eleven processing channels, six HDMI inputs, HDMI 2.1, a 4–16Ω impedance range, 8K/60 passthrough, IMAX Enhanced, VRR and ALLM. The architectural difference is subwoofer pre-outs — four on the Denon against two — and the disclosure difference runs both ways: the Denon states Audyssey MultEQ XT32 with a measurement microphone included and Auro-3D, where our TX-RZ30 row records no room-correction system and no Auro-3D field at all, while the Onkyo states two eARC ports against the Denon's one and a five-service streaming list its manufacturer published, where the Denon's four-service list is an inference in our data. A blank on either row is a silence in our data, never a stated no.
Compatibility · computed, not written
Checked against a bookshelf that dips to a stated 3.5Ω like the KEF LS50 Meta: KEF LS50 Meta
Can the Onkyo TX-RZ30 drive the KEF LS50 Meta?
Onkyo TX-RZ30 states a 4Ω-minimum rating; the KEF LS50 Meta dips to a stated 3.5Ω minimum, a little below that floor. Most receivers handle a marginal dip at normal volumes — it's worth watching only at very high output on an entry-level unit.
Can the Denon AVR-X3800H drive the KEF LS50 Meta?
Denon AVR-X3800H states a 4Ω-minimum rating; the KEF LS50 Meta dips to a stated 3.5Ω minimum, a little below that floor. Most receivers handle a marginal dip at normal volumes — it's worth watching only at very high output on an entry-level unit.
Computed from the catalog's normalized fields — the same fields the builder's compatibility engine reads. A missing field reads as "can't check", never as a pass.
Gaming & connectivity · answered from the spec sheets
Can the Onkyo TX-RZ30 and Denon AVR-X3800H pass 4K/120 through?
The Onkyo TX-RZ30 states 40 Gbps HDMI bandwidth — enough for full 4K/120; the Denon AVR-X3800H states 40 Gbps HDMI bandwidth — enough for full 4K/120.
The verdict
Buy the Onkyo TX-RZ30 while it tracks $400 below the Denon. Both rows state nine amplified and eleven processing channels, and at that distance the Denon's four subwoofer pre-outs against two, its stated Audyssey MultEQ XT32 and its third HDMI output are an upgrade rather than the reason to choose. The watt figures settle nothing and we do not rank them: 100W and 105W are both stated into 8Ω with two channels driven, but at 1% THD against 0.08%, which is not one yardstick. Read the subwoofer pre-outs, the room-correction row and the price column instead.
Amplified and processing channelsEither — Nine amplified and eleven processing channels on both rows — at the core these are the same size of receiver.
Comparable powerEither — Not comparable, so not ranked: 100W and 105W are both 8Ω with two channels driven, but stated at 1% THD against 0.08% THD.
Four subwoofers in one roomDenon AVR-X3800H — Four stated subwoofer pre-outs against two — the Denon is the only one of the pair that feeds four independently.
A stated room-correction platformDenon AVR-X3800H — The Denon states Audyssey MultEQ XT32 with a measurement microphone included; our TX-RZ30 row records no room-correction system at all, which is a silence in our data rather than an absence in the product.
Two eARC displaysOnkyo TX-RZ30 — The Onkyo states two eARC ports against the Denon's one; the Denon answers with three HDMI outputs against the Onkyo's two.
Auro-3DDenon AVR-X3800H — Stated on the Denon row; our Onkyo row has no Auro-3D field at all, and a blank is a silence in our data, never a stated no.
Where to buy
CHEAPEST FIRST · NOT COMMISSION-RANKED
Onkyo TX-RZ30
Tracked at Best Buy · price not quotable from a search page
The watt figures are not one yardstick and we say so rather than ranking them: 100W (Onkyo) and 105W (Denon) are both stated into 8Ω with two channels driven, but at 1% THD against 0.08% THD, and the 6Ω pair (170W against 135W) carries the same mismatch.
The core architectures match field for field: nine amplified channels, eleven processing channels, six HDMI inputs, HDMI 2.1, a 4–16Ω impedance range, 8K/60 passthrough, IMAX Enhanced, VRR and ALLM on both rows.
Subwoofer pre-outs are four against two — the one architectural difference on the page, and the only reason here to prefer the bigger box for a multi-subwoofer room.
Our TX-RZ30 row records NO room-correction system and no measurement microphone, where the Denon states Audyssey MultEQ XT32 with the mic in the box — a silence in our data to confirm before buying, never a stated no.
The disclosure runs the other way too: the Onkyo states two eARC ports against the Denon's one, and its five-service streaming list is manufacturer-stated where the Denon's four-service list is an inference in our data.
Provenance honesty: both 40 Gbps HDMI bandwidth figures on this page are retailer-sourced rather than manufacturer-stated, so they are the numbers to confirm before buying for a 4K/120 console, at $999 vs $1,399 in the price row above.
