AVR Decisions - Anthem, Arcam, Denon, Yamaha...?

[North_Sky]

And you can select/preprogram the surround mode you prefer for each input, and turn the Effect On and Off on the fly. So all the Yamaha DSP modes (Movie & Music), you never have to go through them all ... say roughly from 20 to 40 different ones...depending on the model. It's so simple. And Dolby Surround (Upmixing) for music listening is not bad.

 

[North_Sky]

That was just coincidence that I've mentioned Dolby Surround Upmixer (DSU) in my above post; I've just read this now ...
▪ https://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/dolby-music

 

[rccarguy]

Not on mine 671

 

[North_Sky]

Not on mine 671

You have 17 DSP modes in your model.
You have the "Scene" feature where you can assign a surround mode for a certain input.

Can you also do this ...

 

[rccarguy]

No. Wouldn't want to. Reverb and echo city lolm

I use straight. Or pro logic iix

 

[North_Sky]

No. Wouldn't want to. Reverb and echo city lolm

I use straight. Or pro logic iix

That's good, ...Dolby Pro Logic IIx (Music & Movies).
Can your AV receiver pass DSD audio signal straight (not down converted to PCM)?

 

[rccarguy]

Don't know, not sure what dsd is. Just play from computer, dvd

 

[North_Sky]

⚛ https://www.mojo-audio.com/blog/dsd-vs-pcm-myth-vs-truth/

* My laptop came with a DVD drive; I've never used it.
I'm into 4K and 3D on Blu-ray from universal 4K Blu-ray players spinning discs and connected (HDMI 2.0) to a pre/pro from a Canadian company.
Yamaha is from Japan. ...Luxman too.

 

[Worth Davis]

Based on the measurements here I’d get a d3600 and move on.

 

[North_Sky]

Or for the same price ...
• https://www.accessories4less.com/ma...9.2-ch-x-125-watts-a/v-receiver-w/heos/1.html

• https://www.accessories4less.com/ma...01-9.2-ch-x-135-watts-a/v-receiver-new/1.html

 

[Old Hi-Fi Guy]

Quick update: after much agonising, I decided on the Anthem MRX720. The main question was what would happen when Anthem comes out with its replacement. I nearly chose the X3600H on the basis that I could sell it without too great a loss when the new Anthem comes out, but I suspect that the new model will be priced significantly higher than than the 720 and won't have a great deal more to offer. Since my dealer is giving me the sale price on the 720, that would be a big difference. I like to buy decent gear and keep it a long time, and I think the Anthem should last me well.

Thanks to everyone who helped me towards this decision!

 

[Dj7675]

Quick update: after much agonising, I decided on the Anthem MRX720. The main question was what would happen when Anthem comes out with its replacement. I nearly chose the X3600H on the basis that I could sell it without too great a loss when the new Anthem comes out, but I suspect that the new model will be priced significantly higher than than the 720 and won't have a great deal more to offer. Since my dealer is giving me the sale price on the 720, that would be a big difference. I like to buy decent gear and keep it a long time, and I think the Anthem should last me well.

Thanks to everyone who helped me towards this decision!

Enjoy your new toy.

 

[Old Hi-Fi Guy]

Thanks. My wife won't be happy that it's black, but then we can't have everything. Not that I'm suggesting that I readily put new audio gear above my wife's happiness...

Anyway, the Denon's black too.

 

[North_Sky]

Congrats!

...And just tell your wife to turn off the lights...enjoy the music.

 

[Old Hi-Fi Guy]

For anyone (especially Anthem owners and SACD fans) who might be interested in my continuing adventures, it appears that there's been quite a run on the MRX models and it's going to take Anthem some time to catch up with demand. Fortunately, my local dealer has lent me an MRX520 so that I can figure out my cable needs while I'm waiting. However, this has pointed to a problem playing SACDs. I've started a new thread in the "Digital Audio Player..." forum on this subject.

 

[Newman]

Yamaha DSP for those halls is awful, echo city. Blech.

Logic 7, pro logic IIx music, anthem music logic is not the same as dsp echo complete mess concert hall with reverb and echo all over the shop.

Which is not to say they are inaccurate. Just walk into one of those halls and ask someone on stage to say something.....

You have just gotten too used to your own room. Which is actually the 'blechest' of all. Ask anyone in the live music scene how much they would love to be heard in your room. Then ask them about one of the great halls or club stages....

Changing paradigms, of course, is one of the hardest things to ask a human to do. We do get used to the sonics of our own 'blech' little rooms. I am no exception. Yamaha have opened a door and I am also uncomfortable when I wander in.

cheers

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

For anyone (especially Anthem owners and SACD fans) who might be interested in my continuing adventures, it appears that there's been quite a run on the MRX models and it's going to take Anthem some time to catch up with demand. Fortunately, my local dealer has lent me an MRX520 so that I can figure out my cable needs while I'm waiting. However, this has pointed to a problem playing SACDs. I've started a new thread in the "Digital Audio Player..." forum on this subject.

I have been at this hobby since 1970. I found Nirvana with Anthem. I am sticking with brand.

 

[Jaycee]

Hi, folks.

As a few of you might remember, I've recently bought a 4k UHD television followed by a Panasonic DP-UB820 player. I'm in the process of designing a new equipment cabinet in an attempt to overcome my wife's objections to the tendency of AV black boxes to procreate when she's not looking plus the associated escalation in the web of black cables.

Before I commit to my final design, I want to be sure that it will suffice for the foreseeable future. The addition of a couple of new boxes calls into question the remaining life of the old stuff, so I think it's worth spending a little time on this. You'll be pleased to know that the main question concerns my AVR; I've spent a lot of time digging through ASR's HT Forum threads, so I know that this can be a tricky subject.

My HT system is a "living room" system, which means that I don't really have need for anything beyond a 5.1 system, although I might be persuaded that a couple of speakers in the ceiling could be fun (except for running the cables to them). Similarly, I'm not convinced that many of the modern bells & whistles are much more than marketing spiel, so it could be a case of "simple is better". Also, I no longer need those ancient video inputs. On the other hand, I would like to be able to replace the remote control with a smartphone app and to stream FLAC from my networked PC.

My present AVR is an Arcam AVR350 which I have owned since 2006. It has been absolutely reliable and I like the sound. I want to be able to play SACDs, which I presently do from an Arcam DV139 via its multi-channel outputs since my AVR's HDMI inputs don't handle audio of any kind. I ripped all my CDs to my PC and stream them via a Squeezebox. I take the S/PDIF output from the Squeezebox to a Bryston BDA-1 and then to the AVR's phono inputs.

It's now obvious that I use this system for stereo and multi-channel audio as well as HT. I have an audio-only system in another room for "serious" listening, but I do like the sound from the Squeezebox/Bryston/Arcam system.

It occurs to me that if I had an AVR that could decode SACD over HDMI, I could dispense with the five multi-channel phono cables at a stroke, and if the AVR had decent DACs, I could sell the Bryston and reduce the size of my new cabinet, and if I could stream FLAC from my PC directly to the AVR (simply - without having to instal and learn esoteric software on my PC), then I could dispense with the Squeezebox (and its power supply) as well as the Bryston.

So here's the skill-testing question: what AVRs can you recommend that will meet these needs with no loss in sound quality and without breaking the bank? The Anthem MRX720 is around my price limit, but are its DACs good enough? The contemporary Arcams are expensive and the previous models seems to have had reliability problems. The Yamaha RX-A1080/2080/3080 models look promising, but the 1080 did badly in Amir's tests. The Denon AVR-X3600 did well, but will its sound quality be good enough? Do any or all modern AVRs decode SACD over HDMI, or do I have to find one with multi-channel analogue inputs?

Thanks for your interest and suggestions!

Owner of Anthem MRX-310 since March 2016. Bought for music SQ and ARC (Living room is an odd setup with one open wall, ARC does wonders). SQ is outstanding; wide soundstage, excellent depth, lots of details. Made re-listening to my "ripped" collection not only enjoyable but also eye-opening (ear-opening?) on many recordings. Movies are fine but not my priority so can't really give a detailed account on any "moviephile" listening.
Only issue is "sticky" plastic coating on remote controller during hot and humid summer days (don't know how to clean "stickyness" however not really a big issue). Remote controller volume button was randomly catching on its slot, fixed with a touch of silicone lubricant. Other than that no issues, no problems, just reliable and outstanding SQ.
NB: Anthem warranty is 3 yrs, says a lot about their planned reliability.
Recent upgrade was to connect the MRX-310 pre-outs to a Rotel 5ch. pwr amp. This "cured" the somewhat low power of the MRX-310 and allowed the pre-amp portion to really shine (an Anthem forte). The upgrade gave the MRX-310 a second life, really worth it and allowed to "scale-in" gradually toward a higher end system without breaking the bank (also good for the WAF !). Speakers are Focal Chorus and Monitor 7 sub 12 , an excellent match imho.

 

[Old Hi-Fi Guy]

Owner of Anthem MRX-310 since March 2016 . . .

Good comments, thanks. My MRX720 has been operational for about four months now. I'm happy with it so far, although I have yet to run ARC. I have been renovating our living room, which included replacing the carpet with oak hardwood. We're still working on new furnishings including rugs, so there's not much point in trying to optimize the sound yet. Also, I anticipate having two general seating arrangements: one for everyday use and general listening, DVDs, and streaming video, and one for "serious" entertainment including multichannel SACDs and HD/UHD movies. This will involve redesigning my surround speakers and building a new AV cabinet and centre speaker. Such things are usually winter projects for me. My wife is in hospital at the moment, so I'm trying to instal a pair of ceiling speakers in her absence (she'll never notice them).

The main thing I don't like about "modern" AV gear is the complexity and menu structure. I like to keep my gear for a long time, so there's a dramatic learning curve whenever I get around to replacing something like a receiver. I'm really a knobs and buttons guy. It took me two days to get any sound at all out of the Anthem. I might get around to buying a second remote control one day in anticipation of the current one dying.

 

[witchdoctor]

Quick update: after much agonising, I decided on the Anthem MRX720. The main question was what would happen when Anthem comes out with its replacement. I nearly chose the X3600H on the basis that I could sell it without too great a loss when the new Anthem comes out, but I suspect that the new model will be priced significantly higher than than the 720 and won't have a great deal more to offer. Since my dealer is giving me the sale price on the 720, that would be a big difference. I like to buy decent gear and keep it a long time, and I think the Anthem should last me well.

Thanks to everyone who helped me towards this decision!

Congratulations! That receiver offers DTS Play-Fi compatibility so you will be able to stream music using the Playfi app or even add Playfi spekaers around your home for whole house audio. As for the newer replacement model, unless you need 8K video whenever it becomes available I would take the deal on the 720 too.