Anthem MRX 520 shutdown issue

[lovinthehd]

FWIW here are Amir's measurements of the 520 https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-anthem-mrx-520-avr.8961/

 

[paulzhere]

@TLS Guy I have been thinking about adding a power amp for at least the front 3 channels, as you said, for quite sometime now. What do you suggest for a decent power amp to go with my MRX520 or the 500 for that matter, that won't break the bank?

I looked up the FR of my C97s once again and they don't look that bad in retrospect although I remember I was kinda embarrassed with the slight smile curve. I also recall that I could take care of it in ARC and more or less got a flat looking curve for my room at least till 5KHz that ARC would allow. That was quite a while ago and maybe the speakers have changed character over time (or perhaps my ears have degraded with age). Frankly they don't sound that good, just OK. Perhaps a power amp will bring out something more.

 

[TLS Guy]

This is one of the reasons I have said and posted that the manufacturers should offer the front end of AVRs along with separate power amps that handle the speaker load. If we were to count the threads here and on other forums, it's likely that the questions "Why does my AVR shut off?" and "Why does my AVR sound bad?" would be #1 and #2.

As you may remember, you sent a crossover design to me when I designed my speakers and again, thank you. Also, as you just posted, the impedance is in the 4 Ohm range, but that didn't seem to matter to the Denon AVR I was using- it never shut off and the sound from the system was actually very good. I replaced the Denon with Parasound equipment because I wanted to play my vinyl and, while the arguments raged about whether amplifiers sound different or if their power should be rated fully with all channels driven vs 2 or 3 , I noticed that this sounded better than the Denon and posted same. This amp has never shut down, run hot or had a single issue of any kind. OTOH, the spec sheet shows that it will handle 2 Ohms without problems. THAT'S what I want in an AVR, not "It's not as good, but it's OK" at the low, low price of $2500.

They could do this, but WAF is rampant and locating a power amp in a different location from the preamp isn't always easy/practical/possible. In the meantime, we have to pick our battles/choose our poison.

That is not a popular view around here, but it is the absolute truth!

@TLS Guy I have been thinking about adding a power amp for at least the front 3 channels, as you said, for quite sometime now. What do you suggest for a decent power amp to go with my MRX520 or the 500 for that matter, that won't break the bank?

I looked up the FR of my C97s once again and they don't look that bad in retrospect although I remember I was kinda embarrassed with the slight smile curve. I also recall that I could take care of it in ARC and more or less got a flat looking curve for my room at least till 5KHz that ARC would allow. That was quite a while ago and maybe the speakers have changed character over time (or perhaps my ears have degraded with age). Frankly they don't sound that good, just OK. Perhaps a power amp will bring out something more.

I'm not sure what amps you have available to you in that part of the world. I'm personally really fond of the Quad current dumping amps. I don't know if the Artera is in your range? Rotel is another to look at.

 

[highfigh]

That is not a popular view around here, but it is the absolute truth!

I'm not sure why it isn't something people ask for, aside from having to make someone happy with the aesthetics and if the power amp were to be out of sight, that wouldn't be an issue. From the manufacturer's side, the question of power output would be the #1 question because they need to sell what they make, not sit on boxes when they miss the mark. I think three models of amplifier would suffice- we know amplifiers don't need to cost a lot to be good, why not let the outboard power amp do its job and the front end do its job? I have also posted that I would like to see interchangeable video modules that would allow the majority of the unit keep up with new technology, but that implies obsolescence is inevitable, whether by actual need or the manufacturers' need to sell goods being fabricated by them for the sake of "You want the newest, right?". Used to be that they didn't come out with new model lines every year and if my memory is accurate, the equipment was more reliable, to the extent that analog controls and switches were at the time. Sure, we needed to clean these and occasionally repair an output section that had been treated like a farm animal, but they were generally useful for years, if not decades, until the complexity became the cause for replacement- this stuff is much more difficult to repair and the fact that the manufacturers no longer train service techs at local shops doesn't help. Almost every shop had a service department and that allowed people to keep their equipment longer, but that changed when the manufacturers decided that everyone needed all kinds of bells and whistles which many don't use and fewer understand.

The fact that vintage equipment sells like hot cakes and still works is a good sign that some kind of backlash may occur- I see models that I sold as new going for more than the retail price more than fourty years later. That WILL NOT happen with the current blight of equipment.

 

[paulzhere]

That is not a popular view around here, but it is the absolute truth!


I'm not sure what amps you have available to you in that part of the world. I'm personally really fond of the Quad current dumping amps. I don't know if the Artera is in your range? Rotel is another to look at.

Thanks for the suggestions. Quad is not a popular brand in this part of the world but Rotel should be more easily available. What kind of power output should I look for to drive my C97s with a decent performance ?

 

[paulzhere]

FWIW here are Amir's measurements of the 520 https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-anthem-mrx-520-avr.8961/

Yes, I did see Amir's measurements of the MRX520 and was uneasy about them. I consulted Gene Dellasala about them and he told me not to take those measurements too seriously, I could not go wrong with the 520.

 

[paulzhere]

Bad news. I powered up my MRX520 yesterday after having left it in my cellar for 5 days. Same problem, the first time it turned itself off after 50 minutes, the second time after 5 minutes, then after 3 minutes and so on... Note that this was without any input or output connected to it, just the receiver to the mains. Also, I had disabled all kinds of HDMI CEC stuff, an IR trigger stuff. So I guess I am in for a serious issue..

I guess I'll contact support@anthemav once again to report my findings and see what they have to say.

Update: The repair guy from France got back to me saying that he thinks it's a card that needs to be changed at the level of power supply. He asked me to send it for service.

 

[lovinthehd]

Yes, I did see Amir's measurements of the MRX520 and was uneasy about them. I consulted Gene Dellasala about them and he told me not to take those measurements too seriously, I could not go wrong with the 520.

I don't take any of Amir's measurements too seriously, they're somewhat limited; he focuses on the dac performance and engineering quality which are fine but don't tell you a lot either. However, Anthem like many others that contract out consumer electronics can suffer from problems, too. Sort of the nature of consumer electronics. They're complex and can fail for a variety of reasons. I just find Anthem a bit overpriced myself.

 

[paulzhere]

Sort of the nature of consumer electronics. They're complex and can fail for a variety of reasons. I just find Anthem a bit overpriced myself.

I agree. A big chunk of the price goes towards ARC I guess.

 

[lovinthehd]

I agree. A big chunk of the price goes towards ARC I guess.

Don't know how much it cost them to develop that but think the price difference is likely more that they just don't enjoy the economies of scale some others can wield.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Bad news. I powered up my MRX520 yesterday after having left it in my cellar for 5 days. Same problem, the first time it turned itself off after 50 minutes, the second time after 5 minutes, then after 3 minutes and so on... Note that this was without any input or output connected to it, just the receiver to the mains. Also, I had disabled all kinds of HDMI CEC stuff, an IR trigger stuff. So I guess I am in for a serious issue..

I guess I'll contact support@anthemav once again to report my findings and see what they have to say.

Update: The repair guy from France got back to me saying that he thinks it's a card that needs to be changed at the level of power supply. He asked me to send it for service.

How much is that going to cost for shipping?

In the US, if you have a Yamaha under warranty (new or refurb), Yamaha will pay for shipping both ways for service.

Just wondering if Anthem has this kind of stellar service.

 

[paulzhere]

How much is that going to cost for shipping?

In the US, if you have a Yamaha under warranty (new or refurb), Yamaha will pay for shipping both ways for service.

Just wondering if Anthem has this kind of stellar service.

It should be around 30 euros for insured shipping. I don’t know if I need to pay the return shipping too. I’m wondering whether to send it now or wait till the confinement is over. God knows how long that’s going to be though.

 

[TLS Guy]

Bad news. I powered up my MRX520 yesterday after having left it in my cellar for 5 days. Same problem, the first time it turned itself off after 50 minutes, the second time after 5 minutes, then after 3 minutes and so on... Note that this was without any input or output connected to it, just the receiver to the mains. Also, I had disabled all kinds of HDMI CEC stuff, an IR trigger stuff. So I guess I am in for a serious issue..

I guess I'll contact support@anthemav once again to report my findings and see what they have to say.

Update: The repair guy from France got back to me saying that he thinks it's a card that needs to be changed at the level of power supply. He asked me to send it for service.

Since the tech knows what the problem is, you can bet you are not the only one with this issue. Unless there is an upgraded component, this probably won't be the last time this happens to you. I would advise you to interrogate the tech about this.

 

[PENG]

I don't take any of Amir's measurements too seriously, they're somewhat limited; he focuses on the dac performance and engineering quality which are fine but don't tell you a lot either. However, Anthem like many others that contract out consumer electronics can suffer from problems, too. Sort of the nature of consumer electronics. They're complex and can fail for a variety of reasons. I just find Anthem a bit overpriced myself.

As you know I also do not believe those measurements mean a lot in terms of audibly sound quality differences in general. They could be sort of indicators of how serious the manufacturers might have been, when they advertised how superior their products were in sound quality.

So I would say people should not take ASR or AH's measurements too seriously, but also do not take those advertised sound quality benefits too seriously either, especially those by boutique brand products. Of all people, Gene himself had more than once pointed out the difference in output quality of pre-outs, so while he told the OP not to take those measurements too seriously, the details may be in the key word "too".

 

[PENG]

It should be around 30 euros for insured shipping. I don’t know if I need to pay the return shipping too. I’m wondering whether to send it now or wait till the confinement is over. God knows how long that’s going to be though.

Agreed with TLSG, should asked a lot questions first, and most importantly get a not to exceed estimate so you can make an informed decision. If the cost is reasonable and if they give you a guarantee/warranty of some sort, it is worth it because the 520 isn't that old.

 

[demisoda2k]

It should be around 30 euros for insured shipping. I don’t know if I need to pay the return shipping too. I’m wondering whether to send it now or wait till the confinement is over. God knows how long that’s going to be though.

Hi there,
Bumping up this to ask how it went.


I am having exactly the same issue right now,
my MRX1120 was having random shut down issues,
and now it's shutting off immediately, since yesterday.


Cant believe this is happening just after 2and half year, I thought it would be my lifetime invastmant, given the price point.

 

[slipperybidness]

Hi there,
Bumping up this to ask how it went.


I am having exactly the same issue right now,
my MRX1120 was having random shut down issues,
and now it's shutting off immediately, since yesterday.


Cant believe this is happening just after 2and half year, I thought it would be my lifetime invastmant, given the price point.

This is the difficulty with these boutique brands and AVRs. An AVR is a complex piece of gear. It really is biased towards production by the BIG audio manufacturers that can dump engineering and coding resources into it, then benefit from economies of scale.

I have no direct experience with Anthem, but I am sure they are a fine brand. But, when it comes to AVRs, the deck is stacked against them.

 

[TLS Guy]

Hi there,
Bumping up this to ask how it went.


I am having exactly the same issue right now,
my MRX1120 was having random shut down issues,
and now it's shutting off immediately, since yesterday.


Cant believe this is happening just after 2and half year, I thought it would be my lifetime invastmant, given the price point.

I would PM the OP of this thread and ask him the outcome. Given the expense, if they have not upgraded the part causing this or modified the design, you may be better off cutting your losses, despite the age of the unit. You will have to consider your options carefully and ask the right questions. That is as much information as I can give.
This thread gives the strong hint there is a known problem here. If that is so, Anthem should be recalling those units. Given modern day ethics I bet they won't. There associated brand Parasound have been having issues also. I tend to agree that this outfit are under capitalized for producing the products there are attempting to build and market.

 

[slipperybidness]

I would PM the OP of this thread and ask him the outcome. Given the expense, if they have no upgraded the part causing this or modified the design, you may be better off cutting your losses, despite the age of the unit. You will have to consider your options carefully and ask the right questions. That is as much information as I can give.
This thread gives the strong hint there is a known problem here. If that is so, Anthem should be recalling those units. Given modern day ethics I bet they won't. There associated brand Parasound have been having issues also. I tend to agree that this outfit are under capitalized for producing the products there are attempting to build and market.

I thought the sister brand is Paradigm, not Parasound?

 

[TLS Guy]

I thought the sister brand is Paradigm, not Parasound?

You are correct. An old man's faulty memory in play. This makes it worse, as it means a brand building two speaker lines is trying to produce complex electronics. High speed train cash is pretty much inevitable.