The catch
Marantz CINEMA 50
The HDMI inputs sit at the rear and no built-in front HDMI socket exists. For a visiting source, check access or a suitable tested extension, along with ventilation and cable space.
Side by side
Marantz CINEMA 50 vs Onkyo TX-RZ50: Marantz splits sub settings apart, Onkyo’s front HDMI has tighter video limits
Quick verdict
CINEMA 50 is the choice when two to four powered subs need separate level and distance settings. That requires a matching Speaker Layout, with output 4 reserved when you use four, and rear HDMI access or a tested extension has to be enough. TX-RZ50 is the choice for accessible front HDMI in the main room, provided shared sub settings suffice and the source, cable and display qualify. Front 4K60 requires 8-bit YCbCr 4:2:0, and there is no 4K120, 8K or HDMI Zone 2 on that input. Both support properly assigned 5.1.4. Neither powers 7.1.4 without an external two-channel amplifier, and neither combines both distinguishing features.
Before you buy
Why, and what it costs you
Two subs may call for two settings even if the socket count seems enough
Powered subs placed in different spots may need different receiver level and distance settings. CINEMA 50 provides them when the Speaker Layout matches, whereas Onkyo’s second socket repeats the shared signal and setting. If you have one sub, or a verified external processor already handles adjustment, the receiver advantage can vanish. Rear HDMI access or a tested extension still has to suit you. No smoother-bass result is established.
Where this comes from
The subwoofer outputs are described outright in both manuals. Marantz also documents Standard and Directional routing and requires Standard for Audyssey Sub EQ HT. Under Dirac Live its distance display switches to milliseconds. These distinctions keep separate settings from turning into a claim about equivalent or superior correction methods.
The catch
Onkyo TX-RZ50
Both subwoofer sockets carry one signal and share one receiver setup entry. Having a second socket does not give separate level or distance control.
Marantz CINEMA 50
- Why pick it
- With CINEMA 50, two to four powered subs each get separate level and distance settings, as long as Speaker Layout matches. When all four are used, output 4 must remain a sub output. Visiting sources have to be covered by rear HDMI access or a suitable tested extension. Separate settings do not prove better bass or independent optimization.
- The catch
- The HDMI inputs sit at the rear and no built-in front HDMI socket exists. For a visiting source, check access or a suitable tested extension, along with ventilation and cable space.
Onkyo TX-RZ50
- Why pick it
- TX-RZ50 makes visiting sources in the main room easier to reach, provided its front flap and plug fit and one or two powered subs can share one receiver setting. Source, cable and display all have to support the front format, and 4K60 requires 8-bit YCbCr 4:2:0. That input leaves out 4K120, 8K and HDMI Zone 2.
- The catch
- Both subwoofer sockets carry one signal and share one receiver setup entry. Having a second socket does not give separate level or distance control.
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What this page compares
Marantz CINEMA 50 subwoofer controls set against Onkyo TX-RZ50 front HDMI access, with video limits, room routing and setup requirements covered.
Either receiver can anchor a main-room system with five ear-level speakers and four heights. What you are choosing between here is two different jobs. Marantz lets you set multiple powered subs separately inside the receiver, while Onkyo brings a suitable visiting HDMI source to the front. Which feature helps depends on what you connect and how you can reach it.
Which one fits
Pick the situations that sound like you
Two powered subs need their own receiver settings, and reaching the rear for sources is fine
With a matching Speaker Layout, Marantz gives separate level and distance entries for two to four powered subs. For four, output 4 has to stay a sub output. Rear HDMI access or a tested extension has to suit how you swap sources. Onkyo’s second socket cannot meet this control requirement, and that is not proof of better bass.
- Marantz CINEMA 50
- Better fit
- Onkyo TX-RZ50
- Not suitable
A visiting camera sends a signal the front port supports and stays in the main room
With Onkyo you skip rear access for a main-room source, provided the front flap and plug are reachable and one or two powered subs can share one receiver setting. Verify the source, cable and display. Front 4K60 needs 8-bit YCbCr 4:2:0, and there is no 4K120, 8K or HDMI Zone 2. A suitable tested Marantz rear extension can close the practical gap.
- Marantz CINEMA 50
- Good
- Onkyo TX-RZ50
- Better fit
A main room with one sub, HDMI sources that stay connected and a documented 5.1.4 layout
Given compatible source-to-display connections, the correct speaker assignment and a well-ventilated installation, either one covers this plan. Neither separate sub settings nor a front socket decides it. Compare the other functions you really use, along with current complete offers. We assume neither equal sound quality nor a lower price.
- Marantz CINEMA 50
- Similar
- Onkyo TX-RZ50
- Similar
You need both separate receiver sub settings and a built-in front HDMI socket
Marantz offers the separate settings but has only rear HDMI inputs. Onkyo offers front HDMI within its signal and main-room limits, but the sub settings are shared. Neither delivers both as is. A tested rear extension alters the access requirement and does not add a front socket.
- Marantz CINEMA 50
- Not suitable
- Onkyo TX-RZ50
- Not suitable
The source on the front HDMI has to reach the separate-room HDMI Zone 2 TV
There is no front HDMI input on Marantz. Onkyo’s HDMI Zone 2 takes only rear HDMI IN 1 to 3, with two-channel PCM and Zone 2 HDMI set to Use. Its front AUX camera route cannot satisfy this requirement. The plan changes if you reconnect the source at a compatible rear input.
- Marantz CINEMA 50
- Not suitable
- Onkyo TX-RZ50
- Not suitable
Seven ear-level speakers and four heights have to play with no external amplifier
For 7.1.4, each needs an external two-channel power amplifier and the documented assignment. Powered main-speaker channels do not increase with the subwoofer socket count or with front HDMI. If fewer ear-level speakers are acceptable, a 5.1.4 plan is the supported all-in-one alternative.
- Marantz CINEMA 50
- Not suitable
- Onkyo TX-RZ50
- Not suitable
In practice
Differences you will notice
Two subs may call for two settings even if the socket count seems enough
Powered subs placed in different spots may need different receiver level and distance settings. CINEMA 50 provides them when the Speaker Layout matches, whereas Onkyo’s second socket repeats the shared signal and setting. If you have one sub, or a verified external processor already handles adjustment, the receiver advantage can vanish. Rear HDMI access or a tested extension still has to suit you. No smoother-bass result is established.
How we worked this out
The subwoofer outputs are described outright in both manuals. Marantz also documents Standard and Directional routing and requires Standard for Audyssey Sub EQ HT. Under Dirac Live its distance display switches to milliseconds. These distinctions keep separate settings from turning into a claim about equivalent or superior correction methods.
The front connection is useful only if the visiting signal fits
With Onkyo, a camera you bring out now and then spares you a reach behind the receiver. For that, you need an accessible flap and plug, a main-room route and one shared receiver setting for one or two powered subs. The source, cable and display must qualify. Front 4K60 requires 8-bit YCbCr 4:2:0, without 4K120, 8K or HDMI Zone 2. A tested Marantz rear-input extension can erase the access difference.
How we worked this out
A front camera connection and AUX selection are documented outright for Onkyo. The format table for its front input is narrower than the one for rear inputs, and its HDMI Zone 2 instructions accept rear inputs 1 to 3 only. This is an access benefit under specific signal and routing conditions and not evidence of universal plug-and-play compatibility.
When both jobs are mandatory, neither handles everything alone
If separate receiver sub settings and built-in front HDMI are both mandatory, neither receiver meets them. For Marantz, a verified rear-input extension eases the access requirement. For Onkyo, accepting shared sub settings eases the calibration requirement, though its front format and main-room restrictions remain. If neither compromise works, change the shortlist. Apart from that, both need an external two-channel amplifier for 7.1.4.
How we worked this out
Each of the two requirements can change on its own. An extension alters access, and a shared sub setting alters the calibration plan. We do not assume either substitution is acceptable or included. The manuals document separately the external-amplifier requirement for eleven main-room channels.
Plan your receiver connectionsLay out my system
Check a documented speaker layout against HDMI sources and external-amplifier plans.
Marantz CINEMA 50
Handles your setup
Runs 5.1.2 on its own built-in amplifiers. Takes 3 HDMI devices, 1 of them at 4K/120Hz.
Onkyo TX-RZ50
Handles your setup
Runs 5.1.2 on its own built-in amplifiers. Takes 3 HDMI devices, 1 of them at 4K/120Hz. Input count does not guarantee every chroma, bit-depth or DSC combination. Check the manufacturer's HDMI format table and current firmware.
A powered subwoofer does not count toward the speaker channels. This checks one main room. Check Zone 2, bi-amping and unusual speaker assignments yourself. Leave room for ventilation, and confirm HDMI settings, cables and speaker impedance before you install.
Option A
Marantz, CINEMA 50
CINEMA 50
With the matching Speaker Layout, CINEMA 50 gives up to four connected powered subs their own level and distance settings. HDMI sources connect at the rear, and a suitable tested extension can make a temporary source easier to reach.
- Best for
- With CINEMA 50, two to four powered subs each get separate level and distance settings, as long as Speaker Layout matches. When all four are used, output 4 must remain a sub output. Visiting sources have to be covered by rear HDMI access or a suitable tested extension. Separate settings do not prove better bass or independent optimization.
Facts we checked
- Five ear-level speakers and four heights: Documented 5.1.4 layout using its built-in amplifiers
- Setting up multiple powered subwoofers: Separate level and distance settings for Subwoofer 1 to 4
- Connecting a visiting HDMI source: HDMI inputs are on the rear
- Video formats for the front connection: No front HDMI input
Option B
Onkyo, TX-RZ50
TX-RZ50
The TX-RZ50 has a front AUX HDMI input behind a flap, though its two sub sockets share one signal and receiver setting. Front 4K60 needs 8-bit YCbCr 4:2:0, rules out 4K120 and 8K, and cannot feed HDMI Zone 2.
- Best for
- TX-RZ50 makes visiting sources in the main room easier to reach, provided its front flap and plug fit and one or two powered subs can share one receiver setting. Source, cable and display all have to support the front format, and 4K60 requires 8-bit YCbCr 4:2:0. That input leaves out 4K120, 8K and HDMI Zone 2.
Facts we checked
- Five ear-level speakers and four heights: Documented 5.1.4 layout using its built-in amplifiers
- Setting up multiple powered subwoofers: Two sockets carrying the same signal, with one subwoofer setup entry
- Connecting a visiting HDMI source: AUX INPUT HDMI behind the front flap
- Video formats for the front connection: 4K60 only at 8-bit YCbCr 4:2:0
Spec by spec
Where they really differ
| Spec | Marantz CINEMA 50 | Onkyo TX-RZ50 | In practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Five ear-level speakers and four heights | Documented 5.1.4 layout using its built-in amplifiers | Documented 5.1.4 layout using its built-in amplifiers | Given the documented speaker connections and assignment, either can serve this main-room plan. A 7.1.4 system is not something either powers on its own. For that expansion you need an external two-channel amplifier. |
| Setting up multiple powered subwoofers | Separate level and distance settings for Subwoofer 1 to 4 | Two sockets carrying the same signal, with one subwoofer setup entry | When the selected Speaker Layout matches, Marantz can give every connected sub a receiver setting of its own. Two Onkyo sockets do not mean two receiver outputs you can adjust separately. This is a difference in control and not a measured bass result. |
| Connecting a visiting HDMI source | HDMI inputs are on the rear | AUX INPUT HDMI behind the front flap | When the front is accessible, Onkyo spares you the reach behind the receiver. Marantz can shed that practical disadvantage if a suitable rear-input extension already reaches the visitor and works with the required signal. |
| Video formats for the front connection | No front HDMI input | 4K60 only at 8-bit YCbCr 4:2:0 | Moving a 4K120 or 8K source to Onkyo’s front jack will not give you the rear-input capability, so do not expect it. The listed 4K30 options include 8-bit RGB, but 4K60 RGB is not in the front-port table. The source, cable and display all have to support the format you choose. |
| Sending that front source to another room | No front HDMI input to route | Front AUX is excluded from HDMI Zone 2 | The handy camera connection helps in the main room. Onkyo’s HDMI Zone 2 route takes only rear HDMI IN 1 to 3 and needs two-channel PCM audio. A second display in the main room works through a different output setting. |
| Room around the receiver | Needs ventilation and rear cable access | Needs ventilation, rear cable access and front-flap space for AUX | It is not enough for the chassis to fit on a shelf. Leave the ventilation space that the supplied installation instructions call for, and room for cables. A closed cabinet door or a blocked flap can cancel the access benefit of Onkyo. |
Trade-offs
What each pick costs you
With Marantz CINEMA 50
- The matching Speaker Layout is needed for separate sub settings. Audyssey Sub EQ HT requires Standard mode, and output 4 cannot serve a fourth sub if it is used for a tactile transducer. We establish no bass-quality advantage.
With Onkyo TX-RZ50
- For front AUX you need an accessible flap, a compatible source, cable and display, and a main-room output route. Front 4K60 requires 8-bit YCbCr 4:2:0, excludes 4K120 and 8K, and cannot feed HDMI Zone 2.
Change of plan
When the answer changes
You require separate receiver settings for multiple powered subs
Go with Marantz CINEMA 50. If you do need separate level and distance settings for multiple powered subs, Marantz is the better fit. Set Speaker Layout for two to four connected subs, and keep output 4 for a sub if you use all four. Rear HDMI access or a tested extension has to be enough. Those settings by themselves do not establish any bass-quality improvement.
A visiting source supported in the main room needs easy access up front
Go with Onkyo TX-RZ50. If you change sources in the main room often, Onkyo is the better pick, as long as its front flap and plug stay accessible and shared settings are enough for one or two powered subs. The source, cable and display must match: front 4K60 needs 8-bit YCbCr 4:2:0, with no 4K120, 8K or HDMI Zone 2.
Both separate receiver sub settings and built-in front HDMI have to be there at once
Neither model fits. Neither puts them together. Marantz gives separate settings along with rear HDMI. Onkyo gives front AUX along with shared sub settings and restricted formats and routing. Look at another model unless one of those requirements can give.
You need the built-in front socket to take 4K120 or 8K, or to feed HDMI Zone 2
Neither model fits. Front HDMI is absent on Marantz. In Onkyo’s front table, 4K120 and 8K are excluded, and HDMI Zone 2 uses rear inputs 1 to 3 only. Pick a suitable rear path or another documented connection plan.
You need 7.1.4 and no external power amplifier
Neither model fits. That layout needs an external two-channel amplifier on both. Pick a receiver that powers all eleven main channels, or switch the speaker plan to a documented self-powered layout such as 5.1.4.
Decision guide
Before you buy
Start by confirming the speaker plan and a ventilated installation. After that, ask whether separate receiver settings for your subs or an accessible, compatible visiting-source connection solves the problem you have.
What this page can’t tell you
- Exact-model operating instructions and published connections are the basis of this comparison. It does not establish a winner on hands-on sound quality, bass smoothness, room correction, amplifier power, latency or reliability.
- Independent control cannot be proven by four sockets alone. What establishes that capability is Marantz's explicit instructions for separate level and distance. They do not establish independently optimized bass at every seat, and sub placement still matters.
- Only signals and output routes it supports make the Onkyo front HDMI port useful. Its lower-bandwidth format table cannot be swapped for the headline capabilities of the rear HDMI inputs. Compatibility with any given camera or laptop is not promised.
By the numbers
What the data shows
What we found across the AV receivers we compare, plus the checked facts behind each finding.
Show the facts and the math
| Product | Needs it meets | Facts we checked | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marantz CINEMA 50 |
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| |
| Onkyo TX-RZ50 |
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Ready to buy
See today’s price and what owners say
Open either model on Amazon for the current price, customer reviews and delivery options.
Marantz CINEMA 50
With CINEMA 50, two to four powered subs each get separate level and distance settings, as long as Speaker Layout matches. When all four are used, output 4 must remain a sub output. Visiting sources have to be covered by rear HDMI access or a suitable tested extension. Separate settings do not prove better bass or independent optimization.
See price & reviews on AmazonOnkyo TX-RZ50
TX-RZ50 makes visiting sources in the main room easier to reach, provided its front flap and plug fit and one or two powered subs can share one receiver setting. Source, cable and display all have to support the front format, and 4K60 requires 8-bit YCbCr 4:2:0. That input leaves out 4K120, 8K and HDMI Zone 2.
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