Anthem AVM 90 Audio Video Preamp/Processor

[Bigbro]

I really get crazy. Do not know what is happening. When I play an UHD disc with Dolby Atmos sometimes it clearly states this in the information screen. When I repeat the same action the next day while starting the same disc from the beginning it states Dolby True HD and there is no way to get it back to Atmos. I am using the same settings. To be totally sure I uploaded the .config file that I saved the day before but it still sticks with Dolby True HD. I noticed this with UHD discs like Baby Driver, Blade Runner 2 etc. What could possibly be the cause. Same applies with Atmos from my C8 LG Oled using for instance the Netflix app and watch ' Stranger things. Here it sticks with Dolby Surround where it should read Dolby Atmos. As a test I took an 4K Apple tv and played the same title. The Apple TV does give me Dolby Atmos. Can someone share some light on this annoying situation? It would be highly appreciated.

 

[Bigbro]

no one?

 

[Beershaun]

That is annoying. I don't have a disk player hooked to my MRX1140 so I can't help with your situation. To the best of my knowledge there is no way to force Dolby Atmos vs. trueHD. I recommend calling customer service to see what they recommend.

 

[Golfx]

no one?

Well my prepro says dolby truehd;dolby atmos. In otherwords atmos can be a subset of truehd. As opposed to dolby digital +;dolby atmos which is what is streamed from Disney+. So you might be ok.

 

[Simply Stereo]

I really get crazy. Do not know what is happening. When I play an UHD disc with Dolby Atmos sometimes it clearly states this in the information screen. When I repeat the same action the next day while starting the same disc from the beginning it states Dolby True HD and there is no way to get it back to Atmos. I am using the same settings. To be totally sure I uploaded the .config file that I saved the day before but it still sticks with Dolby True HD. I noticed this with UHD discs like Baby Driver, Blade Runner 2 etc. What could possibly be the cause. Same applies with Atmos from my C8 LG Oled using for instance the Netflix app and watch ' Stranger things. Here it sticks with Dolby Surround where it should read Dolby Atmos. As a test I took an 4K Apple tv and played the same title. The Apple TV does give me Dolby Atmos. Can someone share some light on this annoying situation? It would be highly appreciated.

We have found that turning the anthem off and then back on fixes this most of the time. A fix is in the works! Make sure you stop the stream, then do the power cycle. You don't need to unplug or anything crazy. A quick power off, power on almost always fixes it. Hopefully this is the same situation you're having and this works for you as is does for us.

 

[Beershaun]

We have found that turning the anthem off and then back on fixes this most of the time. A fix is in the works! Make sure you stop the stream, then do the power cycle. You don't need to unplug or anything crazy. A quick power off, power on almost always fixes it. Hopefully this is the same situation you're having and this works for you as is does for us.

I have found that unplugging my anthem fixes issues that don't get fixed by turning off/on. So I would add that step if off/on doesn't work.

 

[Bigbro]

As of yesterday I think I solved both the dolby atmos lossy and lossless problem. Here is what I posted on another forum:

So Just to help. I have been busy getting lossy Dolby Atmos out of my Netflix app in my LG c8 as well lossless Atmos out of my UB9000 UHD player from Panasonic together with the Anthem avm 70. I finally got it working. Once I realized that the correct way of hooking up the UB9000(using separates for audio and video) was not going to work. Later I switched and via one HDMI cable I had a transport of audio and video to the AVM 70. I was about to give up but hey when you spent so much money you want the best results. So I started experimenting. The HDMI output of the Panasonic 9000 that supplies video and audio is connected to HDMI 7 of the Anthem 70. From there I use HDMI OUT 2 to bring the video via a second HDMI cable to my 77c8 LG. Now suddenly dolby Atmos appeared in the screen of the AVM 70. Checked this in the web GUI and it is the lossless version so attached to Dolby Digital +. You do have to set the right choice in the settings of the UB9000. (2 possibilities)Somehow this also triggered the Netflix app on my LG Oled. I started testing with ' stranger things with dolby atmos and to make my Eureka moment complete also with Netflix now I've got dolby atmos although being lossy but that is normal. The sound of the apps like for instance Netflix has to be transported with another HDMI cable using (e)ARC. Messages from other users stating the c8 is not compatible with eARC are therefore dismissed.

two things that are very important: 1: use reliable HDMI cables.(no brainer)

2: switching between inputs can take a while and furthermore sometimes audio and sometimes video pops up first. The best thing to do is give the command and lay down you rc. to avoid early pressing of buttons. Wait. Wait some more and wait again. It can take up to 30 seconds before switching is accomplished. If you try and change quicker you'll end up with a negative result. If it really doesn't switch and it sometimes happens then you can do a manual switch. First choose the right input on your avm and then choose the right input in your tv.

If you still cannot get the wanted result please react and I will try to guide you.

I hope I have made some fellow enthousiast happy. Greetings from The Netherlands

 

[Bigbro]

I also have got a question: I am using a avm 70 together with an MCA 525 gen 2 in a 5.1 configuration. Now I do have two wonderful extra speakers so I can expand my set to being a 7.1 configuration. Point is that these speakers are active so carry their own power. Is it possible to connect them to the pre outs of the AVM 70 and form a 7.1 configuration?


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[Beershaun]

I also have got a question: I am using a avm 70 together with an MCA 525 gen 2 in a 5.1 configuration. Now I do have two wonderful extra speakers so I can expand my set to being a 7.1 configuration. Point is that these speakers are active so carry their own power. Is it possible to connect them to the pre outs of the AVM 70 and form a 7.1 configuration?


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Should be. You just need to tell the AVM what channel to assign those outputs in the Speakers menu Channel Mapping submenu

 

[Thor9981]

Not sure if this question has been asked before but when I play music from my streamer (Cambridge Azur 851n using Qobuz) through my AVM 70 using the optical output/input there's a really small lag between the start of the song and when I start hearing music. The first .5 seconds or so is truncated. Even if I play a full album and let it move from track to track, there's a small delay when moving between songs. It's really noticeable when switching between artists/albums/tracks that the first beat or so is cutoff. Anyone else experienced this? When I ran my streamer through my old Yamaha receiver, never had this issue.

I contacted Anthem but haven't heard back. Also reached out to Cambridge and they just said to factory reset which doesn't appear to have resolved the issue.

I've used multiple optical cables on all three of the AVM 70's optical inputs but the problem remains.

The interesting thing is that when I use the analog input/outputs with an RCA cable this issue goes away. However, every 3rd or 4th song or so there's a hiccup where the music stops mid-song for 1-2 seconds and then resumes. So, fixing one issue causes another.

Appreciate any feedback. Thanks!

 

[ReciprocalSpace]

Currently in the market for a 9.4.6 pre/pro or AVR (don't need the amplification), just starting my research but I'm very tempted by the new Denon AVC-A1H. Mostly because of SW stability of Denon, eventual Dirac Live upgrade (hope it includes spatial audio), directional subwoofers (not sure how much that does when hard to locate bass frequencies), and once it is replaced I can use the amplification for other zones in the house. Any reason(s) for prefering the AVM90 over the A1H? Balanced outs, better room correction, etc.? Thanks

 

[Beershaun]

Currently in the market for a 9.4.6 pre/pro or AVR (don't need the amplification), just starting my research but I'm very tempted by the new Denon AVC-A1H. Mostly because of SW stability of Denon, eventual Dirac Live upgrade (hope it includes spatial audio), directional subwoofers (not sure how much that does when hard to locate bass frequencies), and once it is replaced I can use the amplification for other zones in the house. Any reason(s) for prefering the AVM90 over the A1H? Balanced outs, better room correction, etc.? Thanks

A few things I like about my anthem that my denon doesn't do.
1: multiple ARC room correction profiles and assigning a specific profile and speaker configuration to each input. I can take ARC room measurements for a group of people and take measurements for just myself, then save them as separate profiles in the receiver and assign a profit for each input.
2) virtual inputs. I can create an input (like music streaming from my FireTV) and configure it independently from the movie settings I want for the same input and device. So if I'm using my FireTV to watch.movies I can set and input for it it to assist rhe group ARC profile and the Dolby surround setting. Then if I am listening to music through my firetv I can create a totally separate input and assign different ARC profile and set it to stereo speakers all without having to take new measurements.

anthems software is much better than Demons old version and much more flexible.





Bu

 

[ReciprocalSpace]

A few things I like about my anthem that my denon doesn't do.
1: multiple ARC room correction profiles and assigning a specific profile and speaker configuration to each input. I can take ARC room measurements for a group of people and take measurements for just myself, then save them as separate profiles in the receiver and assign a profit for each input.
2) virtual inputs. I can create an input (like music streaming from my FireTV) and configure it independently from the movie settings I want for the same input and device. So if I'm using my FireTV to watch.movies I can set and input for it it to assist rhe group ARC profile and the Dolby surround setting. Then if I am listening to music through my firetv I can create a totally separate input and assign different ARC profile and set it to stereo speakers all without having to take new measurements.

anthems software is much better than Demons old version and much more flexible.





Bu

After have watched a few videos on the Anthem SW and all the customization, I'm nearly sold. Thanks

 

[Ninjo]

I didn't read this thread all the way through but I'll speak of my AVM-70 experience and throw in my $0.02 on the 90. BTW, I should qualify my statements with I do NOT believe all amps and processors sound the same, I believe UI has an impact on the performance of a product and I don't believe all things that measure well sound better than things that don't (specifically in my user experience Denon A110 in preamp mode compared o the AVM 70 and Gustard X16 vs Denafrips Ares II, so if that isn't your cup of tea I ask you to please scroll on).

I went from MRX-520 to NAD T758.3 to Marantz 7703 to AVR850 to X3600 to X4700 to A110 to RMC-1L to AVM-70. I have no plans or desire to upgrade (my processor) anytime soon. The Anthem flat out works, 90% (or more) of the "bugs" you read about are user error and Anthem has been very methodical and appropriate with their firmware updates and are keenly interested in and responsive to user inquiries / experiences.

I could not get any of my Denon/Marantz stuff to sound as good as the Anthem, even when using them in preamp mode with the same amps (which I have since changed too) and also in full analog bypass mode using an external DAC. Say what you will about placebo blah blah, I have been around long enough to discern my own experiences.

The latest beta update from Anthem including phase and polarity for subs along with auto-delay for all channels is freaking great and has worked flawlessly on my rig. Without upgrading at a significant cost I can not expect my room (well planned and properly treated) to sound any better than it does today, at least for multi-channel music and movie playback.

Lastly, the WebUI is excellent and ARC (after appropriate learning curve) is superior to my personal experiences with Audyssey (haven't used the new web based module) and Dirac (never used DLBC). The flexibility inside ARC and ease of setting up user profiles is great.

Two additional points; I use both a 2CH profile via analog bypass (no room correction, external DAC) and a 2.2CH digitized profile with ARC engaged from the same source. The two are closer (I still prefer pure 2CH in most cases) than with all the other processors referenced above, possibly due to Anthem's ADC implementation? If wishes were fishes I'd want balanced inputs but with my gear and being a short interconnect run its not a big deal.

My final point is I have heard from others the 2CH (digital) performance of the 90 is superior to the 70. This could be a real boon to those that prefer to use room correction for music. Otherwise I am not sure how to justify the difference in cost between the 70 and 90 or the 70 and any other processor for that matter.

Hope this is somewhat helpful and D+M fans and measurement peeps don't ruin this thread.

How did the RMC-1L compare to the AVM-70?

 

[Archaea]

A few things I like about my anthem that my denon doesn't do.
1: multiple ARC room correction profiles and assigning a specific profile and speaker configuration to each input. I can take ARC room measurements for a group of people and take measurements for just myself, then save them as separate profiles in the receiver and assign a profit for each input.
2) virtual inputs. I can create an input (like music streaming from my FireTV) and configure it independently from the movie settings I want for the same input and device. So if I'm using my FireTV to watch.movies I can set and input for it it to assist rhe group ARC profile and the Dolby surround setting. Then if I am listening to music through my firetv I can create a totally separate input and assign different ARC profile and set it to stereo speakers all without having to take new measurements.

anthems software is much better than Demons old version and much more flexible.





Bu

Denon has two Speaker profiles on their top models that are easy to swap between. One could be single seat EQ weighted and the other multi seat EQ weighted. With the $20 audyssey app you can change anything you want and assign to different profiles without rerunning Audyssey. The new 2022 AVC-AH1 will allow DIRAC spatial audio upgrade in the future.

Denon has HEOS, which I love and use regularly on my x6700h

Denon has DTS-X Pro which allows DTS X to use more than 11 channels. (Anthem doesn’t have that yet on their AVM90)

Does Anthem allow front wides with Dolby Surround upmixing? Denon does.

I’m not sure what other significant differences there are. I’m probably leaning towards the Denon, but checking out the Anthem as well.

 

[Descartes]

We have found that turning the anthem off and then back on fixes this most of the time. A fix is in the works! Make sure you stop the stream, then do the power cycle. You don't need to unplug or anything crazy. A quick power off, power on almost always fixes it. Hopefully this is the same situation you're having and this works for you as is does for us.

Is it fixed yet!

 

[Descartes]

Denon has two Speaker profiles on their top models that are easy to swap between. One could be single seat EQ weighted and the other multi seat EQ weighted. With the $20 audyssey app you can change anything you want and assign to different profiles without rerunning Audyssey. The new 2022 AVC-AH1 will allow DIRAC spatial audio upgrade in the future.

Denon has HEOS, which I love and use regularly on my x6700h

Denon has DTS-X Pro which allows DTS X to use more than 11 channels. (Anthem doesn’t have that yet on their AVM90)

I’m not sure what other significant differences there are. I’m probably leaning towards the Denon, but checking out the Anthem as well.

Let us know which one sounds better to you?

 

[Descartes]

Denon has two Speaker profiles on their top models that are easy to swap between. One could be single seat EQ weighted and the other multi seat EQ weighted. With the $20 audyssey app you can change anything you want and assign to different profiles without rerunning Audyssey. The new 2022 AVC-AH1 will allow DIRAC spatial audio upgrade in the future.

Wondering how much that will be?

Denon has HEOS, which I love and use regularly on my x6700h

Airplay 2 is all I need

Denon has DTS-X Pro which allows DTS X to use more than 11 channels. (Anthem doesn’t have that yet on their AVM90)

In the works later this year!

Does Anthem allow front wides with Dolby Surround upmixing? Denon does.

Yes

I’m not sure what other significant differences there are. I’m probably leaning towards the Denon, but checking out the Anthem as well.

Buy what sounds better to you, ARC Genesis rocks! In addition I have had better customer support with Anthem than with Denon!

 

[Sam Ash]

Anyone perform a four sub integration with the new beta genesis running on an AVM90? Please share your experience.

 

[Descartes]

There is also a video from Audio Advice (obnoxious but informative) that details the features of the AVM90, including HDMI 2.1, Spotify Connect etc. The only thing still pending is Roon functionality.

DTS:X and Auro 3D