My unbiased review of ANTHEM VS NAD in terms of sound quality

whitecamaross

Lietuvis91 wrote: »

Maybe sometimes we blame one component when a different component is actually causing most of the difference. When you compare an integrated with a combo that includes an amp it's really hard to make FAIR comparison. Cables are a big reason for this. I just recently swapped a marantz receiver for an outlaw pre 975 and knew i was going to swap IC cables due to needing more length. So before I swaped the pre's I did an a to b comparison of the cables on the maratz, and i couldn't believe how different the two cables sounded. There was a CLEAR night and day difference in the tone and detail. I found I really didn't like the audioquest cable (too sharp and edgy) and much prefered the exp1 cable for smoother sound.

So... if your cables connecting the NAD to the anthem are not a good fit, then that's a big reason for your disapointment. The anthem integrated has an upper hand just by being integrated, having a solid amp section and not having the potential impact of the IC cable.

can you send me a link where i can get those cables? i would like to try them..

whitecamaross

i totally get what everyone is saying about it being a subjective topic. Right now, i have audioquest cables running my NAD M25 so maybe trying new rca cables will help. Any recommendations?

EndersShadow

whitecamaross wrote: »

i totally get what everyone is saying about it being a subjective topic. Right now, i have audioquest cables running my NAD M25 so maybe trying new rca cables will help. Any recommendations?

Which Audioquest interconnects?

whitecamaross

Audioquest G-Snake Audio Interconnects.... and i also have bluejeans interconnects.. i cant really hear much difference.

EndersShadow

whitecamaross wrote: »

Audioquest G-Snake Audio Interconnects.... and i also have bluejeans interconnects.. i cant really hear much difference.

Those are good entry level, but you could step it up a bit as well. It all comes down to how much you want to spend.

whitecamaross

i would like cables that warm my music... i keep getting angry at my choices of high end components and perhaps my issues have been interconnects or even speaker cables.

cnh

I have to agree some with Mantis above and I've said it here before. Mass manufacturers with a huge distribution base like Pioneer just have the R&D for HT over any "specialty" amp maker who is always a tad behind the curve because their primary concern is amplification, not "surround sound"! So I take an Anthem or other pre-amp that is a HT pre-amp with a grain of salt. And say if you want to most BANG for your HT money get a Pioneer SC.

As far as NADs. I have NEVER and I repeat NEVER heard any NAD sound anything but "warmish" regardless of the cabling. Even with **** cables they're still warm. That's one of the reasons they might lose a contest to an Anthem which provides a tad more detail up high. The NAD house sound is a little dark and warm. I, for one, prefer that sound. Though, in all honesty, I've liked Anthem two channels that I've heard quite a bit and they have some warmth as well but I do think they are more detailed which can be a factor in A/Bing the two products.

cnh

MisterM

I might be a little late to the party, but I just saw this thread and I like it very much. So can I say something? I have been using a NAD T753 for close to 20 yrs. Approximately a month ago I went to an audio store and purchased an Anthem MRX 710. I had never in my life used or heard an anthem, but to make it really short I ended up buying it because I got a pretty good deal for $500 out the door including tax. Unfortunately that receiver was defective as it would shut off randomly whenever the heck it felt like it and no matter what. I returned and the store confirmed that it was bad.

The point is that when I heard it at home, yes indeed, the Anthem sounded COMPLETELY different. I too was REALLY impressed. The difference was that with my NAD the sound stays mostly around the area where my speakers are located, compared to the Anthem who FILLED my ENTIRE room with sound, heck, I could even (feel) the sound waves all over the room. My jaw also dropped as to how good and different the Anthem sounds. While the receiver was playing music I would go to other rooms in my house and I could hear and feel the sound (through the walls, versus my NAD that doesn’t do that, again, the NAD sound just doesn’t sound like that. I thought that was REALLY interesting.

So no doubt, the Anthem receiver does sound really really nice, as well as for movies with a more forward punchier sound.

Having said that, the NAD is ALSO very very good. The issue here is not that one of these is better than the other, the issue here is that they are very (different). Yes, different. Just a few weeks ago I upgraded my front channel speakers and purchased the Denton 85. Holy mother of god!!! The sound quality is so damn nice specially the vocals. On top of that I also just purchased a used in mint condition NAD C272 150W amp. Holy mother of god!!! Now my system sounds even nicer!

I played one of my favorite movies, The Fifth Element, and damn the sound output when hearing some of the sound effects is so crystal clear it is astounding. I also played a song from Stanguetz The Girl From Ipanema and holy crap as soon as the song starts playing in the tract people start clapping and I almost fell off my chair because it sounded like all those people were there in my room hahaha 😂 so the NAD is also VERY capable as well, is just different. In fact, I will say that the Anthem although it is excellent, well, so is the NAD. In fact I feel that the NAD is less fatiguing. The sound is just beautiful and smooth as well. Damn, every time I listen to The Marias I fall in love 😍

So, different receivers with different qualities, yet they are both excellent in their own different way. You simply cannot go wrong with either one. It mostly has to do with personal taste and how and win what location you will be listening from. My NAD is to be listening to it right there not too far from in front of my speakers, based on (my) room, in (your) room it might sound different.

My point? The wife and kids might not like the Anthem because the technology in the Anthem does make the sound waves travel through the walls, and that might not work for everyone. Just saying.

I will say this though. My old NAD T753 and NAD C272 amp might be old, but damn my existing equipment sounds like a $4000 setup and I love the sound quality and I’m very very happy.

rooftop59

Holy necropost batman! But it does seem like a real authentic post, so welcome to the forum @MisterM! Tell about the rest of your system and stick around.

VR3

not completely sold hes not a bot.

Are you a bot? :-D

Kex

Seems a bit too complex and nuanced for a bot… 🤷‍♂️

VR3

I'm not entirely convinced you're not a bot.....

I kid I kid!

Kex

Happy to take a ribbing for the team when it’s actually amusing (which that was)! 🤣 🤪 😂

MisterM

To rooftop59: Oh hi thanks for the welcome, and hello to everyone else too yes this is my very first post here. As I said, I found this thread and I thought it was very interesting. Sorry but did I say something wrong or offended someone by what I said? 😬

Also what in particular would you like to know about my system? 😃

mantis

tonyb wrote: »

Enders,

As good as the ice amps in the Pioneer is, I would still rethink running a full LSI system off just the receiver. It still won't have the current to drive all of that to optimal performance. Just sayin......you could go with an added 2 channel amp.

It's not the ability for the Pioneer Amps to drive the LSI speakers, it's the room size and volume levels he is going to listen at. Sure in a big room and 100+DB listening for a full 2 hour movie MIGHT tax the amps inside the Pioneer. Remember when watching a movie , not all the speakers are being used at the same time. Even 2 channel is only 2 channels out of 7 available. Those ICE amps have some good current and when I owned a few of those AVR's back in the day, I sold my Rotel RMB1095 200 x5 amp as I didn't need all that extra power.

mantis

The Anthem line up, the older one and the current models sound good, have nice power and a nice feature set. I carry them and sell them on jobs they make sense.

Glad to see the Thread starter enjoying his. Before I got my Integra DRX8.4 , I considered Anthem but there was a few things for me that I didn't care for and found everything I needed in the Integra.

It's why we have so many choices, I'm glad they all exist.

invalid

I wonder if the OP on this thread is Jay from Jay's audio lab, his review sounds similar to the ones he used to do on audiogon. Has the same screen name also.

Tony M

I like my NADs, Yamaha's, Onkyo's, and Pioneers. Oh, my Nakamichi sounds awesome in the back room too.

Then again, at my age...Most any amp or receiver sounds great.

pitdogg2

At your age you're lucky your NAD's work at all....