Anthem's new MRX AVR's.

pearsall001
pearsall001 Posts: 5,068
edited January 2012 in Electronics
These all do look very nice indeed. And for Anthem to include their acclaimed ARC program and at their price point is outstsnding. I need to do some homework. Might just be time for an upgrade.
"2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
Post edited by pearsall001 on
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • GZ
    GZ Posts: 343
    edited November 2011
    AVS forums' thread on the Anthems:


    http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1289533
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • dkg999
    dkg999 Posts: 5,647
    edited November 2011
    Very nice, however no 7.1 analog inputs for the SACD player or SACD decoding is a disappointment.
    DKG999
    HT System: LSi9, LSiCx2, LSiFX, LSi7, SVS 20-39 PC+, B&K 507.s2 AVR, B&K Ref 125.2, Tripplite LCR-2400, Cambridge 650BD, Signal Cable PC/SC, BJC IC, Samsung 55" LED

    Music System: Magnepan 1.6QR, SVS SB12+, ARC pre, Parasound HCA1500 vertically bi-amped, Jolida CDP, Pro-Ject RM5.1SE TT, Pro-Ject TubeBox SE phono pre, SBT, PS Audio DLIII DAC
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • polkfarmboy
    polkfarmboy Posts: 5,703
    edited November 2011
    For a receiver your not going to do any serious sacd listening I would imagine? I have on a few occasions listened to the mrx receivers and I have to say they sound fantastic. I am swinging by my anthem dealer today who is going to perform the ARC upgrade to my anthem avm40 pre and its cost me a whopping $852 after tax just to add ARC. If you are thinking about the avm and mrx receiver then bear in mind that there is no ARC upgrades available anymore. The upgrade has been discontinued by anthem and I was just lucky to get my ARc because there was one left that took em two days to find

    If your not going to add a power amp then go for the mrx700 because it has a massive power supply thats different from the 500. I could not believe my ears when I heard the 700 compaired to the 500 because it sounded like a 500 with a power amp. You could go for the mrx300 if your adding a power amp but you loose the dynamic volume feature and some kinda usb input? Try have a listen as the sound is truely different from my pioneer elite vsx .The tone is really transparent and the bass has great definition witch is what I look for with my movies. However when you think of a new mrx700 retailing for $2k new compaired to an anthem avm50 with ARC then the 50 I have been told will wipe out the receiver when it comes to sound quality .This is due to the mrx receivers only having one of anthem dsp chipsets where as the avm series has 2 that means double the number crunching for the combo of coherent dialogue when there is alot of action going down at the same time.

    You can snag an anthem mrx300 for $750 and wont loose a penny on resale because its not a mass produced machine and no online dealers so its a great item. I think the MRX receiver have a great feature like the avm and d2 series where you can have the option to do 2 ARC calibrations ...one is for the HT setup and a seperate ARC calibration just for music so it a really imporatant feature for me because I dont want to F with arc when I want the best for music and movies.

    Many users of ARC the own an AVM and MRx have stated that an anthem MRX with ARC will sound better than an AVM pre without ARC so thats somthing to consider if you pay $750 for a used MRX300
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,068
    edited November 2011
    polkfarmboy wrote: »
    For a receiver your not going to do any serious sacd listening I would imagine? I have on a few occasions listened to the mrx receivers and I have to say they sound fantastic. I am swinging by my anthem dealer today who is going to perform the ARC upgrade to my anthem avm40 pre and its cost me a whopping $852 after tax just to add ARC. If you are thinking about the avm and mrx receiver then bear in mind that there is no ARC upgrades available anymore. The upgrade has been discontinued by anthem and I was just lucky to get my ARc because there was one left that took em two days to find

    If your not going to add a power amp then go for the mrx700 because it has a massive power supply thats different from the 500. I could not believe my ears when I heard the 700 compaired to the 500 because it sounded like a 500 with a power amp. You could go for the mrx300 if your adding a power amp but you loose the dynamic volume feature and some kinda usb input? Try have a listen as the sound is truely different from my pioneer elite vsx .The tone is really transparent and the bass has great definition witch is what I look for with my movies. However when you think of a new mrx700 retailing for $2k new compaired to an anthem avm50 with ARC then the 50 I have been told will wipe out the receiver when it comes to sound quality .This is due to the mrx receivers only having one of anthem dsp chipsets where as the avm series has 2 that means double the number crunching for the combo of coherent dialogue when there is alot of action going down at the same time.

    You can snag an anthem mrx300 for $750 and wont loose a penny on resale because its not a mass produced machine and no online dealers so its a great item. I think the MRX receiver have a great feature like the avm and d2 series where you can have the option to do 2 ARC calibrations ...one is for the HT setup and a seperate ARC calibration just for music so it a really imporatant feature for me because I dont want to F with arc when I want the best for music and movies.

    Many users of ARC the own an AVM and MRx have stated that an anthem MRX with ARC will sound better than an AVM pre without ARC so thats somthing to consider if you pay $750 for a used MRX300

    I'm not concerned with the multi channel inputs as far as SACD is concerned...I never boarded that train. Serious listening can be obtained without a library of SACD's. You're right about the MRX 300, the only thing it gives up compared to the 500/700 models is a flash drive, internet radio, HD radio (the 300 has Dolby Volumn just like the 500/700) & of course amp power. Now of which are of any importance to me. What's more important is that all 3 models have the same preamp, DSP processing, & ARC. I have a Rotel RMB-1095 multi channel amp so power isn't an issue. I like what Anthem has done in keeping the guts the same on all 3 units. Not like other manuf. that offer supposedly better sound as you go up the ladder with their models. Then they pack on the bells & whistles & charge a preminum for them. I like things simple.

    According to Anthem the ARC in the MRX AVR's isn't as powerful as what's in the AVM 50 & the D2 but they conceeded that it's not too far off though. I found that interesting. You're getting a whole lot of bang for the buck it seems.

    Reading on other forums the one steady positive is that once one experiences movies & music with ARC engaged there is no turning back! Apparently it is that good of a feature. The more I read up on these MRX AVR's the more my interest is peaked. Things are getting interesting for sure.

    Good luck with your ARC upgrade!!!!
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • GZ
    GZ Posts: 343
    edited November 2011
    pearsoll001,
    Don't know if you saw this in the April/May issue of Sound & Vision mag.


    http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/article/test-report-anthem-mrx-700-av-receiver?page=0,0
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,068
    edited November 2011
    GZ wrote: »
    pearsoll001,
    Don't know if you saw this in the April/May issue of Sound & Vision mag.


    http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/article/test-report-anthem-mrx-700-av-receiver?page=0,0

    Thanks for the link. I must have missed that one. Pretty much says what I've read from other mags...just a flat out great piece of gear.
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,421
    edited November 2011
    Made in China kills it for me...
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • polkfarmboy
    polkfarmboy Posts: 5,703
    edited November 2011
      nooshinjohn wrote: »
      Made in China kills it for me...

      What about your ML center channel? Is it ok for that to be made in china ?
      · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
    1. VR3
      VR3 Posts: 28,654
      edited November 2011
      That looks a Pioneer Elite, I could be wrong - very similar in layout
      - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
      · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
    2. polkfarmboy
      polkfarmboy Posts: 5,703
      edited November 2011
      Vr3MxStyler2k3 wrote: »
      That looks a Pioneer Elite, I could be wrong - very similar in layout

      The sound is very different from my pioneer elite and you have to take a good look at it up close to really admire the design
      · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
    3. iskandam
      iskandam Posts: 704
      edited November 2011
      polkfarmboy wrote: »
      The sound is very different from my pioneer elite and you have to take a good look at it up close to really admire the design
      In what way is it different from the Pioneer Elite SC series?
      · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
    4. m34est
      m34est Posts: 11
      edited January 2012
      I have a MRX 500 paired with my RTi12s, CSi5 and FXi3s. Wow, what a difference ARC made in warming the brightness of my RTis!
      · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
    5. mantis
      mantis Posts: 17,195
      edited January 2012
      IMO the NAD series sounds much better. Pioneer Elite IMO also sounds better. I'm not a huge Anthem fan , it's a nice receiver with nice features and ARC but I'm not blown away.
      Dan
      My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
      · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter