Anthem MRX 1120 A/V Receiver

surveyor

surveyor

Audioholic Chief
I read the review on the 1120 over at Secrets. I don't see any build quality advantage over Denon. Yamaha or Marantz or Pioneer for that matter. The back of the faceplate on the 1120 appears to be plastic. I think our Canadian manufacturing friend is fudging on this one! This is just my opinion.
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
I read the review on the 1120 over at Secrets. I don't see any build quality advantage over Denon. Yamaha or Marantz or Pioneer for that matter. The back of the faceplate on the 1120 appears to be plastic. I think our Canadian manufacturing friend is fudging on this one! This is just my opinion.
I would love to try out their room EQ system but not for the kind of money they are asking for their AVRs that just can't compete in terms of overall value (just my opinion). Obviously they don't have the volume to get their price down. Too bad they don't just licensed others such as D&M, Yamaha, Onkyo etc to implement their ARC system. I hope they will eventually learn from Blackberry:D, but not the hard way.
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
I seriously doubt that any room EQ (regardless of cost) can miraculously improve the sound acoustic of a bad room.

And if the room is already decent with some kind of treatment (carpet, rugs, curtains, sofas, or panels), I seriously doubt the sound improvement will be significant.
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
I seriously doubt that any room EQ (regardless of cost) can miraculously improve the sound acoustic of a bad room.

And if the room is already decent with some kind of treatment (carpet, rugs, curtains, sofas, or panels), I seriously doubt the sound improvement will be significant.
Agree, that's another reason why it is better to have those REQ system sold as an external add on via firmware upgrade or built in as a licensed software such that one has to pay to activate it to get a 30 days free trial, or something like that..
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
Agree, that's another reason why it is better to have those REQ system sold as an external add on via firmware upgrade or built in as a licensed software such that one has to pay to activate it to get a 30 days free trial, or something like that..
Did you ever try out the DIRAC software?

I've heard Anthem's ARC both at a store (w/ B&W 802D, panel-treated room) and at a friend's house (regular carpet, drapes, sofas).

I just feel it's extremely cliche and banal when I hear that a certain room EQ system is "so much better". :D

It's personal preference and bias.

I believed all that hype 20 years or even a few years ago when I bought all those speakers.

But, yes, it would be perfect if companies could give consumers 30-day free trials to test out if the Room EQ is truly worth people's money.
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
So the Anthem AVR is 140W x 5ch/8 ohm + 60W x 6ch/8 ohm = 11ch amp for $3500.

Who else makes an 11ch amp AVR?
 
KenM10759

KenM10759

Audioholic Samurai
Denon AVR-6300H spec states:

"The AVR-X6300H’s 11-amplifier design means all this can be delivered without any need for external amplification, even when running four overhead speakers in 7.1.4 configuration. Auro 3D is also supported, via an optional firmware upgrade."

$2199.00 list

No listing of power output for 5 channels driven, just 140w for 2 @ 8Ω, 20hz-20khz, 0.08% distortion (of unknown spec.)
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
Denon AVR-6300H spec states:

"The AVR-X6300H’s 11-amplifier design means all this can be delivered without any need for external amplification, even when running four overhead speakers in 7.1.4 configuration. Auro 3D is also supported, via an optional firmware upgrade."

$2199.00 list

No listing of power output for 5 channels driven, just 140w for 2 @ 8Ω, 20hz-20khz, 0.08% distortion (of unknown spec.)
I guess it would be around 100WX5, or 90WX7 at 0.1% THD, based on AH's measurements on the 5200.

http://www.audioholics.com/av-receiver-reviews/denon-avr-x5200w/measurements
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
So the Denon is 140W x 11ch, but no spec for "all 11 ch driven". Should still be good power.
 
surveyor

surveyor

Audioholic Chief
The AVR-6300H could put out 65W x 11 channels. But that won't happen in real life! 750/11 = appx. 68W.
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
The AVR-6300H could put out 65W x 11 channels. But that won't happen in real life! 750/11 = appx. 68W.
You are apparently relying on the power consumption figures that is based on a specific loading condition. We have no idea what that condition is and I am quite sure they are not the same among different manufacturers. Even if you are certain about the load condition for the 750W figure, you still have to factor in other factors such as the overall efficiency of the unit and the more or less fix consumption (say, around 60 to 90W) that the prepro will consume regardless of the speaker loads. It is a complicated topic that needs a separate thread to discuss in greater details.
 
KenM10759

KenM10759

Audioholic Samurai
If there's one thing this community has taught me it's that watts per channel isn't the real indicator of performance. The total configuration of the entire system is what matters. I've got a lowly NAD T758 which the manufacturer states 60 watts per channel with 7 channels driven. I was concerned this wouldn't be enough to driven even the five speakers I have, which are KEF R series (R500, R200c, R100) and they're about 87dB sensitivity on average. Well as it turns out that if I'm watching a Blu-Ray DVD of Eric Clapton's Crossroads festival and really like a particular song, I can't stay in the room if I turn it up beyond "-10" on the display. And even that is ridiculously loud to me.

That Anthem would be overkill for me x3, as would the Denon. I will spring for something capable of 7.x.4 for my son's setup sometime soon, and the differential in price between these two is so substantial that as much as I like the Anthem sound and features...it'll probably be the Denon or a similarly priced one.
 
R

rnatalli

Audioholic Ninja
I have an Anthem MRX310 and while ARC is great, Audyssey XT32 is just as good in my opinion.
 
surveyor

surveyor

Audioholic Chief
I read the review on the 1120 over at Secrets. I don't see any build quality advantage over Denon. Yamaha or Marantz or Pioneer for that matter. The back of the faceplate on the 1120 appears to be plastic. I think our Canadian manufacturing friend is fudging on this one! This is just my opinion.
The bench tests at sound and vision revealed a lot. You need an external amp with this receiver, if you don't have efficient speakers.
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
The bench tests at sound and vision revealed a lot. You need an external amp with this receiver, if you don't have efficient speakers.
You know whether you need an external amp will depend on the individual's listening environment and needs right?:D For comparison though, this Anthem is going to be less powerful than your 4520 whether in 2,5 channels or more, driven simultaneously. I am not a believer in the need of equal power in ACD but while it is always nice to have a beefier power supply, you get what you pay for so if more money is spent on the power supply, the manufacturer must cut back on something else. HK used to adopt the stronger power supply/equal (or nearly equal) ACD output. That, imo was silly because given a budget to compete with others, they ended up with less powerful amps (balancing the cost?) and therefore lower individual channel outputs. IMO, that was not a good thing in practical applications when very few people use AVRs for 5 or 7 channel stereo modes. For movies, not all channels will get the highest peaks at the same time.

I think Anthem is really smart with their flagship this time in using class D and less powerful amplifiers for the surround and ambient channels. That allows them to keep the weight down to a mere 32 lbs, probably the lightest 11 channel AVR available at the moment! The DAC chips appear to be the same as those in the Denon 4200 and Marantz SR7010, that is a notch below the flagship Denon and Yamaha AVRs, and the Marantz 8802 in terms of specs. That should not not be that critical because even the AK4458's specs should be enough to get it over the point of diminishing return so the final result would depend on the overall implementation scheme. The specs of the prepro section seems impressive. If the when the price drops below 2K, this will be a good replacement for my AV8801..:D
 
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surveyor

surveyor

Audioholic Chief
Why are you mentioning the 4520?
 
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AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
I don't think "power output" is an issue with any of these AVRs in most cases (there are always exceptions).

It usually comes down to preference.

I have compared Audyssey Dynamic EQ vs. Anthem's Dolby Volume. I like Audyssey DEQ better, while Anthem fans think that Audyssey DEQ is "too aggressive", which I don't understand because you can always change the amount of "aggressiveness" of DEQ. :D

Others buy Anthem because they think it's a better AVR brand, just like I buy SONY TV because I think it is a better TV brand (even if it's not) :).
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
I think Anthem is really smart with their flagship this time in using class D and less powerful amplifiers for the surround and ambient channels. That allows them to keep the weight down to a mere 32 lbs, probably the lightest 11 channel AVR available at the moment! The DAC chips appear to be the same as those in the Denon 4200 and Marantz SR7010, that is a notch below the flagship Denon and Yamaha AVRs, and the Marantz 8802 in terms of specs. That should not not be that critical because even the AK4458's specs should be enough to get it over the point of diminishing return so the final result would depend on the overall implementation scheme. The specs of the prepro section seems impressive. If the when the price drops below 2K, this will be a good replacement for my AV8801..:D
Too bad there are no dealers near you that could loan you an Anthem AVR to sample.
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
Why are you bringing up what to buy, or mentioning the 4520?
I was trying to say while this Anthem will not be as powerful as something like the Denon flagship, one may or may not need an external amp to help depending on one's need (such as listening habits/how loud etc.) and listening environment (room size etc.). I mentioned the 4520 because I noticed you have one and it was a flagship class AVR, otherwise I would have mentioned the AVR-X7200W instead just as a term of reference for comparison.

Regarding "why are you bringing up what to buy", I do not understand what you are referring to, did I say something wrong and offended you? I did say if and when the price came down below 2K that Anthem would be a good replacement for my current prepro, just to say that I was impressed with the Anthem, but not at its current price, that's all.
 

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