Review and Measurements of Anthem MRX 520 AVR

[fredoamigo]

Blind trust is a disaster my friend. This is especially the fault of the fault of fancy brochures and websites and bullshit audio shop salesmen.

I don't have blind trust but there are brands that I think we can (could) rely on a priori, I still think what the harman group does or, bryston see arcam? it's serious . naively I thought anthem was one of them . I still think they make very good products but not this one .

for example, I wasn't surprised at all for totaldac or w4s

 

[SimpleTheater]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I am trying to avoid separates to keep it simple and keep my rack small. I am not the biggest Yamaha fan, but I should be more open minded. The JBL speakers going into my room are sensitive so I dont need much power either (4722's and SCS8's).

In my dedicated HT, I had the Anthem MRX-700 and Paradigm Studios. Prior to that I had top of the line NAD and PSB Platinums. Then I got JBL 3677s and a Yamaha 3500 about 3 years ago, after being frustrated with Anthem for being behind the Atmos curve. This unit has been stellar in every regard. When I started playing with the built in MusicCast feature, I sold all my SONOS gear and purchased similar MusicCast devices (mine was the one Amirm tested).

You’re lucky that Amirm is testing the latest Yamaha soon, but just as I expected the Anthem to test poorly, I expect the Yamaha to squeak by with a barely passing grade. So keep an open mind. I love the JBL’s sensitivity for movies and sports, until I bought them my theater lacked impact (probably because my high end AVR’s sucked). My only regret was selling the PSB Platinums, I should’ve moved them into my two-channel listening room.

 

[DubbyMcDubs]

@SimpleTheater Thanks for the feedback! Definitely look forward to that review.

 

[ZeDestructor]

If we could do software Dolby and DTS decoding in say VLC, we wouldn't need this overpriced under-performing gear. Decode into a digital stream and shoot it to an 8 channel pro interface and onto amps. Great performance for relatively peanuts. An example of why MQA is a bad idea for stereo.

Yes, this!!!!!!!

So, this is my question - is there software that can do this decoding? I keep thinking these devices are doing computery stuff and audio stuff at the same time, A htpc might be an ideal solution to this whole mess. What surround formats do you really need to decode, for say 4k streamed online content (not blu-ray) I mostly watch netflix/hbo stuff.

As @audimus already mentioned, libavcodec (part of ffmpeg) can already decode DTS-HD MA and Dolby TrueHD, so that's not an issue. The new issue cropping up in more recent times are the two object-based audio formats - Atmos and DTS:X, where afaik there's very little work being done.

I agree. The only problem is it is hard to find 7.1 analog outputs for <$1000.
Even then, the outputs may be crippled by the amps coupling distortion.

- Rich

Most desktop computers and sound cards can output 7.1ch audio (a $150 desktop motherboard has 7.1ch of middling quality output, to put it in perspective), so that's not too much of an issue if you're willing to suffer the pains of running an HTPC and acquiring the content for it to play. One major issue in that respect is that the "official" way of playing blu-rays sucks and refuses to decode the lossless streams, preferring instead to bitstream it over HDMI.

You can get a number of media players like JRiver that do the decoding. Unfortunately you still can't replace an AVR.

The typical scenario for an AVR is a cable or satellite box and a Blu-ray player as two physical inputs. Hardware is needed to switch between those two sources. Software alone won't work. Even having "cable card" support and built-in disc player won't work because the former won't support the user interface for on-demand content.

That matters if you have cable or satellite boxes in the first place. A lot of us younger folks simply don't pay for cable, satellite, or the usual suspects of closed VoD systems. Instead, we just pay much more Internet-focused services like Netflix for our VoD needs, or buy physical media. I myself am in that exact boat: I only watch media via a computer, so all I need from an "AVR" is the ability to decode Atmos and DTS:X at a decent level of sound quality. Of course, once there's software decoders for that, all I'd want then is just a decent 12+ channel DAC that I can feed LPCM signals to.

Yes, I suppose what would work is if someone made an HDMI switcher which would pass the HDMI signal off to a computer so it could handle the sound, and output that to a multi-channel DAC. There are some devices that do that, but not any good ones I've seen though they may be out there. Those I've seen are limited to Dolby Digital.

Capture cards should be able to do that, but the ugly face of HDCP rears it's head when it comes to the more interesting (lossless) bitstreams.

Things get even more complicated when DRM is involved in what you can do even if you could decode.

The software vs hardware decoding part of the format is not the problem with AVRs here. Otherwise, you can just do that on a PC right now and feed multi-channel PCM into an AVR or an integrated multi-channel amp. This is what many of the Kodi/MPC users do right now but with the above limitations.

Between the straight DRM (AACS, HDCP, Cinavia, BD+, etc) and the closed, undocumented formats (TrueHD, DTS-HD MA, Atmos, DTS:X) also acting as a sort of "hidden" DRM, decoding the formats is by far the biggest issue. See, if we could decode it, there are ways to get that signal to really high-end stuff, ranging from plugging in 4-8 stereo DACs into one machine, to using things like Dante over a network. The PC platform *does not* lack options when it comes to high-end DACs

I do agree that input switching is an issue, but there are ways around that too if you know where to look.

And this is not even considering the convenience features like switching sources, ARC/CEC, unified remote operations, power triggers, etc.

We do that already for other PC bits thanks to the magical power of wifi + ethernet + bluetooth + IR (if you really want to). Adding something like a Logitech Harmony (or any remote, really) to the mix is trivial with the tooling we have.

PS: sorry for the wall of text, I just don't like triple-posting

 

[Dj7675]

This review could not have come at a better time, thanks @amirm . I was just about to purchase an MRX1120 for my theater room, and I believe its built on the same design. No idea what a better option is for 11 channels?

This... I am looking as well. I am hoping one of the Yamaha or Marantz/Denon models will do ok. It would mean leaving Dirac, however and going back to audissey in the case of Denon/Marantz. I haven’t used Audissey XT32 since they released the app, however. If they shows to measure well, may have to give it a go.

 

[Dj7675]

If one chose to use better amplification on the front 3 channels, it would seem this unit might sound pretty good with ARC.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Well sounds like your long reply is we can do what we wan't except for this long list of caveats and convenience and many common sources.

 

[Dj7675]

That was my fear after visiting the Emotiva site, wading through a bunch of prose, and failing to find any listed specs.

I contacted emotiva support regarding no measurements on the XMC-2. They referred me to the Specs tab on the product which just shoes inputs/outputs etc but no spec measurements like is on the XMC-1 specs page. I referred them to the much more detailed spec page of the XMC-1 on their site and asked when/if those will be released. I also checked the manual of the xmc-2 and no detailed specs their either. Will see if they reply back with anything. I was actually surprised a bit since the xmc-1 had fairly detailed specs listed in the product description that the xmc-2 did not.

 

[MetalheadRich]

I'm not surprised, Amir.
1. The majority of customers know what they want but have a hard time determining what they need;
2. Customers are fixated by price, not performance; and
3. Most customers equate loud with good, boomy with powerful, complicated with sophisticated.

There is no incentive for companies to produce quality. So they don't, and are happy to see useful idiots defend their products.

Useful idiots is a bit over-the-top. The measurements don't show one audible defect for this unit.

 

[Icboschert]

Useful idiots is a bit over-the-top. The measurements don't show one audible defect for this unit.

Based on all the AVRs out there, none perform well. The separation between them is minimal so you're left with room correction and look/feel of software as the differentiating factors. Is that worth the price difference between units? I honestly can't say.

 

[GrimSurfer]

Useful idiots is a bit over-the-top. The measurements don't show one audible defect for this unit.

The term "useful idiot" had specific meaning within the Soviet Union. It was used to describe somebody who supported a group or cause that they didn't understand but supported due to the influence of propaganda.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Useful_idiot

In the audio domain, it could be used to describe somebody who supports a company claiming to be dedicated to high fidelity sound but actually distributing low performing gear as a primary means of achieving a profit.

So the term "useful idiot" seems fair and, frankly, more accurate than calling them "subjectivists". Subjectivist aren't necessarily influenced by a company or companies' advertisement. They hold no allegiances other to their own personal beliefs (which do not necessarily involve a named manufacturer).

The measurements do show high potential for audible defects.

 

[peng]

I'm a fan of stereo integrated amplifiers in terms of value and versatility (and space saving). I love my Sony F470 integrated amp. I have my DX3 Pro connected to it as a digital receiver / DAC and pre amp, and I actually use the headphone out on the integrated amp to listen to my headphones.

Good thing you are not talking about one of those Yamaha A-SX01 (until you get to the A-SXX00 series) integrated amps. Those are basically AVR derived/adapted integrated amps, with the same kind of LSI ICs that define the final audio quality, i.e. similar to their AVRs.

 

[LuckyLuke575]

Good thing you are not talking about one of those Yamaha A-SX01 (until you get to the A-SX00 series) integrated amps. Those are basically AVR derived/adapted integrated amps, with the same kind of LSI ICs that define the final audio quality, i.e. similar to their AVRs.

Yeah, those kinds of engineering antics are a total joke. It feels like there was a point in time (around the late 80s / early 90s) when there was a peak in simple yet functional technology and real material and manufacturing quality, and there was some genuinely great audio equipment being designed and marketed, whether it was integrated amps, speaker, turntables etc. I know this is a kind of 'good old days' point of view, but after taking a hard look at the audio equipment market (new and used, online / mass retail / specialist dealer) for a few months I came to this conclusion. And I'm technically a millennial so that should provide some context.

I see so much convolution and audio equipment with high sticker prices, only to find out that it's technically duff equipment. Its quite a sad state of affairs to be honest. I suppose the best approach is to do your homework, decide what you're going to believe, and then listen to the equipment and look at the prices and then go with the best equipment that your ears can hear for the money.

I'm definitely coming at it from a value conscious perspective. I think a lot of this price and brand trickery is best personified by some YouTube channels where they showcase hifi systems that supposedly cost a million dollars (I don't know if its a hoax or not). Its like this concept taken to the extreme, with MBL speakers, mono block amps, and weird arrays and stacks of wooden blocks. I managed to find the exact video: 'Million Dollar' Hifi System

 

[JG2020]

MRX-1120 spectrum.

48K SR, Nvidia GTX 550 HDMI -->1120 main pre-out (2.12V RMS) --> RME Fireface UCX.

Very clean, both channels the same and stable, none of the instability as seen in the 520 test.





Tested at levels that are more than adequate for my HT requirements.

 

[ZeDestructor]

Well sounds like your long reply is we can do what we wan't except for this long list of caveats and convenience and many common sources.

If you're willing to circumvent the DRM (AACS/AACS2 specifically), all the blur-ray caveats go away aside from the Atmos/DTS:X rendering (which will get solved eventually). In the meantime we still get 5.1-7.1 of TrueHD/DTS-HD MA for any given Atmos/DTS:X title, so it's not a huge loss.

The HDMI input/source switching is also not that big of a deal - there exists PC-based HDMI switchers, though that also brings it back to one of my points about how a lot of us younger folks are ditching classic broadcast TV in general - who needs to switch inputs when you only have one source? For those who would bring up consoles, most AVRs add a fair bit of latency to the HDMI signal (often in the range of 100ms), so if you care for gaming, quite a few people end up connecting your console(s) directly to your TV instead. Besides, if you can stand the 100ms of latency a TV adds, you can just pass it through a PC capture card - those are around 60ms of added latency.

Really, AVRs should be doing so much better than they are right now (not only audio, but also video processing, UI, and cloud/streaming service integration), especially the dedicated pre-pro-only units, and especially given how much they cost!

 

[cshake]

I'm also curious about what sort of alternatives there are to an AVR if these all keep measuring so badly (however, even with bad measurements I still enjoy the sound in my living room, so it's not a high priority to replace it).

My use case is similar to @ZeDestructor in that nearly all of my content is through apps on the TV itself (TCL Roku TV), with 4K from Amazon Prime Video, OTA through the TV's built-in digital tuner, various network TV apps for on demand shows, and then Plex for everything local. I don't have a Blu-Ray or even DVD player attached to the TV or AVR, I just have a Blu-Ray R/W drive in my desktop where I rip the disks (DVD or Blu-Ray) with MakeMKV and then compress with Handbrake (always keeping raw audio from the disk since it's such a small size compared to video) and store MKVs on the Plex NAS server. Sure it takes overnight before I can watch the disk, but no unskippable crap! Before getting this TV I had a Plex client on a raspberry Pi going through the AVR, but now with the built-in app the only downside is that I can only get DTS over ARC to the receiver and not DTS-HD MA which isn't a big enough deal to give up the convenience of the built-in Roku.

If I want to go the separates route, can I drop in a homebrew HTPC or something that would connect to the TV just for HDMI ARC or optical and decode DTS, DD5.1, or 2Ch PCM, possibly apply some room correction (REW, miniDSP?) and send to amps? I only do 5.1 (maybe 5.2 later) and have no plans for Atmos or anything fancier.

 

[amirm]

Important note: I found an issue with HDMI output from my PC. For some strange reason, if I was playing music on Topping DX3 Pro, the ASIO4ALL wrapper for my Nvidia HDMI output was resampling anything higher than 48 kHz back down. I disconnected the Topping and all was well. So I re-ran the three measurements that were affected. Others were tested a 44.1/48 kHz so were not affected.

I will need to do some testing at some point with DSP effects turned on to see what resampling is going on there.

Sorry about that.

 

[amirm]

If I want to go the separates route, can I drop in a homebrew HTPC or something that would connect to the TV just for HDMI ARC or optical and decode DTS, DD5.1, or 2Ch PCM, possibly apply some room correction (REW, miniDSP?) and send to amps? I only do 5.1 (maybe 5.2 later) and have no plans for Atmos or anything fancier.

We should probably have a separate thread discussing alternatives there. But yes, I am thinking and Okto 8 channel DAC plus an PC driving a power amp would do the job. We would need to find 7 channel amp that doesn't break the bank.

 

[audioBliss]

We should probably have a separate thread discussing alternatives there. But yes, I am thinking and Okto 8 channel DAC plus an PC driving a power amp would do the job. We would need to find 7 channel amp that doesn't break the bank.

Sorry but that is totally impractical. We need to find an AVR that measures well.

 

[GrimSurfer]

A company that is proud of its achievement would see this as an opportunity and ship one of their products to @amirm for review.

The "opportunity" is picking up on the vibe that AVRs are poor performers and getting their product noticed within an audio community that recognizes and respects high performance audio.