Anthem MRX 310 Receiver Review

R

rnatalli

Audioholic Ninja
Although I’ve had experience with the previous line of Anthem receivers, I wanted to give the updated line a try so picked up the MRX310 for $1,099 at a local authorized dealer; normal retail is $1,199.

Unpacking
The unit comes packed like any other receiver you would buy. Cardboard box, white sleeve, foam, tape on the pouch holding the remote, manual, and other things. Nothing special to report here other than packed well enough.

First Impressions
The unit does have some weight behind it unlike many receivers; definitely looks and feels like a premium product with a nice brushed metal look on the front. The casing looks like something powder coated; a little different than the usual smooth black. The connectors on the back are gold and very well-laid out.

Setup
Although the Anthem setup menu isn’t anything particularly special to look at, it’s easy to navigate and responsive. I particularly like the flexibility in assigning inputs. For example, I run a single HDMI cable from my Oppo to a receiver or pre/pro and have one input that uses Neo6 Cinema on one and Neo6 Music on another for 2-channel sources. The problem with most receivers is that the assignments are either fixed to specific HDMI ports or do not allow using an input assign twice; no problem on the Anthem. Speaking of modes, I rather like the AnthemLogic for music as it doesn’t’ utilize the center channel which helps maintain the original soundstage.

ARC seems daunting when you first read the pages in the manual as there are 5 pages dedicated to it, but it’s actually quite easy to use allowing automatic and manual setups. I did encounter a problem with my antivirus not allowing it to run so added an exception and off I went. Everything else worked well; plug the Anthem into your router and your computer should find it over the WiFi using the Anthem software. It also moves surprisingly quick likely due to the superior processing power of a computer and allows you to save the calibration file so if you reset your receiver, you simply have to reload the file, no retaking measurements. Nice! It also will stop during a measurement if it detects unusual noise like a phone ringing and will offer to retake that particular measurement so again, nice!

My only minor complain here is that as a Mac user, I would prefer to not use Bootcamp running Windows 7. Many Mac users may not even have a copy of Windows. Microsoft does offers ISO images of Windows 7 on their site, which will work for some days before requiring activation so good in a pinch.

Remote
The remote is the typical plastic variety you will find, but it’s well laid-out. Regardless, like most users I use a universal remote. I personally have a Harmony and the code database for the MRX310 works fine.

Sound
Ah yes, the best part of the review. So does the Anthem sound? Fabulous! I recall ARC being good on the original MRX line, but the newer version seems even better. Perhaps this relates to not having heard it in a while; regardless, no one should settle for less.

The receiver doesn’t have the power of an external amp, but more than enough for most people. The MRX310 does have 5.1 preouts so using an external amp like an XPA-5 from Emotiva will result in a match made in sonic heaven. They even match in terms of faceplate and blue color of the power buttons.

The other noteworthy feature is Dolby Volume. Some folks hate it, but I suspect they’ve heard it on buggy receivers with pops, clicks, and other artifacts. On the Anthem, it worked exactly as it should really bring things to life during low-volume listening sessions. The Anthem allows you to set the modeler without using the leveler and also allows you to assign a numerical value to the leveler. For you Audyssey users, Modeler=Dynamic EQ and Leveler=Dynamic Volume.

Problems
The only problem which has been well-documented over at AVS is that the Anthem does have a delay when first playing a new source such as a new CD. I believe Anthem is working on a fix.

Summary
For the $1K price, I wouldn’t touch anything else unless you need the specific features other receivers offer at this price such as networking, 7.1, etc. I use my Oppo for networking (Pandora, DLNA, etc.) so have no need for a receiver with it and only have a 5.1 setup. Yamaha, Pioneer, Marantz, and Denon all offer fine receivers at this price point, but even those with Audyssey MultEQ XT get trumped by ARC in my opinion when it comes to sound quality. The Onkyo 929 is the closest match as it comes with MultEQ XT32 and can be found at this price, and the Onkyo likely has more power under the hood and certainly more features. Not entirely sure how Anthem reliability ranks, but I imagine it proves better than Onkyo; I don’t have any data to back up that thought.

To sum up, if you don’t need 7.1 or tons of features, go for the MRX310, you won’t be disappointed.
 
billy p

billy p

Audioholic Ninja
I was intrigued by the newer revamped version of ARC...if the newer units would have allowed for 2 independent sub EQs...I might have bitten....as for the other AVR options at or near its price point...I wouldn't trade my Anthem for any comparable Denon,Marantz or Yamaha for what ARC is able to accomplish.
 
jliedeka

jliedeka

Audioholic General
I've been thinking about getting one of the newer MRXs. I'd be giving up HD radio for better room correction but could eliminate the extra HDMI cable I use for 3D and the optical from the TV to the receiver (assuming audio return channel works well with my Panasonic).

Jim
 
R

rnatalli

Audioholic Ninja
I've been thinking about getting one of the newer MRXs. I'd be giving up HD radio for better room correction but could eliminate the extra HDMI cable I use for 3D and the optical from the TV to the receiver (assuming audio return channel works well with my Panasonic).

Jim
Go for it; you won't regret it.
 
jliedeka

jliedeka

Audioholic General
I read about half of the MRX thread on AVS. I think the audio delay problem is a deal-breaker for me. I don't really need a new receiver, I just want one. I think I'm going to wait and see what the next generation brings us.

Jim
 
R

rnatalli

Audioholic Ninja
I read about half of the MRX thread on AVS. I think the audio delay problem is a deal-breaker for me. I don't really need a new receiver, I just want one. I think I'm going to wait and see what the next generation brings us.

Jim
That's really the only flaw I can find with the receiver which doesn't bother me, but Anthem will likely fix it with a software upgrade. If you only use 2-channel, you can utilize the analog inputs which will eliminate the problem when listening to regular CDs.
 
tmurnin

tmurnin

Full Audioholic
I have a 710. Never experienced any issue with audio delay - what are they referring to?
 
R

rnatalli

Audioholic Ninja
For example, when you're listening to a CD via HDMI, there's a 1-2 second delay before you hear audio when you first hit play. I haven't noticed it when you go to subsequent tracks.
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
UMC-200 does the same thing. It isn't specific to them, a lot of receivers do that as it picks up the signal and and decides what decoding to use.
 
Alex2507

Alex2507

Audioholic Slumlord
For example, when you're listening to a CD via HDMI, there's a 1-2 second delay before you hear audio when you first hit play. I haven't noticed it when you go to subsequent tracks.
I'm pretty sure that if you hit the l<< button it would allow you to hear that first second or two. I could live with that no problem.
 
tmurnin

tmurnin

Full Audioholic
1-2 seconds? Is that a big deal for anyone, really?
 
M

marksas

Audioholic Intern
Thanks for the review, i am going to consider this receiver to replace an older Onkyo.

quick question…

I see this has a 2nd zone feature, as most receivers will not send audio to the 2nd zone via a digital source/input, do you know if this unit will?

Thanks
 
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