Yamaha RX-Z9 -or- Anthem Statement D1

[John Michael]

Lexicon vs Anthem

The thing is that I will be using the Marantz 12S3 that only has DVI (no HDMI). As a consequence, I need a DVI on nothing.....

 

[no ear wax]

anthem or Yamaha

Hi guys new to the forum I think anthem is by far superior in EVERY way to Yamaha Not even any comparison let alone a pre-pro to a receiver. I had many top receivers and none of them compare to the d1. Receivers - rxv1-bad very bad in for repair 3 times never fixed sound change all the time. - Demon 5800- good to very good for movies. Music not so good a little flat but still much better than the rxv1 buy a long shot. -Pioneer elite vsx-49tx-my favorite receiver very good movies and music but not outstanding. Good power for most speakers a little lacking for my 10Ts. d1-Rogue Audio M-150 monoblocks-theta Dreadnaught II 5ch movies and music OUTSANDING

 

[expletive]

Ive never heard or owned the Yamaha but I can tell you I absolutely love my D1. There is a review of it in the new Perfect Vision magazine in which they also add it to the Golden Eye awards for the year as the best pre-pro for 2004. Id be interested to see if it lands on their recommended compoents list. Anyway, once the iLink and HDMI upgrade is available this unit will be an absolute killer.

John

 

[surveyor]

Here's my 2 dinars. I think that the RX-Z9 or 5803/5805/49txi etc. combined with some very good and efficient speakers ( the expensive bookshelf line from say RBH ) and a top notch multidisk say from Denon would Provide easily as good of sound and video.

 

[surveyor]

Yamaha rxz9, B&W dm 602.s3, denon 3910, and a asw675 using audioquest cables and biwire speaker cable. pop in a sacd or dvd audio, it is pretty stellar sounding. Is there better maybe, but for the money its good. I can push those little bookshelves till the front panels blow off and it still sounds clean and powerfull.

I wish I had that setup. I'll do something similar in the near future.
The money is not the factor, it's conditioning the WAF thing!

Congrats, I'll bet the sound and video are great.

 

[Aliixer]

true true

Here's my 2 dinars. I think that the RX-Z9 or 5803/5805/49txi etc. combined with some very good and efficient speakers ( the expensive bookshelf line from say RBH ) and a top notch multidisk say from Denon would Provide easily as good of sound and video.

Yamaha rxz9, B&W dm 602.s3, denon 3910, and a asw675 using audioquest cables and biwire speaker cable. pop in a sacd or dvd audio, it is pretty stellar sounding. Is there better maybe, but for the money its good. I can push those little bookshelves till the front panels blow off and it still sounds clean and powerfull.

 

[mfabien]

...I guess what I am saying is, if the only caveat on the Anthem were its component video flexibility, I'd get a solution elsewhere, say, a component video selector. In fact, I know some enthusiasts who purposely leave out the video switching to another gear, totally outside the ground loop in their audio gears. They probably think video and audio are strange bedfellows in the noise department.

Agree with that.

And then next year, HDCP will kick in and broadcasters will incorporate Content Protection Flags and if one has a cable STB with a DVI/HDCP (or HDMI) the DVI connection to the HDTV will be essential for other than the "Free Copy" flag. Bottom line, if you want no surprises, plan on getting the A/V out of the Video loop.

 

[LEVESQUE]

The Anthem D1 will have a more robust and complete solution for video then anything else on the market.

Can you say scaler with custom resolutions settings (like the IScan HD) to match the native resolution of your display, upscaling to 1080p, Silicon Image 504 AND Faroudja (unknown number for now) chipsets, and with HDMI switching (4ins 1 out) and firewire (2 ins 1 out).

I'm a beta-tester for the DPLIIx sortware, and the hardware upgrade will be something major, unseen in any other pre/pro or receiver out there.

 

[nickcal]

D1/p5

Hello folks,
I am new to this group and I could use a bit of help. I am considering the D1/P5 combo. Does anyone have these out there? Does anyone think there is anything that is better for this price? I am convinced that the P5 is a monster that will do a great job, but there are lots of SSP in the 5K range. I am a 2 ch. person that wants the same level or reproduction from my 5.1.

thanks
nick
--

 

[GmcG]

As for SACD, usually the DSD is handled by a true DSD DAC and then converted to PCM for BM and Time Alignment.

I am sorry for correcting you, but the conversion DSD->PCM is in the digital domain before DACs and even Digital filters (if they are not implemented in DACs).

Wouldnt the DSP, not the DAC, convert the DSD signal to PCM in the D1?

No DSP in the consumer market can accept DSD stream yet, except of the newly designed Sony chips

SACD without BM or TA is a step backwards imo. So unless the Yamaha can do TA and BM without converting to PCM, i see no advantage over the D1.John

Yamaha can do both - with and without conversion.

Thanks for the update Gene.
Unfortunately, there is still no info on how or where DSD -> PCM for SACDs' will be performed. Oh well, I guess we'll just wait and see. I do look forward to Anthem's White Paper.

Actually there is only one known way - SM5819A convertor (in older devices SM5916A). I bet it is used in D1.

After the Sony CXD-2753 Second Generation DSD Decoder (again not mentioned in the D1), I believe that the data goes directly to the Analog Devices SHARC Melody 100 Audio Processor. Pages 3 and 4 of the data sheet, provided in the above link, highlights the key features and hardware architecture of this 32-bit processor.

NO one DSP, including Melody, supports DSD stream. In 5900 the same SM5819A is used. It is also used in Sony 9000, AX10Ai/59TXi and Z9.

Here is an article concerning DVD-A and SACD http://www.digit-life.com/articles2/sacd-dvd-a/index.html. I believe the DSD->PCM conversion is the only one way to play SACD disks with the best possible quality (not even taking in mind the TA and BM) due to the removing of intermodulation distortions from high level of out-of-the-band noises in DSD.
I can ABX the difference with 100% probability through quite good PCM1738 DACs (the same analog filters for DSD stream as in PCM1792) and through SM5816A conversion ... and then through PCM1704.
IMO Anhem engineers used the best way - DSD->PCM and High-End DACs. It is funny that Sony engineers used the same way in their top 9000ES receiver, though without High-End DACs ...

 

[LEVESQUE]

Hello folks,
I am considering the D1/P5 combo. Does anyone have these out there? Does anyone think there is anything that is better for this price?

I use the D1 and P5 since last may. If you have some specific questions, you can always send me a PM.

Anything better for this price? I don't think the P5 can be beat in that price range, but the D1 has alot of worthy competitors in that price range.

I have heard the Parasound C1/C2, the Bryston SP1.7, the Krell, the Arcam AV8, and, frankly, they were all pretty good. Differences were subtilities, no "night and day" differences like people are often reporting...

But Anthem great sound, features, and long term upgradeability won the day for me. And the upsampling of DD and DTS is also a nice improvement to my ears.

The new Integra Research seems pretty good also, and just came out. But I haven't heard it...

 

[john.michael]

Yearend has come and gone and no ieee 1394....

Regarding the Anthem D1, I am still waiting for the ieee 1394. It was planned for the end of 2004, and since then I have not seen a word about it.



Does anyone have any info?

 

[gene]

And the upsampling of DD and DTS is also a nice improvement to my ears.

Just curious how you determined this since it cannot be defeated on that product. Thanks.

 

[Jaycan]

Anthem D1 Update?

Gene,
Any news regarding implementation of HDMI/Firewire? There's still nothing on Anthem's website. What's the holdup?

 

[Jaycan]

The D1 wait continues

Seems like they are fine tuning the onboard (real) scaler that will scale all video to HDMI 720P, as well as waiting for final HDMI sign off. Looks like firewire is a non starter.

 

[tdeluce]

Seems like they are fine tuning the onboard (real) scaler that will scale all video to HDMI 720P, as well as waiting for final HDMI sign off. Looks like firewire is a non starter.

Any new news on the new D1 release?

Has there been an announcement? It alledgedly will
have a gennum scaller and other cool stuff...

 

[Buckle-meister]

A reciever such as a Z9 is such a complex hardware to say the least. And if Murphy were around as he usually lurks in such complex gears, and something goes wrong with such a monster, I would hate lifting such a hefty beast out of the rack, much less lugging it to the service center...

(sigh)

...at the risk of getting herniated.

Well, at least I'm spared that!

Regards

 

[dandecoteau]

yamaha vs. anthem??

I can only offer you insights regarding the Anthem D1 that I own. It is an amazing piece of equipment! I have owned if for 8 mo. now and not only cannot find any criticisms or complaints, but have been nothing short of astonished on a daily basis at its ease of use, flexibility, and sheer processing power. It is easily the best piece of a/v equipment I have ever owned.

 

[Buckster]

sorry to dig up an old thread - but I've been considering a 2nd hand Z9

I thought the Z9 did indeed use Burr Brown op-amps - OPA 275 ??

I have currently a 59TXi - Z9 may be a bit of a side-step not sure - now the 59TXi - definately uses JRC opamps - would love to have the soldering skills to change them !

I partly agree here that most of the Japanese electronics I have reviewed use JRC opamps. While they are not bad opamps by any means, I would also prefer some good Burr Brown or Analog Devices that have lower noise floor.



I also agree here, the Cirrus Logic processors from that era do have some issues, especially with the triple crossover as I noted in my Sherbourn PT-7000 review. My understanding is they have since then resolved these issues?

What have you noticed to be a problem with them?

The Anthem piece does look very promosing from the little info available at this time.